Wanaka Real Estate Sales Blog

The views are breath taking but the prices extremely competitive. This new subdivision is well under way with the first two stages already sold and homes going up fast. Other stages are coming on the market and the developers are keen to sell. Invest now in a section with that little bit of cash you have and grow a  legacy for the future.

Community facilities at just $30 a month are tops. The two heated pools have just been closed for the winter but the spa, members lounge and gym is open and fantastic.

Section prices are extremely competitive starting around $300,000 NZ$.  There are a variety of sizes and aspects available, some with panoramic Lake Wanaka Views. One fabulous section is available as an exchange for investment or holiday property. click here for section information

We currently have three houses for sale in this fabulous subdivision.

 23 Forest Heights Stylish 4 / 5 bedroom home. Built with the highest of quality state of the art fittings and appliances, clean square lines and symmetry offer a timeless and eye appealing design.

7 Forest Heights Magnificent views of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding Mountains, Kitchen with Butler’s pantry, separate lounge, 4 bedrooms all with ensuites and downstairs another self contained studio and huge garaging. Fully landscaped.

 84 Rata Street  Lake and mountain views, now secure with homes already built around. 4 bedrooms, plus office, walk in pantry, walk in wardrobe in master, ensuite, fabulous tiling throughout with heated floors. Feature schist chimney and shist gas fireplace with neutral stone from Kingstone to tone with the decor. Competitively Priced at $825,000

This fabulous brand new upmarket building in Wanaka is waiting for tenants requiring retail space or office space. Rent is set at basement prices for Wanaka with prime downstairs retail space set at $285 per square metre per annum and upstairs office space $200 per square metre. This building is located in the business area of Wanaka close to other retailers such as Mitre 10 and Smiths City.

Check out what Wanaka is short of and start up a new business for yourself without parting with the price of goodwill. Check out the fantastic business these retailers are doing close by and cash in on the growth of Wanaka town.

Your family will love your decision. The new primary school close by is looking set to be one of the most modern and upmarket in New Zealand when it opens later this year. You and your family will enjoy all the outdoor pursuits Wanaka offers summer and winter. The lovely continental climate and the fabulous dining opportunies make it a very desirable location to set up in.

Check out this opportunity here

Financing a home in the Wanaka area has always been a problem. Real estate prices are high and rental accommodation is in short supply. Now people can take out a shared ownership with the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust.Basically there is criteria that you have to fall within.

• First house (at least in this area)
• Total income from you and your partner under $89,320 pa
• Living in area 6 months
• One member of household must be in permanent employment in area
• One member of household must be NZ citizen
• House must be for a primary residence (not holiday)

The house has to be reasonable and not requiring major repairs. (insulation is important to them)

The housing trust  will take a share in 5% increments  from 15% to 40% and at any time you can buy back a share in the same increment.

The primary owner pays all ongoing costs, when / if they sell the trust takes their portion of ownership from the sale price.

Vendor must have 5% deposit.

Basically you get approval from the Housing Trust then find your house, or visa versa. Great scheme! So search our listings at  Wanaka and surrounds homes.We would be delighted to help you find a home and through this finance process. It makes living in this area achievable.

Inserted by Phil and Barbara Wilson for Wanaka Real Estate Sales

Wanaka has been named in the top 10 by Life Books as a dream destination in 100 of the world’s best vacations. It is a peaceful place and drop dead beautiful. There has been a marked increase in the number of weddings in Wanaka in recent years.

Wanaka  is topped by India’s wild flower Hall and the Camargue in France. The book says of Wanaka: “More than 300 metres above sea level, in the centre of New Zealand’s gorgeous South Island, lies this 43 kilometre long lake. The lakeside town is a charming place to stay, with sheep farms dotting the surrounding countryside.”

It is a very peaceful place, not crowded and very beautiful. Homes are built in keeping with the landscape colours and materials. Wanaka inspires people and there is a large art community. The mountains and the lake are very restful and Wanaka has not become as busy a destination as Queenstown. Among some of the choice spots couples choose to be married include: up on the mountain; on skis in the snow; or out on the lake at sunrise. Wanaka certainly creates a romantic atmosphere.

Wanaka’s resident population is 7000. A romantic meal might be a nice piece of venison and a local pinot noir. Perhaps our most famous architecture is Puzzling World, considered as Wanaka’s answer to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

If you would like to purchase real estate in Wanaka please browse our listings here. We specialise in helping overseas clients purchase in Wanaka. We are able to give you advice on overseas consent and offer free accommodation to real estate purchasers at our bed an breakfast Montrose.

