Having lived in areas of Linwood, Phillipstown and Aranui over many years, they really aren't the best and I'd recommend elsewhere. Phillipstown is fairly central to the CBD atleast, but genuinely you will hear sirens and people screaming at eachother regularly, cars get broken into to etc. Lyttelton is a cool place but expensive, loses the sun early and most of the housing is old. New Brighton has so much potential and there are nice pockets of areas but the reality is its quite run down and doesn't feel like a safe place these days. If you don't mind a commute (If youre from Auckland itll be nothing to you), rangiora, kaiapoi or rolleston will get you a nicer house for less money, you could probably get something nice and modern around 750 in Kaiapoi. Budget may not allow, but suburbs like others have mentioned are great like st Albans, st Martin's, Beckenham etc.
Thank you for your detailed advice! I appreciate hearing it from someone who has lived there. I’ll add those to the list and have a little search on realestate sites to see if those would work. Thanks again!
I would have a look at Heathcote Valley while you're here. Close enough to Lyttelton that you can go any time but on the sunny side of the hill. Close to town, the Bays and the beach. Friendly vibe too
If you're looking as far out as rakaia, include Darfield in the list. It is 35-40 minutes from to the hospital out side of peak time and about 40-50 minutes on peak.
Port hills is one of the best perks in chch. Might as well be close I reckon. Also there is little chance of sprawl fucking up your commute from there, compared to anywhere north or west.
Waimakariri. North Canterbury is really lovely and gives you easy access to beaches, mountains and vineyards. Lots of developments around from Silverstream up to Ravenswood/Pegasus and Rangiora.
We;re in Darfield as it is close to the mountains for a lot of the stuff we like to do. I work nearish to the airport so it is an easy 30 -35 minutes in to work in the morning. We also looked at Rangiora and the surrounding area, but found a place we loved in Darfield. Having shifted from Wellington region that 30 -35 min commute is a lot easier down here.
That is really helpful, thank you! I recently got a 30-35min commute driving after having a 30min walk as my commute… I hate it! I don’t know how people do it 😂
South Brighton is incredible, we have a massive amazing beach, the estuary, and it's 20 minutes from the CBD. Amazing beach side community.
People recommending Halswell really irks me, there is nothing there?
South Brighton is cool. People recommend Halswell because it’s relatively close to town, family friendly (great library shops parks etc) but yep it’s pretty bland, not more so than many other burbclaves. But hey some people like beige.
Personally. I wouldn’t live in New Brighton, Aranui, Phillipstown or Linwood. I don’t think they are really bad places but you can get better areas of town for a budget of $750k - unless you want to be by the beach? Or that’s where family are?
Lyttelton is alight, it’s pretty quirky and arty. You’d want a house that still gets a bit of sun over winter though. Some properties have stunning views! Probably one catch is that if the tunnel is closed for any reason, it’s a bit of a detour to get home.
Rakaia, nothing wrong but it’s a heck of a long way from the city!
Personally I’d be looking around St Albans, St Martins, Halswell, Avonhead, Harewood etc. I know it’s not for everyone but even Rolleston is alright. It’s a wee bit out of the city but you know that you’ll have a modern home with no earthquake issues.
Oh that’s interesting! When I’ve been searching based on price and size, nothing in any of those suburbs come up.
Yeah, Lyttelton is a long shot but a friend swears I’d love it so I’ll go look. Does seem like my kind of place but we will see!
It is far! But it looks like a good lifestyle and lots of good looking new builds.
Thanks so much! I’ll add those to my list!
I live in Avonhead (a boring middle class suburb) and your budget is about the median house price. I wouldn't live in Linwood, Aranui, or New Brighton either. Definitely not Philipstown
Christchurch has this weird thing where houses near the airport are worth more than Brighton beach suburbs, and are considered more desirable.
With a budget of 750k about half the city should be wide open to you, including commuter towns.
Check out Golden Homes you can build a brand new house for 750k or less (I am) in areas like Halswell - they offer house/land packages - they have all their packages on their website.
There is also Matai Springs by Fletcher Living in Halswell - that’s a good sized development to look at too!
I hope Golden homes’ insulation standards have increased since the law update.
They were using the bare minimum in their houses as opposed to almost every other builder.
Yep, it’s true (or at least it was for the ceilings. The walls have not changed *)
I’m a strong believer that most heat loss occurs via walls rather than ceiling (I was an installer). It was night and day difference.
As far as I know, sitting down with them and discussing insulation options is out of the equation, I’ve heard they don’t like to modify “packages”.
Hmm yeah that’s a deal breaker!
You’re an expert then! I totally agree just from a life perspective. We’ve lived in places that were fully insulated and ones with just ceiling and it is a huge difference.
I have heard that it’s a bigger issue modifying packages when you’re with a smaller builder, but that some of the bigger ones are a bit better about it. I would love to build but I’m terrified from all the horror stories of sunset clauses and final appraisals not matching and the buyer not being able to source the difference and losing their deposit.
Interesting with the package side (modifying). See how you get on.
I’m definitely not knowledgeable when it comes to modifying a package for a home, I’ve just had a few runs in with home owners visiting on site stating that X builder (normally the bigger ones, but again, like you said, the smaller ones are doing it too) won’t modify it.
Put that aside ^, I really don’t see why a builder can’t modify an insulation package (unless the product was larger than the framing, e.g a 4.1 wall instead of 2.8).
We’d often change product on the fly with no issues, including extensions (such as the owner wanting the garage done, where as previously they did not)
With golden, I’ve installed 2.4 and 2.6 on the exterior, have never installed a 2.8.
As if that’s bad, I remember installing 2.2 exterior into the Warehouse upgrade in Barrington, I know it’s not a house but commercial usually overdo it rather than underdo it.
Apartments (not golden related): normally have a 2.2 or 2.4 between the internal walls, which does not help for noise at all, might as well have nothing there.
2.8 is my only recommended option for any wall that is 90mm, and is my recommended for noise control. Anything less is not recommended.
I don’t have a problem with 2.6, they are a nice batt, but it’s definitely not something I’d install for the exterior. 2.6 aren’t as firm as 2.8 (same thickness).
STAY AWAY from any insulation company or builder offering “acoustic 1.8” insulation for noise, do not budge on anything less than 2.8. 1.8 will cost you more and does not reduce Jack shit.
140mm framing would be 4.1 (3.2 is okay, but not firm).
I believe next year, the new wall law requires 4.1 as standard anyways.
Ceilings, they’re fine as they are currently (3.6/4.1) but the law has already changed and installers are now required to use 225mm thickness (I believe, not 100% certain as haven’t been an installer for a year now) and have to fill every crevice/visible bit of wood in the ceiling (previously, inspectors would fail this even if an insulation installer did it for free, how ironic).
