International property buyers snap up residential real estate in Gisborne

International interest in Gisborne real estate continues to grow – with two offshore property buyers snapping up magnificent sections in Kauri Park, the region’s most sought-after lifestyle residential property subdivision.

The Kauri Park buyers – one from California and a couple from Australia – have bought sites on the majestically-placed subdivision which is a mere five minutes drive from downtown Gisborne.

Some eight sites on the Kauri Park subdivision have now been sold as confidence continues to return to the property market, with first-time property developer Luke Hansen predicting the remainder of sections will be sold over the coming summer months when fine weather and the Christmas holiday break combine to bring tens of thousands of tourists and holiday makers into the Gisborne area.

The 15 lot subdivision - each with a carefully planned building platform - offers premium lifestyle residential sections with panoramic sea and countryside views. The lifestyle block sections at Kauri Park are part of a former farm just a few kilometres north of the city.

The subdivision sites – which range in size from one to two hectares - are being marketed by Bayleys Gisborne. Experienced sales consultant Rod Chrisp says that as well as the two international owners, Kauri Park section buyers had generally been local people excited about living in an exclusive subdivision offering space and views.

Rod Chrisp said the generously-sized one hectare Kauri Park sections ranged in price from just $150,000 – only $10,000 more than some 700 square-metre plots on flat land in the city. Power and telephone connections services are all in place, while building covenants are registered across Kauri Park to ensure only high quality dwellings are built and the overall value of the subdivision is maintained.

“Kauri Park is a mere five minutes drive from town, and offers the most amazing views, but because you can’t necessarily walk to the dairy, some people think it’s out in the middle of the country,” he said.

“If this was Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, it would be some the most expensive real estate in town… what they call the ‘stockbroker belt’,” said Mr Chrisp, who is featuring the Kauri Park properties on the Bayleys website and has been hosting personal tours of the development for prospective buyers.

”The people who are looking at buying Kauri Park sections are the sort of people Gisborne needs – enthusiastic, visionary, hard-working family folk who simply want the best of lifestyle living yet within a bike-ride of the city.

“The two international purchasers both commented that they were astound how cheap the Kauri Park sections were on a world scale. The positioning of the subdivision means they can enjoy the peacefulness of a rural lifestyle and the convenience of living beside a city.”

In addition to the wide open residential spaces at Kauri Park, Luke Hansen is making his personal 50 hectare block - which he shares with fiancée Desiree Cull and their young daughter Sarah - available for general community use by residents in the subdivision.

The Kauri Park residential farmland development includes substantial plantings of manuka, redwood, kauri and macrocarpa, along with a popular swimming hole and access to Waimata River.

Meanwhile, Luke Hansen admitted that persisting with the Kauri Park project throughout some 20 months of economic recession had led to a considerable amount of personal financial hardship for him and fiancée Desiree in servicing the development.

“However, by realistically pricing the land to meet current market values, I’m confident of selling the remaining seven lots by the end of this summer. And as the cliché says, once they are sold, there won’t be any more,” he said.

“Building is just starting on some of the homes, and I believe the presence of residential dwellings – some of which will be quite spectacular and will be worth more than $700,000 – will speed up the sale process as people see this subdivision taking shape.”

All sites on the Kauri Park subdivision are elevated on the easy to steep hill country. Most are north-facing, with some protection from southerly breezes but delivering all-day sun. A 1.1 kilometre gravel road leading into Kauri Park is soon to be sealed – adding to its professional ‘neighbourhood’ appeal.