Painted Lady sells in ‘perfect match’
Wellington’s landmark ‘‘Painted Lady’’ property on the slopes of Mt Victoria has been sold by tender after multiple offers were presented.
Listing agent Craig Lowe of Lowe & Co Realty says the sale was strongly contested following a campaign that generated high interest – the property had more than 18,000 hits on Trade Me and more than 200 visitors went through the house.
Both the current and new owners say the sale price, as expected, was ‘‘significantly in excess’’ of the RV, which is $800,000. When the property was listed, the agent said he expected it to go for ‘‘double or more than double’’ that figure.
‘‘The tender process generated a highly competitive result with many tenders,’’ one of the owners says.
‘‘We are delighted that we have sold the house to a family that values the connection with both the local community and the house, and who see themselves as caretakers of something of social value, and will appreciate the benefits the house has to offer with being close to schools, library, beaches and their work.’’
Lowe says the owners were very interested to sell to a family that would enjoy the property as much as they had. ‘‘This made for a very gratifying conclusion with the winning buyer being a perfect match.’’
The 1890s house has been extensively renovated by the current owners, who took their cue from San Francisco’s ‘‘Painted Ladies’’ – a row of beautiful Victorian villas that have captured attention for well over a century.
‘‘We based the outside restoration on the combination of the Queen Anne villa style from San Francisco, photos of the house from around 1910, and photos from around New Zealand of the things we did, or did not, like,’’ the owners say.