Former eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne’s multimillion-dollar Auckland mansion is back on the market, but there will be no open homes and only “qualified” buyers will be eligible to make an offer.
The Upland Rd, Remuera property at the centre of Pauline Hanna’s death has an estimated value of $5.4 million.
The listing agent Gary Wallace told OneRoof there would be no open homes for the property, and that he would only show it to qualified buyers.
“We don’t want to get in the way of price. I can simply say that we have a motivated vendor who would like to see the home go to the next buyer.”
The house where Pauline Hanna was found dead is up for sale again.
Wallace said he was not “disregarding” the house’s past, but his listing was there to highlight the positives, including the property’s location and luxury finish.
The expected sale price has yet to be revealed but it is understood the home is being pitched at families.
No definition of a qualified buyer, expert says
Real Estate Institute of New Zealand ambassador Andy Stewart said requiring a qualified buyer and having no open homes is standard procedure for homes with a chequered past.
Stewart, who had been an agent for nearly four decades, helped sell the Palmerston North home of Mark Lundy some 25 years ago.
Flowers line the footpath outside the Lundy home as police and forensic scientists work at the murder scene inside. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Stewart said the request for no open homes and a qualified buyer usually came from the vendor.
He said it was put in place to ensure there were genuine buyers and not those interested in “dark tourism”.
“It’s about controlling the situation.
“The Lundy house was a classic situation. Everyone wanted to come and have a look and be nosey.”
Stewart said there was no specific definition for a qualified buyer and each agent would have their own way of deciding.
It could include checking someone’s ID, looking at their property ownership history or just “asking the right questions”.
House on the market for third time
Property records show Polkinghorne transferred ownership of the Remuera house to his sister in December. On the same day, a mortgage was lodged against the property.
The sprawling mansion was originally marketed by Ray White in 2021. The house was taken off the market in July of that year. It was then listed by Sotheby’s International Realty in June 2022 and again failed to sell.
The 376sq m, four-bedroom house is being pitched at families.
Polkinghorne and Hanna bought the house for $1.025m in November 2002.
The jury found Polkinghorne not guilty of murder after an eight-week trial but said they did not think there was enough evidence to support that Hanna committed suicide.
At trial, jurors were shown police photos and a video tour of the Remuera house as the Crown argued its case. The jury also visited the property.
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