Lovers of character bungalows and villas who can’t afford trendy but pricey Ponsonby – or people who just want more bang for their buck – are looking across to historic Onehunga, agents report.
Sometimes houses in Onehunga, about a 20-minute drive away, are renovated to similar standards, such as a standout renovation at 190 Arthur Street, which goes to auction later this month.
The owner told OneRoof they had sunk about $700,000 into the architecturally-designed renovation that included rewiring, replumbing, skylights, French Oak flooring and porcelain benchtops.
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Bayleys agent Lindy Lawton, who is marketing the property with Jack Jeffries, said the property was extended to the back similar to the style of renovation seen in Ponsonby but where the price tag was usually higher.
Onehunga had a lot of old villas and character homes because the suburb was a very old part of Auckland, she said.
“When you think about it the wharf was in Onehunga way back in the 1800s so Onehunga has a huge amount of beautiful, character settlers’ cottages and lovely old villas, as well as some really substantial, gracious big homesteads.”
Onehunga has long been described as the next Ponsonby but whether the suburb can ever give Ponsonby a real run for its money in the prices paid for housing is another matter.
Of houses from around the 1900s sold since 2021, only a handful in Onehunga fetched $2.5 million or more whereas dozens of properties in Ponsonby fetched prices in the $3ms and $4ms.
190 Arthur Street's stunning interior. The property was transformed by architect Alex Van Klink. Photo / Supplied
The property was opened up and extended at the back. Photo / Supplied
Wayne Shum, senior research analyst with OneRoof’s data partner Valocity, said Onehunga had desirable pockets, whereas nearly all of Ponsonby was considered desirable.
In Onehunga, properties come with more space and off-street parking. While few houses in Onehunga built before the 1930s had sold for over $3m since January, 2021, one property stood out.
The Trafalgar Street house sold in November that year for $4.381m, but it was a 314sqm in size, has five bedrooms and sits on 1421sqm of land.
The listing, from Trenton Hodson of Ray White Epsom, said the house was built in 1890 and was beautifully restored with stunning views of the Manukau Harbour, around to One Tree Hill and towards the city.
A 1910s character villa in Grey Street, which also sold in 2021 for $2.9m, was described by Ray White agents Martin Honey and Ben Bibby as having undergone a “sensational” renovation and extension, and which featured a “spectacular” open-plan kitchen with scullery and two living areas that flowed to the alfresco living.
Shum compared a property in Onehunga which sold in 2021 for just under $3m to one in Ponsonby which sold for $3m, saying the one in Onehunga had a lot more land.
A five-bedroom home on Trafalgar Street fetched $4.381m in 2021. Photo / Supplied
The property in Clarke Road, Onehunga, was a 188sqm house on an 845sqm section whereas the property in Pompallier Terrace in Ponsonby had a similar-sized house but a much smaller site of 214sqm.
Shum said parts of Onehunga had amazing views out towards Manukau Harbour but around the shopping centres there was a lot of development happening.
He thought the location too different to ever reach the giddy heights of Ponsonby’s popularity, although parts of the suburb might because there were some magical outlooks.
Lawton said while she had sold a number of beautifully-renovated villas, the Arthur Street property was next level.
“It’s really beautifully done; real attention to detail. Certainly, there are a lot that have had work done but a lot more, perhaps, piecemeal than a complete makeover like this, right down to taking gib off the front part of the house and reinsulating walls and popping in skylights for extra light.”
A renovated three-bedroom villa at 31 Grotto Street, in Onehunga, goes to auction on March 26. Photo / Supplied
Interest had been shown from people from Remuera, Mt Eden and Epsom, and Lawton said when a smartly-renovated property came on the market Ponsonby and Grey Lynn buyers were attracted by the extra land and the off-street parking so hard to find in the central city.
“Here you’ve got double garaging and a gated area and room for the dog and the kids.
“I think you’re getting a lot more value for money and yet the backdrop is you’ve got Cornwall Park on your back step and you’ve also got all the lovely shops and cafes Onehunga has to offer as well as the train station so there’s a lot going on.”
Onehunga had heart and soul and a great vibe, she said, and these days people often stayed or moved around within the suburb.
“Sometimes we’ll have people that have bought three or four times but stayed within that vicinity for all the wonderful things that Onehunga has on offer.”
The owner of the Arthur Street house said she and her husband had bought in the suburb because of the location which was in the middle of where they both worked.
The house was perfectly liveable already with big doors opening to the outdoors and they lived in the house for 10 years as it was, but they knew the roof needed replacing and a few other things needed doing.
37 Normans Hill Road, in Onehunga, is on the market with an asking price $2.295m. Photo / Supplied
The house listed across the road at No.34 has an asking price $2.625m. Photo / Supplied
They tussled with whether to repair, renovate or move but when they looked around they could not find anything they liked so decided to renovate.
The architect they hired opened their eyes to what they could have and they went from there, transforming the interior into a house with three double bedrooms, two bathrooms and lots of light, with a lot of the work taking place when Covid arrived.
The budget blew out a bit with around $700,000 spent but a substantial amount of work was carried out: “We did everything. There’s new electrical cabling, new roof, insulation everywhere.”
Ray White Royal Oak principal Rohan Thompson sells in Onehunga and said price-wise the suburb was “just that step further out of the city” so was more affordable than Ponsonby but with the same style of homes.
It was also handier to go south to the airport, and once people had moved in they often stayed, especially with schools there being sought-after now.
While people renovated homes to make them feel like Ponsonby or Mt Eden, the closer a suburb got to the city the higher values would stay, he said.
“It’s always going to be more affordable because it’s further out.
Valocity senior research analyst Wayne Shum says Onehunga has desirable pockets. Photo / Fiona Goodall
“Obviously, people are spending money on their homes, renovating them, extending them, making them feel homely, so that they can stay longer in the area rather than having to move.”
He has a renovated villa also going to auction at the end of the month, which was modernised and extended out the back, this one with a CV of $1.475m.
Agents Bill Myers and Maree Myers, also from Ray White, have two renovated villas on the market in Normans Hill Road, one with an asking price of $2.295m and the other with an asking price of $2.625m.
Bill Myers told OneRoof discerning buyers had always liked Normans Hill where there were grander homes and renovations were on a par with the likes of Ponsonby.
“This side was always the harbour master, the doctors, you’ve got Jellicoe Park up there which is a really old part of Onehunga.”
Buyers looking in Grey Lynn and Ponsonby were also looking in Normans Hill Road, he said.
“People aren’t necessarily looking to be in a particular place anymore, it’s more about value and where they can find the architecture they are looking for.
“Certainly, Onehunga does have a slightly lower buying point than Ponsonby and Grey Lynn and those sorts of places and that’s strictly because of the proximity to town – that’s all it is.”
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