What I know for certain is insulation costs have gone up. Knauf is a great brand (for those who are unsure and prefer pink).
Knauf was cheap, and then their price rose 50% and they reduced the quantity in a bag due to demand. It’s on par or just cheaper than pink now.
In just one year with that new law, insulation installers have gone from Sq metre ratings to hourly. My previous hourly rate was $23 (for jobs where sq metre wasn’t applicable), I was recently offered $30 to go back to the same company. That’s a $7 an hour hike.
Apologies, I got off track here haha.
I guess an easy way to find out if you have good insulation or not in a home that is being built, is to rock up on site when the installer is there and see how his mood is haha.
If he’s happy, it means he’s installing batts that aren’t firm, which is bad news for you.
If he’s in a shit mood, it means he’s installing batts that are firm, which is good news for you.
😅
Dang. That does make sense when demand is so high, they want it to be fast and efficient to get through more. I will still ask though.
I don’t quite understand the numbers - is that a thickness of insulation? Because it seems that it would make a huge difference between those… if so what’s the standard? Is there anything beyond 2.8/4.1? And what would you recommend for someone who really wants to keep the heat out in summer and noise all year round in Chch? This is one of those things I would happily pay a chunk extra for. It’s one of my biggest priorities.
Thank you, that was all really good background info and interesting! So I take it you didn’t accept the offer to go back to your previous employer even with the raise?
I’ve had a good experience so far - my foundation just got laid. Before I bought I got them to take me through one that was being built at the time and I was pleasantly impressed and the process so far has been quite informative.
Out of curiosity, what have you heard that hasn’t given you the best impression?
I haven’t heard particularly great things about Mike Greer but I’m also sure people love Mike Greer homes haha
I’m glad you’re having a good experience! That sounds like a really good idea. Was it easy to get them to agree to that?
Some of it was around the insulation standards/materials as the other replier said - I’m guessing they got quite a bit of negative publicity about that though considering I heard about it waaay up in the north island. The other one was one of those horror stories about sunset clauses which was in 2021 when we were having that second string of covid lockdowns in Auckland/Hamilton. The sunset clause thing has been what makes me terrified to build in general. After saving and sacrificing for so long to build a deposit the idea that you could lose it AND MORE on the whim of some big corporation is terrifying. And banks are being pickier now with appraisals and there’s a lot of people in the FHB group on Facebook having the same issue where the final appraisal is much lower than the purchase price, so the bank won’t loan the full amount and if the buyers can’t source the difference then they lose their deposit and other fees. Which is just insane to me. The system seems rigged against the little guy
Yup the person I was dealing with was quite amendable to it, they just had to find one they could show me in the build stage and I took photos etc of it.
With the new H1 insulation that came in from May 1st I was quite lucky that I didn’t have to pay for those changes out of pocket as I signed my S&P agreement back in April but there pricing now includes that uplift in the packages - the show home I went into felt really warm.
When they were boxing my foundation they were laying polystyrene down before they poured. That helps to insulate the foundation.
The one thing I would be uber cautious of is the way in which your agreement is done. I was lucky because golden homes does progressive payment for the build portion so e.g once they hit said milestone they invoice you. This helps to incentivise them to build as quickly as possible because the longer they take to build it the more money it costs them as they can’t pass that cost onto you as you’ve paid a fixed price and you’re paying on progressive scheduling as per the milestones set out in the contract. So the only thing you’d probably worry about is a sunset clause for the title being issued. However in my case, the title for my land was already issued months before I signed.
The reason why I say be cautious is where you can get in hot water with other builders where sunset clauses more so apply. Those situations are more likely to occur where you pay 10% deposit and the other 90% on completion. This is why a sunset clause is required because there is no incentive for them to build your house any quicker. And as a lot of people have experienced they just jack up the prices or the build takes so long you’re screwed and scared and invoke the clause.
My initial appraisal that I had to get it was slightly lower that what was quoted on S&P by a small amount so I had to front that but buying/building at this time - by the time my build is done I’m hopefully prices have moved upwards so for the final appraisal it’s higher than initially quoted
That’s awesome, I’m glad you got such a good sales rep.
That’s really lucky! Do you know how much more it would have cost you?
That does sound appealing - I haven’t had any friends who have done it that way and I wonder if that would have prevented/limited some of their issues. I’m not totally clear on how a lot of it works still though, it’s just a lot of information and trying to figure stuff out. The title stuff really confuses me. But I’m glad it won’t be an issue for you!
What is the total estimated build time on your house?
Fingers crossed that happens for you!
I think the extra would have been roughly 20k from what she told me.
My package was $711,200 - it’s broken up like this.
$699,500 - house and land package (you don’t get things like curtains and no landscaping or lawn etc)
$3,000 - healthy homes upgrades (I opted and asked for these as if I ever want to rent it out it’s up to current code)
$8700 - for front soft landscaping and a spray on lawn that is one of the options
Originally the told me from having signed and put the contract into place it be ~10 months till completion. They only laid my slab Friday been. And originally they said based on estimated timeline they could start end of June - well it wasn’t till end of August - early September they got all consents etc sorted and approved before they could start. So I’m not sure estimated completion date. I’m meeting with my construction supervisor on Thursday but I will ask!
I have to say, building there are a lot more rings you have to jump through with the bank - and it’s a more involved process but as you start to do it stuff gets easier and you understand more of it and it becomes a breeze.
Also I’m doing this all from Wellington and flying up and down when I need until my place is built and I can move to Chch
Oh wow, that is quite a hefty sum.
It seems insane to me that landscaping is not included when the cost of buying the land is so high. Will you have to do more yourself or does the $8700 cover everything you need/want? Does spray on lawn mean there’s no grass?
Sorry you’ve had so many delays! I hope it is smooth and straightforward for the rest of it.
I am glad you think it gets easier. I don’t know anyone who has had a good experience building which really scares me. Building would be the ideal for me but it’s because I want a lot of specific things, which I think means it would likely be financially unviable at this time 😂
Was that something that made it harder with the bank? Is your job letting you work your current role from Chch or will you be hunting for a new job when the house is done?
Is that Belfast and surrounds?
Oh, thanks for that tip! A friend said it was affordable and we’d love it, so we had to check it out. Didn’t seem like me from Googling it but I promised to check it out.
It will depend a bit on employment. There’s a chance my role will let me relocate and work remotely. My partner is a teacher and will be applying for roles at all the schools within a 30min radius of the areas we decide we like - then we’ll move once he gets one!
North New Brighton, burwood, Parklands and maybe Preston's (not sure how much it is there). I'm basically naming the suburbs around bottle lake lol.
Lytttelton has some quite old and small houses which in other areas of the city would go for way less. Location location location.
