Rare cottage with private jetty on market for first time in more than 30 years

Monday, 13 July 2026

This Pegler cottage, in Otahuhu, Auckland, has a wonderful secret at the end of the garden: a vintage stairway down to a second lawn and jetty overlooking the Tamaki river.

Sandra Godkin bought the 1930s Pegler Cottage in Otahuhu more than 30 years ago without ever stepping inside, drawn instead by its lush garden, private jetty and peaceful Tamaki River setting.

The two-bedroom cottage has been sympathetically updated while retaining many original features, including timber floors, coffered ceilings and the original path and stairs leading to the estuary.

Godkin is selling to move to the Coromandel to be closer to family, saying the home would suit someone who appreciates character homes, with the property on the market by negotiation.

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It was later that she learned the home had been built on what was once the Papatoetoe Rowing Club, and the intriguing path at the bottom of the garden led down to a private jetty and the estuary below.

'It's my little private sanctuary down to the bottom of the hill,“ she says of the small lawn and jetty, hidden from the road that sits on the Tamaki River, leading to Curlew Bay.

The rare Pegler cottage at 58 Tamaki Avenue, in Otahuhu, Auckland.

'I'm about yards, I'm about views, I'm about privacy. So we got the keys, and we opened the door, and 'OK, right, this needs a bit of a reno', but that's what we were there for.'

The home wasn’t in poor condition so much as original condition.

The owner opened the kitchen to the living room.

One of the original Pegler Cottages that dot Otahuhu, 58 Tamaki Avenue was built in the 1930s by the Pegler Brothers builders. They intended the homes to be affordable rentals for working-class families during the Great Depression era.

While the homes were compact (No. 58 is two bedrooms and a sun-room over 78m²) gardens were often of a size to grow your own produce, and perhaps keep some chooks. The cottages are rare and much sought after these days.

The rear of the garden slopes down to the water. Access to the steps is fenced, but there's a second lawn, and a jetty over the water. (the highlighted area is not indicative of the section size, just location)

'I haven't changed the layout of it much. I've knocked down the wall from the kitchen to the lounge, but that's about all I've done to it structurally,' Godkin says. 'It's worked well for me.'

Some original features to note are the timber floors and coffered ceilings in the living room.

The home has two bedrooms, and a sun room.

Outside has been left as is too. The path and concrete stairs down to the jetty are original.

“I like the character of it, because that keeps it authentic for me.”

The view over the water from the rear of the house, is delightful. .

Down at the water’s edge the mangroves have taken over, but the water is tidal, and Godkin’s dog loves a swim down there.

There’s also a natural channel that would let you take a kayak out.

'It's a nice spot in the summer. It's tidal, so the water is clean, there's eels down there.. that's always a good sign.'

She’s only parting with the home now because she’s relocating to the Coromandel to be closer to her parents. She thinks the ideal buyer for the home would be someone who understands old homes, and loves them.

It would suit a first-time buyer, perhaps with a young family. The garden is fully fenced, and there’s a sturdy gate between the garden and the path to the estuary.

“I've always had really good neighbours there,” says Godkin. “The new wave of neighbours in the last five or so years have all been young families in their 30s, so there's a bit of a baby boom going on.”

With a CV of $990,000 the home is for sale by negotiation. The median house price for Ōtāhuhu is $776,000 at the moment. The listing is with Candace Williams and Samuel Chong for Ray White.

As ever, readers are advised to do their own due diligence when considering buying a home. A first point of reference could be Stuff’s First Time Buyer’s Club, a six-week email course designed to help you understand the market, followed by our guide to the help available for first time buyers, and our 101 guide to buying a first home. The government website settled.govt.nz is also a wealth of knowledge and advice.