Anyone know New Plymouth well?

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wsnz

649 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1378554 2-Sep-2015 21:19

TeaLeaf: looking to buy while we still have to live in big cities.

thinking budget up to $400k.

are there any nice little family lifestyle block towns surrounding the area, not sure what mokau is like?

first time i drove after clearing the mountains on that coast road it was a late summers afternoon with the sun shining on a windless swelly ocean, the surf was like a dream. that pretty much did it for me, that and staying in NP waiting to find bogans everywhere but couldnt find one. cafes, good coffee, great beer, did some surfing at a beach south (think starts with A) then did some hiking in Mt Taranki, was just the best time of my life.

$400K will get you a newer house in the outer suburbs, or an older but decent place in more established areas. For a new place in the price range Whalers Gate, Highlands Park, or Bell Block would be your best bets.

wsnz

649 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1378555 2-Sep-2015 21:20

TeaLeaf: What are the likely employers for Systems Analysis or PM type work down there? ive seen some jobs pop up now and then. Wouldnt move until we were well off financially, but the idea of being able to get a job eventually there is attractive.

PM'd.

wsnz

649 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1378675 3-Sep-2015 06:41

wsnz:
TeaLeaf: looking to buy while we still have to live in big cities.

thinking budget up to $400k.

are there any nice little family lifestyle block towns surrounding the area, not sure what mokau is like?

first time i drove after clearing the mountains on that coast road it was a late summers afternoon with the sun shining on a windless swelly ocean, the surf was like a dream. that pretty much did it for me, that and staying in NP waiting to find bogans everywhere but couldnt find one. cafes, good coffee, great beer, did some surfing at a beach south (think starts with A) then did some hiking in Mt Taranki, was just the best time of my life.

$400K will get you a newer house in the outer suburbs, or an older but decent place in more established areas. For a new place in the price range Whalers Gate, Highlands Park, or Bell Block would be your best bets.

Just to qualify this; it'll be small. Some former colleagues bought a 180m2 place for $440k 9 years old 2.5 (2x double 1x single) bedrooms and a very small yard in Highlands Park. There are house and land packages they looked at for $450K in Glen Avon and Whalers Gate too so some good deals can be had if you go looking hard for them and are prepared to compromise on a few things. Otherwise it'll be an average older place for that price.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#1378772 3-Sep-2015 09:33

Small is ok, we live in a very small 2 bed unit in a well to do area up here. We dont hord. The TV is the biggest item which we only use to watch netflix.

But we do plan on having a family of 1-2. So Id say 3 bedrooms max, 2 would be doable with an extension some time in the far off future (6-10 years)

tukapa1

725 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1379391 3-Sep-2015 20:47

If you are wanting to be close to the sea (as opposed to a distant view), in New Plymouth township itself, and not in Moturoa, then you will need some more $$$.

We built a house in Highlands Park in 2010 (3 bdrm, office, 2 bathrooms, double + garage, 2 living areas - 240 sqm - on a 922sqm section) and sold it at the start of this year for $600k.

That's nowhere near the sea (5k away), but in what seems to be a desirable new subdivision area and in a decile 10 school zone.

You certainly can find houses for sub $400k in New Plymouth easy enough, but I doubt you'll be close to the sea, unless you compromise on location.

Personally, being born and bred here, I wouldn't buy in Spotswood, Marfell or Whalers Gate. Whalers Gate is just too far out if you want to be within handy distance to town.

I also wouldn't buy in Bell Block or further out that way.

I like Frankleigh Park (especially upper) and have lived there in the past (twice), but again you're getting 5+ km out of town. Also Vogeltown, Welbourn and Merrilands are well thought of areas. Some real estate agents get a bit tricky with their location descriptions, so it tends to be a bit careful.

If you're after lifestyle (half an acre +) then you will absolutely need more money, unless you're willing to head south of Inglewood. We have been looking at lifestyle options for a while now.

Funnily enough we bought an old box in Inglewood. You can get good bang for your buck there at the moment. However, you are 15 minutes out of New Plymouth (that's from my gate into the centre of New Plymouth), although it's an easy drive which is almost all 100km/h road. It is a couple degrees colder than NP, and although I got told it is wetter I've found it pretty similar as I travel into NP for work every weekday.

Ultimately we want to find half an acre somewhere but in the meantime it's nice to be almost mortgage free.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#1379406 3-Sep-2015 21:19

perhaps its cheaper to not buy, unleast until the auck bubble bursts.

in no rush at all.

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