First-time buyers: Beach bach beauty 45 minutes from Auckland CBD

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.

It’s not often that a classic board-and-batten bach-style home comes on the market. Most have been lost to redevelopment, or updated beyond recognition, but they used to be a common sight along the Hibiscus Coast.

This one, sitting on a 683m² section of the Whangaparāoa peninsula, near Orewa, is a sweet example of the style. It’s been well cared for, and restored and modernised without losing any of its beachy charm.

A short walk from Little Manly beach (and just 12 minutes from Big Manly beach), living here might feel like being on holiday all year round.

“It’s quite unique,” says listing agent Peter Melhop of Bayleys. “It’s got a little bit of a rustic, coastal, beachy, bachy feel.”

That’s down to the fresh, whitewashed – inside and out – look, the decking at the front and back of the house, and the very “funky” bathroom, with a corrugated steel shower stall and slipper bath.

There’s also space for your washing machine and dryer in the bathroom.

The beachy vibes continue into the garden, with its rustic, coastal planting beds and double vege garden plots.

“It has been landscaped. Someone has sat down and put some thought into it,” Melhop says.

“Last night, there was a hedgehog walking along the garden at twilight. The hedgehog just stopped in its tracks and looked at us. It was pretty awesome.”

While the home only has one bedroom, that bedroom comes with french doors onto its own balcony overlooking the garden.

There is also consent available for a second minor dwelling or sleep out on the property, so first time buyers could add a second bedroom or sleeping pod with ensuite in the future.

The water supply is tank rain water, but it is a large tank, and there could be an option to join the property up to mains water in the future.

“It would be suitable for a couple or a single professional. But also a couple of retirees. First home buyers would be ideal.”

A 42-minute drive from Auckland CBD, your commute to the city could be a lot more scenic than just sitting on the motorway, as the home is about 10 minutes from the Gulf Harbour Ferry terminal. The ferry to Queen’s Wharf takes about 50 minutes. There are 13 boats a day.

The home has an asking price of $729,000, which is under the First Home Grant cap for existing homes in the area.

Homes.co.nz estimates the home to be worth about $770,000. The median for the area is $1.1 million.

As ever, readers are advised to do their own due diligence whenever considering buying a home. For a guide to buying your first home, listen to First Rung, a Stuff Homed podcast.