Patricia and Rod Duke of national retail chain Briscoes Group have sold their third-of-a-hectare Remuera property for a sum an agent says could set this year's house price record.
Wall Real Estate has the sold sign on 99 Arney Rd and 66 Bell Rd and Ollie Wall said today: "We are sworn to secrecy on the names and numbers but it is likely to be one of the largest house sales this year."
The properties with their twin addresses are valued at $13.7 million by Auckland Council.
Duke appeared on the NBR Rich List last year with an estimated $815m fortune.
The listing went up late last year when the Dukes moved to the renovated and vastly extended St Mary's Bay waterfront home with its controversial boatshed/helicopter landing pad.
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The section is 3650sq m. The heritage-style home has six bathrooms and garaging for six vehicles, a pool, outdoor entertaining areas and is being marketed as "northern slopes ultimate grand estate".
The Walls advertised it as two titles, two dwellings and two road frontages and said it was a "beautifully presented private north-facing home. Sits amongst tropical style planting with meticulous stonework."
Graham Wall said the property had stunning surrounds, was private and peaceful and like a city haven. Age was a factor in how people viewed such a home.
"A 2020 house has a brilliant bathroom and kitchen amenities. Yet most of the older houses have not had a birthday recently," he said.
Last year, the Herald reported how Duke was a step closer to winning his Herne Bay helicopter boat shed battle after Auckland Council signalled its intention to drop its opposition to the beachfront structure.
Stephen Quinn, a DLA Piper lawyer for the council, issued a memorandum to the Environment Court describing how a resolution has been reached in the case.
Duke has converted a boatshed at his St Mary's Bay property into a helicopter pad which resulted in some neighbours complaining because the boat shed is on the beach.