Penthouse apartment at The Sentinel in Takapuna. Photo/Supplied
Penthouse apartment at The Sentinel in Takapuna. Photo/Supplied
A luxury penthouse that once played host to America's Next Top Model has changed hands for $7 million.
The sale price is believed to be the third highest ever paid for a New Zealand apartment and is equivalent in value to buying nearly 14 median priced Kiwi homes.
Perched on the 29th floor of Takapuna's landmark Sentinel apartment building and sporting the nation's highest swimming pool, the sprawling two-level pad boasts nearly 700sq m of floor space, including 247sq m of rooftop deck.
Penthouse apartment at The Sentinel in Takapuna. Photo/File
It features its own surround-sound home theatre, 360-degree panoramic views of Auckland and comes with 24-hour concierge.
The exclusive freehold property was sold by Alison Parker of Premium Real Estate in April but the deal only settled on November 30.
Parker would not comment on the sale and said the buyer and seller had requested privacy.
The vendor was investment company CK Miiracle Ltd, whose sole director is Takapuna Grammar old boy King Khoo. Khoo bought the apartment in 2010 for $5.2m after an $11.2m deal collapsed in 2007.
He spent several years carrying out a total refit - reportedly costing "a significant seven-figure sum" - before initially listing the apartment with Graham Wall Real Estate in 2014.
The mystery buyer signed a sale and purchase agreement on April 3 this year for $7m - $500,000 below CV. But their identity is yet to be revealed on publicly available property records.
The apartment offers captivating views of the Hauraki Gulf, North Shore beaches, Rangitoto Island, the Waitakere Ranges and Auckland's cityscape to the south.
Three giant bedrooms each have their own ensuite and the high-spec, as-new home also boasts a rooftop spa, outdoor swimming pool and inbuilt espresso machine.
The main living area alone is 25m long and 12m high, separated from the theatre room by giant sliding doors.
Contestants in America's Next Top Model at the Sentinel Apartments in Takapuna in 2009. Photo/File
Three lifts open out to the new owner's private marble foyer entrance, complete with French oak parquet floor. It also comes with four underground car parks, but body corp fees, rates and insurance are likely to set the new owner back around $50,000 each year.
A listing on Premium's website titled 'Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous' describes the property as "undoubtedly the finest and most spectacular penthouse apartment in Auckland, if not New Zealand".
"The Sentinel heralds the arrival of 21st century urban living, the luxury apartment in which the homeowner's every need is anticipated and met. The concierge heads an informed staff capable of meeting every request. The level of service evokes a grander era, when a life of privilege was the birthright of the few."
The penthouse was used to film Tyra Banks' show America's Next Top Model in 2009, when bikini-clad models were spied peering over the balcony two days after they arrived in New Zealand.
The $7m sale price is nearly $1m shy of the nation's record apartment deal.
British hedge fund founder Richard Magides paid $7.85m for a 930sq m penthouse on the Metropolis tower's 36th floor in 2014.
A Herne Bay apartment that sold for $7.05m in December 2002 sits in second spot, according to Real Estate Institute data.
LUXURY DIGS
• A luxury penthouse above Takapuna's Sentinel apartment tower has sold for $7m. • The price tag is the third highest ever paid for a NZ apartment and the most expensive apartment sale since 2014. • The 29th floor dwelling sprawls over 700sq m of floor space and offers 360 degree panoramic views of Auckland. • Comes with surround-sound home theatre system, luxury appliances, rooftop spa and own concierge.
