Inside Mark Hotchin's half-finished $30m mansion

Mark Hotchin has called a halt to work on his multimillion dollar mansion on Paritai Drive in Orakei. Photo / Greg Bowker

A half-finished $30 million mansion of failed Hanover Finance director Mark Hotchin is big enough to contain 13 average houses just on its floor space.

The mansion, on Auckland's golden mile of real estate, Paritai Dr, has hit the headlines after neighbours complained that the three-storey structure will block their views of Waitemata Harbour.

It will contain seven bedrooms, a 25m swimming pool and a garage for 12 cars.

Its study, games room and home theatre alone are as big as the typical house - without counting any of its living spaces, including seven bedrooms.

Hotchin has refused to comment on the house, even when angry investors previously urged him to sell it so they could be repaid.

Council documents reveal a palatial house that could contain a small neighbourhood. According to statistics for new resource consents in March, the average floor area for a New Zealand dwelling is less than 200 square metres. Hotchin's mansion has a floor space of 2605.4 square metres and would fit 13 average homes inside it.

Walking on to the property from the northern waterfront side, there is a full tennis court and a wide lawn sloping up to the house.

A pavilion sits on the west end of lawn and there is a guest house around the side of the main house.

Cars enter from the south side of the 4000 square metre section, from Huriaro Pl, down a gentle ramp specially designed to avoid damaging the underside of a Ferrari, and into a 12-car garage.

The basement is stocked with a wine cellar, at least two store rooms, a workshop, an elevator and a car wash.

Through a tunnel is a 25m underground swimming pool, sauna and spa bath.

Walking up the stairs to the ground floor, visitors are greeted by a 17m-wide entry hall.

To the right is a music room, children's room, children's study and laundry; straight ahead is a massive dining, kitchen and family room - complete with a walk-in chiller; and to the left an eight-seat home theatre and a 15m-long games room with a bar and pool table.

Rounding out the ground floor is a spacious study, living room and "outside room", which can seat at least 12 guests, has a barbecue, and opens on to the lawn and a panoramic view of Waitemata harbour.

Step out of the elevator and come left into a bedroom, featuring a lounge suite, walk-in wardrobe and ensuite with a private balcony.

Turn 180 degrees and come back down past the lift. On the left is another generous sized bedroom of 27 square metres with ensuite and walk-in ward robe.

A third bedroom is next door, this one has its own kitchen, but turn right and come down the main hallway which measures over 18m long and come into the living area with a home theatre and lounge suite.

Past the living room is Hotchin's master bedroom. The room has two chaise lounge suites and two bedroom chairs as well as a private balcony.

The room behind the 2m-wide bed is Hotchin's personal walk-in wardrobe of 15 square metres. Mrs Amanda Hotchin has her own, about half the size, across the hallway.

The master bedroom's ensuite is like-wise palatial. It features its own bath, double shower and two loos.

At over 91 square metres, the entire master bedroom, walk-in wardrobes and ensuite is larger than the floor space of a typical 19th-century worker's cottage.

Hotchin is reportedly on holiday in Hawaii and did not return calls.

He has previously refused to comment on the house but has said that he had "lost more than anybody" but felt "a moral obligation to help" investors.

* Hotchin's previous public statements:

February 6:

When asked about an elderly couple who had lost $80,000, Hotchin replied that he had lost more than anybody:

"Clearly nobody wanted this to happen. We have lost more than anybody, an enormous amount of money."

December 17, 2009:

After a deal with Allied Farmers was secured, investors urged Hotchin to pay back $20 million originally promised through a debt-repayment plan.

But Hotchin said there were no plans to pay.

"The $20 million is not due and falls away under receivership ... it's certainly not on the table at the moment."

December 10:

Hotchin fronted up at a meeting with investors to explain the Allied Farmers deal, but refused to talk about his house, despite angry investors shouting "sell your blimmin million-dollar house" and "you've got off scot-free".

"I would rather not comment on it ... I'm happy to comment on Allied or Hanover if you have anything to ask about it," he told reporters.

Hotchin said he spoke at the meeting because the public had been "misinformed".

December 9:

"It would have been very easy for me not to do this, I could have sat at home and just said 'okay if it fails I will deal with it at the time'.

"But we believe this opportunity is so significantly better than the alternatives that we have decided to take it to the investors."

December 4:

Hotchin told an investors' meeting that he had also lost money and was sorry for their hardship. His apology was greeted with laughter and catcalls.

A year before, on December 6, 2008:

Just two weeks after Hanover revealed details of its rescue package for investors, Mark Hotchin celebrated his birthday with a party at an exclusive Fiji resort estimated to have cost more than $5000 a head.

Hotchin admitted a week later it had been "appalling timing", but to cancel the party would have cost the party-goers money.

"For me to have cancelled at that late stage when this drifted out, all of those people would have lost some form of money.

"Obviously sitting on the outside looking in it just looks wrong."

Hotchin also said he had had a "very good run" out of Hanover. "I feel a moral obligation to help.

"We have never, and never would, do anything to deliberately try and mislead or take advantage of the mums and dads.

"We're very confident this company has been run prudently, correctly. There's no activity that we need to be concerned about.

"This money didn't all go out to the shareholders for them to spend on their lifestyle. The vast majority stayed in the group."

* Where the money went: Hanover's biggest loans

Five Mile, Queenstown $72.4m

Kawerau Falls, Queenstown $88.7m

Jacks Pt, Queenstown $44.9m

Kinloch Golf Course, Taupo $24m

Industrial land, Silverdale $23.1m

TOTAL $253.1m