‘Last house on the beach’ is the perfect ‘60s bach

Bach of the Week is a summer series featuring hideaways, beach shacks and lakeside properties for sale, which have been idyllic, yet often basic boltholes for the owners.

“The epitome of a Brighton beach hut, but so much cooler,” is how the listing agent describes this bach, and she could have added it’s a lot more private.

For starters, it’s literally the last house on Snell’s Beach in Rodney, and it’s hidden amid bush and pōhutukawa at the end of a long right-of-way.

But it’s true, you can change into your togs, run down the pathway and jump into the sea.

Beachside properties like this are highly sought-after and usually command equally high prices, but this one has an asking price of $1.29 million, which is considered low. And it’s elevated, which allows a great view, and there’s no risk of a high tide lapping too close.

Built in the 1960s, it is a classic Kiwi bach with an open-plan living area on the lower floor, which opens to a patio, and there’s a shower, laundry and toilet on this level, with two bedrooms up above.

But there’s not too much “roughing it” here. Heather Walton-Bycroft of Bayleys Warkworth, who holds the listing with Mark Bycroft, says the previous owners are kitchen designers, so even though it’s a simple, single, contemporary unit along the rear wall, all the essentials are there, including wood veneer overhead cupboards with a lift mechanism.

The beach and bush outlook can also be enjoyed from the larger bedroom that opens out to a deck - the owners wake to the sound of the waves and birds - tui are regular visitors.

There is another secret to the 1459m² property. It has a second vehicle entrance at 12 Woodlands Ave and a flat area of land at the rear. “You can have a beach hut by day, and maybe up the back you park the boat, make a glamping area,” Walton-Bycroft says. “Who knows? Maybe even put a tiny home on it and then you’ve got the two places where you could have family.”

The large area of land could also accommodate a new build, so a buyer could potentially have a home and income.

This sale is a rare opportunity for a buyer looking to buy a beachfront bach this summer - it’s the first time in 18 years the bach has come on the market.

The property, at 46 Heron Lane, Snells Beach will have open homes over the next three Saturdays.

Cotality puts the median value of properties at Snells Beach at $1,024,767. A contemporary beachfront property on Snells Beach, at 21 Hampton Mews, was sold by Walton-Bycroft for $2.175m in May this year.