TV home from the Block turned into a pile of rubble

A picture perfect residence has turned into a homeowner’s worst nightmare, as a house from a renovation reality show is sacked by urban development.

The property, in the North Shore suburb of Takapuna, New Zealand, was renovated into an idyllic home during the first season of The Block NZ in 2012.

To say that it has since fallen into disrepair would be an egregious understatement.

An idyllic house from the 2012 season of The Block NZ has been reduced to ‘rubble’ after a failed attempt to relocate it ahead of urban development in the area

The property was purchased by renowned tennis consultant Brenda Perry in 2016 who said it  'had a new everything', but is 'now a pile of rubble'

The property was purchased by renowned tennis consultant Brenda Perry in 2016 who said it ‘had a new everything’, but is ‘now a pile of rubble’

Auckland woman and renowned tennis consultant Brenda Perry purchased the property – located at 80 Anzac Street – in 2016, with designs on relocating it to a plot of land she owned on Waiheke Island, Domain reports.

‘It was where I wanted to have my final dwelling,’ she said on Tuesday. ‘My plan was to go to Waiheke [and] build a house, but that is not what happened.’

What happened was the construction of an apartment block that ultimately reduced the house to ‘rubble’.

Auburn Developments Ltd., who owned the land on which the prized home was located, had plans to sell and remove two houses at 74 and 80 Anzac St in order to make space for the new development.

Perry was assured this development would not take place until the house had been relocated, having already bought the property from supposed owners O’Neills Building Removals and arranging to have it moved.

Perry's original plan was to relocate the house to Waiheke Island, where she owned land and 'wanted to have [her] final dwelling'

Perry’s original plan was to relocate the house to Waiheke Island, where she owned land and ‘wanted to have [her] final dwelling’

But in October 2016, Perry discovered the development on Anzac St had already begun – and her new house was being damaged in the process.

‘When I saw the carport, which was part of the purchase, totally bowled over by a bulldozer I thought okay – this makes no sense’,’ she said.

Over the following months the house sunk further into ruin, with the front deck being removed, the kitchen becoming water damaged, the ensuite being partially destroyed and the ceiling being gutted of its lights.

The house was relocated to a temporary site in Ranui, where it was further ravaged by water and had several of its rooms’ ceilings collapse.

O'Neills Building Removals, who had promised to relocate the residence, failed to do so before construction on a nearby apartment building began

O’Neills Building Removals, who had promised to relocate the residence, failed to do so before construction on a nearby apartment building began

‘I have not been back to the Ranui site since February. I don’t want to go back. It is too depressing,’ Perry said. 

‘When I look at it, I think what a waste… The house had a new everything.

‘It is a great irony to me the house is now a pile of rubble.’

Perry has since taken Mr O’Neill and his company to court, arguing she should receive some restitution for the loss of her house.

Perry has since taken Mr O'Neill and his company to court and been awarded costs in her favour

Perry has since taken Mr O’Neill and his company to court and been awarded costs in her favour

‘I should be living in my new home now,’ she said. 

‘I don’t understand why people would do this. I just hope some justice will be done.’

Last month, Justice Christine Gordon awarded costs in Perry’s favour claiming she had been ‘blatantly’ misled.

Justice Gordon declared that O’Neill’s Building Removals had deceived Perry into thinking they were the sole owners of the house – which they were not – and had breached their contractual agreement to protect the property.

Justice Gordon also found Auburn Developments had breached the Fair Trading Act by deliberately deceiving Perry into thinking she was the sole owner of the house, when they in fact had some security over it. 

‘I consider that Auburn’s conduct, in combination, was misleading and/or deceptive,’ she said.

O’Neills Building Removals has since gone into liquidation. 



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