Sir John Key’s former Parnell mega-mansion listed for sale
A glamorous Auckland home once owned by Sir John Key has been listed for sale five years after it was bought for $23.5 million.
Former PM Sir John and his wife Bronagh sold the Parnell mansion in 2017 to a buyer reportedly out of China, but neighbours told the Herald last year they were yet to see anyone move into the home since the sale.
Now the home has been listed for sale on Trade Me with the tagline “fit for royalty”.
The sale price is open for negotiation but there appears to be no real estate agent associated with the sale.
Instead, the contact person for the sale is named as Yi Wei Tang.
Auckland Council rated the home as worth $22m in the latest valuations last year.
“Former Prime Minister’s mansion,” the advertisement reads.
“New Zealand’s most prestigious address . . . Parnell was once home to the former Prime Minister John Key.”
It states the home has “hosted politicians, international states people and even royalty — in sumptuous style”.
It boasts seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and comes on a 1753sq m block.
It also has top security systems, a gym, theatre, wine cellar, pool and spa and manicured gardens, the advertisement says.
“The enormous main living room is majestic with 5-metre high stud heights and soaring windows that fill the area with natural light.”
Last year the home appeared to be sitting neglected and uninhabited, with neighbours fearing it was bringing down the “feel” of one of the city’s poshest streets.
Grime appeared on the home’s once immaculately kept walls at the time, the garden was unkempt with autumn leaves piling up against the entry gates.
Neighbours questioned why a buyer would pay a fortune for one of New Zealand’s most famous homes only to apparently never visit and fail to maintain the place.
One neighbour said he was concerned by the state of the ghost house.
“We don’t want the best house in the street going backwards, it is a bad example for everyone,” the man said.
The mega-mansion became one of New Zealand’s most recognisable homes during Key’s stint as prime minister.
It not only served as a setting for political get-togethers but also became a backdrop on social media.
The sparkling pool, in particular, became instantly recognisable as the backdrop for son Max’s many video blogs, music videos and viral photos of his famous dad.
After stepping down as PM, Key said he would sell the home.
Although the home sold in 2017, the deal wasn’t officially settled until 2019.
Just months later, New Zealand went into lockdown and closed its borders to all but Kiwi citizens and residents as Covid-19 swept the world.
It is understood the buyer wasn’t able to visit the home during the lockdown periods.