Kingsland hard-to-find live-and-work property

An elevated view over Kingsland approximately identifying the property for sale at 385 New North Rd by a red border. Photo / Supplied

By True Commercial

An exceptional opportunity to purchase a live and work property has arisen in the Auckland city fringe suburb of Kingsland via the sale of a 240sqm freehold site with a 157sqm warehouse, 141sq m apartment and four car parks.

"Live and work scenarios are popular and are often very hard to find," says JLL agent Alex Wefers, who is marketing 385 New North Rd for sale with vacant possession through an expressions of interest campaign closing September 7 - unless the property is sold earlier by negotiation.

"Zoned Mixed Use, this property is located in a prime location and has great business exposure," he says. "Kingsland is known to be an eclectic neighborhood so this type of property could suit an array of business types including professional services, retail, storage, medical, showroom and recreation.

"Alternatively, the apartment could be used by a commercial tenant as an office or medical practice - employing the bedrooms as consultancy rooms. It also could suit a yoga and wellness center as it did previously. Additionally, new owner could choose just to live in the apartment and lease out the rest or vice versa.

"If we consider the rapid rise in sale prices for both commercial and residential property in Kingsland, the overall capital increase has been significant," Wefers says. "This property gives a new owner the ability to live in a three-bedroom, 141sqm apartment, and the opportunity to have a business on-site too."

He says Kingsland is popular with businesses because of its easy access to motorways; 385 New North Rd being 450m from the local train station and 80m from a bus stop.

Wefers says the previous tenant used the property to build the successful Little Bird cafe and natural food business - living at the property with the cafe downstairs.

Megan May, owner of Little Bird, says it was the ideal property because the business involved sprouting and dehydrating products on-site. "We were able to be on hand 24 hours a day allowing us to ensure nothing went wrong with our processes; And if it did, we were there to fix it straight away.

"Even after we moved out of the apartment, we kept the cafe there for a while because the site and our customers were special to us. The apartment was a surprisingly quiet place to live and very serene with trees at the back of the property. We would have loved to have purchased the property ourselves, but timing doesn't allow it."