‘Munted’ house for sale gets snapped up by foreign surfer
A West Coast house described as “munted” on its for sale listing has been snapped up by an American surfer.
Property Brokers real estate agent Paul Murray said the $145,000 listing for the property on Con St in Seddonville, northern Buller, went viral after his “honest” descriptions featured in a Stuff story.
“I wish I had that much interest from actual nice houses I have for sale. It went international and I have it under contract sight unseen with a couple from California who are Australian citizens and eligible to buy a house in New Zealand.”
The 120-year-old house was in an excellent location on a rise, surrounded by hills and forest, and with a stunning view of a waterfall, he said.
However, the buyer “would need to be more handy than a Hindu love God” to take it on.
“It needs a new roof, new floor, new cladding, new windows, new piles, new plumbing and wiring, otherwise it’s perfectly fine.”
The house is 100m², and the land area is 2861m². The property has an rateable value of $130,000, plus a land value of $70,000.
Murray said the US couple had been to Seddonville before and had a friend look at the house on their behalf before putting in an offer.
The offer was accepted by the owner, pending a LIM report and solicitor’s approval.
One of the new buyers was a carpenter and “surfer dude” attracted to the surfing spots on the West Coast, Murray said.
The new owners would have to have sufficient capital to fund the remedial work needed and potentially buy surrounding land from the “amicable” neighbour and local council.
It would require a boundary adjustment at the new owner’s expense because the property boundary ran right through the middle of the house and the property’s shed and well were on an unformed council-owned paper road.
Murray’s listing said the buyer would have to have “the pockets, the skills and the temerity” to fully renovate and restore the old house.
“The endpoint will be an extraordinary home in a superb location... In summary, this isn’t a mere fixer-upper; this is a project for the bold, the brave, and the slightly unhinged. If you’ve got the cash to splash, the skills to wield a hammer, and the courage to embark on a journey of architectural resurrection, welcome to your new home,” he wrote.
Murray said the house featured an ancient hand-adzed beam, with a poem stencilled on it.
The poem reads: “May the beauty of the mountains, the forests, the lakes, the oceans, the plants and the animals always strike music with you. May the harmony of nature always teach and provide for your kind. Now and forever. Seek peace within, and love abounds. Arohanui/Kia ora.”