How to double your money
Meet the Main family. They managed to get into Remuera when property values were half what they are today.
When Emma and William Main moved back to Auckland six years ago the plan was to move into what they believed to be the hip and trendy suburbs in the west of the city.
“At the time we’d wanted to move to Westmere, thinking it was a bit more of a young, fun kind of area,” said Emma Main, 37.
However, the couple, who’d spent eight years living in Sydney, found they could get more value for their money in the quieter suburb of Remuera, which is the latest one in the city to join the exclusive $2m-plus suburb alongside Herne Bay, St Mary’s Bay and Stanley Point.
For just over $1m, the couple bought a 4-bedroom bungalow on Mainston Rd in 2011.
Main, a mother of two school-aged children, said a $2m price tag was ‘quite pricey’.
“If you were to say that six years ago I’d have said ‘Gosh that’s expensive’.”
She was grateful they’d managed to nab their family home before the prices spiked.
“I do have friends now coming back from overseas that are like ‘Where do you go?’ It’s a very competitive market now.”
Main said the higher prices in Australia were a key factor in driving the family back home to New Zealand.
“When we looked to find a property over in Australia it was really hard to find something. You’d have to go into the ’burbs there to get anything with any sort of decent size.
“We were living in an apartment and felt we had grown out of that way living.”
She said living in Remuera, where she’d grown up, had surpassed their expectations. “We love it; it’s family friendly and lots of families coming through,” she said.
“I guess with great public primary schools in the area, it’s a huge draw card to living here and there’s lots of great things coming into the area.”