Otahuhu warehouse a scarce offer

Elevated view of the office and warehouse in Otahuhu close to the southern motorway. Photo / Supplied

An office and warehouse in Otahuhu, South Auckland, close to State Highway 1, has been placed on the market by a family trust.

Marketed by Dwayne Warby and Paul Higgins of Colliers International, the property at 739 Great South Rd is for sale by deadline private treaty with offers closing on November 3, 2011, unless sold prior.

"With the current tenant moving to new premises, this 2846sq m property is being offered with vacant possession creating an opportunity for an owner-occupier to move in," Warby says.

"This building is one of a limited number of vacant industrial buildings available for purchase in the Auckland region. This scarcity, combined with excellent motorway access, makes it an attractive proposition for industrial occupiers."

Originally constructed in 1970, the warehouse features a drive-through yard, three roller doors and two 3-tonne gantry cranes running the length of the building.

"In terms of a practical, user-friendly warehouse, this property has it all and is ready for the new owner to take occupation," Higgins says. "Trucks have easy access via the drive-through yard, two street entrances and ample parking."

The warehouse itself has 5m stud height and a floor area of 1857sq m. Also on the ground floor is a tidy front showroom, retail storage area, entry hall and cafeteria. To the rear is a laboratory room and mezzanine storage. First-floor mezzanine offices have been modernised recently and feature a boardroom and staff amenities including a kitchen and cafeteria.

The substantial outdoor area includes a concrete driveway and large carparking area to the rear with access to Laureston Ave.

Together with the yard and a separate, secure dangerous-goods store, the property covers 4656sq m in total.

Warby says the ready-to-occupy nature of the property means it will suit various industrial tenants, "manufacturing or engineering firms in particular".

The Highbrook interchange to SH1 is two minutes' drive from the property, allowing road access to the Auckland CBD in about 20 minutes.

"The interchange means this part of Otahuhu is closer to the motorway than most other industrial areas in Auckland," says Warby.

The property also benefits from its location on Great South Rd, a main arterial route. Higgins says this part of Otahuhu is a strategic position for industry, being located on a primary transport route with easy access to Auckland International Airport just 20 minutes' drive to the south.

The sale comes as Colliers International's latest quarterly confidence survey shows investor confidence in Auckland's industrial property market is high. Alan McMahon, Colliers International's national director of consulting and research, says 49 per cent of responses forecast improving conditions for industrial property investors over the next year, with only 8 per cent suggesting the opposite and the remainder expecting stability.