LOCATION: Auckland, New Zealand
PRICE: Undisclosed
SIZE: 281 square meters, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Not caring a lick or an iota for action/sci-fi books and movies—no shade, babies, it's just not our cup of entertainment tea—Your Mama has to admit when we first heard last week from from a Kiwi named Kiki that actor Karl Urban was selling his rather homey house in Auckland (New Zealand) we were like, "Who the hell is that?"
Natch, we fired up our trusty laptop computer and discovered Mister Urban, a well-built brunette with somewhat delicate facial features whose big break came on the New Zealand soap story Shortland Street, has successfully crossed over from the Australian/New Zealand movie scene to the Hollywood big time. In addition to scads and scores of movies and tee-vee shows Down Under, he's appeared in a substantial number Hollywood-made sci-fi and action nuggets that include Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Bourne Supremacy, Star Trek, and Xena: Warrior Princess. His Internet Movie Data Base resume shows beaver-busy Mister Urban has hefty handful of film projects in the hopper or in production that include a sci-fi thriller with Vin Diesel (Untitled Chronicles of Riddick Sequel) and still-to-be-titled sequel for Star Trek with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.
Your Mama doesn't know how to look up public property records in New Zealand so we really can't say when Mister Urban and his Missus bought the gated residence located in the upscale Auckland enclave of Herne Bay or how much dinero they forked over to buy it. We also don't know, as it turns out, at what price the property is listed. That's because current listing information does not indicate a specific asking price but does show that unless the property sells before, it will be sold by auction on the 4th of April. A recent report in the local papers shows the house has a "capital value" of $1,410,000 (NZ), an amount that converts to $1,150,450 (US).
We are not familiar with the specifics way of the New Zealand real estate business so we haven't a clue what "capital value" is and we also can't say if this auction business is customary for the region. In the U.S., a property auction often reeks of desperation (and/or foreclosure) but iffin we were the betting type—and we're not—we'd wager both our long-bodied bitches Linda and Beverly that the scheduled auction for Mister (and Missus) Urban's digs in Auckland are absolutely not an indication of an over-squeezed pocketbook.
Anyhoodles poodles, listing information does reveal the ship-shape, two-story shingled cottage measures 281 square meters and includes a total of 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A quick consult with our conversion contraption allows all us Americanos not on the metric system to understand 281 square meters is the exact equivalent of 3,025.66 square feet.
A bowling alley-length entrance hall with wood beamed ceiling and wood floors stretches clear through to the back of the house where it opens through French doors to a sizable wood deck that extends the first floor living areas into the tropically-landscaped and high-hedged back yard. Groovy, geometric-minded light fixtures splash a honeycomb-like pattern on the walls that, by our meaningless opinion, complements the colorfully graphic area rugs but competes uncomfortably with the numerous wall-hanging artworks.
The wood floors continue into the not-very-formal "formal" living room with fireplace and high wood beamed ceiling. The furnishings are eclectic and include linen slip-covered and leather sofas, an iconic Isamu Noguchi coffee table, a rug that looks like it was inspired by something our Grandma T-T tatted, and a variety of artworks on the walls including one over the fireplace ringed with a tangerine-colored frame that has Your Mama drooling with envy...over the frame, not the painting.
The adjacent dining area has full-wall built-in buffet with turquoise and orange painted accents and French doors open the dining area to the back deck. The dining area is completely open to the compact but well-equipped kitchen with free-standing center work island not particularly fancy stainless steel appliances. One entire wall of the kitchen is covered in snap shots and other family ephemera, a warm and fuzzy design idea the children can inexpensively and easily do in their own homes.
Upstairs a second sitting room (lit with the same geometrically-minded lights as in the entrance hall) opens to a deep covered porch with glistening bay views over the trees and roof tops of the surrounding homes.
Obviously we're not apprised of Mister Urban's specific real estate plans but eh told the local press he has no plans to relocated to Tinseltown and, in fact, has definite plans to stay in Herne Bay 'hood.
listing photos: Custom Residential