James Glucksman and James Boussy have been the owners of Pen-y-bryn Lodge for close to 13 years and are trying to plan for the next stage of their lives, by listing the grand home.
They were in the process of building a new house at Kakanui, and knew selling the Heritage New Zealand category one listed home would not be a quick process, Mr Glucksman said.
"We figure that there’s a point at which we’re going to be too old to continue to do what we’ve been doing, the way we like to do it.
"It’s not going to be a quick thing to find the right person to own this house and take it on, so we thought we would get things started now, while we’re still energetic... and just sort of give us the time to find the right kind of person."
They wanted to be able to carry out the sale in a "calm and collected" way and thought it was better to test the market now, rather than put it off.
The 830sq m Towey St late Victorian single-storey home is listed with Sotheby’s International Realty, and was built in 1889. It has seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, five ensuites, and two garages, all situated on a 5000sq m property.
Five bedrooms are used as guest rooms, and the other two are the owners’ quarters, as well as three large living areas, a dining room, two powder rooms, and fitness areas.
The home had been extensively renovated by Mr Glucksman and Mr Boussy.
There were too many things they loved about the house to list, Mr Glucksman said.
"It’s a beautiful place... You never tire of the space, and it’s really a wonderful place to call home.
"Plus... it’s been a very good business, and we’ve had countless wonderful guests that have come through, and many people who have become friends. It’s a very desirable lifestyle."
Mr Glucksman said they wanted to ensure the new owner would treat the place "the way it deserves to be treated".
Their house build was expected to be completed between Christmas 2023 and Easter 2024, and the couple would happily commute between the two properties until the right new owners came along, he said.
By Ashley Smyth