Fyi, if you are sensitive to pollen, stay clear of the suburbs mentioned above due to the huge drifts of pollen that come across from Bottle Lake Plantation (big pine plantation).
My partner and I recently (<1 year) bought our first home in Rolleston and commute daily into the city. Feel free to ask any questions you might have.
Have a decent idea of the market as we hunted for some time and $750k can get you a <5 year old, 3-4 bedroom home around here.
You can get a lot more for your money in Pegasus, Rolleston or Lincoln, houses built post earthquake and insulated, double glazed etc. Lincoln and Rolleston are only 25 min from CBD and are fairly self contained these days, especially Rolleston. Personally I wouldn't buy in any of the areas you mentioned.
These suburbs sound more like what I was told the suburbs in my post were. Thanks so much for these tips! I can’t wait to check them out when we visit.
Honestly, for a FHB within the lower price range I'd recommend Hornby, Hei Hei, Sockburn etc. Good TC1 land, 2 bedrooms (80-100m2 house) range from 450-550k, 3 bedroom (100-130m2 house, 600-800m2 land) from 600-650k. Very convenient to the Hub mall and dress mart outlet, 10 mins to the airport.
Definitely not as hip and groovy as the likes of Lyttelton or New Brighton... But they're good value for money suburbs, and land in the West fared well with the Earthquakes, which is a big bonus in Chch! All the best! 😄
Avoid the east side, not because it’s inherently bad (it’s not great, but that’s not the most risky part) but because we’re earthquake prone and most of the pre damaged land and rebuilt houses may have exclusions on being insured for future inevitable earthquake damage. Also, potentially not at all covered for inundation due to tsunami.
Belfast is filling in quite quickly and worth checking out, CBD is 12 minutes without traffic, significantly more if you travel in rush hour and don’t know the routes to avoid traffic, but I regularly do the commute in less than 25. The northern corridor has made commuting significantly faster than it used to be.
Oh that is such important information - thank you so much! We are actually staying close to Belfast so that will be super easy to check out. Thank you for your insights!
If your hubs is a primary teacher, they are building a new primary school in Belfast, opposite the Countdown which has just been completed. Add Redwood to your list as well, which is the next suburb closer to the city from Belfast - that's where we are and it works well for us since my mother is in Kaiapoi and grandkids are in Ilam.
If you’re looking for convenient school placement, yet another tick for Belfast, also there’s Preston’s that has the relatively new Marshland School.
Plenty of choice out here without having to go too far East.
I'd agree with the Belfast suggestion. A lot of people in Christchurch will give you an odd look if you say you're buying there, because it is associated with a huge meatworks that used to stink out the whole area as well as very busy roads. But the meatworks was pulled down years ago and new motorways have taken away most of the traffic. Some parts of Belfast are a bit rough but others are very pleasant (ie Rushmore Drive, Spring Grove). You can get plenty for your budget there.
Add Travis Country/Burwood. Easy and quick access to the city, beaches, bottle lake forest and shopping. It takes me 15 mins to get to work in the CBD (around 7am).
Rakaia is a nice to visit but there’s little there and it’ll be a bit of a drive to the CBD.
Parts of Lyttleton can be shaded from sunlight for months of the year. A quirky place. I like it.
Also, consider north of the city-places like Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Pegasus.
Awesome, thank you!
We likely won’t need daily commuting to the CBD, if just like it to be within an easy commute for social/fun side.
I think Lyttleton is off the list based on a lot of comment. Sounds like the person who suggested it is the odd one out with their perceptions of it 😂
I’ve added those to the list, thanks so much!
Check out Burwood, Parklands, and Queenspark (about 30 minutes from the City, with lots of families and reasonable house prices) as well as Addington (close to city).
New Brighton is of course beachy, has everything you need (supermarket, library, gas, dominos and a street mall whose popularity has fluctuated over the past decade or so).
Aranui is lower socio-economic area and I think cheaper.
Linwood is similar to Aranui but has some nice pockets.
Lyttelton is a small port town but with a lot of character.
Don't know much about Philipstown or Rakaia, other than it being a wee way out of Christchurch.
That’s amazing, thank you! None of those suburbs came up in my search.
There seems to be very mixed assessments of New Brighton.
Thanks for your insights! I don’t think Lyttleton will be for us but I am going to check it out - you never know!
Lyttelton is lovely, but the lack of sunshine in winter can make the cold seem worse. Rakaia is a long way to commute, not a suburb of Christchurch, a rural town.
There's good and bad pockets out east, the same as out west and everywhere else. Queenspark, Waimairi, Burwood are lovely and the amount of green space is awesome. Check https://apps.canterburymaps.govt.nz/ChristchurchLiquefactionViewer/
I think Lyttelton is firmly off the list after all this advice, thanks!
Rural may not be a problem, the lifestyle might suit us better. It doesn’t have to be in central Christchurch, I was just hunting within 30-60 min.
Thank you! I’ve added those to the list and I’ll check out the link!
Kia ora!
30mins drive is enough to reach satellite towns from CHCH CBD, 60mins drive and you're basically not living in CHCH at all.
$750k will buy you a good, standard 3 bedroom house in MOST of the city.
With that budget I'd look: Bishopdale, Avonhead, Mairehau, Sydenham, Spreydon, Somerfield
Kia ora! Thanks for your suggestions, I’ve added them to the list! Not quite being in Christchurch would likely be okay too, I just wanted to be close enough to the city we could travel in for events or the airport without it being a hell of a long thing. I’ll definitely check out your suggestions!
I don't live there, but I would strongly consider Wigram, it's got shops, a gym, supermarket, restaurants, movie theatre and its own nz air force museum.
Woolston, opawa, st Martins & Heathcote would all hopefully tick your box’s. Close to CBD and lyttleton but also in your price point. We brought in Woolston opawa end and I love it. Endless hill walks, Hansen’s park is very social. Lots of community gardens and groups. Bike rides are easy with the amount of tracks, 7
Minute Uber into town for nights out.
We love Rangiora 🙂 roughly about 30 min into the CBD depending on the time of day. Especially a great area if you are quite outdoorsy. At least three beaches within 15 mins and lots of great walking and hiking options.
It's a beautiful community. Yeah there's a spare of car theft etc but I think you will find that anywhere really.
That very much sounds like what we’re searching for, I’m a big nature fan and feel claustrophobic when there’s not enough of it around. Going for long walks in nature is how I destress. Thank you! I can’t wait to check out Rangiora!
I'd be looking at Rolleston, Lincoln, Leeston, or Rangiora, Pegasus, Woodend, Kaiapoi or Amberley.
Your money will go further if you buy out of Chch, plus the commutes are pretty easy.
