Chris McKeen/Stuff
A house surrounded by piles of household junk on Auckland’s North Shore has sold for $60,000 less than its land value. (Photo taken in February 2022)
A clean-up is under way at a rubbish-strewn property on Auckland’s North Shore after it sold for less than its land value of $560,000.
Earlier in the year, Auckland Council sought court orders for the removal of a huge rubbish pile at the property on Glenfield’s Marlborough Ave.
However, the council hit pause on the court proceedings following the sale of the property – rubbish and all – in April for $500,000, less than the property’s land value of $560,000.
It is understood the rubbish pile grew over four to five years, including onto neighbours’ properties and the Downing St Reserve, which the property backs onto.
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The pile was made up of general household waste, including full rubbish bags, food and drink packaging, suitcases, broken electronics such as televisions and monitors, clothing, children’s toys, and bedding.
One neighbour described the smell as “pungent” at times, while another estimated it would cost thousands of dollars to remove the rubbish that had spilt onto their land.
Chris McKeen/Stuff
Auckland Council was seeking court orders for the removal of the rubbish, however proceedings have been paused following the sale of the property. (Photo taken in February 2022)
Mark, the new owner who did not want his surname published, said the property was “a mess” when he took over.
“They [the previous owners] just haven’t looked after it.
“The house is going to take a lot of money to be liveable again.”
Caroline Williams/Stuff
The rubbish had also encroached onto neighbours’ properties. (Photo taken February 2022)
Mark has been removing the rubbish himself by hand, as the property is down a bank and not accessible by digger. In an effort to be sustainable, he has also recycled some of the junk.
So far he has removed 18m³ and reckons that’s about halfway.
Stuff contacted rubbish removal company Junk2Go to see what it might cost to gather and remove 36m³ of household rubbish. At $185 for 2m³ and $55 per additional cubic metre, it would have cost Mark more than $2000 to bring in the professionals.
Chris McKeen/Stuff
The rubbish pile included clothing, appliances, children’s toys and food packaging. (Photo taken February 2022)
However, Mark was keen to keep his costs low, and the low price he paid for the property made it worthwhile.
“It’s hard to find a property in that area for under a million.”
In its online property listing, Barfoot and Thompson said the house would “quite possibly be the cheapest house sold on the North Shore this year” and the “cheapest section available in Glenfield for years”.
It was sold “as is, where is” with no guarantees regarding the condition of the house – deemed “unlivable” by the auctioneer – or if it would come with any squatters inside. Auckland Council also required the new owners to remove the rubbish.
Caroline Williams/Stuff
Mark’s new neighbours are pleased to see the property being tidied up.
A three-bedroom house down the road sold at the same auction went for $1.028m.
Once the rubbish is dealt with, Mark plans on fixing up the house, keeping the existing structure. He’s not sure yet whether he will sell the property or live there himself.
Mulberry Place resident Courtney Newbold previously told Stuff she was sad the rubbish had piled up on her family’s property.
It would later weigh heavily on her mind during an overseas trip and she considered crowdfunding to pay to get the rubbish removed.
However, upon her return she was “so happy” to see Mark was “very committed” to removing the rubbish from both his and her properties.
“From a spiritual perspective. . . It just clears the air.”
Another neighbour, who didn’t want to be named, said squatters at the property had given her a lot of anxiety, but things had improved since Mark took over.
“We’re not having people going in and making a ruckus.”
An Auckland Council spokesperson confirmed “significant progress” had been made towards cleaning up the property and that court proceedings had been paused, as they were lodged against the previous owner.
House on Auckland’s North Shore with huge rubbish pile sells for $500k & Latest News Update
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