First-home buyer update: What will my money get me in the Hutt?

Posted 6 days ago by Pope & Co. Mortgages

[Photo: "Eastbourne and Petone, Lower Hutt" by Phillip Capper – under Creative Commons license]

Last month we looked at the Kapiti Coast, and what first-home buyers could expect to get for their money! This month, we’re focusing on the Hutt Valley. So, how does it compare?

Mark Coffey from Tommy’s real estate says that although prices are being pushed up due to there being more buyers than supply, there are still properties in the late $300,000s through to $500,000 that suit first-home buyers.

In fact, the Hutt is a great place to consider buying being so close to Wellington and typically getting more ‘bang for your buck.’ Areas of interest for first-home buyers should include: Wainuiomata, Stokes Valley, Naenae and Taita.

Quick facts about these suburbs:

SUBURB	QUICK FACTS:
Wainuiomata	Referred to as Wainui by locals Wainuiomata has a reputation for its enthusiasm for sports All Blacks Piri Weepu, Neemia Tialata and Tana Umaga [8], as well as Leinster Rugby player Leo Auva'a are from Wainuiomata. Wainuiomata has eight schools: six primary schools, an intermediate school and a secondary school. Before the 1850s it was covered in dense forest and large swamps, in 1855 the Wairarapa earthquake raised these swamps and encouraged European settlement. After World War II ended in 1945, major growth occurred due to affordable housing developments attracting many young couples, which transformed Wainuiomata into a working-class community. This influx of young families earned the community the nickname of "Nappy Valley" in the 1950s.
Stokes Valley	Was named after Robert Stokes, who formed part of the original survey team of 1840 commissioned to plan the city at Thorndon in Wellington. Famous people who have lived there: Brothers Neville and Dave Hiscock were both internationally famous motorcycle racers who lived in Stokes Valley. Jack Gleeson, All Black coach in 1972 and from 1977 to 1978, owned the Stokes Valley tavern and the All Blacks practised at Delaney Park before the first test against the British and Irish Lions in June 1977.
Naenae	Naenae has a population of around 8,000 people. Naenae's shopping centre contains an Olympic-size swimming-pool, built when New Zealand hosted an international diving championships. Naenae has four schools.
Taita	Is one of the northernmost suburbs of the city of Lower Hutt Taita has four schools. Its historic Christ Church, erected in 1853, is the oldest surviving church building in the Wellington region.

Similar to Kapiti, the types of houses available in this budget in the regions above include the 3-bedroom stand alone (typically an ex-state house), or the smaller 2-bedroom townhouse.

If you are thinking about the Hutt—you’re not the only one, Tommy’s real estate agent Gerard says it's a competitive environment.

“The last house for sale in Wainui had 16 people through its first open home, with four offers straight away.”

Craig from Pope & Co mortgages says if you are a first-home buyer, it’s not impossible to get into your first home in today’s tough lending environment, but it is important to speak with your trusted mortgage broker first.

“Seek advice about your current financial position from a mortgage broker who knows the market. It’s a really complex lending world and banks’ availability of low deposit approvals changes all the time. Make sure you minimise any personal debt and have good permanent job stability. There are options with as low as 5% deposit but 10% is a good starting point. Some of these Hutt Valley houses show an affordable first home can be a reality. Though it will take time, patience and compromise”

Pick up the phone and call us on 0800 000 517 for a no obligation chat.