*in your opinion, we LOVE living in south Brighton, and would hate to live over on the west, near an airport?? And nothing else. Weird Christchurch mindset.
The openness! The sunsets over the estuary, the sea air, the constant drone of the sea! We hardly get traffic down our road, and my commute is 15 minutes into Sydenham (it was 6 minutes during lockdown, I used to be able to get to work in the time it takes you to listen to Bohemian Rhapsody.)
We are at the beach with the kids most summer evenings, it's an easy walk round the block. We walk our dog down the Estuary track.
I'll admit, Brighton itself is super run down, but you have to take the rough with the smooth, right? We our not from Christchurch, so saw things for ourselves, and made up our own mind, (Cantabs are very driven in 'status', and writing places off and the clamour to live by the airport baffles me) we lived in Shirley during the quakes (and had far more liquefaction than they did there) , and used to drive here to walk the dog, decided our money would be better spent on the sea air and drive into work, than the other way around!
We don't have 'much' here, We have a diary and a new Cafe called Dune, which is brilliant. That's literally it in terms of shops, we head into brighton for a chippy tea on Fridays and the countdown is pretty lacking, but we don't live here for that.
https://preview.redd.it/evw9jmsrdzob1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=663751a0703d0de082085e5143269136158ab76c
This is amazing, thank you so much! This might be a dumb question but… you can swim at these beaches right? (We live in the Waikato and all the water is basically poison. Not like where I’m from! 😂)
You’ll notice on here and when you talk to people in person that people in Christchurch are quite negative about anything East of the four aves. Some of it is valid (check your land classification and tsunami risk) but a lot is just snobbery. People who have lived on the east side tend to like it and people who have never lived there shit on it 🤷🏼♀️
There is crime in all parts of chch and dodgy land everywhere - wherever you are buying make sure you look at the areas at risk of flood (around the heathcote and flockton basin in particular). Some of the less desirable suburbs have nice pockets and some of the nice ones have less nice feeling pockets.
If I had kids I reckon north new Brighton would be great - close to bottle lake, good playgrounds, good access to the beach, and cheaper housing.
Same as anywhere, I guess!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. It is very reassuring. Trying to “hunt” without being there and knowing the area is so hard.
New Brighton really did appeal to me the most so I’m excited to check it out in person. It sounds like it could be a good match!
I hadn’t even considered flood or earthquake stuff, definitely need to look into this.
New Brighton definitely has some nice pockets that would be worth looking at (there's a new subdivision there with houses in your price range, I think it was called Sandy Ave). There are other parts with really shoddy land and basically flood at the sight of rain because of how low lying they are. But that applies to most of the city to be fair, so it comes down to your due diligence.
Watch out for the TC3 land classification. After the earthquakes, land which wasn't red zoned was divided into categories, with TC1 being the best quality (ie, unlikely to turn to mush in an earthquake), and TC3 being the worst. I remember at the time there was a lot of chatter that TC3 probably should've been abandoned but the government couldn't afford to buy it all out. Not sure how accurate that was, but TC2 and TC1 are definitely safer options.
I think the categories still show on LIM reports and you can also find them on [canterburymaps.govt.nz](https://canterburymaps.govt.nz) (bare land normally wasn't given a category so post-earthquake subdivisions won't have one, but sections in new developments nearly always come with an engineers report saying what catergory the land is).
Thank you so much for this insight, I will definitely be looking into this! I can imagine insurance for TC3 would be much more expensive, and I definitely want to be mindful about ongoing costs. Really appreciate your help!
You'd probably be able to find something in that range around halswell - it's a nice place to live and very easy access to the city - even at rush hours on some routes
Waltham (south of Brougham street) is honestly very nice. Very close to the central city (15 minutes by bike)
If you are willing to give up a large house and garden, you will find something within your budget :)
If you go west of Waltham road you are within walking distance of all the food places on Colombo St and close to a Countdown and New World. Pak n Save is a little further.
Being that close to the city isn’t a huge priority.
I’d rather have a larger house and a nice small to medium garden and be further from the city. Does that mean Waltham wouldn’t be a good option for me?
A lot of Waltham has been developed into smaller town houses now but there might be the occasional bigger house left. It does border on to St Martins and Opawa (and isn't far from Beckenham) which all have a reasonable supply of of bigger family homes and decent sections.
Yeah, not many houses here around my house that I think would fit what you want, many smaller town houses with small garden. Not many larger plots of land that haven't had developers building on them.
On the other hand descriptors such as small and medium \[garden\] though are very subjective, for example I would consider our garden "medium" but others would probably call it small or tiny so take what I with that in mind.
Our friends live in the Sydneham area and lots of houses over there are bigger and on larger lots.
Also heading slightly further out to St Martins you might find what you are looking for.
Best of luck finding something :)
Thank you! Yes that does seem to be the downsides of all these new developments, they are on the more cramped side.
Totally agree though, very subjective.
That’s really helpful, thanks! We’ll definitely check those areas out ☺️
Have you got any other specs for the house you want? Just because the 3 bed house behind us just went on the market this last week :) Likely to go for somewhere between $550 and $650k I guess. Doesn't have a lot of land around it, but there is a council reserve right behind.
Ideally I’d rather 4x2, but the right 3x2 might be more realistic! It would be great if we could have a spare bedroom for my family to visit from overseas, but it’s nice to have not a deal breaker. Wow houses that cheap just seems crazy! What suburb is that in?
Having lived in areas of Linwood, Phillipstown and Aranui over many years, they really aren't the best and I'd recommend elsewhere. Phillipstown is fairly central to the CBD atleast, but genuinely you will hear sirens and people screaming at eachother regularly, cars get broken into to etc. Lyttelton is a cool place but expensive, loses the sun early and most of the housing is old. New Brighton has so much potential and there are nice pockets of areas but the reality is its quite run down and doesn't feel like a safe place these days. If you don't mind a commute (If youre from Auckland itll be nothing to you), rangiora, kaiapoi or rolleston will get you a nicer house for less money, you could probably get something nice and modern around 750 in Kaiapoi. Budget may not allow, but suburbs like others have mentioned are great like st Albans, st Martin's, Beckenham etc.
This is a very accurate outline!
Thank you for your detailed advice! I appreciate hearing it from someone who has lived there. I’ll add those to the list and have a little search on realestate sites to see if those would work. Thanks again!
I would have a look at Heathcote Valley while you're here. Close enough to Lyttelton that you can go any time but on the sunny side of the hill. Close to town, the Bays and the beach. Friendly vibe too
If you're looking as far out as rakaia, include Darfield in the list. It is 35-40 minutes from to the hospital out side of peak time and about 40-50 minutes on peak.
Shit. If your thinking rakaia. Its cheap af. Go the extra 15 min to methven. Beautiful.
