MasterChefs' swanky pad

Seeby Woodhouse has his property on the market for around $9 million. Photo / Chris Skelton

Reality realtor Seeby Woodhouse has cooked up a new plan - he's handed over the key to his multi-million-dollar house to another television show.

Woodhouse, the millionaire founder of Orcon, has leased his clifftop North Shore mansion for MasterChef New Zealand contestants to live in while the show is filmed.

This year he leased another property for a similar purpose to New Zealand's Next Top Model.

With 13 televisions, eight bedrooms, five bathrooms, three gas fireplaces, a pool and a gym and sauna, the 890sq m house is labyrinthine.

"It's pretty cool that people can get lost in here," he said.

Woodhouse lives on the property by himself, but yesterday was hosting his father, Nigel, who usually lives in Westport, and two "overseas friends".

Why did he buy the property in 2007? "Just the grandeur, I guess," he said.

The property has been put on the market, and Woodhouse hopes to get offers of around $9 million. The house has a rating value of $7.2 million.

While the land and property are up for sale, Woodhouse's furnishings are not.

He has a Moet box next to his bathroom sink, dozens of packets of nutritional supplements on his bedroom counter, a hardcover Playboy book on his coffee table, a 2.5m stone crocodile sitting next to the pool, and the personalised plate on his Maserati.

He said a large black and gold statute standing next to the front door was "just an Egyptian something".

Woodhouse recently sold another property in Coatesville with the help of a Nicky Watson photo shoot, and sold the Next Top Model house two month ago, but denied his sell-up had anything to do with financial problems.

"It's not anything to do with the recession," he said.

"I've had a good couple of years, but I'm shifting back into work mode and it doesn't make sense to have lots of money tied up in property."

MasterChef Australia was a ratings hit this year, with the final episode outrating the NRL and AFL grand finals.

However the show drew criticism that it downplayed the skill of cooking and instead focused on conflict between contestants - criticism the producers of the New Zealand version are keen to avoid.

"It's certainly not going to be Big Brother," said producer Darryl McEwen, adding that there would be some filming inside the Woodhouse mansion.

Rob Burde, MasterChef New Zealand judge and former winner of the British version of the show, said he planned to show more kindness than other television chefs.

"You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. I think we've had enough of Gordon bloody Ramsay."

Applications are open to appear on the show through the TVNZ website until Friday week.

Selection meetings will take place in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, and Burden says wannabe MasterChef's will probably need to know more than how to make a good cheese scone.

"Challenges will likely include filleting fish and making souffles."