Home prices push Aucklanders to Bay

The Tauranga Strand. Photo / Supplied

Aucklanders are escaping their unaffordable housing market by moving to Tauranga to enjoy the relaxed lifestyle, an industry expert says.

The average value of a house in Tauranga is $428,908 - about $200,000 less than the average in Auckland.

Paul Thomas, QV valuer for Tauranga , said he had appraised properties for numerous Auckland clients who had moved to the region.

"I know of a few examples and it could be a sign that further movement is going to happen over the next little while," Mr Thomas said.

"[My clients] acknowledged the lower prices down here and they were pretty stoked with the value of houses here."

However, people who moved to the Bay could face a salary drop, Mr Thomas said.

Lower wages did not deter new Bay resident John Mead from moving to Tauranga from Auckland.

He said it was a lot more affordable to live in Tauranga and it had a much slower pace of life.

"I come from Matamata so I'm no stranger to small towns and compared to Auckland, Tauranga is a small town but it's a really nice place to live."

Karen Worley of Realty Services, which operates Bayleys and Eves Realty, said the firm would promote Tauranga properties at the Auckland Home Show in September.

"It is a big thing that we've definitely noticed in the last three or four months," she said.

"I think it's due to a combination of jobs, the lifestyle and allowing first-home buyers who can't afford Auckland the opportunity to own their own home."