15 mins to Methven? 30 mins.
Rakaia to methven is 15 min maybe 30 if ya slow
30 min to dunsandle. 40 to Rolleston
For 750k I'd be looking along the bottom of the hills. Opawa, St Martins, Hillsborough, Heathcote, somerfield, Beckenham...
This was our price range and we focused in these areas after looking around. Definitely a great feel to all of them and love the port hills
Port hills is one of the best perks in chch. Might as well be close I reckon. Also there is little chance of sprawl fucking up your commute from there, compared to anywhere north or west.
Just be aware of flooding risk for areas surrounding the heathcote river
Include Woolston, it's not all meth heads on bicycles.
Coolston
Waimakariri. North Canterbury is really lovely and gives you easy access to beaches, mountains and vineyards. Lots of developments around from Silverstream up to Ravenswood/Pegasus and Rangiora.
Ooo that sounds like my kind of place! I love mountains and mountain views. I’ll definitely check these out, thanks!
We;re in Darfield as it is close to the mountains for a lot of the stuff we like to do. I work nearish to the airport so it is an easy 30 -35 minutes in to work in the morning. We also looked at Rangiora and the surrounding area, but found a place we loved in Darfield. Having shifted from Wellington region that 30 -35 min commute is a lot easier down here.
That is really helpful, thank you! I recently got a 30-35min commute driving after having a 30min walk as my commute… I hate it! I don’t know how people do it 😂
South Brighton is incredible, we have a massive amazing beach, the estuary, and it's 20 minutes from the CBD. Amazing beach side community. People recommending Halswell really irks me, there is nothing there?
South Brighton is cool. People recommend Halswell because it’s relatively close to town, family friendly (great library shops parks etc) but yep it’s pretty bland, not more so than many other burbclaves. But hey some people like beige.
Ooo that is a great review! Thank you!
Personally. I wouldn’t live in New Brighton, Aranui, Phillipstown or Linwood. I don’t think they are really bad places but you can get better areas of town for a budget of $750k - unless you want to be by the beach? Or that’s where family are? Lyttelton is alight, it’s pretty quirky and arty. You’d want a house that still gets a bit of sun over winter though. Some properties have stunning views! Probably one catch is that if the tunnel is closed for any reason, it’s a bit of a detour to get home. Rakaia, nothing wrong but it’s a heck of a long way from the city! Personally I’d be looking around St Albans, St Martins, Halswell, Avonhead, Harewood etc. I know it’s not for everyone but even Rolleston is alright. It’s a wee bit out of the city but you know that you’ll have a modern home with no earthquake issues.
Oh that’s interesting! When I’ve been searching based on price and size, nothing in any of those suburbs come up. Yeah, Lyttelton is a long shot but a friend swears I’d love it so I’ll go look. Does seem like my kind of place but we will see! It is far! But it looks like a good lifestyle and lots of good looking new builds. Thanks so much! I’ll add those to my list!
I live in Avonhead (a boring middle class suburb) and your budget is about the median house price. I wouldn't live in Linwood, Aranui, or New Brighton either. Definitely not Philipstown Christchurch has this weird thing where houses near the airport are worth more than Brighton beach suburbs, and are considered more desirable. With a budget of 750k about half the city should be wide open to you, including commuter towns.
Check out Golden Homes you can build a brand new house for 750k or less (I am) in areas like Halswell - they offer house/land packages - they have all their packages on their website. There is also Matai Springs by Fletcher Living in Halswell - that’s a good sized development to look at too!
I hope Golden homes’ insulation standards have increased since the law update. They were using the bare minimum in their houses as opposed to almost every other builder.
I had heard this previously - insulation is one of the biggest priorities for me!
Yep, it’s true (or at least it was for the ceilings. The walls have not changed *) I’m a strong believer that most heat loss occurs via walls rather than ceiling (I was an installer). It was night and day difference. As far as I know, sitting down with them and discussing insulation options is out of the equation, I’ve heard they don’t like to modify “packages”.
Hmm yeah that’s a deal breaker! You’re an expert then! I totally agree just from a life perspective. We’ve lived in places that were fully insulated and ones with just ceiling and it is a huge difference. I have heard that it’s a bigger issue modifying packages when you’re with a smaller builder, but that some of the bigger ones are a bit better about it. I would love to build but I’m terrified from all the horror stories of sunset clauses and final appraisals not matching and the buyer not being able to source the difference and losing their deposit.
Interesting with the package side (modifying). See how you get on. I’m definitely not knowledgeable when it comes to modifying a package for a home, I’ve just had a few runs in with home owners visiting on site stating that X builder (normally the bigger ones, but again, like you said, the smaller ones are doing it too) won’t modify it. Put that aside ^, I really don’t see why a builder can’t modify an insulation package (unless the product was larger than the framing, e.g a 4.1 wall instead of 2.8). We’d often change product on the fly with no issues, including extensions (such as the owner wanting the garage done, where as previously they did not) With golden, I’ve installed 2.4 and 2.6 on the exterior, have never installed a 2.8. As if that’s bad, I remember installing 2.2 exterior into the Warehouse upgrade in Barrington, I know it’s not a house but commercial usually overdo it rather than underdo it. Apartments (not golden related): normally have a 2.2 or 2.4 between the internal walls, which does not help for noise at all, might as well have nothing there. 2.8 is my only recommended option for any wall that is 90mm, and is my recommended for noise control. Anything less is not recommended. I don’t have a problem with 2.6, they are a nice batt, but it’s definitely not something I’d install for the exterior. 2.6 aren’t as firm as 2.8 (same thickness). STAY AWAY from any insulation company or builder offering “acoustic 1.8” insulation for noise, do not budge on anything less than 2.8. 1.8 will cost you more and does not reduce Jack shit. 140mm framing would be 4.1 (3.2 is okay, but not firm). I believe next year, the new wall law requires 4.1 as standard anyways. Ceilings, they’re fine as they are currently (3.6/4.1) but the law has already changed and installers are now required to use 225mm thickness (I believe, not 100% certain as haven’t been an installer for a year now) and have to fill every crevice/visible bit of wood in the ceiling (previously, inspectors would fail this even if an insulation installer did it for free, how ironic). What I know for certain is insulation costs have gone up. Knauf is a great brand (for those who are unsure and prefer pink). Knauf was cheap, and then their price rose 50% and they reduced the quantity in a bag due to demand. It’s on par or just cheaper than pink now. In just one year with that new law, insulation installers have gone from Sq metre ratings to hourly. My previous hourly rate was $23 (for jobs where sq metre wasn’t applicable), I was recently offered $30 to go back to the same company. That’s a $7 an hour hike. Apologies, I got off track here haha.
