Looking inside 'Our First Home'

One of the finished homes, as seen on the Barfoot & Thompson website.

On-screen, the houses are far from finished and chaos reigns but in reality you can book to see the finished places this weekend.

Fans of TV One's Our First Home series are now being invited to see the three Auckland houses featured in the DIY reality show and already advertising shows pristine places all done.

On the show, the Gourleys, Schreuders and Wardlaws are still up to their elbows in plaster dust, paint and tiles, competing with each other to renovate their houses.

But Barfoot & Thompson marketing is now showing picture-perfect places, all dressed up and ready for their first public viewing, not a hair out of place.

"A solid and expansive family home in a great neighbourhood, a design-savvy sanctuary in the bush, and an urban pad just steps from the city - there is something on offer for everyone looking for the next place to call their 'home sweet home'," a Barfoot press release says.

Those high-profile homes are expected to draw thousands of tyre-kickers and would-be buyers so people must book specific inspection times to even get their foot in the door.

"Want to buy one of the properties from Our First Home? We are excited to share that they are ready for sale and are on the market," Barfoots says, offering to show off the houses in Titirangi, Te Atatu South and Avondale.

All are being auctioned next month and Barfoot's website has a link for registrations for viewing.

"We're expecting these open homes to be really busy and we'll only be able to accept a limited number number of people at any one time. So if you'd like to view this home, make sure you book in a viewing time," Barfoot warns.

People must provide their full details before they can book a time to see inside Saturday, Sunday or next Wednesday.

Visitors must choose the best day then a time before they get a confirmation email or SMS letting them know of their allotted slot.

In the series, the mums and dads have bought the houses for their cash-strapped offspring and their partners and together, they are being shown renovating the properties.

The families will then use the profits from sales as a deposit towards the kids' first homes plus the winners will pocket an additional $100,000 in prize money.

Team Gourley's three-bedroom Avondale house is being marketed by Barfoot agent Ketiesha Elliott of the Mt Eden office and advertised with the rally "Sing Hallelujah! Avondale, chic and sun drenched with an extensive rebuild for a modern lifestyle."

Steve Wooller of Barfoot's Te Atatu office is advertising Team Wardlaw's three-bedroom Te Atatu South place with the catch-cry "renovated with heart and soul", saying it combines the luxury of high quality mod cons with a traditional classic weatherboard exterior.

"Welcome to the next level," says William MacLean of Barfoot's Blockhouse Bay office of the Schreuder's Titirangi house which he describes as "an impressive transformation of this scenic sanctuary", less than 5km from the village. He said it was a stunning open plan design finished to a high standard which was contemporary yet comfortable.

Nielsen's Television Audience Measurement revealed the show drew 359,000 viewers aged five-plus on Sunday of whom 123,000 people were aged 25-54 so it appears to have outranked TV3's popular kiwi house renovation show.

Last year, Nielsen said about 332,000 people tuned in to watch The Block each night in one late October week, so My First Home got 27,000 more viewers in the latest period measured.

TV HOUSES AUCTIONED ON-SITE

Team Gourley, Avondale: Sunday April 12 at 7.30pm

Team Schreuder, Titirangi: Monday, April 13, 7.30pm

Team Wardlaw, Te Atatu South: Tuesday April 14, 3.30pm
(Source: Barfoot & Thompson)