'It’s so worth it to get into your own home'

Thomas moved into his first home in Northcote - a two bedroom, 1.5 bathroom KiwiBuild terrace by Universal Homes - in September 2021.

“I’d been looking for a home to buy, but the market was crazy. I work in an architectural field and I know Universal Homes is solid - I saw they had KiwiBuild homes so I applied. It was actually a really quick turnaround.”

Although he was looking at homes for sale in multiple areas of Auckland, in the end Thomas decided Northcote was the right place for him.

“It’s a great spot” says Thomas. “It’s just 15 minutes to my work in the city. On the weekends my girlfriend and I sometimes ‘borrow’ her parent’s dog for a walk on Takapuna beach, which is super close. And it’s not bad having the Beerspot as my local!”

For Thomas, his new terrace home in Northcote is the perfect fit. “I'm in a townhouse, and I’m a fan of two levels. When you have a two-storey home, you end up with more storage, which just makes life easier. Storage is key! The space and the layout is great.”

There are five houses in Thomas’ row of terraces, and he’s gotten to know all of his neighbours. “They’re really friendly. We always stop for a chat when we see each other.”

Speaking about his buyer journey, Thomas had this to say: “The buying process was all quite simple. Universal had great communication, everything was as expected, and there were no surprises which was really good.”

His advice for other would-be KiwiBuild buyers? “Just do it. There’s a bit of admin involved, but it’s not too hard. It’s so worth it to get into your own home.”

- This content was supplied by Kāinga Ora. Find out more about the Northcote development here.