Archive for June, 2010
We enjoy plenty of sunshine hours in New Zealand, although you wouldn’t think it given the weather we have had lately, so surely we could come up with some innovative designs that utilise solar power and the ease of prefabricated construction seen at the recent Solar Decathlon Design Competition held in Madrid.
There were 17 stunning designs on display and the one pictured below was the winner. It was designed by a team from Virginia Tech in the USA. You can view a full selection of photos here - it’s worth a look!
The IKAROS House out of Germany generates more solar power than is needed to run the home and is designed to accommodate four persons. Super tight insulation provided by vacuum insulation panels, energy efficient design and efficient mechanical systems ensures that the home uses very little energy — in fact excess energy from the home’s systems is used for heating during the cooler months. Heating is the least of their worries in Madrid right now though, and natural ventilation is optimized to keep the house cool, and excess heat from the cooling system (a heat pump) is used to make hot water. Estimated cost 275,000 Euro. Photo below and a slideshow here.
Finland’s entry was the Luukku house and it won first place in the architecture portion of the competition. As you would expect it involves extensive use of wood and believe it or not quadruple glazing! Must be cold in Finland. More pictures online here.
Read more about the design competition where over 1,000 students took part with the aim of designing, building and operating solar powered homes that are cost effective, energy efficient and attractive.
June 29 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Late in May Auckland City released new sign bylaws and despite these being published in the Auckland City Scene, the NZ Herald and in the REINZ real estate journal some companies appear to be unaware of the new rules. A full month after the new rules came into effect few seem to be adhering to them.
The new rules state “Where any property in a residential zone in the Isthmus is being sold, rented or leased by one or more real estate company or person, only one real estate sign per property may be displayed”
Also noticed over the last few weekends salespeople still attaching open home flag poles to their cars when the bylaw states “the display of a real estate banner flag on any vehicle parked on a public road during “open home” period or at an auction is illegal under this bylaw.”
There is a simple resolution to the open home flag issue and I will post that separately.
June 29 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Incredible! 78th in the world and the All Whites draw with 5th in the world and current world champs, Italy! Now that was worth getting up in the early hours to watch. We were in front from the 7th minute to the 29th minute – amazing feeling through those minutes and the entire game! New Zealand has 25 professional footballers – Italy has 3,541.
Ricki Herbert “We’re gonna be hard to beat against Paraguay”
bbc.co.uk ” Rank tournament outsiders New Zealand pulled off one of the biggest World Cup shocks in recent memory by holding defending champions Italy to a draw.”
It’s right up there with all historical NZ sporting achievements.
June 21 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
In business it is often seen as an advantage to operate in a counter-cyclical fashion and as such we have been looking for some time for premises for a real estate office in the Westmere/Grey Lynn area. Some have said “you’re crazy – we are still in a recession” but locally we have weathered the tough times well and increased our market share as other offices have closed and many salespeople have left the industry.
We have had many customers who purchased homes from us in the last 15 years in Grey Lynn, Westmere and Cox’s Bay ask us when are we going to open an office in the immediate area and we were encouraged by this.
A few months back we noticed a smart new building being constructed on the corner of Richmond Rd and Castle Street and we immediately snapped up the high profile corner space. We knew we were onto a winner as there is no other real estate office in close proximity and it is difficult to find vacant premises in this popular shopping destination.
The location is right amongst the West Lynn shops and you may be familiar with some other businesses in the area, for example Delicious restaurant, Malt, The Gypsy Tearoom, Savour and Devour, Moa, Dalton, Mamata Bakery, Nature Baby, Dressing Dolls etc, etc.
We have approximately 15 metres of road frontage and a very high profile window display which features large format posters of the homes we have for sale. Thousands of cars drive past this location and we have been amazed how many pedestrians are stopping to look in the window. A huge number of local residents walk past here every day, people wait for the bus outside and over the road is the Grey Lynn Community Centre where a Farmers Market is held every Sunday except for the last one of the month from 9am – 12.30pm.
Real estate is a local business and we will be able to offer a higher level of service from this local office. As you can see on the map below our new office is situated in the heart of Grey Lynn and it is the most convenient office in relation to Westmere, Cox’s Bay and West Lynn. Amenities in the area include Grey Lynn Park, Cox’s Bay Park, Western Springs Park, MOTAT, Wellpark Reserve and the Grey Lynn Community Centre.
