Wanaka-based educator Bevan and his wife Keri couldn’t believe their luck.
Bevan, who had entered OneRoof’s You Win A Car draw for a brand new Suzuki Swift, said: “When we knew it was real, [our scepticism] turned into shock.”
Bevan, who declined to give his surname for privacy reasons, was one of thousands of entrants to OneRoof’s car contest, which launched this month.
OneRoof has two more 2024 Suzuki Swift GLS Hybrid Autos to give away, with the second winner to be drawn on Monday.
Start your property search
Discover more:
- ‘Eel trap’ home in Auckland’s tiniest suburb sells for nearly $5m
- Break fee warning: Homeowners tempted by lower interest rates risk harsh penalties
- Bought for $285,000, sold for $8m - Mount Maunganui bach stuns at auction
Bevan told OneRoof he was set to pick up his new car from Queenstown. “We’ve chosen a charcoal colour.”
He said the housing market had been good to him and his wife since they moved back to New Zealand four years ago to settle into the house they built 10 years ago. The couple had been based in Abu Dhabi for 10 years, teaching, but had made the decision early on to make Wanaka their home when they returned.
“We bought a section in Wanaka 13 years ago and built on it about 10 years ago. Wanaka has absolutely taken off since then, so it was a bit of a fluke,” he said, adding that he’d grown to love the area while he was studying at Otago University in Dunedin.
“It was pretty lucky timing,” Bevan admitted, as land prices in the ski and lake town had not taken off and building costs had not yet ballooned (that happened after Covid).
The couple had rented out their Wanaka home while they were overseas. “We’d come home once a year. It was quite hard to leave at times, how beautiful it is here,” Bevan said.
Two more Suzuki Swift GLS Hybrid autos are up for grabs in OneRoof's You Win a Car competition. Photo / Supplied
The couple had loved the design and building process, albeit from abroad, and had toyed with doing another build some time. But with two small boys, aged 4 and 2, they’re not in any hurry to move on.
“We’re happy – this is home. With two small boys, we’re not sure about doing anything in the near future,” Bevan said. Instead, their precious family time is spent making the most of Wanaka’s outdoors, even getting the little ones up on skis and snowboards to start them off.
Bevan recognised their start on the property ladder was well-timed. “I feel for those young families now. Renting is expensive – it’s difficult to get on the ladder.”
In the meantime, Bevan said he and Keri were looking forward to taking delivery of their new car. “We’ve never driven a hybrid or an electric car, we’re quite excited about that. We’re thinking about all those sports drop-offs with the boys in the next few years and how much money we’ll save in fuel.”
- Click here to go in the draw to win one of two 2024 Suzuki Swifts
