Out of towners boost house market

Harcourts Hamill Realty Ltd managing director Prue Hamill with the latest Masterton magazine. WAG 15Oct15 - SUPPORT: Harcourts Hamill Realty managing director Prue Hamill, with the latest Mastert

Auckland interest in Wairarapa properties is increasing and a real estate boss says it's fantastic for the region.

Data showed 12 per cent of Trade Me's Wairarapa property views came from Aucklanders between January and November this year.

That was up on 7 per cent for the same time last year.

Harcourts managing director Prue Hamill said she'd seen an increase in Aucklanders moving to the area.

They had been buying houses throughout Wairarapa, she said.

"We've had sales across the board, from families to retirement to investors actually."

Ms Hamill said it was good to have the new arrivals in Wairarapa.

"We like out-of-towners coming into the area. They bring a bit of wealth and a bit of appreciation of what we have so that's fantastic."

The region had been working to attract people from other areas and had been promoting Wairarapa property, she said.

Ms Hamill expected the Auckland interest to continue increasing as friends and family came to join those who had already relocated.

"I feel like our area is getting recognised for what it has. We're close to the city, we've got good a infrastructure, we've got good schools. We've got various businesses as well," she said.

Trade Me Property data shows every region around the country has experienced an increase in Aucklanders viewing their listings in the last year.

Head of Trade Me Property Nigel Jeffries said the "Auckland effect" wasn't an entirely new phenomenon but had "rapidly accelerated" in the last year.

"Aucklanders have looked further afield for years, whether they're looking for an investment, a holiday house or for a change of lifestyle. However, we've seen a real ramp-up in that interest this year.

"The Auckland property market has become so crazy that for some buyers, the option that makes the most sense is to buy outside their region."

He was surprised at how far away Aucklanders had been hunting for properties.

This year Aucklanders made up 13 per cent of searches for Marlborough properties, 16 per cent in Otago, 12 per cent in Wairarapa and 10 per cent for the West Coast.

"It shows property buyers in the City of Sails are considering all their options."

The growth had been even stronger in the regions surrounding Auckland with Aucklanders making 29 per cent of all searches for Bay of Plenty property, 44 per cent of Northland searches, and 32 per cent of Waikato searches.

Mr Jeffries said the increased interest in nearby regions was affecting asking prices.

"In the last year we've seen average asking prices in the Bay of Plenty climb by $4000 per month and a jump of 28 per cent over the last five years. It's the same scenario in the rental market where the median rents have climbed $50 a week. The region is going gangbusters."