Revealing not-so-fancy, but far cheaper places to live
Life in New Zealand can be pretty good. In Sweet Spots, Joanna Davis shines a light on some of the best places to live.
You want to live in a city, but not in just any old suburb – you want to live somewhere nice.
If money’s no object, you might choose the most popular streets in the most expensive areas. Everyone else is going to have to look a bit more closely at the alternatives.
Consider these pricey suburbs – some of the most desirable in town, according to the data we crunched – then consider some of their nearby not-so-fancy, but oh-somuch cheaper neighbours.
Christchurch
Fendalton is leafy, its streets are wide, and it’s a lovely walk through Hagley Park to town, if you are so inclined.
On the other hand, it’s pretty close to the University of Canterbury and its sometimes rowdy student flats, and it’s under the flight path to the airport (even if that’s not as busy in pandemic times).
The other downside: the median house price in the year to March 2021 was $987,000.
But for less than half that price, you could buy in neighbouring Bryndwr, where the median price is $473,000.
Former Prime Minister John Key famously grew up in a state house there, and there are still pockets of deprivation and poorer quality housing in the suburb, which no doubt brings down those prices.
But it’s also got riverside access in places, and it’s only two or three kilometres further to the city centre. It’s within easy biking distance of good public and private schools.
What does a local say?
Charlotte Mayne grew up in Bryndwr
and has lived in Christchurch for 37 years. Some parts of the suburb are up-and-coming ‘‘but it’s got some limiting factors’’, she says.
‘‘There are some nice solutions if you want to get into Burnside High School, some green spaces, shopping centres and community,’’ she says.
But the downside?
‘‘You have to be selective about it.’’
If you don’t mind heading to the other side of the park, you could consider Addington, the suburb which came top of the national list of the best places to live, according to our data.
While it’s not prim and proper, this vibrant area is affordable, well-located for the central city and
filled with inspired individuals wanting to create connections in their community.
The historically working-class suburb lies directly south and south-east of Hagley Park and has thrived in the past decade.
Auckland
In our biggest city – also our most expensive, where the median house price topped $1 million last year and where the market shows no sign of easing – Remuera and Parnell are among the most expensive suburbs of all. Their recent median sales prices were $1.84m and $1.41m respectively.
Remuera is undeniably leafy and can lay claim to beautiful examples of Edwardian and Victorian architecture.
It’s also well-zoned for
schooling, a known driver of the Auckland property market.
Parnell, on a hill overlooking the city, port and Waitemata¯ Harbour, has chic clothing shops and ultra-trendy restaurants. It also has more than its share of grand homes, as you’d expect for the price point.
But in nearby Newmarket, you may only need to pay around $696,000 (median), and you’d still be in the so-called ‘‘double grammar zone’’ for Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls’ Grammar.
What does a local say?
Auckland resident Sue Crabtree says she can understand the appeal of parts of Remuera.
‘‘On the northern side, [it] has amazing sea views and old houses. Newmarket also has some very old houses that have been done up,
and the best schools (but) it’s only small and has lots and lots of traffic, close to motorways.’’
The downside? Newmarket is a smaller suburb geographically and the median house price has likely been dropped by multi-storey buildings and infill housing.
Crabtree said changes to Auckland Council’s Unitary Plan had led to a noticeable increase in the numbers of apartment blocks being developed.
‘‘It’s changing how Auckland looks.’’
Another option
On the North Shore, while Northcote Point comes in at a median house price of $1.39 million, Beach Haven is easily under a million, at $845,000. And the locals rave about it.
Alexia Russell, who has lived in Auckland for 50 years, says she and her husband originally bought in Beach Haven ‘‘because it was all we could afford at the time’’, but now they love it.
‘‘It is surrounded by bush and the upper harbour, people are lovely, a real sense of community. We have our village shops with a great pub, plenty of sports clubs and a wharf with ferry service.’’
She concedes that Northcote Point is ‘‘gorgeous’’. ‘‘I can see why you would want to live there but if you’re on the wrong side, the traffic noise would be awful.’’
Wellington
On a good day, the view out onto the harbour is a glorious thing. But do you have to live in Oriental Bay, median house price $1.88m, or Seatoun at $1.44m?
You have the same views from Te Aro, and the waterfront is totally walkable from there, where the median price is a mere snip (unless you’re a first home buyer or single buyer) at $600,000.
However, as with many of these second option suburbs, you may be looking at apartment living.
If you don’t need to be near town, Petone at the southern end of the Hutt Valley has a median sale price of $750,000, nearly half the price of Seatoun. It’s not as close – but the train commute to Wellington Central is a mere 12 minutes, and it has the same seaside vibe and village feel as Seatoun.
What does a local say?
Sarah Bell, who has lived in Wellington for 28 years, says Te Aro is a great location for schools, work, and being close to the city centre. ‘‘However depending on what parts you live in, the houses can be older and hard-to-heat, with more of a student vibe.’’
She believes Petone has already seen price hikes as people appreciate the necessity of buying out of the city centre. It’s ‘‘like the new Khandallah of the Hutt – getting really expensive,’’ she says. ‘‘It can also be slower getting to and from on State Highway 2.’’
Dunedin
In Dunedin, everything’s a bargain compared to the more northern cities.
But everything is relative: here you can pay top dollar to buy in the beachside suburb Saint Clair (median price $623,000) or just a bit further along the shore, you can buy in St Kilda, median $407,000. That’s more than a 34 per cent differential.
Andersons Bay is Dunedin’s other top-notch suburb (median $533,000) All are a decent distance from the University and the student ghetto suburbs, yet still close to the town centre which is becoming funkier by the year.
What does a local say?
IT consultant Chris, who has lived in Dunedin for 32 years, on and off, says the fact St Kilda is on the flat makes it ‘‘awesome if you want to be close to the beach’’.
But ‘‘it’s an area that can flood badly. Rising sea levels are also a concern and that’s why I wouldn’t buy out there.
‘‘St Kilda is a real mix. Some parts have quite a high population density. So yes, some parts feel grotty, some parts don’t.’’