Top businessman’s $5m home on market
It was supposed to be the dream home for Xero founder Rod Drury and his wife Anna.
Instead, it has been listed for sale while the builders put the finishing touches on the barely lived-in Hawke’s Bay house.
The property is listed privately.
The three-level house is a lavish, sprawling property worth an estimated $5 million. It features a tennis court, swimming pool, a spa, and a pool house.
It has two entrances and is a short walk to private boys school Hereworth School, where Anna Drury is on the board of trustees.
The Xero founder’s new house was given a consent in 2015, and only four of the 25 elements needing final sign-off have gone through the Hastings District Council consent process.
Drury and his wife Anna bought the 4536 square metre section through a trust for $1.65m in 2013, with a house already on the site. They then went through the process of knocking the old dwelling down, to build the new one.
The large contemporary house was designed by Auckland architects Sumich Chaplin, with a mixture of white stone and marble exterior. It is flanked by tall palm trees, succulents, and native grass. The house, tennis court and pool are all completed, with builders from local Hawke’s Bay firm Redmonds completing the pool house and driveway.
The gardens have been designed by landscaper Suzanne Turley.
The brand new house is nestled in the affluent suburb of Havelock North, which has three high-end private schools, including Hereworth, as well as two girls’ schools – Woodford House, and Iona College. Although Havelock North is technically a suburb of Hastings, it is referred to as the village. It is an enclave of lush green rolling hills, wineries, cafes and the wealth in the area is obvious. Surrounding houses are valued around the milliondollar mark, but the average house price in Havelock North is $640,000.
Earlier this year, Drury announced that as of April 1 he would no longer be chief executive of the company he started 11 years ago. He sold almost $95m worth of shares in October, but continues to be the major shareholder with a 12.6 per cent stake in the company.