Eltham is a small inland town located in South Taranaki, 50km from New Plymouth and just 20km north of Hawera. Known as a town of industrial firsts, it was initially put on the map when it was made home to New Zealand’s first commercial butter factory. The Jubilee Dairy Factory, also known as the ‘Milky Way’, made and exported New Zealand’s first classic pound of butter in 1887. Today Eltham is more commonly known not only for its strong dairy farming industry but also for its award-winning innovative industry. With dairy farming holding a strong presence, cheese manufacturing, engineering and meatworks are all part of what makes this township a place that brings a range of jobs and opportunities.

Known to locals as New Zealand’s hidden gem, New Plymouth is located on the West Coast of the North Island far from other major cities. It is on the way to nowhere, to get there you have to take a detour to find it, which those living under the shadow of Mount Taranaki don’t mind. In 2008, New Plymouth was rated the best city of its size in the world and commended both for its Coastal Cycleway and sustainability by the International Awards for Liveable Communities. This was followed by Taranaki being announced as the 2nd Best Region in the World to Visit in 2017 by Lonely Planet.

Only a short 10-minute drive from New Plymouth, Inglewood is nestled between Stratford and New Plymouth meaning you can head to Stratford and climb Mount Taranaki to play in the snow, then head to one of New Plymouth’s many popular beaches for a surf, all on the same day!

Stratford is known as the heart of the Taranaki region due to its central location. Situated between Hawera and New Plymouth, Stratford is a relaxing 30-minute drive to either town with no long traffic jams delaying the journey. It is also the gateway to some of the most popular attractions in the North Island, including Mount Taranaki and the Egmont National Park and The Forgotten Highway.

Anyone can sell a house, there are many people selling homes privately online every week. Private sales make up approximately 10% of residential sales in New Zealand. Making sure you get top dollar, on the other hand, requires not only extensive market knowledge but careful research and exceptional negotiation skills, which an inexperienced person can not give.

All over New Zealand, especially with house prices where they are right now, there are many conversations being had around this topic. Do we sell, do we renovate or perhaps we wait and see what the market does? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, which is what makes deciding whether to sell or stay that much harder.

South Taranaki, like the rest of the region’s property market, is red hot with almost all home sales having more than one buyer making a written offer on a property. This is great for those that are looking to sell their home as the chances of getting the highest offer for their home is pretty much guaranteed. But what does this mean for those who are looking to purchase a new house in South Taranaki? Chances are those who are in the market are experiencing disappointment due to their offer going into a multi-offer scenario, there are also a number of cash unconditional offers. If you are a buyer in a multi-offer process, if you don’t put your best offer forward you may not have another opportunity to increase your offer. 

Let’s face it, the reason the majority of people choose to sell their homes privately is to keep more money in their pocket. Why should you get someone to do very little work while pocketing a percentage of your home’s sale price? There are plenty of buyers out there, so how much effort is it really to sell a home?

There’s a good chance that the home you’re currently living in isn’t necessarily your dream home. It’s not that it’s bad - it’s probably perfect for what you need, or needed when you bought it. But when you have lived in a home for a period of time there is sure to be a few things you’d like to change. You may want a bigger backyard, a walk-in wardrobe or scullery, maybe even an extra bedroom or study.

Our lives can change in unexpected ways. Some changes are natural, expected and sometimes welcome, like becoming an ‘empty nester or reaching retirement. Some are more challenging circumstance adjustments, like a relationship coming to an end or a change may come from deciding to embrace a simpler lifestyle. There are many circumstances where downsizing your home can benefit your lifestyle and open up a world of new and exciting possibilities.