KEY POINTS:
One of the last old-style beachfront baches on Mt Maunganui's famed "golden mile" is coming up for auction next month.
The simple 1930s two-bedroom bach at 73 Marine Parade has stood firm in the face of progress in the perennially popular Bay of Plenty holiday spot.
While flashy contemporary McMansions have sprouted up and down the street in the past decade, many commanding million-plus price tags thanks to stunning sea views and easy access to the surf beach. The 70sq m black and white bach on a full 860sq m site has remained virtually unchanged for 70 years. Three generations of the Gascoigne family have holidayed here for 40 years.
Inside, the interior is reminiscent of an old sailing ship's cabin with low ceilings and dark-coloured tongue-and-groove walls made from native hardwood timber.
So rare is this blast from the past on the main strip that tourist buses have been known to stop outside for a photo shoot - in contrast to those neighbours of grander proportions.
Bayleys real estate agent Sharon Hall, who is marketing the property, said because the "amazing little bach" on an elevated site was so unique, it was impossible to say what price it could fetch when it goes to auction on September 4. The property's current CV is $3.2 million.
However, it is expected to create interest among would-be buyers seeking to create their ultimate beach home, and to developers who see the potential for apartments or townhouses on the full site.
Because The Mount is often regarded as the best beach in the country, people are prepared to pay a premium for living there.
"In the past five or six years, there has been a noticeable change in those [bach-type] properties selling up," said Eve's and Bayleys Realty Services sales group manager Wayne Maguire. "The land is just so valuable."
Number 73 is being sold by the seven adult siblings of the Gascoigne family of Waikato, who have taken turns over the years staying at the bach during the holidays.
Their late mother, Margaret, the wife of Cambridge sheep farmer Alwyn, bought the property in the mid-60s for about £4000.
"It'll be missed by all of us," the youngest Gascoigne sibling, Marie Bright, told the Herald On Sunday.
But with the family increasingly scattered, she said it was difficult to take advantage of holidays in the area and the family felt the time was right to sell.
Despite a traditionally slow winter for real estate sales, The Mount's coveted Marine Parade has scored well recently with big-spenders. It's estimated that a single square metre of Golden Mile real estate is worth $3000.
In June, a record $8 million was paid for a newly built, two-level luxury home at 92 Marine Parade. The land alone - a substantial 1401sq m plot - was valued at $5.3 million.
