We’re in Tamaki Makaurau for episode five of AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ, where our two groups of house-hunters are exploring very different ends of the real estate market.
However, finding the perfect garage happens to be high on both wish lists.
The Van Staden family is looking for somewhere to store their nine cars, while bespectacled lovebirds Dirk and Ingrid want an architectural masterpiece with room for Dirk’s growing collection of motorbikes.
Real estate sat-navs Jayne and Paul have their work cut out for them, and the risk of turning down a blind alley in this market are high.
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Samantha and Reinier Van Staden shifted from South Africa to New Zealand nine years ago. They are a tight, but rowdy family of five (or 14 if you count the cars), and with kids still at home and not looking to fly the coop anytime soon, they need a lot of room.
They are based in Pukekohe and love its market gardens and motorsport history and they’d love to stay there, or at least the outskirts, where they can make as much noise as they like. “If it’s not the cars, it’s us!” says Samantha.
The Van Staden family love Pukekohe, in Auckland's southern fringe but need more room - for themselves and their cars. Photo / Supplied
On Auckland's North Shore, Dirk and Ingrid are on the lookout for a comfortable berth - and a place to store Dirk's motorbikes. Photo / Supplied
By the time they meet Jayne, they have been on the hunt for a new home for two years. Ideally, they want a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a big garage for the cars and a big greenhouse for green-fingered Samantha, and they are working with a budget of around $885,000.
Jayne is confident she can find the family their Kiwi dream home.
Homes - and couples - we love
On Auckland's North Shore, is Paul holding hands with Dirk and Ingrid, who are still seriously loved up after a 10-year romance. Their online meet-cute involved Dirk catfishing Ingrid by wearing a tux and standing next to a helicopter in his profile pic, but turned up to their first real-life meeting in high vis with a rugged tradie vibe. Luckily, she approved. “I thought, he’s really good-looking - he’s just a bit scruffy,” she recalls.
Despite her explicit and steadfast aversion to apartment living, Dirk bought one, which is where they live now. Ingrid laughs but her eyes tell another story and in an impressive commitment to the cause, she fumed for a year over his rash, ill-advised decision.
Now she’s finally just about talked him round to buying a new (standalone) home together, but rings in Paul to do the final heavy lifting to get Dirk over the line.
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They’re after impressive architectural design with a connection to nature, space for Dirk’s bikes and are willing to live within a one-hour radius of Auckland. They’re working with a budget of $4m-plus. Despite being details-focussed ("She’s picky!" Dirk helpfully interjects), it’s clear Ingrid will be happy with anything that’s not the apartment.
'Happy wife, happy life'
Jayne is slightly sheepish as she first heads to Tuakau with the Van Stadens to show them a 1000sqm property with a huge garage, but a house that’s on the smaller side. They are already envisaging braiis on the deck, but the floor-space is a little too tight. And while they also see the appeal of property number two - a new build - the location is too far from school.
However, they love absolutely everything about property number three and not even the door-less garage can put them off, so they gave their finance guys the go-ahead to draw up a sales and purchase agreement and put in an offer in the mid-$800,000s.
Jayne Kiely shows the Van Stadens some super homes but not all of them tick all their boxes. Photo / Supplied
Ingrid and Dirk have $4m to play with - but the choices are just as difficult. Photo / Supplied
It's not enough to get them across the line, but just three weeks later they snap up a four-bedroom house in Pukekohe. They compromised on off-street parking but are thrilled to be settled in their Kiwi dream home. “Happy wife, happy life," notes Reinier.
Ingrid’s enthusiasm is high ($4m in the back pocket certainly helps, though) and she’s genuinely thrilled to learn what their budget will get them as Paul takes the couple on their three-property mission.
First up it’s out to Riverhead, where a large home with water vistas put a smile on their faces. They then head to the North Shore suburb of Greenhithe for Paul’s wildcard, a stunning architectural oasis that has the couple instantly forgetting they were ever even after a view. Last stop is Whitford, where out-of-towner Ingrid falls head over heels for the outlook and tranquillity, but Dirk just can’t reconcile the distance.
Unfortunately, the final decision is that they’d like the Greenhithe house with the Whitford view in the Riverhead location, which even Paul can’t conjure up.
There is triumph in the story, however, especially for Ingrid, as Dirk announces he’s put the apartment on the market.
Line of the week:
As Dirk and Ingrid have big budget decisions to make quickly, Paul quips: “You’ll be doing so much crunching tonight you’ll wake up tomorrow with a six-pack.”
Fashion watch:
Paul’s sartorial signature blazer and pocket square are replaced with a waiter’s apron and he tells Dirk and Ingrid that as he hasn’t managed to sell them a house, his shift at the bar is about to begin.
AA Insurance Location Location Location NZ appears on TVNZ 1 on Sundays and on TVNZ+.
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Catch-up on previous episodes:
- AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ, episode four recap
- AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ, episode three recap
- AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ, episode two recap
- AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ, episode one recap
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Discover more:
- Your Home & Contents Insurance Checklist
- Your Home & Income Insurance Checklist
- Your Natural Hazards Insurance Checklist