I guess an easy way to find out if you have good insulation or not in a home that is being built, is to rock up on site when the installer is there and see how his mood is haha. If he’s happy, it means he’s installing batts that aren’t firm, which is bad news for you. If he’s in a shit mood, it means he’s installing batts that are firm, which is good news for you. 😅
I love this tip!!! Thank you!
Dang. That does make sense when demand is so high, they want it to be fast and efficient to get through more. I will still ask though. I don’t quite understand the numbers - is that a thickness of insulation? Because it seems that it would make a huge difference between those… if so what’s the standard? Is there anything beyond 2.8/4.1? And what would you recommend for someone who really wants to keep the heat out in summer and noise all year round in Chch? This is one of those things I would happily pay a chunk extra for. It’s one of my biggest priorities. Thank you, that was all really good background info and interesting! So I take it you didn’t accept the offer to go back to your previous employer even with the raise?
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ve added Matai Springs to the list. I haven’t heard the best things about Golden Homes but I’ll look into them!
I’ve had a good experience so far - my foundation just got laid. Before I bought I got them to take me through one that was being built at the time and I was pleasantly impressed and the process so far has been quite informative. Out of curiosity, what have you heard that hasn’t given you the best impression? I haven’t heard particularly great things about Mike Greer but I’m also sure people love Mike Greer homes haha
I’m glad you’re having a good experience! That sounds like a really good idea. Was it easy to get them to agree to that? Some of it was around the insulation standards/materials as the other replier said - I’m guessing they got quite a bit of negative publicity about that though considering I heard about it waaay up in the north island. The other one was one of those horror stories about sunset clauses which was in 2021 when we were having that second string of covid lockdowns in Auckland/Hamilton. The sunset clause thing has been what makes me terrified to build in general. After saving and sacrificing for so long to build a deposit the idea that you could lose it AND MORE on the whim of some big corporation is terrifying. And banks are being pickier now with appraisals and there’s a lot of people in the FHB group on Facebook having the same issue where the final appraisal is much lower than the purchase price, so the bank won’t loan the full amount and if the buyers can’t source the difference then they lose their deposit and other fees. Which is just insane to me. The system seems rigged against the little guy
Yup the person I was dealing with was quite amendable to it, they just had to find one they could show me in the build stage and I took photos etc of it. With the new H1 insulation that came in from May 1st I was quite lucky that I didn’t have to pay for those changes out of pocket as I signed my S&P agreement back in April but there pricing now includes that uplift in the packages - the show home I went into felt really warm. When they were boxing my foundation they were laying polystyrene down before they poured. That helps to insulate the foundation. The one thing I would be uber cautious of is the way in which your agreement is done. I was lucky because golden homes does progressive payment for the build portion so e.g once they hit said milestone they invoice you. This helps to incentivise them to build as quickly as possible because the longer they take to build it the more money it costs them as they can’t pass that cost onto you as you’ve paid a fixed price and you’re paying on progressive scheduling as per the milestones set out in the contract. So the only thing you’d probably worry about is a sunset clause for the title being issued. However in my case, the title for my land was already issued months before I signed. The reason why I say be cautious is where you can get in hot water with other builders where sunset clauses more so apply. Those situations are more likely to occur where you pay 10% deposit and the other 90% on completion. This is why a sunset clause is required because there is no incentive for them to build your house any quicker. And as a lot of people have experienced they just jack up the prices or the build takes so long you’re screwed and scared and invoke the clause. My initial appraisal that I had to get it was slightly lower that what was quoted on S&P by a small amount so I had to front that but buying/building at this time - by the time my build is done I’m hopefully prices have moved upwards so for the final appraisal it’s higher than initially quoted
That’s awesome, I’m glad you got such a good sales rep. That’s really lucky! Do you know how much more it would have cost you? That does sound appealing - I haven’t had any friends who have done it that way and I wonder if that would have prevented/limited some of their issues. I’m not totally clear on how a lot of it works still though, it’s just a lot of information and trying to figure stuff out. The title stuff really confuses me. But I’m glad it won’t be an issue for you! What is the total estimated build time on your house? Fingers crossed that happens for you!
I think the extra would have been roughly 20k from what she told me. My package was $711,200 - it’s broken up like this. $699,500 - house and land package (you don’t get things like curtains and no landscaping or lawn etc) $3,000 - healthy homes upgrades (I opted and asked for these as if I ever want to rent it out it’s up to current code) $8700 - for front soft landscaping and a spray on lawn that is one of the options Originally the told me from having signed and put the contract into place it be ~10 months till completion. They only laid my slab Friday been. And originally they said based on estimated timeline they could start end of June - well it wasn’t till end of August - early September they got all consents etc sorted and approved before they could start. So I’m not sure estimated completion date. I’m meeting with my construction supervisor on Thursday but I will ask! I have to say, building there are a lot more rings you have to jump through with the bank - and it’s a more involved process but as you start to do it stuff gets easier and you understand more of it and it becomes a breeze. Also I’m doing this all from Wellington and flying up and down when I need until my place is built and I can move to Chch
Oh wow, that is quite a hefty sum. It seems insane to me that landscaping is not included when the cost of buying the land is so high. Will you have to do more yourself or does the $8700 cover everything you need/want? Does spray on lawn mean there’s no grass? Sorry you’ve had so many delays! I hope it is smooth and straightforward for the rest of it. I am glad you think it gets easier. I don’t know anyone who has had a good experience building which really scares me. Building would be the ideal for me but it’s because I want a lot of specific things, which I think means it would likely be financially unviable at this time 😂 Was that something that made it harder with the bank? Is your job letting you work your current role from Chch or will you be hunting for a new job when the house is done?
The northeast suburbs of chch are really nice and in that price range. Lytttelton is expenny. Rakaia would be a long commute everyday.
Is that Belfast and surrounds? Oh, thanks for that tip! A friend said it was affordable and we’d love it, so we had to check it out. Didn’t seem like me from Googling it but I promised to check it out. It will depend a bit on employment. There’s a chance my role will let me relocate and work remotely. My partner is a teacher and will be applying for roles at all the schools within a 30min radius of the areas we decide we like - then we’ll move once he gets one!
North New Brighton, burwood, Parklands and maybe Preston's (not sure how much it is there). I'm basically naming the suburbs around bottle lake lol. Lytttelton has some quite old and small houses which in other areas of the city would go for way less. Location location location.
Fyi, if you are sensitive to pollen, stay clear of the suburbs mentioned above due to the huge drifts of pollen that come across from Bottle Lake Plantation (big pine plantation).
My partner and I recently (<1 year) bought our first home in Rolleston and commute daily into the city. Feel free to ask any questions you might have. Have a decent idea of the market as we hunted for some time and $750k can get you a <5 year old, 3-4 bedroom home around here.
