Keen interest in single-story, flat section homes

Photo / Paul Estcourt

Forget the hilltop perch or the bush gully gazer - flat sites for building single-level homes are hot in a resurgence of buyer interest in Auckland's 8200 sections for sale.

Desire for them is such in coastal Rodney that one canny developer has taken the expensive step of retrofitting retaining walls on "orphan" sections - the steeper ones left over after a subdivision sell-out.

"But it has generated sales and inquiry activity because the majority of the market wants a flat site for a single-level home," said Duncan Unsworth, of Cabra Developments.

"They want single-level because there are no unknown costs; when getting a quote from a builder and split level and retaining walls are involved, the cost can blow out."

Customers for the sites at Hatfields Beach, near Orewa, are either middle-aged home buyers - wary of climbing stairs - or families seeking level playing fields for their young.

They are also looking for a site that is big enough to take a 200sq m to 250sq m home that gives three or four bedrooms.

"Finding that site is not easier either," said Brent Hoffmann, of G.J. Gardner Homes Rodney.

"Covenants on some sections in subdivisions are not allowing the size of single-level home that people want."

Planners are trying to get a mix of low-, medium- and high-density housing types in subdivisions, said Paul Barker, a director of Generation Homes' North Auckland operations.

"Typical house-and-land packages are for homes of 150sq m to 250sq m.

"There is a demand for two-storey homes but there are still retired people and families who want a single-level home of 200sq m, because they find it a challenge coming down to small sites," Mr Barker said.

Generation had had 75 per cent more inquiries since summer and each weekend had had up to 25 groups through its show home in Millwater, a staggered subdivision of 3000 sites south of Orewa.

A person could buy a section from about $280,000 and contract a company to design and build. The total "turnkey" package could be a minimum of $600,000.

Show home visitor Bruce Smyth, of the North Shore, said he had never considered building until now.

"We have been in large two-storey homes with the family for 30-odd years and are looking to downsize or come down to a single-storey home.

"But there is very little around and it occurred to us to have a look at Millwater, where they build single-level homes with three bedrooms and easy to maintain.

"You can tinker with the plans with a design-and-build specialist company and they guarantee their finish date and price."

The number of homes being listed for sale is below normal winter levels, said Bayleys Auckland North director Kirsty Stevenson.

This had resulted in frustrated home hunters looking at starting from scratch.

A section auction is being held on July 7.

HOT DEMAND

* 3000 sites at Millwater.

* $280,000 minimum cost of section.

* $600,000 estimated total minimum cost of section and home.