About an hour on the train to the north of Wellington is a valley which comprises New Zealand’s hottest housing market.
Median prices in the booming district of South Wairarapa, which is just three towns - Martinborough, Greytown and Featherston – have risen by 52 per cent in 12 months.
READ MORE: Find out if your suburb is rising or falling
OneRoof’s latest house price figures show the area’s median value has jumped $281,500 to $821,500.
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Mark Childs, sales manager for Ray White’s South Wairarapa team, is not surprised to hear his patch is red hot, saying five years ago you could get a house in Featherston for $180,000 to $200,000 but these days you can’t get one for under $600,000.
The median increase for the past year is “massive” and is due to a combination of reasons, including the sheer number of people moving to an area which is no longer a secret.
“The Wairarapa really was a hidden secret for decades and now we’re getting a whole lot of city folk moving here for lifestyle reasons.”
Covid has accelerated that shift to the country but it was starting to happen anyway with Aucklanders really starting to show interest in moving to the regions in 2015, Childs says.
Many cashed up, bought cheaper housing, reduced debt levels and bought new cars, and Wellingtonians, too, have moved into the area.
“What lockdown did was make people reassess where they can work from and did they actually have to travel into Lambton Quay or The Terrace in Wellington or could they buy in Martinborough, Greytown or Featherston and commute two or three days a week and work the other two from home.”
There have been a steady flow of people moving their entire households, Childs says.
This three-bedroom home on Johnston Street, in Featherston, marketed by Ray White, sold for $606,000 in March, 31% above its RV. Photo / Supplied
“We sell a lifestyle here of it’s quieter, it’s warmer, you can build on the flat - you’re not on the side of a hill - you’ve got parking and all that sort of stuff.
“You’ve got mountains and rivers, golf courses. They’re not flocking over in hundreds every week but there’s a very real steady flow of new people living here.”
Featherston offers more entry level housing but you can also buy a house there for over a million dollars.
“The median in Featherston would be around that $720,000 mark. Martinborough’s obviously had all the vineyards and wineries which put it on the map so there’s a different demographic there.
“There are a lot of weekenders, people building and bigger executive homes there as well.
“All these towns are unique to themselves. Greytown’s your boutique village feel. We call it the Ponsonby of Wellington.”
The whole of the South Wairarapa is beautiful, Childs says.
“It’s a valley, it’s got a great climate. It’s a much better climate than Wellington, for example, or Palmerston north.
“The coast is 40 mins away. You can go to some awesome surf spots, dive for paua, go fishing, and it’s got the mountains for people that want hiking, and rivers and streams.
“There’s also a whole heap of events that are on here during summer as well. We’ve got the balloon festival and Wings over Wairarapa.
“There’s always something happening but you do get that quieter lifestyle than the city.”
The scenery in South Wairarapa is impressive, say agents. Photo / Getty Images
The median value of $821,500 would buy an above average three or four-bedroom home in Featherston on a quarter acre section but in Martinborough and Greytown that money is entry level.
“We sold an average home in West St in Greytown in April for $915,000. I’d say the median in both Martinborough and Greytown would be in the mid-$900,000s.”
Childs says while the towns aren’t big – there are only 2000 houses in Greytown – the key for the council will be keeping up with amenities as the population grows because there is no sign of the influx of people letting up.
People who do make the move often say they wish they had done it sooner.
“It’s that lifestyle and it’s that much more laid back. The café culture is outstanding. There’s no huge amount of bars and pubs but the café scene is where it’s at.
“This region has really taken off from a café point of view and you can go into the square in Martinborough after work or whenever and have a gin and tonic or a glass of one of the beautiful wines of the region and sit back and relax. It’s a really friendly vibe.”
And, if Aucklanders expect to get hassled for being from Auckland, Childs says not to worry as there are just about more outsiders than locals now: “It’s becoming like that, especially in places like Martinborough. The demographic has changed a lot.”
