First time buyers: Live happily in NZ’s wettest place, with a home and investment of at least $450k

Finding affordable accommodation is difficult – but there are some gems out there. Every week, Homed features a first-time home buyer on the market that can (almost) fit within the budget.

When architect Lukas Bravenec arrived here from the Czech Republic on a gap year, he quickly decided that the South Island was his place. This happened about 12 years ago.

Now he and his partner live in Haast, and they love it. It’s no surprise that it was recently named the wettest place in New Zealand.

Bravenec said: “I came after a year and just stayed. “Haast is a good place. It is very close to the ocean, the new cycle path, Jackson Bay, many green spaces and forests, hiking and fishing. We really enjoyed it.”

Bravenec’s business, Minimal Design, is in Wānaka, about a two-hour drive, but they all work out of their Haast location on Marks Road, where the only neighbors are a local restaurant, a “famous pub”, and a pūkeko. .

It was the outdoor lifestyle that drew them to the West Coast — “I’m close to the mountains and skiing and the woods,” says Bravenec. So when he found the property on Marks Rd in need of TLC, about two years ago, he decided to move to Wānaka permanently.

“It was a little confusing,” he says. “Sleep wasn’t over yet.” So we knew there was going to be a bit of work on the maintenance side and working and sleeping-out.

“I was sure right away. My friend, it took him a while.”

Bravenec’s friend runs a landscaping business, and the size of the field convinced him.

“When I showed him the exact place, he immediately believed. And he also did a great job in landscaping. “

The accommodation is standard, although it only has a kitchenette, not a full kitchen. For a while, the couple used it as offices for their business; The house is on fiber, internet. And Bravenec says he had no trouble sending and receiving large files of his artwork. Now they rent it to someone else as offices.

Haast rentals are in high demand year-round, much to the couple’s surprise. They didn’t bother to keep rental accommodation “like a small house/office” or seasonal workers.

“I’m not sure if it’s in the town planning rules, but I’m sure if I had five units on the property, they would have rented it.”

The place is remote, but you can get a white one in the morning at The Hard Antler cafe next to the house. And if you’re in a foreign life, you can’t be better placed.

“You are connected to the outside world only when you get your cell phone. It’s just a quiet life. People are not stressed, everything is green, there are many birds and plants. It’s for nature lovers.”

The couple is planning a trip back home to Europe, so they decide to put their house on the market.

The main house is 70m², and has two bedrooms and one bathroom, with an open plan living/dining/kitchen area. The accommodation has one bedroom and a bathroom. They sit on a plot of 1649m² which is lawn and mature planting. This section backs up to a mature bush gully, and there is a stream on the north western boundary of the site.

Bravenec said the area has not been flooded since he has been there. When they moved in, they removed a small dam from the river, allowing any water in the area to break down quickly.

“I would say that the ideal buyers would be people who like to work and live outside, and they should be interested in the environment. If you like theaters, cinemas and things like that, maybe it’s not your place.”

The nearest cinema is an hour and a half’s drive from Wānaka. The town of Haast, with shops and a playground, is a five-minute walk down the road. Haast River is a two-minute drive across State Highway 6.

One thing that makes this property attractive to beginners is its price compared to similar sized properties in larger areas.

The rental demand in the Haast area also means that you can let boarders help you pay off your mortgage, consider applying for a permit to build a second bedroom on a larger lot, or add on to your current home in the future. increasing the rental yield of the property.

The couple is asking $439,000 for the home. This listing is by Misha Vokralova of Property Brokers.

Homes.co.nz estimates properties for sale below the asking price, based on Haast’s median, which is $290,000.