- A Waikato couple renovated a neglected riverside mansion in Tamahere, transforming it into their family home.
- The property, purchased for $2.5m, features stunning views, a mineral pool and a putting green.
- The young family is selling to return to a farm lifestyle.
Two renovation addicts are selling a multimillion-dollar riverside mansion they saved from ruin.
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The Waikato couple bought the five-bedroom trophy home at 25d Riverglade Drive, in Tamahere, Waikato, two years ago for $2.5 million.
The property, one of the largest in the wealthy enclave, was in a poor state, with the listing photos at the time showing overgrown grounds, ghost-like rooms and an empty pool.
The agent’s marketing then hinted at dire straits: “Circumstances dictate a sale is required.”
The kitchen was updated and includes top-of-the-line appliances and granite benchtops. Photo / Supplied
What the property looked like when the couple bought it. Photo / Supplied
The couple saw past the gloom and made a play for the property. They knew they had only one chance to buy something with panoramic views overlooking the river.
“You can’t describe the location. It’s the most magical spot. I don’t think there would be one like it. It’s on the bend of the Waikato River and has sweeping views,” one of the vendors told OneRoof.
The mansion had been built by a highly regarded local builder, Karl Kampenhout, in the mid-2000s. “It was an amazing build, but cosmetically it had been left to rot.”
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The couple spent their first year bringing the house up to scratch. They were experienced renovators, but this project was huge.
They wanted their upgrades to be respectful of and enhance the original design. “We’ve just really tried to use natural materials so that there’s a lot of texture throughout.”
The striking entrance is a favourite. The Venetian plaster on the walls, the curved staircase, the imported European tiles on the floor, and the Moooi pendant hanging from the ceiling set the tone for the rest of the house.
The large property boasts multiple living areas including a games room and gym. Photo / Supplied
Special attention was given to the entrance way, which has Venetian plaster on the walls and imported tiles laid with a special grout on the floor. Photo / Supplied
The couple told OneRoof they spent a year renovating the property, inside and out. They upgraded the kitchen and bathrooms, repainted throughout, installed new flooring and carpets, and brought the dining and living areas, the games room, and gym into the 2020s.
“We were pretty lucky to do it. To be able to do a house like that was pretty cool,” one of the vendors said.
“We enjoy it – look at the house we get to live in.”
Their young family moved in partway through the renovation and said it had been the perfect family home, with their kids loving the mineral pool and putting green.
The property’s separate two-bedroom cottage had also been a bonus, which they had used as an Airbnb and extra accommodation for extended family members.
But the couple have decided to sell up, having found their next property on a farm. “We came from a farm, and we are going back to a farm. It’s just where we belong really. Our boys do motorbiking and stuff.”
The five-bedroom, five-bathroom property has an RV of $3.98m and is listed for sale with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Kristen Gould. It sits on an 8064sqm estate.
- 25D Riverglade Drive, in Tamahere, Waikato, is for sale, tender closing July 29
