Castle owner has ‘flashes of Basil Fawlty’
A ‘‘fickle’’ market has forced Grand Designs NZ castle owner Phil Metaxas to rethink his plans for the property.
The Sefton castle had been listed for sale since the Grand Designs NZ show screened last November – it had always been Metaxas’ intention to sell after finishing the build 10 years after the previous owner walked away from it. Metaxas says there was a lot of interest but no sale eventuated.
In the interim, he has made all the finishing touches to the build, and is offering accommodation at the castle, which is also a wedding and events venue: ‘‘It seems the best way for me to show off this unique property that a huge amount of people have shown an incredible interest in.
‘‘Every day I am in contact with people who recall the Grand Designs episode – it is now showing in Australia and I have been getting messages on social media from people in New South Wales. They are excited when I tell them that it is now available to stay in. If it was sold, this would not be possible.’’
Metaxas is still living at the property and says he has gone from being a builder-project manager to becoming a boutique castle accommodation provider.
‘‘I have flashes of Basil Fawlty in the English TV comedy series Fawlty Towers, making sure the castle is always looking as good as it should,’’ he jokes. ‘‘Living on site means I can ensure it all goes smoothly for the guests.’’
Metaxas, who has had previous experience running an Airbnb in Australia, says it was always his vision to maximise the views of the ‘‘nice, rolling green countryside’’. ‘‘We have a clay soil here, so there has been a lot of topsoil and grass seed added.
‘‘It takes me about four hours to mow it on the ride-on mower, which I have to do once a week in summer. I just go round and round the castle in a complete circle, and it is funny, because as I am doing it I just look lovingly at the castle, much like you would look at a newborn. And I think: that’s a job well done.’’
Other finishing touches include completing all the paving inside and out. ‘‘When they filmed Grand Designs, they avoided showing some areas where the flooring was not completed but it did show in some of the photos.
‘‘The biggest challenge has been adding personal touches.
‘‘Tom Webster said the castle looks timeless, like it could have been here for 100 years but he said it just needed those touches that would make it a little more personal. So I have been finding all sorts of bits and pieces. I have framed ‘before’ photos that hang in the rooms, so guests can see how it looked when I took over – there were even pigeons in some rooms, which are in the photos.’’
Being a boutique business, the castle accommodates a maximum of 10 guests for overnight stays.
Metaxas says there is now a helicopter landing area and a personal chef on call. Winery tours to local wineries can also be organised. The castle, which is called Bella Costello (beautiful castle), is now listed as Castle Stays Sefton. The build was started by Merv Higgs (the former owner of Higgs Construction). In the late 1980s his wife toured Spain and Italy and came back with a love of Mediterranean architecture. Higgs wanted to build something similar for her. But after the Christchurch earthquakes, labour costs nearly tripled. Higgs was retired and had to put a halt to the build in 2011, five years after starting.