There's an abandoned house on a hill in the sought-after Tupare estate in Kaipara Lake Rd, Helensville that's the most-photographed, talked-about house in that region of New Zealand.
It's not hard to see why – the house has languished in a field with cattle for well over a decade, capturing attention for its mock-Tudor design and late-addition gargoyles, including serpents, on the roof.
Stone steps lead down to the grass from the house, which looks like it is almost growing out from the ground.
Jasmine Sergeant of Ray White Kumeu, who holds the listing with Nicole Redman, says the house has long been the subject of talk around dining tables in the district, with a lot of "conjecture and intrigue".
But, contrary to rumours, there have been no murders – no-one has died here.
"The vendor doesn't want to polarise the property with rumours – this is the house on the hill, on a crème de la crème site in a development that was established 20 years ago as the Riviera of Auckland," she said.
"It's a very, very unique little peninsula within a bigger peninsula."
Sergeant says the house was originally a single-storey home relocated from Orākei, and a subsequent buyer who was unaware of local regulations made alterations that were unacceptable to the local council, so work stopped.
But not before the stone and brick chimney had been replaced after the relocation, stone by stone and brick by brick, along with the brickwork on the lower storey.
"The engineers say it can be taken apart and rebuilt to be a small, but iconic Tudor-style home," Sergeant said.
In the meantime, however, the pigeons have taken over, and health and safety regulations prevent anyone from going inside.
"We have had a drone go through, which shows a carpet of pigeon poo and holes in the floor and stairwells," she said.
"So it is strictly no admittance."
Sergeant said the site would be a great opportunity for a Grand Designs-style project.
"It's pretty much boundless – the covenants are freer with this property, so that's an advantage with this particular site. A house can be two storeys," she said.
Estate residents pay a body corporate fee and in return get the use of many amenities, including a tennis court, boat ramp, Olympic-sized horse arena, stables and community hall. There is also a wetlands reserve.
The agent says it is very difficult to value the two-hectare property, which is advertised as "bare land" with a CV of NZ$1.75 million ($1.62 million). The guide price is from NZ$1.2 million ($1.11 million).
Sergeant said she ran a boutique agency: "Just as every property is individual, so is every client," she says.
The property, at 8 Kaipara Lake Rd, Helensville, is for sale by negotiation.
This article originally appeared on Stuff and is republished here with permission.