North Canterbury News: April 08, 2021
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LIFESTYLE LIVING<br />
24 <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>April</strong> 8, <strong>2021</strong><br />
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Change of pace ... Life in the country appeals to many.<br />
Surge in demand<br />
forlifestyle blocks<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
Demand forlifestyle blocks in <strong>North</strong><br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong> hasleft local realestate<br />
agents in aspin.<br />
Covid19 appearstohaveprompted<br />
people to rethink theirlifestyle<br />
choices,with manyseeing<strong>North</strong><br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong> as asafe choice as they<br />
looktobuy their ownsliceofparadise,<br />
local realestateagentssay.<br />
Data released last monthbythe<br />
Real Estate InstituteofNew Zealand<br />
(REINZ) shows there were40percent<br />
more lifestyle property sales across<br />
thecountryfor thethree months<br />
endedFebruary <strong>2021</strong>, compared to the<br />
same periodlast year.<br />
‘‘It’s absolutely sensational,’’ PGG<br />
Wrightson <strong>Canterbury</strong>/West Coast<br />
sales manager AtholEarlsays.<br />
‘‘I’ve never seenanything like it and<br />
I’vebeen in realestate for 28 years.<br />
‘‘Afterwecameout of lockdownI<br />
thoughtmaybepeoplewere returning<br />
to adegree of normality, but the high<br />
demand hasjust kept going.’’<br />
He suspected it wasacombination<br />
of low interest rates and ‘‘people<br />
wanting to be alittlebit rural’’.<br />
‘‘It’s really amazedme.<br />
‘‘Mystaffhavequite aswag of buyers<br />
whosay ‘as soon asyou hear of<br />
anything let me know’,and they’vegot<br />
quiteasubstantial database.’’<br />
Property Brokerslifestyle/rural<br />
sales consultant MauriceNewellsays<br />
there is so muchdemand,that several<br />
lifestyleproperties arebeing sold as<br />
❛I’ve never seen anything<br />
like it and I’ve been in real<br />
estate for 28 years.❜<br />
PHOTO: FILE<br />
—Athol Earl<br />
soonasthey arelisted.<br />
‘‘There’s ashortageofrural<br />
properties with titlesreadytogoand<br />
we’ve already got interestinsections<br />
which are probably five or sixmonths<br />
awayfromgettingtitles.<br />
‘‘Theprices have goneup<br />
considerably.AroundOxfordthey<br />
were sellingfor around the$250,000 to<br />
$260,000mark (foranempty section)a<br />
yearortwoback,and nowyou’re<br />
gettingover $300,000.’’<br />
The biggest demandwas for<br />
properties around Clarkville, Ohoka<br />
andSwannanoa, withpeople wanting<br />
to be closetothe cityfor work or<br />
school, Mr Newell says.<br />
He said there had beenalotof<br />
enquiries from<strong>North</strong> Islandersand<br />
people wanting to move out from<br />
Christchurch,and there was even the<br />
oddbuyer from overseas,with New<br />
Zealanders lookingtoreturn home.<br />
‘‘I thinkCovid has hadanimpact.<br />
People are probably thinking they<br />
would prefer to be on alifestyle block<br />
thaninanapartment building if we go<br />
back intolockdown.<br />
‘‘I’vegot no proofofthat, but it must<br />
be afactor forsome.’’
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