Character Ōrewa home polarises buyers

A unique home right opposite Ōrewa Beach, painted in the blue and white colours of Santorini, Greece and with soft rounded curves was sold last week.

The property, at 264 Hibiscus Coast Highway, designed and owned by renowned NZ architect Ian Burrow, was built in 2002.

Many people stop and look at the 3-level property as they pass by because it is so strikingly different from the other homes around it.

The home is spread over three levels including a self-contained ground floor apartment. Indoor/outdoor flow includes an outdoor shower where you can wash the salt and sand off before heading inside.

Telos Group residential sales agent, Sharna Salthouse, has got to know the house well. She says the Burrow family has owned and occupied it ever since it was built.

It was designed to enable both Ian and his wife Sandra’s parents to also live there and has been used to host wedding parties, and as an Air BnB.

Salthouse says because it was owner occupied, everything has been done to the highest quality. Some of the rooms have been given Greek names to continue the theme. The family call it, Villa Ōrewa. Anything that makes such a strong design statement won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but Salthouse says there was plenty of interest in the home.

“We found opinions were divided, because it’s so unique,” she says. “There were a number of offers, before the final sale.” The site is 540sqm, and zoned Residential – Terraced housing and Apartment. Its rateable value is $2.95m. The asking price was $4m.

Info: www.264hibiscuscoast.co.nz/