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Home / Bay of Plenty Times

How walking distances affect property values

Bay of Plenty Times
17 Oct, 2016 09:50 AM4 mins to read

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Tauranga has more than 20 walking groups, including this Otumoetai group.

Tauranga has more than 20 walking groups, including this Otumoetai group.

People who like to go about their day-to-day activities on foot might expect to pay more for a Tauranga house, according to a new analysis.

Property website homes.co.nz has looked at how walkability compares to house values in the district using its own data along with figures from www.walkscore.com.

Central Tauranga and Mount Maunganui were the most walkable parts of the district with walk scores of 82 and 81 respectively.

Homes.co.nz estimated the median value of a home in central Tauranga was $656,120 and the median value in Mount Maunganui was $787,467.

Walk scores dropped further from the city centre ranging from 60 to 70 in Tauranga South, Greerton, Papamoa Beach and Gate Pa.

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House values in those areas ranged from $410,536 to $646,132.

Walk Score describes areas receiving a score between 90 and 100 as "a walker's paradise". Areas with scores between 70 and 89 were also very walkable, and most errands there could be accomplished on foot.

Homes.co.nz spokesman Jeremy O'Hanlon said suburbs with the highest walk score often had the higher value estimates. They were typically in the central suburbs, but there were exceptions.

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In the Bay of Plenty, Papamoa and Oropi received walk scores below 10 but had house values of over $1 million.

Ross Stanway, chief executive of Eves and Bayleys Real Estate, said walkability had always been a factor for house buyers - particularly those with young families where access to schools was important.

"Also I think it has always been attraction for people to be able to walk to the shops or walk to work"

That had become increasingly difficult because of urban sprawl, said Mr Stanway.

He said people had always paid more to live in more walkable areas, such as Tauranga's avenues close to the city.

City centres were some of the most walkable parts of the region, but buyers also considered access to schools throughout the region and beaches.

"If you look at some of the streets now that are getting very, very good prices, quite significantly more than they were a few years ago behind Marine Parade and Ocean Beach Road for example.

"The fact that people can walk to the beach from those properties is a very strong part of the price increase."

Sport Bay of Plenty recreation team leader Jen Riley said the Bay of Plenty was blessed with amazing walks. A network of off road trails linked suburbs in Tauranga.

Walking or cycling were enjoyable ways to get to work as well as reducing traffic congestion and being great for health.

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"There's so many health benefits to be had from chucking on a pair of shoes and going for a walk."

It was free, easy on the body, and was something people could do straight outside their door, Ms Riley said.

"You don't have to go anywhere special in particular. We do have some fantastic parks and reserves to go walking in but it's something that you can do from your home."

Sport Bay of Plenty was working to get more people walking through its City on its Feet programme involving more than 20 walking groups throughout Tauranga.

The free groups allowed participants to meet new people, keep safe and explore different parts of Tauranga while keeping healthy.

Walk Score
Walk Score analysed hundreds of walking routes to nearby amenities with points awarded based on the distance to the amenities in each category, according to the website.

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Amenities within a five-minute walk were given maximum points. No points were given after a 30-minute walk.

Walk Score also measured pedestrian friendliness by analysing population density and road metrics such as block length and intersection density.

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