Te Aroha fixer-upper a step too far for bargain house-hunters

It's the cheapest house in town, but it's been on the market for two years.

The three-bedroom home in Te Aroha has been on the market for $179,000 since November 2013 through Te Aroha Property Brokers.

But the 1930s Art Deco house in Aroha View Ave is yet to get a new owner as a substantial amount of work is needed.

Agent Wayne Heron said potential buyers were "put off" by the pile work and restructuring needed.

While there has been a lot of interest, most people weren't prepared to put in the work.

"It's put most people off to be fair," Mr Heron said.

Mr Heron said the 140sqm, three-bedroom and one-bathroom house had a spacious living room and "reasonably" tidy inside. "It's a lot bigger than it looks," he said.

Te Aroha has had a boom in house sales with average prices rising from $270,000 last year to $280,000 this year.

Last year, 145 houses were sold in the area, compared with 72 in 2014.

Mr Heron said this was because of the soaring prices of Auckland's property market.

"Last year, 40 to 50 per cent of houses were sold to people coming in from Auckland," he said.