Inserted by Phil & Barb Wilson for Wanaka Real Estate Sales Blog.

This is the most common question I get asked. You may hear about the high rental cost of Wanaka holiday homes and permanent rental accommodation and you want to know what is the current rental and what return can you get on your purchase besides capital gain.

Our accommodation rentals at Professionals Wanaka Wide Realty MREINZ tells us these facts. A good 3 bedroom Wanaka home is currently renting out at $350 to $380 a week. To get the higher price tenants are looking for a log burner as opposed to gas or electricity, a double garage, double glazing and two bathrooms. Four bedroom homes are renting at $400 to $420 a week. Homes at Hawea and Albert Town are also popular but usually rent out at about $10 less a week. Currently our top permanent rental, a lovely furnished Wanaka home with all the trimmings, is rented out at $475 per week and the tenants vacate the home for the landlords annual holiday.

There is a huge demand for permanent rental accommodation. The largest demand at the moment, is for unfurnished homes. Rent for these reaches the same rent as fully furnished homes. Some landlords include a clause to allow them occupancy for a few weeks a year, all things are possible as dictated by supply and demand. Shortage of permanent rentals is greater during the winter months.

A word on cribs. At Hawea an older two bedroom crib may reach as much as $170 a week and a three bedroom crib $200 to $225 a week.

Permanent residential rental is not subject to GST so the original purchase cannot be claimed.

Short Term Wanaka Rentals

So you decide to buy a house but want to use it yourself several times a year. You decide to rent it out as a holiday home from time to time. This works well, however in the off peak periods there is a glut of short term holiday accommodation on the market so it is likely that although the rates for short term accommodation are higher than permanent rental accommodation (about 5 times higher) you may find it difficult to rent. Because the prime purpose of the purchase of the property was for your own use, you would also not be able to make a GST claim.

Should you decide to buy a property such as an apartment which is managed on a daily or weekly basis and offer it for short term rental all year round then you are eligible to register for GST and claim the original purchase. Often these properties are already advertised at the GST exclusive amount plus GST.

Search my site for Current Rental Opportunities

Article by Phil Wilson Marketing Consultant for Wanaka Real Estate Sales Blog

Most people do not take into consideration how their house will smell to a perspective buyer. The majority of people will either ignore this issue entirely or simply spray an artificial fragrance around the house and hope potential buyers find it pleasant.

The reality is, air fresheners and similar products are a rather tacky way of making your house smell nice and most clients will see it for what it is. Furthermore, if the doors and windows are closed the aroma from these air fresheners can remain quite strong for a long time and can actually be quite of-putting to clients when they first enter the house. You do not want the first thing a potential buyer notices to be the strong smell of air freshener.

The two best ways to give your house a nice, natural smelling aroma are to either place a small drop of vanilla into a warm oven or to bake a loaf of fresh bread earlier in the day and leave it in the bread maker on the “keep warm” setting.

Houses also tend to develop their own distinctive smell over time from their occupants. Often, aerating the house by opening all doors and windows for a couple of days prior to making it available for inspection can reduce these smells. This is best done when someone can be home all day such as the weekend.

Paying for professional carpet cleaning can also help reduce house smell because carpets tend to pick up smells from sources such as pets and cooking quite easily. This is often unnecessary however and following the above steps is generally enough to give your house a pleasant aroma.

Article by Wanaka Real Estate Sales Blog

When preparing your house for inspection by potential buyers, one of the most important aspects to consider is lighting.

As a rule of thumb you should turn on all lights in your house, even during the day. The purpose of this is to give your home a warm and comforting ambiance. Potential clients will be far more likely to linger in a room like this than one with harsh shadows and gloomy areas. In addition to this, brighter rooms are often perceived to be larger in size than darker rooms.

If your light switches have dimmers on them, dimming the lights slightly can be a good idea. It can both add to the atmosphere of a room and showcase a feature the potential buyer may not have noticed otherwise.

If you expect your house to be visited at night-time, lighting is even more important. There is nothing worse than a real estate agent having to fumble for light switches in each room as they take perspective clients through your house as it can be distracting for both the client and the agent. Often a real estate agent will arrive at your house earlier than the client and turn on the lights themselves however you should not take this for granted.

If you have any light sources outside the house, these should be turned on when you are expected potential buyers in the evening or at night.

Article by Wanaka Real Estate Sales Blog