Finding an affordable property is hard – but there are still some gems out there. Each week, Homed is featuring a first time buyer-friendly home on the market that might (just about) come in within budget.
When Emma Thompson and her former partner were looking for their first home, they wanted the kind of place that could grow with the family they were planning.
Despite being a Hutt Valley native, Thompson had not considered house-hunting in Wainuiomata, but when she found the prices there were achievable for first-timers, and saw the 1960s bungalow on Karaka St, she was immediately sold.
“It was the size of the land,” Thompson says. “That and the style of the house – how newly renovated it was, so we didn’t really have to do too much work.”
The large garage, with an additional carport and separate shed, was also a selling point. However, when they moved in, they discovered the section was even bigger than they first thought.
Professionals
Emma Thompson and her former partner’s home has been fully renovated inside and out.
Behind the garage was an additional three or four metres of land, meaning they were sitting on more than 600m² – practically the quarter-acre dream.
“We were quite surprised there was extra land behind there. You could just bowl down the garage and the shed and either build a bigger garage if you wanted, or another dwelling.”
A multigenerational family could put a good-sized granny flat out there, and still have room for a garden….