The CV for it is $133,000.
All in all, it is still a 1970s box (small) and nothing past owners have done could actually make it worth over half a mill.
This is the sort of madness going on all over the country, not only in Gisborne.
The Government needs to intervene somehow and give the real estate industry a wake-up call and to give the building industry a reminder that not every potential homeowner wants one of those "flash harry" homes you see on TV.
What's wrong with the likes of a Keith Hay transportable or similar built on site?
Our old Beazley home probably wasn't worth much over $300,000 if that, but madness has prevailed.
$552,000! We should have stayed there.
Yeah, yeah, it's not worth anything until the money's in the bank and hindsight is such a wonderful thing.
Rod Petterson
Rotorua
Smaller is better
Smart people should always be on the lookout for ways of doing things better. This applies to towns and cities too.
Often they look to their bigger counterparts, but in Rotorua's case, it would do well to closely look at its smaller neighbour, Whakatāne, which has succeeded in a couple of important areas.
Whakatāne's main business and retail area is mainly restricted to one street – The Strand.
Though Whakatāne also has a hub housing the mega retail stores, The Strand appears to be thriving.
It is a struggle to find a vacant retail space and should a gun go off on this street there is a strong risk of a casualty or two.
Size does matter and in this case smaller is better – virtually all space is occupied resulting in a vibrant feel enjoyed by the many who use it.
Then there is the walkway. Rotorua has struggled somewhat with this while Whakatāne nailed it with the Warren Cole walk and cycleway.
This wide paved amenity stretches 4.3km beside the Whakatane River and its wetlands beginning at the bridged entrance to the town and ending close to the Whakatane Heads. Users can join and leave the walkway at several points along the way.
During a casual survey of usage over a 60 minute period from 1.40pm on a weekday last week the following usage was recorded (on the back of a supermarket docket): Eighteen cyclists, eight walkers, two scooters, three skateboarders and one woman using a mobility scooter.
Had this been done in the late afternoon it would have recorded many commuters heading west out of town after their workday. Or, if late evening, many people out for a stroll – some with dogs on a leash.
Simon Earle
Rotorua
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