Two deceased estates in Auckland sell for more than $2.6 million combined at auction, net proceeds to go to charity

The bidding was on at Ray White’s Ponsonby office on Thursday afternoon as people battled it out for properties in Ponsonby and Whangaparāoa.

But these properties aren’t regular properties - and these aren’t your usual listings, because most proceeds from the sales are going to two unnamed charities.

The first one to go under the hammer was a derelict three-bedroom house sitting on 412 square metres in Ponsonby. A back and forth between 19 bidders saw 28 Cowan St selling for $1,995,000 compared to its rating value (RV) of $2.35 million.

An hour later, bidding was on again for 929 Whangaparaoa Rd for a “semi derelict” bach on 1036sqm of land. The property sold for $665,000 compared to its RV of $1.05 million.

Both properties were part of a deceased's estate with net proceeds from the Ponsonby house and from the Manly house going to the two unnamed charities.

Real estate agent Will Gluestein says it was an amazing result.

The buyers for both properties were people wanting to do something with the land, Gluestein says.

The sold houses

Built in the 1890s, the Ponsonby property has been around for a while.

Described in the sale listing “as is, where is”, the property is a Single House Zone with a Historic and Special Character overlay.

This means resource consent would be needed for any future redevelopment.

“Buyers are encouraged to undertake their own due diligence with planning and heritage professionals,” says the auction listing.

Built in the 1950s, the Manly property was last sold in 1980 for $18,500.

Described as private and central, the property has its own right of way.

And while the place has “seen better days”, the auction listing suggests people could “renovate, detonate (most likely) or reimagine”.

Currently the property is a mixed housing suburban zone but the auction hints at Auckland’s “operative in part” housing plan, PC 78, which looks at intensification.

Housing and planning - forever hot topics

The sale of these houses come at a time when auction activity has been pretty flat.

They also come at a time when housing and planning are hot topics. Though when are they not?

On Wednesday, Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced the Cabinet had agreed to implement a new rule allowing them to override local councils on planning decisions.

This means they will be able to “modify or remove provisions in local council plans if they negatively impact economic growth, development, or employment”.

“We aren't willing to let a single line in a district plan hold back millions or billions in economic potential. If local councillors don’t have the courage to make the tough decisions, we will do it for them,” Bishop said.

“Let me be absolutely clear: the days of letting councils decide that growth shouldn’t happen at all are over.”