The new office will compliment our existing branch at Pt Chevalier where we also have a high profile position in a near new building and we also expect to work in closer with our branch on the other side of the Harbour Bridge at Mokoia Rd, Birkenhead.
Since taking possession of the premises we’ve already had success in the area with one home at 8 Richard St having approximately 60 buyers through in the first weekend and multiple offers presented early the following week and sold well in excess of it’s valuation. We have also listed a home in Rawene Avenue and have several others that will start marketing in the next few weeks.
If you are considering selling a home in Westmere, West Lynn, Grey Lynn or Cox’s Bay 483 Richmond Rd will be the place to have your property on display.
Call Ross Brader on 0274 755977, Lawrence von Sturmer on 027 2279294 or Derek von Sturmer on 0275 337357.
Professionals – Lochores Real Estate Ltd MREINZ – Licensed Real Estate Agents.
June 16 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
I noticed in the NZ Herald this morning an article about the property market data for May with the heading “House sales running hot” which had quite contradictory statements contained within it. The headline did not fully reflect the content of the article.
Barfoot and Thompson’s Wendy Alexander was quoted as saying “Everyone is burrowing in. We’re having a very quiet June” and Bryan Thomson, just promoted to head of real estate operations in Australasia for Harcourts International, said New Zealand’s property market showed “considerable inaction”.
On the other hand the Real Estate Institute President said “It is good to see the market retain its strength” and to top it off Bernard Hickey of interest.co.nz says real house prices are likely to be down almost 20 per cent by the end of next year. So who is right and who is wrong?
In reality the facts are that each month so far this year across NZ sales volume has been at the second lowest level since 2001, with only 2008 producing lower volumes and January was the worst January since 1992. Who could blame buyers for sitting on their hands given the media beat up surrounding the Tax Working Group January recommendations that a Capital Gains Tax, Stamp Duty and Land Tax be introduced.
Of course John Key was never going to allow such proposals to be implemented in the Budget and with regard to property the government made relatively minor changes related to depreciation and Working for Families rules.
Real estate is local and in our area we actually have a serious shortage of homes for sale with no sign of investors dumping homes onto the market as was predicted pre budget. All but one of our listings are either under contract or have offers being negotiated on them and we have had a surge of activity since the Budget with most of our homes selling in a week and all but one of them receiving multiple offers.
So as a result in the Grey Lynn, Westmere, Pt Chevalier area we need homes immediately – we have more buyers registered than ever before and nothing much left to sell them. We have always found winter months a great time to sell, there is less on the market, still many buyers and the homes sell faster.
This interesting item on realestate.co.nz has a detailed analysis comparing selling in Summer vs Winter and also concludes that grabbing the winter season could give your property greater exposure at a time when fewer listings are out in the market to compete with, and yet at the same time buyer interest does not decline to the same extent.
If you are thinking of selling in the areas covered by our Pt Chevalier and Grey Lynn offices call us on 3602335 or 8468996.
June 16 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
The dog park at Meola Reef now has it’s own Facebook page. If you and your animal are a regular at the Reef join the community here.
Meola Reef is central Auckland’s only fully fenced, year round, off leash park. Lots of parking and there is always another dog or 2 to play with. Peak times are Sat/Sun afternoons with a such a huge variety of dogs.
June 16 2010 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Situated at the end of Pt Chevalier Coyle Park covers nearly 5 hectares, with fantastic harbour views and a coastal edge characterised by steep cliffs and a rock shelf exposed at low tide.
See a panoramic view of Coyle Park and Pt Chevalier beach online here.
Last weekend a new all access playground for children of all abilities opened. This unique playground features an inclusive, all-access play space that is accessible to children of varying abilities, including disabled children.
The equipment is designed to accommodate a child and their parent or caregiver at the same time. For example, there are purpose-built slides and play modules that are extra wide to enable a child to be accompanied by an adult. There are also spacious concrete paths to provide easy access, a train with higher seat backs and straps to secure children, and picnic tables that can accommodate wheelchairs.
The playground was formally opened by Hon. John Banks, QSO, Mayor of Auckland on Sunday 13 June.
The redevelopment of the playground is a collaboration between Auckland City Council, Variety – The Children’s Charity and CCS Disability Action. “As Auckland grows and develops it will become even more important to cater for the growing numbers of children across the city. This new facility is a great example of the kind of playground that caters for all kids,” says Mr Banks.