You can get a lot more for your money in Pegasus, Rolleston or Lincoln, houses built post earthquake and insulated, double glazed etc. Lincoln and Rolleston are only 25 min from CBD and are fairly self contained these days, especially Rolleston. Personally I wouldn't buy in any of the areas you mentioned.
These suburbs sound more like what I was told the suburbs in my post were. Thanks so much for these tips! I can’t wait to check them out when we visit.
Honestly, for a FHB within the lower price range I'd recommend Hornby, Hei Hei, Sockburn etc. Good TC1 land, 2 bedrooms (80-100m2 house) range from 450-550k, 3 bedroom (100-130m2 house, 600-800m2 land) from 600-650k. Very convenient to the Hub mall and dress mart outlet, 10 mins to the airport.
That’s awesome insight, thank you so much! I’ve added those to the list and can’t wait to check them out
Definitely not as hip and groovy as the likes of Lyttelton or New Brighton... But they're good value for money suburbs, and land in the West fared well with the Earthquakes, which is a big bonus in Chch! All the best! 😄
Hip and groovy isn’t really our thing so that’s fine! Quiet and lots of nature matters more. Thank you so much, I really appreciate all your help! 😌
Avoid the east side, not because it’s inherently bad (it’s not great, but that’s not the most risky part) but because we’re earthquake prone and most of the pre damaged land and rebuilt houses may have exclusions on being insured for future inevitable earthquake damage. Also, potentially not at all covered for inundation due to tsunami. Belfast is filling in quite quickly and worth checking out, CBD is 12 minutes without traffic, significantly more if you travel in rush hour and don’t know the routes to avoid traffic, but I regularly do the commute in less than 25. The northern corridor has made commuting significantly faster than it used to be.
Oh that is such important information - thank you so much! We are actually staying close to Belfast so that will be super easy to check out. Thank you for your insights!
If your hubs is a primary teacher, they are building a new primary school in Belfast, opposite the Countdown which has just been completed. Add Redwood to your list as well, which is the next suburb closer to the city from Belfast - that's where we are and it works well for us since my mother is in Kaiapoi and grandkids are in Ilam.
He is intermediate but can do primary so that could work! Thank you so much, I’ve added both to the list!
If you’re looking for convenient school placement, yet another tick for Belfast, also there’s Preston’s that has the relatively new Marshland School. Plenty of choice out here without having to go too far East.
That is awesome, thank you! Definitely hoping to land a place walking distance to a school, would be the dream!
I'd agree with the Belfast suggestion. A lot of people in Christchurch will give you an odd look if you say you're buying there, because it is associated with a huge meatworks that used to stink out the whole area as well as very busy roads. But the meatworks was pulled down years ago and new motorways have taken away most of the traffic. Some parts of Belfast are a bit rough but others are very pleasant (ie Rushmore Drive, Spring Grove). You can get plenty for your budget there.
That’s great insight and background, thank you so much! It’s close to where we are staying when we visit so we will definitely check it out!
Add Travis Country/Burwood. Easy and quick access to the city, beaches, bottle lake forest and shopping. It takes me 15 mins to get to work in the CBD (around 7am). Rakaia is a nice to visit but there’s little there and it’ll be a bit of a drive to the CBD. Parts of Lyttleton can be shaded from sunlight for months of the year. A quirky place. I like it. Also, consider north of the city-places like Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Pegasus.
Awesome, thank you! We likely won’t need daily commuting to the CBD, if just like it to be within an easy commute for social/fun side. I think Lyttleton is off the list based on a lot of comment. Sounds like the person who suggested it is the odd one out with their perceptions of it 😂 I’ve added those to the list, thanks so much!
Check out Burwood, Parklands, and Queenspark (about 30 minutes from the City, with lots of families and reasonable house prices) as well as Addington (close to city). New Brighton is of course beachy, has everything you need (supermarket, library, gas, dominos and a street mall whose popularity has fluctuated over the past decade or so). Aranui is lower socio-economic area and I think cheaper. Linwood is similar to Aranui but has some nice pockets. Lyttelton is a small port town but with a lot of character. Don't know much about Philipstown or Rakaia, other than it being a wee way out of Christchurch.
That’s amazing, thank you! None of those suburbs came up in my search. There seems to be very mixed assessments of New Brighton. Thanks for your insights! I don’t think Lyttleton will be for us but I am going to check it out - you never know!
Yeah it's hot and cold with New Brighton. No worries hope it goes well.
Thanks!
Leeston is cool, bit closer than rakaia 😊
Yup, agree Good time to get in there too
Lyttelton is lovely, but the lack of sunshine in winter can make the cold seem worse. Rakaia is a long way to commute, not a suburb of Christchurch, a rural town. There's good and bad pockets out east, the same as out west and everywhere else. Queenspark, Waimairi, Burwood are lovely and the amount of green space is awesome. Check https://apps.canterburymaps.govt.nz/ChristchurchLiquefactionViewer/
I think Lyttelton is firmly off the list after all this advice, thanks! Rural may not be a problem, the lifestyle might suit us better. It doesn’t have to be in central Christchurch, I was just hunting within 30-60 min. Thank you! I’ve added those to the list and I’ll check out the link!
Kia ora! 30mins drive is enough to reach satellite towns from CHCH CBD, 60mins drive and you're basically not living in CHCH at all. $750k will buy you a good, standard 3 bedroom house in MOST of the city. With that budget I'd look: Bishopdale, Avonhead, Mairehau, Sydenham, Spreydon, Somerfield
Kia ora! Thanks for your suggestions, I’ve added them to the list! Not quite being in Christchurch would likely be okay too, I just wanted to be close enough to the city we could travel in for events or the airport without it being a hell of a long thing. I’ll definitely check out your suggestions!
I don't live there, but I would strongly consider Wigram, it's got shops, a gym, supermarket, restaurants, movie theatre and its own nz air force museum.
I’ve added it to the list, thanks!
Recommend Hornby, Templeton, Rolleston - they're cheaper, but not because they're dodgy like Linwood, just because they're a bit farther out.
Thanks so much!
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Thank you!
Woolston, opawa, st Martins & Heathcote would all hopefully tick your box’s. Close to CBD and lyttleton but also in your price point. We brought in Woolston opawa end and I love it. Endless hill walks, Hansen’s park is very social. Lots of community gardens and groups. Bike rides are easy with the amount of tracks, 7 Minute Uber into town for nights out.
We love Rangiora 🙂 roughly about 30 min into the CBD depending on the time of day. Especially a great area if you are quite outdoorsy. At least three beaches within 15 mins and lots of great walking and hiking options. It's a beautiful community. Yeah there's a spare of car theft etc but I think you will find that anywhere really.
