Napier's bullet ridden house of horrors gets new look and new owners

Firearms found in the bedroom (above) where Jan Molenaar shot himself at his Napier home, which was boarded up after the siege.

The once bullet-riddled house of the Napier siege has been sold - and the new owners are keen to "move on" from the events that happened there.

Murray and Jennifer Boyle, who own and run the nearby Onekawa Dairy, bought 41 Chaucer Rd by tender for $175,000 - much less than its rateable value of $260,000 on March 27.

The three-bedroom home, referred to as a "house of horrors", was the set for last night's television movie Siege, a dramatisation of Jan Molenaar's rampage in May 2009.

The 51-year-old holed up in the house for 53 hours, shooting and killing Senior Constable Len Snee and injuring officers Bruce Miller and Grant Diver and civilian Lenny Holmwood.

After filming ended in December, the house had extensive renovation work done to prepare it for sale.

New carpet was laid, including in the master bedroom where Molenaar's body was found after he shot himself.

The dozens of bullet holes made by Molenaar and police were plastered over or repaired on external walls, the orange exterior was painted green and a new roller door was installed on the double garage, which was damaged when police detonated an explosive device.

The garage and smashed windows were boarded up after the siege.

Mr Boyle told the Herald he would not be watching the TVNZ film.

"I don't have a lot to say really," he said. "Move on, don't keep dwelling on it."

The house was transferred to the Crown in December under the Proceeds of Crime Act and was in the hands of the Insolvency and Trustee Service, which sold it by tender through Hawkes Bay company Tremains Real Estate.

Advertised as "a great opportunity for a young family", the house attracted several potential buyers, mostly from people living outside the Napier region.

But Tremains had also received emails from people saying it shouldbe disclosing where the bullet holes were.

The Boyles had been told about the house's background, said service spokesman Alastair Stewart.

"Full disclosure was given to tenderers on the history of the house. The necessary renovations and repairs were made to bring the house up to a saleable condition."

Molenaar bought the house in 1998 for $68,500.

Money from the sale was returned to the Crown and Mr Stewart said it was yet to be decided how it would be distributed.