Property: Auckland 'escapees' thriving

James and Barbara Ryan say the move to Marlborough has paid off.

Struggling to buy their first home in Auckland, with twins and another baby on the way, James and Barbara Ryan "did the only thing that made sense", and left.

The pair consider themselves "Auckland escapees" and have fallen in love with Marlborough and the new lifestyle it has given them.

Mr Ryan, the assistant principal of Marlborough Boys' College, said within a month of returning from the UK in 2011, Mrs Ryan was pregnant with twins.

"We made a decision that we would do what we had to to keep my wife at home with the kids, so home ownership would wait. After chewing through our savings, despite having one $80,000 income, we had to move in with my parents. We were now pregnant with number three."

The pair packed up and moved south - purchasing a four-bedroom house in Blenheim for around $300,000 in January last year - cutting the 30-45 minute commute to work in Auckland to less than five minutes.

Mrs Ryan said it had transformed their family life. "It has a flow-on effect where there is more availability for family time - you have more time in your actual day because you're not spending it commuting."

Mr Ryan said they could now afford to live off one income, meaning his wife could stay home with their 3-year-old twins and 22-month-old.

He admitted it was a tough decision making the move. "It was a big choice because we know the real estate market here doesn't reflect the increases that Auckland is having. We know that by coming here the raise in the properties and income [ is] never going to match that of Auckland. So it's going to be really difficult to try to get back into Auckland and buy a house there."

However, Mrs Ryan said they enjoyed their new community. "It's more open and friendly, so it can be a lot more welcoming in that respect."