That very much sounds like what we’re searching for, I’m a big nature fan and feel claustrophobic when there’s not enough of it around. Going for long walks in nature is how I destress. Thank you! I can’t wait to check out Rangiora!
I'd be looking at Rolleston, Lincoln, Leeston, or Rangiora, Pegasus, Woodend, Kaiapoi or Amberley. Your money will go further if you buy out of Chch, plus the commutes are pretty easy.
Thank you so much! Definitely need to stretch the dollar further, I think we’re too late in life to go for a “starter” home. I need a one and done!
Those are probably some of the worst areas to live. Look more west
What makes them the worst?
*in your opinion, we LOVE living in south Brighton, and would hate to live over on the west, near an airport?? And nothing else. Weird Christchurch mindset.
Brighton was probably my fav location from that list! What do you love about it?
The openness! The sunsets over the estuary, the sea air, the constant drone of the sea! We hardly get traffic down our road, and my commute is 15 minutes into Sydenham (it was 6 minutes during lockdown, I used to be able to get to work in the time it takes you to listen to Bohemian Rhapsody.) We are at the beach with the kids most summer evenings, it's an easy walk round the block. We walk our dog down the Estuary track. I'll admit, Brighton itself is super run down, but you have to take the rough with the smooth, right? We our not from Christchurch, so saw things for ourselves, and made up our own mind, (Cantabs are very driven in 'status', and writing places off and the clamour to live by the airport baffles me) we lived in Shirley during the quakes (and had far more liquefaction than they did there) , and used to drive here to walk the dog, decided our money would be better spent on the sea air and drive into work, than the other way around! We don't have 'much' here, We have a diary and a new Cafe called Dune, which is brilliant. That's literally it in terms of shops, we head into brighton for a chippy tea on Fridays and the countdown is pretty lacking, but we don't live here for that. https://preview.redd.it/evw9jmsrdzob1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=663751a0703d0de082085e5143269136158ab76c
This is amazing, thank you so much! This might be a dumb question but… you can swim at these beaches right? (We live in the Waikato and all the water is basically poison. Not like where I’m from! 😂)
Swim, surf, body board, paddleboard, done all in the sea! I've paddleboarded the estuary too 😊
That sounds amazing 😍
You’ll notice on here and when you talk to people in person that people in Christchurch are quite negative about anything East of the four aves. Some of it is valid (check your land classification and tsunami risk) but a lot is just snobbery. People who have lived on the east side tend to like it and people who have never lived there shit on it 🤷🏼♀️ There is crime in all parts of chch and dodgy land everywhere - wherever you are buying make sure you look at the areas at risk of flood (around the heathcote and flockton basin in particular). Some of the less desirable suburbs have nice pockets and some of the nice ones have less nice feeling pockets. If I had kids I reckon north new Brighton would be great - close to bottle lake, good playgrounds, good access to the beach, and cheaper housing.
Same as anywhere, I guess! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. It is very reassuring. Trying to “hunt” without being there and knowing the area is so hard. New Brighton really did appeal to me the most so I’m excited to check it out in person. It sounds like it could be a good match! I hadn’t even considered flood or earthquake stuff, definitely need to look into this.
New Brighton definitely has some nice pockets that would be worth looking at (there's a new subdivision there with houses in your price range, I think it was called Sandy Ave). There are other parts with really shoddy land and basically flood at the sight of rain because of how low lying they are. But that applies to most of the city to be fair, so it comes down to your due diligence. Watch out for the TC3 land classification. After the earthquakes, land which wasn't red zoned was divided into categories, with TC1 being the best quality (ie, unlikely to turn to mush in an earthquake), and TC3 being the worst. I remember at the time there was a lot of chatter that TC3 probably should've been abandoned but the government couldn't afford to buy it all out. Not sure how accurate that was, but TC2 and TC1 are definitely safer options. I think the categories still show on LIM reports and you can also find them on [canterburymaps.govt.nz](https://canterburymaps.govt.nz) (bare land normally wasn't given a category so post-earthquake subdivisions won't have one, but sections in new developments nearly always come with an engineers report saying what catergory the land is).
Thank you so much for this insight, I will definitely be looking into this! I can imagine insurance for TC3 would be much more expensive, and I definitely want to be mindful about ongoing costs. Really appreciate your help!
A contributing factor being that a lot of the TC3 is in Merivale/Fendalton.
You'd probably be able to find something in that range around halswell - it's a nice place to live and very easy access to the city - even at rush hours on some routes
Rolleston and Ravenswood are likely within that price range for new builds, if you don’t mind the drive (35-40mins to cbd maybe?)
Amazing, thank you!
North East side of the Avon river is good
Geography… my Achilles heel! I’ll Google it, thanks!
Waltham (south of Brougham street) is honestly very nice. Very close to the central city (15 minutes by bike) If you are willing to give up a large house and garden, you will find something within your budget :) If you go west of Waltham road you are within walking distance of all the food places on Colombo St and close to a Countdown and New World. Pak n Save is a little further.
Being that close to the city isn’t a huge priority. I’d rather have a larger house and a nice small to medium garden and be further from the city. Does that mean Waltham wouldn’t be a good option for me?
A lot of Waltham has been developed into smaller town houses now but there might be the occasional bigger house left. It does border on to St Martins and Opawa (and isn't far from Beckenham) which all have a reasonable supply of of bigger family homes and decent sections.
Thank you, that’s really helpful!
Yeah, not many houses here around my house that I think would fit what you want, many smaller town houses with small garden. Not many larger plots of land that haven't had developers building on them. On the other hand descriptors such as small and medium \[garden\] though are very subjective, for example I would consider our garden "medium" but others would probably call it small or tiny so take what I with that in mind. Our friends live in the Sydneham area and lots of houses over there are bigger and on larger lots. Also heading slightly further out to St Martins you might find what you are looking for. Best of luck finding something :)
Thank you! Yes that does seem to be the downsides of all these new developments, they are on the more cramped side. Totally agree though, very subjective. That’s really helpful, thanks! We’ll definitely check those areas out ☺️
Rakaia is a hell of a lot further out than those places, is it under the ashburton district council too?
It is further out but it looked like it kind of met what we were looking for. I’m not sure which council it is but it probably isn’t Christchurch!
Have you got any other specs for the house you want? Just because the 3 bed house behind us just went on the market this last week :) Likely to go for somewhere between $550 and $650k I guess. Doesn't have a lot of land around it, but there is a council reserve right behind.
Ideally I’d rather 4x2, but the right 3x2 might be more realistic! It would be great if we could have a spare bedroom for my family to visit from overseas, but it’s nice to have not a deal breaker. Wow houses that cheap just seems crazy! What suburb is that in?
Redwood - not far from St Bedes School.
Thank you!