Beach lifestyle in city
Why travel to the bach when our major cities all have attractive coastal suburbs not far away from the central city, writes
After many of us packed up the car, the kids and the dog for the holiday house, it is a reminder of the work involved with heading off to the beach.
A number of Kiwi families will be looking closely at their favourite holiday beach place this summer, maybe with some extra pennies in their pocket, they will be considering investing in a beach house.
But before doing so, it might be worth considering another option, and that is to buy amain home at a coastal suburb, in the city you live, which has a good beach lifestyle.
We’re lucky in New Zealand that the main cities – including Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch – all have attractive coastal suburbs not too far away from the CBD.
They can be a bit more expensive than the regular suburbs, but for the lifestyle you’re getting, it can be extremely rewarding.
When people buy a beach house, says Lisa Dudson, Acumen finance advisor and property expert, it can be a bigger indulgence than they anticipate. She says: ‘‘What happens is, you have the best of intentions but you end up using it for five weeks a year and one week at Christmas.’’
If you’ve got a growing family, the kids’ activities tend to get in the way with using the beach house as much as you would like.
The responsibility of maintaining two properties
The maintenance of a holiday home is not to be underestimated, adds Dudson. ‘‘When I was growing up, my parents had a beach house and I saw how much work it involved.
‘‘You pack up the car with all the kids, then you go there and spend half the weekend doing fun stuff and half of the time doing maintenance, then you’ve got to clean up before you go home.’’
The expense of having two properties is also something to approach with caution, she says.
‘‘You’re paying rates on two places, it’s two lots of everything.’’
Buying a home in the city by the beach which is slightlymore expensive might be a better way to go, she says.
Making the beach a daily treat
Patricia Hinchey, a Devonport agent for Bayleys, is currently marketing a home which has beautiful Cheltenham beach at the end of the road.
Hinchey is seeing particularly strong interest from empty nesters and young familieswho both see the value in having a home with the attributes of a beach house but is still close to the city.
Some of the downsizing couples the Bayleys agent has shown through the home are thinking of selling their beach houses and just having one main home by the beach instead, she says.
As well as Cheltenham Beach, there is Torpedo Bay nearby and the house has views to North Head, which is a popular place to walk.
Unrepeatable views to come home to
Christchurch agent Nick Cowdy, of Cowdy Real Estate, moved out of central Christchurch to Monck’s Bay a few years ago and it’s been the best move he’s made in his life, he says.
Cowdy, currently marketing an attractive family home on one of Sumner’s best streets, says he’s seeing interest from people coming from traditional suburbs like Fendalton and Merivale who are looking for a bit of a change of lifestyle. There’s also been inquiry from out of towners.
The home, 25 minutes from the CBD, has views to Sumner beach, to the city, the Southern Alps and on to Kaikoura. ‘‘You can’t repeat this view,’’ he says.
Living in Sumner and the surrounding coastal areas gives you the same disengaged feeling as when you go to a beach house, says the agent.
Sumner has a very strong community, supported by social media to communicate, he says.
From most of the homes in Sumner you can ‘‘shoot down to the beach’’, says Cowdy.
There are walking tracks and parks and Sumner has some of the perks of still being in a city with amovie theatre, a supermarket, bars, restaurants and amarket on the weekend.
When you’re not ready to leave the city
In Wellington, there are a number of options if you want to live by the beach.
Ray White agent, Steve Farrell has just sold an extensive waterfront property in Karaka Bay Rd, Seatoun, with an asking price ofmore than $2.6 million. It sold to a Brooklyn family wanting a change from innerwellington.
‘‘So many people who live in the capital always wanted a sea view but don’t have it,’’ says Farrell.
A number of Wellingtonians are getting to the stagewhere the kids were leaving home, they weren’t ready to leave the city, and like the thought of living on the coast, he says.
And this desirable eastern suburb is still only a 15 to 20 minute drive into the central city.