Any money spent on the auction would be a worthwhile investment according to the man himself, who rates his high five as a 9.8 out of 10.
"There's always room for improvement," he said.
Van der Westhuizen and his wife have been looking for a place of their own in order to raise a family but so far have not found anywhere that fits their budget.
"My wife and I have got good jobs and earn decent money, especially for our age. We've just found it quite hard.
"I don't know how anyone on minimum wage would survive, let alone ever save up to buy a house."
He is currently renting on the North Shore, and would like to buy a house in the same area in order to stay close to family and friends.
"Ideally we'd like to stay on the Shore, but it's becoming clear that's not feasible.
"It's a vicious cycle, rent is so high that you can't save. The whole DIY Kiwi dream is becoming more and more unachievable. It's pretty ridiculous.
I don't know how anyone on minimum wage would survive, let alone ever save up to buy a house.
"The only option seems to be to get used to the idea of renting for the rest of your life, unless you want to lower your quality of life in order to be able to save."
The auction is one of the more unusual that has popped up on Trade Me, and company spokesman Logan Mudge said it was a "novel" way to raise money for a first home.
"Our property team has been telling us for a while that Auckland house prices are unbelievable. Hopefully this auction will help [this couple] get a hand on the property ladder.
"We don't see auctions like this often but it's reminiscent of a famous auction when a member sold a hug back in 2005."
