Sandringham villa or Spanish castle?
Where would you rather live? Here’s one Auckland home up for auction and the overseas castles, villas and penthouse apartments you could get for the same price, writes Ben Leahy .
Your home is your castle — and, indeed, in Auckland, many homes really can cost as much as a castle. That includes a delightful Sandringham villa that OneRoof property website recently featured and described as a gardener’s delight.
Valued by Auckland Council at $2.63 million, it’s listed for auction sale.
Owners Matt and Anna told OneRoof they spent 10 years transforming their home at 108 Burnley Tce into an elegant fourbedroom sanctuary.
It combines renovated interiors with an open-plan kitchen and lounge that opens on to a gorgeous backyard alive with an “amazing display of white hydrangeas”, ready to flower soon.
“I can see a new family having the best Christmas and summer here — the lucky things,” the agent said.
But at about two-and-a-half million dollars, wouldn’t it be worth pausing for a moment and taking a look at what that type of money could get you overseas instead?
1 Price: $2.2 million Fortress of San Isidro, Mondonedo, Spain For those wanting a real sea change from Auckland life, why not return all the way to the medieval times and buy your own castle?
The San Isidro fortress dates back to the 12th century — according to the website Castleist — and still has a watchtower you can retreat to should raiders suddenly ravage Mondonedo in Spain’s northwest.
Okay, winters look to be a tad draughty and unpleasantly cold in the castle’s flagstone lined rooms.
Still, its rustic beauty is undeniable, and it features everything you would expect from a fortress.
That includes dining hall spanned with heavy wooden beams, mosscovered stone walkways and even its own chapel containing what looks like a grave.
And if San Isidro fortress’ price is too much — or you want a castle more easily defended — you might want to consider Killahara Castle in Tipperary, Ireland, instead.
It’s a bit cheaper at $1.6m, according to Castleist.
And standing as one solitary keep tower, it should be easy to keep out unwanted neighbours.
2 Price: $2.5 million Via Roma, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Italy If style is more your thing than rustic, this Italian Roman-inspired villa could be to your tastes.
Via Roma sits in the Tuscan hills near Castelnuovo Berardenga about 50km southeast of Florence.
It’s charming open-plan lounge areas opens to an outdoor deck perfect for Italian dinners, with a saltwater pool below giving views over neighbouring vineyards.
And at just 8500sq m in size, real estate agents Sotheby’s International Realty assures buyers the upkeep of manicured garden is quite “manageable”.
If you’re looking for a coastal home in Italy, however, a quirky but “charming” villa in Sicily in the country’s south also has a lovely deck for beautiful outdoor dining as well as an infinity pool with views over the Aeolian Islands.
It is also selling for $2.5m, according to Sotheby’s International Realty.
3 Price: $2.1 million Sainte Maxime, French Riviera, France For those wanting an idyllic but faster pace of life, this penthouse sits on the French Riviera waterfront.
Overlooking the Bay of St Tropez in Sainte Maxime, it has three bedrooms, two garage spaces and a spacious 130sq m of floor space, according to Prestige Property Group..
It puts French wineries, shopping and the country’s stunning Mediterranean coast within easy driving distance. However, to get even more bang for buck and the chance to live in year-round tropical heat, then Bali might be a better bet.
This four-bedroom beachside villa in Berawa in the main city of Denpasar boasts its own lap pool and 298sq m of space.
Designed by an Australian architect, it’s on sale as a leasehold for $976,885, according to Bali Realty.
4 Price: $2.5 million Papeto’Ai, Moorea-Maio, French Polynesia If you are looking for a more remote island life, French Polynesia might be the ticket.
Located in Papeto’Ai on the island of Moorea-Maio the spacious fourbedroom home features a rooftop terrace with a swimming pool and gorgeous views over the turquoise waters, website James Edition states.
Sandwiched between a golf course and quay, the home opens buyers up to the tropical life of Tahiti, just a short board ride away.
For those who prefer their islands windswept, the Scottish island of Pladda, south of the Isle of Arran, is up for sale for $663,722.
It has a former lightkeeper’s residence with five bedrooms, walled garden and helipad.
The island is also an important breeding point for scores of seabirds.