Affordable homes do exist, say experts

Plenty of affordable house and land packages are available around Tauranga for those willing to look outside more sought-after suburbs, say property experts.

According to a recent Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey Tauranga is the second least-affordable place to live in in New Zealand.

The survey rated Tauranga "severely unaffordable" with a median multiple score of 6.8, which measures the ratio of median incomes to median house prices.

The latest Quotable Value figures recorded an average house value of $458,521 in Tauranga.

But when the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend checked with real estate agents and developers in the Bay this week they found several packages for about $350,000.

An online search this week also showed about 190 homes in the Tauranga region for less than $350,000.

The search found houses across the region from traditionally more expensive areas such as Mount Maunganui and Matua to cheaper suburbs such as Greerton and Welcome Bay.

Sales and marketing manager for 2000-section Papamoa subdivision Golden Sands Mark Day said Tauranga did not compare to Auckland and Waikato in terms of prices.

"We are more affordable than them by a long shot and if we were truly unaffordable we wouldn't have the sales that we are having and all the people moving here that we are.

"In the New Zealand context we are probably the best affordability in terms of what you get with lifestyle and living."

He said his land and house packages started at about $350,000.

Some included two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

"The average Golden Sands is about $462,000 for a four-bedroom home on 500sq m.

"You can't really achieve that in many other places in New Zealand."

Ross Stanway, chief executive of Eves and Bayleys Real Estate, said unaffordability was a relative term.

"[It's] assessed or defined if you like by the relationship of the average income and average house.

"It doesn't take account of the large number of homes that are in the $300,000 to $500,000 price bracket and probably 50 to 60 per cent of sales would fit into that range.

"I don't think they would be considered unaffordable at $300,000 to $500,000."

Mr Stanway also noted the availability of new houses in developments at the moment.

Carrus Corporation general manager Scott Adams also disagreed with Tauranga being severely unaffordable.

There were plenty of options for those wanting to pay less than the average value, he said.

"I think there are areas in Tauranga like Mount Maunganui, Matua and Bethlehem where there is a higher average house price in established areas.

"But there are areas which are under development like The Lakes where there is plenty of stock available where someone can buy and build for circa $500,000.

"In the last 12 months, our average sales price on a section was $170,000 exclusive of GST.

"At that sort of level it allows builders to compete in the sub-$500,000 price bracket."