An exclusive lifestyle suburb sandwiched between Hamilton and Cambridge is fast becoming the Coatesville of the Waikato where buyers need at least $2 million to move into the sought-after area that houses many of the city’s doctors and surgeons.
Tamahere’s sought after school zones, village vibe and close proximity to Hamilton CBD and Cambridge are major drawcards for professionals craving a modern family home on a 5000sqm section with enough room for a tennis court, cricket pitch and even a swimming pool.
It’s becoming an attractive bolthole for Aucklanders who are discovering that it is not a rural hub, but is a high-end lifestyle estate that’s accessible from the newly opened part of the Waikato Expressway.
In the past decade, Tamahere has seen a huge amount of development and has overtaken other lifestyle areas bordering Hamilton with a new Tamahere Community Hub complete with doctor surgery, dentist, and cafes opening about four years ago to support all the new houses.
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Property Brokers salesperson Angela Thomas said Pencarrow Road has traditionally been known as doctors’ row because it is popular with physicians due to it being a short drive to Waikato Hospital.
But as newer lifestyle properties have been built in the village, those medical professionals have been joined by a large number of executive families wanting to be in the zone for the popular Tamahere Model Country School, Berkley Intermediate School and Hillcrest High School.
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“It’s got a lovely village vibe, it’s close to all arterial networks and the airport – so if someone is having to commute it’s great for that. There’s lots going on there. It has a great community spirit.
“It’s very accessible and it’s one of the nicest lifestyle areas that has such great accessibility. We do find we get a lot of Aucklanders coming down because they love it. They get more bang for their buck; they sell up in Auckland and move to Tamahere and it’s just got so much going for it.”
The opening of the Tamahere Country Club retirement village has also seen more retirees moving in, and Waikato farmers are also trading in the large farm for a lifestyle block closer to the city.
“It’s got this little niche vibe going on – everyone wants to live in Tamahere. Everyone I’ve been speaking to.”
But the village vibe doesn’t come cheap with agents saying an entry-level Tamahere lifestyle block will set someone back about $2m for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home on a 5000sqm section.
A new playground, skatepark and shops have opened in the past few years adding to Tamahere's village vibe. Photo / Waikato District Council
Buyers flocked to a property at 336a Pencarrow Road, Tamahere, after its price dropped below $2m. Photo / Supplied
And the odd property that does pop up for under $2m also attracts a lot of attention. Thomas noticed an influx of buyers for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 366a Pencarrow Road after the price dropped from $2.1m to $1.975m.
Harcourts salesperson Bobbie Sumner agreed it was an enviable lifestyle and popular with families with school-aged children drawn in by the good schools.
The biggest change since she moved to the area almost 20 years ago is the Tamahere Hub shopping service centre and the new infrastructure surrounding that like footpaths around the village making it a lot safer for children to travel to and from school and the playground. The improved roads has also made it quicker and easier to access both Cambridge and Hamilton.
But despite having a higher entry price point than other Hamilton suburbs, Sumner said prices don’t seem to have been hit as hard as other suburbs in the downturn, which she puts down to its popularity.
“It’s an area most people strive to get into and it’s not the most cost-effective area to live in as in cost-wise for the properties.
“When I’ve built in there, I’ve always known our money is quite safe. It’s a good place to put your money if you are buying, especially in a market like today where in Tamahere and Matangi it hasn’t dropped as much as other areas have.”
Sumner said there were currently plenty of houses to choose from and some very motivated vendors. A four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 25a Riverglade Drive is priced at $2.299m, while an executive home at 19e Bates Road with a theatre, rumpus room, pool and second dwelling has a price tag of $3.248m.
Bayleys salesperson Rachel Waldegrave said families who decide to move out of Auckland are usually tired of the transport issues and high-density building development, and Tamahere has everything they want in terms of space and lifestyle.
A large modern home with a second dwelling at 19E Bates Road, Tamahere, is at the higher-end of the market with an asking price of $3.248m. Photo / Supplied
“They feel that they can get great value for their money buying down here, significantly more for their money than if they were purchasing in Auckland and I think they love that as well.”
The new Waikato Expressway extension has helped by reducing the travel time for those who may still have to commute to Auckland a couple of days a week, she said.
She recently sold a property near the school on Devine Road in Tamahere to a local family who only just managed to secure it against competition from several Auckland buyers. The house sold for $2.905m – a slight increase on the $2.9m paid for it at the peak of the market in September 2021, OneRoof records show.
“It did come right down to the wire – there were several Auckland families that were really keen on it.”
Waldegrave is taking a five-bedroom, four-bathroom property at 81 Fuchsia Lane to auction on Thursday, which she said would suit a similar buyer and even has room for a couple of ponies. The 1.19ha property has been set up for equestrians, has a large shed to house a horse float and enough room for an arena.
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