Real estate agents joke that the boundary between Meadowbank and Remuera, in central Auckland, is elastic. Buyers and sellers on streets closest to Remuera have often wanted to have the bragging rights and value lift that goes with a Remuera address.
But Grant Sykes, manager of Barfoot & Thompson’s Meadowbank branch, says that buyers who use Meadowbank as a stepping stone to Remuera often finish up staying put.
“For many people, it’s not about the double grammar zone, so we’re at a much cheaper price point but only five minutes down the road.
“Then they realise Meadowbank is much closer to the beaches of St Heliers and Kohimarama, and goes all the way down to the Orakei Basin, and that it has its own train station.
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“There’s a lot that’s desirable and so they stay put.”
He adds that the nearly complete Meadowbank leg of the Glen Innes to Tamaki cycle path will be an “awesome” way for commuters to connect to their train or cycle all the way into the city.
Sykes says entry-level in Meadowbank is around $1m, with 1960s brick and tile granny flats often selling for below $1m. Kāinga Ora is planning to bring new affordable homes to the suburb, which help broaden its appeal.
Families moving up the ladder, to a four-bedroom townhouse, should expect to pay $2m.
Amenities are many in the suburb, even extending to roadside pianos. Photo / Fiona Goodall
Meadowbank Primary is highly rated and a drawcard for young families. Photo / Fiona Goodall
“It’s a very family-oriented neighbourhood, and some of those original older 1960s and 1970s homes are ripe for rejuvenation,” he says.
Ray White agent John Lantz says the sheer size of Meadowbank means residents are spoilt for choice when it comes to amenities. There’s a shopping mall on Meadowbank Road and big box and design shops 10 minutes away on Lunn Avenue (officially Mount Wellington), as well as a heap of popular local cafes and restaurants.
Meadowbank residents are in zone for several leading schools, with some families pulling their kids out of private schools to attend the state schools, says Lantz. There’s even a bucolic inner city pony club, complete with grazing horses and excited birthday party visitors, and the social media group Meadowbank Mums is a big source of knowledge and hotspot for debate in the community.
“Young couples are coming across from Ponsonby or Westmere. They can pay $1.8m in Meadowbank for a house that would cost $3m over that side,” Lantz says.
Homes by Orakei Basin inlet are sought after, Lantz says. Buyers recently paid $2.25m for a 965sqm site with an old three-bedroom house that they intend to bowl to build their dream house. Top streets are in areas close to the train station with city views, such as Fancourt and Temple streets and Appleyard Crescent, or streets near Rutherford Reserve, such as Rutherford Terrace and Ripon Crescent.
Homes by the inlet are in demand. Photo / Fiona Goodall
“Once they’re in Meadowbank, they don’t want to move out. You're 10 minutes from the beaches, 10 minutes from the Lunn Avenue shops, lots of nice local eateries and shopping,” Lantz says.
Developers are eyeing some streets still dominated by the suburb’s original two-bedroom state homes, replacing them with a luxury new build house or two.
Two big developments - the luxury The Teal on Orakei and the more moderately priced Risland Meadowbank with 90 apartments that started from just over $900,000 – are mostly sold, and no new projects have launched since.
