Rundown old boatshed fetches $61k; nine miss out

Everyone loves a boatshed, or so it seemed on Wednesday night, June 17, 2020, at the auction of the rundown Whangarei boatshed on the Hatea River

Listing agent Charlie George of Ray White Whangarei says it was standing room only at the company’s new auction rooms, and there were “a whopping 10 registered bidders”.

The boatshed sold to a local man, Hein Van Zyl, for $61,000. The purchaser is an avid boatie who will use the shed for its intended purpose.

The tiny boatshed for sale on the Hatea River in Whangarei (with the blue chair in the centre of this photograph) sold under the hammer for $61,000. Two staff at the Northland Regional Council worked fulltime for two weeks dealing with enquiries about resource consent for the shed.

The tiny boatshed for sale on the Hatea River in Whangarei (with the blue chair in the centre of this photograph) sold under the hammer for $61,000. Two staff at the Northland Regional Council worked fulltime for two weeks dealing with enquiries about resource consent for the shed.

“Interest piqued early with this listing, which received over 100 enquiries and had more than 100,000 online views,” George says. “I even received a phone call from the Northland Regional Council advising me that the listing had taken up the time of two of their staff members for an entire week as they dealt with public enquiries on the resource consent.”

George, a former Westpac Young Business Owner of the year, was especially thrilled with the outcome as it was his first sale since he joined the Ray White team in Whangarei after moving up from Christchurch.

George says the vendor was also very pleased with the result. He had arrived in New Zealand, at Opua, in 2002 after sailing a 29-foot sloop solo from Germany.

Earlier in the week George described the boatshed as a “renovator’s dream in its original state, and in need of some TLC”.

“It’s a blank canvas waiting for someone to add their personal touch.”

At just under 20 square metres, the boatshed is small, but it’s undeniably quaint, if somewhat rustic. It can be made a lot more habitable, as there’s potential to install a toilet, running water, and wastewater systems.

“You can apply for resource consent and make it your own oasis,” says George. “The current resource consent expires on 31 October 2023. A neighbouring shed had their consent extended until 2055.”

The boatshed, which sits on the Queen’s Chain on Hatea River, has consent for three piles to create a vessel berth.

SOURCE: Stuff.co.nz

PHOTO: Ten people wanted it, but Hein Van Zyl (right) was the lucky purchaser of the small Whangarei boatshed that sold under the hammer on Wednesday night. He is pictured with listing agent Charlie George of Ray White.