Dotcom’s sprawling former home on the market

Kim Dotcom’s former rented Coatesville mansion is for sale. The property, at 186 Mahoenui Valley Road, Coatesville has a June, 2015 CV of $23.55 million.

Known originally as the Chrisco Mansion and then Dotcom Mansion when the US-wanted Megaupload founder rented it for several years, the property owner’s Richard Bradley said the sprawling house was a marker for success.  

Mr Bradley started Christmas mail-order business Crisco there with his wife, moved to Sydney and separated in 2008. He has since started the mylayby website, which allowed the company to expand the Chrisco model to offer goods all year round.

Mr Bradley was born in England and said in a 2012 interview ambitious people want what the aristocracy have and it would have been easier to have moved back to the UK to buy a mansion for probably far less than he paid to have the Coatesville property built in 2006.

When Mr Dotcom rented the mansion at about $1 million a year, he claimed he spent $6 million on improvements. During a 2012 court case over how much of his assets had to be frozen pending his extradition, he said he needed $28,000 a month to cover his and his children’s living expenses there.

He moved out earlier this year to rent a $10 million four-bedroom apartment on the downtown waterfront.

Mr Dotcom's assets were frozen after the US government issued an extradition order and he will face trial in the US on copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering charges relating to his file-sharing website Megaupload. Mr Dotcom is appealing the order.

The property is for sale through Barfoot & Thompson agent Christina Tang, who describes it as one of New Zealand’s most distinguished and opulent properties.

It is being marketed as offering luxury living as well as a potential development opportunity.

“This property is absolutely beyond compare in the New Zealand market,” says Ms Tang.

She says the expansive 2375m² of living space is “lavish in scope and luxurious in detail.” There are 12 bedrooms and seven ensuites, with the master bedroom featuring a glittering mirrored walk-in wardrobe, dressing circle and its own Olympic-sized lap pool.

The property includes a wine cellar, a library, a billiards room, a present wrapping room, an outdoor pool and hot pool, and tennis courts.

A separate building to the east of the main house provides garaging for up to 10 vehicles, and includes what are called "cottage" quarters and "‘the barn."

Ms Tang says there is scope under the proposed Auckland Unitary Plan for subdivision and further development of the 22.635 hectares of land.

Attempts to contact Mr Bradley have been unsuccessful. 

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