After last week’s cracking start to the series, we’re diving into episode two of AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ.
This time hosts Paul Glover and Jayne Kiely are helping two hard-working, no-nonsense buyers – one hoping to score a home in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, the other with her sights set on Tamaki Makaurau Auckland.
More often than not in Location, Location, Location, we find ourselves pledging allegiance to one of the buyers early on in the show and end up rooting for them the entire programme. In this episode, we’re rooting for both women. From the get-go, we want them to get a home.
Both have their own very special list of property requirements, but it’s the job of Paul and Jane to get them to broaden their horizons and take a leap of faith.
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Our duo have to deliver
First up is professional rugby player turned financial adviser Chantelle. She was able to purchase her first home at age 28 – no mean feat by anyone’s standards – and she was looking to upsize. The whanau-focused Cook Islander now needs a third bedroom as she’s taken in her niece Alana from Aitutaki and her young baby.
She’s looking for a cosy, standalone home, preferably with a white picket fence, that the little family can make their own. Auckland’s unforgiving prices mean that Chanelle is resigned to the fact that she may have to venture a little further out than she’d hoped (she is willing to go as far south as Manurewa).
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She has a budget of $650,000 but could push to $700,000 for the right place, but time is of the essence as niece and baby are on their way to Aotearoa with haste.
In Hamilton, Sonya is looking to get her foot on the property ladder. She comes from solid Waikato farming stock and has had the values of hard work and saving money instilled in her from a young age.
Jayne's task was to find an affordable and well ventilated home in Hamilton for Sonya, centre. Photo / Supplied
Sonya’s job took her to the frontline of the first Covid wave in the UK, where she also bravely endured a particularly severe bout of the illness. This has left her with ongoing health concerns, particularly asthma, which means she cannot compromise on finding a clean, warm, dry and well-ventilated living environment.
She’s after a two-bedroom, new build with a small garden, located somewhere she feels safe enough to exercise in the streets. She’s working with a budget of around $680,000.
Does Paul get his rugby player over the line?
Paul takes Chantelle to family-friendly Randwick Park first, to highlight what her budget could swing on a renovated home if she moved out a little further. Next stop was Ōtāhuhu, just around the corner from when Chantelle lives now, for a lovely bungalow that was almost perfect, but needed a little love.
Paul and Chantelle at house number two. It ticks all the boxes but the asking price is out of Chantelle's price range. Photo / Supplied
Paul’s final rabbit out of the hat was a deceptively spacious home on the border of Manurewa and Manukau City, which had two outdoor living areas and a family-friendly vibe that had Chantelle instantly visualising the future. The only issue was the asking price of $725,000, but she’s clearly no slouch when it comes to negotiating and, as Paul points out, there is a lot more room to move for buyers in this market.
While Chantelle’s offer of $650,000 on property number three just couldn’t get her across the line, Paul proudly reported that just a few months later she bought her dream four-bedroom home in Mangere.
Jayne rocks a hi-vis vest
While owning property has long been up there with the ultimate Kiwi dream, it’s becoming further and further out of reach for many young people, thanks to high interest rates and slow wage growth. However, Hamilton house prices peaked in 2021 and have been falling since then, which makes Sonya’s search a lot more promising.
Cousin Lisa brings “Good Cop” energy to the visits and helps Sonya build her list of pros and cons as Jayne takes them on a tour of Hamilton. A brand-new riverside apartment has stunning views, which appeals to the country girls, as well as a deck for cocktails.
Jayne breaks out the hi-vis vests for Sonya and her cousin at house - or building site - number two. Photo / Supplied
In retrospect, the hi-vis jackets Jayne handed out for property number two should have been a red flag (or fluro yellow one) for Sonya, as the trio arrive at a busy building site in Fitzroy. Although it wasn’t quite finished and she was concerned about timelines, Sonya surprised herself with how much potential she could visualise at the unfinished home. The final stop was a budget-friendly box ticker, which was listed at $619,000.
Sonya loved property number two, but sadly the ongoing construction materials and dust weren’t conducive to her health concerns. However, this experience significantly broadened her perspective and months later, she too purchased her first home.
Line of the week
Auntie of the Year Award goes to Chantelle for providing a lovely Aotearoa nest for her niece and her baby. “My bank account’s not so happy, but they are, so that’s all that matters!”
Fashion watch
Paul’s powder light blue checked blazer and dark blue shirt with matching pocket square was easier on the eyes than last week’s salmon pink number but the outfit of the week has to be the hi-vis vest.
AA Insurance Location Location Location NZ appears on TVNZ 1 on Sundays and on TVNZ+.
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