Auckland 'island' tipped to sell for under $1m

A moat or private river? Locals apparently refer to this Clevedon property as "the island of Capri".

Want an Auckland island with its own cottage for under $1 millon? Clevedon's Amanda Maclaren reckons she's got the answer.

Via real estate agency Boulgaris Realty, she's selling her rural property which stands on its own 'island' - albeit a landlocked one.

"I live in a dear little character cottage in Clevedon on its own island. Yes, an island!" she says of her site, surrounded by a stream, which runs underneath the driveway via a pipe.

"It's the natural lay of the land. The stream runs in a particularly funny fashion," she said, telling how it looped around the entire site.

The property for sale in Clevedon is surrounded by a stream.

"It doesn't flood, funnily enough. My first winter, there was a big deluge in Clevedon and water came into the garden but that's been the only time since I've been here. According to the building report, there's no evidence that [flooding] has ever touched the house which was built in 1940," said Maclaren.

She's been reading Herald stories about high-priced houses, which left her unimpressed and knows island places are sought after.

"Buy a hideous hovel for over $1 million and live a ghastly life! What can you get for under $1 million? It's not a mansion, but it's a fantastic, unique place to live. The creek that runs around the property is full of ducks and there's a view that goes for miles. Now doesn't that beat a unit in Mt Roskill for a first-time buyer?" she said, telling how the locals call the property the Isle of Capri.

See the full listing here.

She only bought the place only three years ago but now plans to move to Taupo.The property at 184 Papakura-Clevedon Rd is being auctioned next Wednesday.

Real Estate Institute data for sales throughout New Zealand for May are due out in the next few days, following Barfoot & Thompson information which showed prices flat in the last month.

See a Google Map of the property here: