Family who lost their home in the floods catch a break after worst start ever

-After losing their home in the Auckland floods, Sian and David bought a new house in Ara Hills for $1.5 million.

- The house was built by Sentinel Homes to raise $100,000 for the charity Parenting Place.

- Parenting Place will use the funds to support parents and whānau across Aotearoa.

A young Auckland family who lost their home in last year’s floods have scored a new house – and their good fortune has helped raise money for charity.

The family outbid two other buyers to win a four-bedroom property on the city’s northern fringes, turning around a run of bad luck.

Sian and David, who requested their surname not be used in the article, paid $1.5 million for the new home, built by Sentinel Homes, in Ara Hills, near Orewa.

Crowds came to see the auction - and get a cone - at Kikorangi Drive, in Auckland's Ara Hills. Photo / Supplied

Inside, there was a good crowd watching the three bidders duke it out at the auction. Photo / Supplied

And their purchase at a special Harcourts Cooper & Co auction last week boosted the coffers of the family charity Parenting Place by $100,000.

It is the fifth such fundraiser Sentinel Homes has held for the charity, which provides support and coaching for whānau at every stage of their parenting journey.

Sian and David came into the auction thinking the odds were against them. The couple had lost their house in Arkles Bay when a landslide crashed through their son’s bedroom and had been searching for a new family home for some time.

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They had been tracking the build of the Ara Hills house for months, praying it would be the one when it came up for sale. They had already been knocked back on two other houses, and they were scared it might exceed their budget.

They were steeling themselves for the fight when disaster struck on the morning of the auction. “My son was mountain biking and broke his leg, so I ended up in Starship and David went to the auction,” Sian told OneRoof. “My mother in-law had to video call me and David had me in one of his Airpods during negotiations – it was crazy.”

She was relieved when they got their offer over the line and was stoked that some of the money from the auction was going to charity.

New owner Dave, left, had the support of his parents at the auction. Photo / Supplied

Maree Van der Water, managing director of Sentinel Homes Auckland North/West, told OneRoof that everyone pitched in to make the auction happen.

“This special initiative is a true team effort. The suppliers all got on board,” she said, explaining that Sentinel Homes donated all the proceeds, minus the cost of the build, to Parenting Place.

The partnership between Sentinel Homes and the charity is a long-standing one. “We donate $1000 per house we build and do an annual fundraising dinner, as well as the charity houses,” Van der Water said. “The one in Ara Hills was designed with lots of love.”

Dave Atkinson, chief executive of Parenting Place, said 2024 had been a tough year for whānau across New Zealand.

“The team at Sentinel Homes are passionate supporters of our work and we are humbled not just by their generous financial contribution, but also by the heart and soul they have poured into this home build and sale,” he said.

“They have been a generous partner and supporter of Parenting Place for the past eight years. What aligns us is an unwavering optimism for our country and a passionate belief in a better future for our children.”

Listing agent Gareth Hookham made sure the marketing brought in the biggest crowd, with an ice cream truck handing out cones on auction day.

“It was a really cool thing to be part of. The builds Sentinel Homes do are so good and this is a great spot, plus I knew about Parenting Place and think it’s an incredible organisation,” Hookham said.

“We made all our commissions free and OneRoof were amazing and came to the party to help out with advertising. Everyone really chipped in. It was a team effort.”

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