Garage that could become a bach

Paul Debenham with his dog Kane in the double garage. Picture / BOP Times

Could this be one of the Bay of Plenty's most expensive garages?

At a cool $200,000 it's highly likely.

Papamoa's Paul Debenham is advertising for buyers to transform this "spacious" double garage into a cosy beach bach.

And no, he's not joking.

Mr Debenham has plans to subdivide his property in Topaz Drive, and the garage, with a small garden in the front and a line of fruit trees at the back, has a combined land area of 400sq m. The $200,000 no-frills garage is being pitched as "an early Christmas present".

Mr Debenham, who has owned his home and garage since March this year, said the idea to sell the 7m by 6m garage for such a large sum came from a neighbour.

"There is another place in Emerald Drive just around the corner, it's a 600sq m section and they're wanting $260,000 for that. It's got a double garage on it and it's already all set up. It was that that I took into account when I looked at pricing it."

Mr Debenham's garage doesn't have a bathroom or kitchen or even an electric door but he's confident that it will be snapped up.

"If someone had a minimal amount of money to invest and was looking at a more expensive section, I mean a half section like [mine] is probably a better option. If somebody had a bit of extra money and wanted to turn it into a bach, they could just about live here.

"There's room there for a garden, the whole lot. There's good parking up there, you could put a carport in there."

Mr Debenham said he decided to subdivide after being approached by Alan George of Ray White in Papamoa.

"Alan approached me and asked if I was interested in selling, which is what I was looking at doing.

"I had a couple of developers straight off looking at it but I was quite stern with my price so they never even bothered making an offer because I told Alan I wasn't in a hurry to sell."

Mr George said the big price for the garage was really for the section - "the garage just happens to be on it ... we've had strong inquiries and with infill housing we're running out of land quickly".

He said the selling of a garage and land was not unusual in Papamoa. "It's like an asset, people hold on to them until they're ready to build."

To live in a garage or have it as a bach, the owners must first ask the city council about compliance.

Ron Melville of Eves Realty has sold real estate in Papamoa for 10 years and applauded the quirky advertisement for the garage-bach, saying it was "good creative thinking, outside the square ... it's like the good old days of the traditional bach."

ALL SET UP

What the $200,000 garage has to offer:

* Good location - five-minute walk to Palm Beach Plaza, 10-minute walk to the beach and three-minute drive to the nearest boat ramp.

* Space for two cars.

* 400sq m with fruit trees and a garden out the back.

* Sewer outlet.

* Power supply. Garage that could become a bach

- NZPA