Auckland City Council committed funds towards the upgrade from the council’s playgrounds renewal budget. Variety – The Children’s Charity and CCS Disability Action secured funding from the Lion Foundation, Wilson Home Trust, David Levene Foundation, Jubilee Trust, Western Bays Community Board, John Fillmore Contractors and Matta Products Ltd.
“This playground will allow children of different abilities to develop and explore, and is an example of Variety’s commitment to all Kiwi kids to help them reach their full potential,’ said Lorraine Taylor, CEO of Variety – The Children’s Charity. Coyle Park playground was chosen as the site for the playground as it is an appropriate size to accommodate the upgrade to an all-inclusive play space, as well as being a central and picturesque location near the coast.
The park features:
All-weather rubber safety matting which provides a firm surface suitable for children in wheelchairs or with limited mobility.
Slides which are wide enough for an adult to accompany a child down. A climbing rope beside the slide allows children to pull themselves up on the rope if desired or there are stairs between the two slides to enable access.
A large 7.4 metre climbing net which provides a climbing challenge for children.
A three-sided tactile weather station that provides activities on the panels.
A music panel (keyboard) and several other activity panels.
A swing with a special seat that is suitable for children with mobility issues or younger children.
June 16 2010 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
The Auckland City council has released maps of suburbs showing which properties in the Residential 2 zone require resource consent for demolition or removal of homes. Five years ago, the council caused an outcry when it proposed that the whole zone should have controls requiring resource consent for demolition or removal of any building built before 1940, now the proposals have been reviewed.
Of particular interest is the map for Herne Bay which can be seen here on the Council website.
The maps are not yet final and owners and occupiers are invited to make a submission on them. Submissions on the new maps close on Friday 9 July 2010. Councillor Glenda Fryer said it was also a chance for people to make their views known “if they are living in a place that is going to be subject to controls, or if they live next door to one which won’t be subject to controls”.
“Now it’s an assortment of houses, and people have told me they are happy their home is subject to controls but fearful that the house next door can be pulled down and a new one put up that is quite out of character with the zone.”
Read more on the NZ Herald website.
June 16 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
The Arch Hill scenic reserve now has two mountain bike tracks – the “Twist and Shout” is an intermediate trail for more advanced riders and the “Training Wheels” trail is for beginners. The new rides opened on the 30th of May and have already proved very popular. As you can see in the photos below it’s very scenic for an inner city track.
Councillor Greg Moyle, chairperson of the Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee, says, “We’re pleased to have worked with the Auckland Mountain Bike Club to provide this excellent opportunity for mountain bikers in the city and to make sure the tracks meet everyone’s needs.
“They will revive an underused park for the benefit of families and mountain bike enthusiasts alike, and I hope we see plentyof cyclists using the new facility over the winter months.”
Marke Jennings-Temple, president of the Auckland Mountain Bike Club, says the tracks are great for riders.
“This is a growing sport in Auckland and around the world, so it’s good to see the council has built tracks that are accessible, right in the heart of the city.”
If you are keen to explore the mountain bike scene check out the Auckland Mountain Bike Club website.
June 15 2010 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
The latest NZ Herald property report was included in this mornings newspaper and it contained the following information prepared by the highly trusted valuation organisation Quotable Value:
E-Valuer estimate of average value as at 31 March 2010:
Pt Chevalier $642,944 (2009 $603,000)
Westmere $850,333 (2009 $729,611)
Grey Lynn $734,389 (2009 $657,667)
Ponsonby $850,944 (2009 $759,778)
Kingsland $609,556 (2009 $546,500)
Percentage increase 2010 compared with 2009 as at 31 March:
Pt Chevalier 6.6%
Westmere 16.5%
Grey Lynn 11.7%
Ponsonby 12.0%
Kingsland 11.5%
There’s been a very impressive recovery underway in these sought after inner city suburbs and the current shortage of quality homes is likely to see further increases over the next quarter. Winter is actually a great time to obtain an excellent result as there are less homes for sale but still a large number of buyers looking.
Professionals Real Estate already have an office in the heart of Pt Chevalier and we are about to open a new boutique office/showroom on the corner of Richmond Rd and Castle Street right amongst the hip and trendy West Lynn shops.
The only real estate office in the West Lynn area (on the Grey Lynn/Westmere border), we believe this will be the highest profile place to display your home especially if you are selling in the Westmere, Cox’s Bay or West Lynn areas.
If you are thinking of selling a property in any of the locations listed above please call Ross Brader AREINZ now on 0800 735546 or 09 3602335
June 09 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
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