When you are buying your new home, you have to calculate your budget – what you can afford for a house off-set against the time, cost and effort of commuting. More and more, houses close to the city or on main transport hubs command a premium price.
But head further out of town and you can find more affordable prices, still-rural settings – either the paddocks and small town vibe of a Tuakau or Pokeno or the newly master planned streets and recreation of new subdivisions, where houses are brand new and shiny, there are often pocket parks and you are close to regional parks or beaches for reviving weekends close to nature.
Here’s what we found on the edges of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.
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Michele Mathieson of Bayleys Pukekohe has a smart brand new town house on 298 George Street Tuakau, one of three right in the heart of the village. Architect designed, with a single garage and another off-street park this is an easy way into the housing market – or a lovely country spot for downsizers. There are the river lands; Port Waikato is close by, old school pub and shops.
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Wellfield Drive is on the Clevedon Road edge of Papakura, but still only five minutes from the train station for the morning commute. This four bedroom, two bath home is brand spanking new, on a roomy flat section of over 500 sq m and is marketed for price by negotiation by Ella Lin and William Luo of Barfoot & Thompson Pakuranga. There’s a deck, lawns, double internal garage and off-street parking, beautiful kitchen and bathrooms.
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Further south, in the glamour horse country of Karaka Lakes, it’s not easy to find many properties under $1 million. So when David Reid Homes is offering a direct-from-builder buy of a three bed, two bath house of 144 sq m for $830,000 on 31 Ngakoro Road, you’d be hard pressed to beat this. It’s already fully landscaped and fenced, there’s garage and extra off-street parking, and in zone for the much admired Hingaia Peninsula primary school.
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Further south again, the country town of Pokeno, once a stop for motorists craving the famous ice-cream cones or to stock up on bacon, is now an entire wee town. Graeme Kidd and Lily Tang or Re/Max Zest are asking for enquiries over $650,000 for a three bedroom home in a cul de sac of new homes, only a few minutes’ walk from the shopping centre. It’s close to the pre-school and primary school (a supermarket is coming soon), has three good sized bedroom, two baths and garaging on a land area of just over 400 sq m.
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North of Auckland on the edges of old Silverdale are the new Millwater and now Milldale subdivisions. Properties are already tightly held – people love proximity the local shops, from the outlets stores and cafes to big box retailers, while the walk and cycle paths all the way to Orewa and the beaches, the playing fields and reserves around make this a nature-lovers’ paradise.
Barfoot & Thompson's Lynn Li and Andy Lall have a very smart ground floor end-of-row townhouse on popular Botanical Drive in Millwater (price by negotiation). The two bedroom home is only three years old, has a great layout leading to a paved and covered courtyard, stylish kitchen and bathroom, a carport and plenty of off-street parking. It’s handy to the Silverdale mall, motorways and, of course, weekend walks to the beach.
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Head out of Auckland and there are booming fringe suburbs in Tauranga and Hamilton.
The Lakes in Tauranga is one of the newest parts of town, where Navigation Homes are offering a four bed two bath, two garage new house for $775,200. The flat section – over 500 sq m - backs onto the Lakes reserve, with walking tracks and views, fencing, driveways and paths are already installed, so you can just play with landscaping. And you’re still only 12 minutes from downtown Tauranga.
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On the other side of Tauranga, Janey Pringle and Hannah Walker of Proppy are asking $660,000 for a cute two bedroom house in the heart of Bethlehem. It’s close to the town centre, bus stops and the local college, has an easy care brick and tile finish and plenty of outdoor space (the garden is a blank canvas for a keen landscaper).
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In Hamilton, Rototuna is one of the Council’s planned growth areas, with nearly $20 million being ploughed into a community centre with library, town square and carparks (planned for completion in 2022), that is walkable and safe for cyclists too.
Get in early with this house on Borman Road, marketed by LJ Hooker’s Karl Finn. Priced by negotiation, the two bed, one bath semi-detached unit has an internal garage, smart layout and good backyard. You’ll need to bring your landscaping chops to make the most of the outdoor living, but you’re only minutes from the shops, in zone for Rototuna primary, junior and senior high schools.
>>> Go straight to the listing
