Avondale

As is the case with other suburbs popular for their quality schools, Avondale is attracting huge interest from families wanting to live in-zone for its prestigious secondary school, Avondale College.

Many inquiries come from overseas buyers wanting a New Zealand education for their children, migrant Asian families ready to move from rental accommodation into their first home, and Kiwi families doing the traditional trade-up to a bigger home close to a secondary school.

Avondale is popular for its central location, its multi-cultural community, and its horse race meetings and the Sunday fleamarkets at the Avondale racecourse, which are a city-wide drawcard.

The bustling market provides a chance for prospective buyers to check out everything from the established character homes in the Avondale Heights area that borders Mt Albert, to the townhouses and more modest homes on the flatter part of Avondale closer to the shops.

Good value-for-money indicators include the recent sale of a five-bedroom 1930s character home on a 786 sq m site for $230,000, and a tidy, three-bedroom home that changed hands for $197,000.

Established homes range from $180,000 to $220,000 depending on age, style, section size and location, while the upper price range is above $300,000.

New properties include the 80 two- and three-bedroom apartment-style homes under construction in the Hollyfield Park development priced from $169,000.