Young Aucklander fails to get onto property ladder

The unit for sale that young first home buyer Ben Saunders was eyeing up has gone to another bidder.

A two bedroom unit in Onehunga has sold for $453,000 at auction this afternoon.

The 111A Church St unit with modern kitchen, polished floors, deck and freestanding garage was featured in the Herald today as the home young Aucklander Ben Saunders was hoping to buy.

The 27-year-old builder had been saving for two years for a $30,000 loan deposit and was hunting in the low to mid $400,000 range.

His hopeful entrance into Auckland's property market was compared to fellow Aucklander Georgina Kupa who saved $3300 for a loan towards her first home in Papakura in 1969.

The comparisons highlighted house affordability in the city, that has plunged 14.4 per cent in the last year, a new report by Auckland Council found.

Bidding by phone to the Barfoot and Thompson Auckland auction rooms on Shortland St, Mr Saunders was unsuccessful.

Lot 25 attracted attention from three bidders amongst the 60-strong crowd and phone bidders interested in the 72m square property.

The successful buyer was Jean Andrews who is relocating from Kelston with her 22-year-old daughter, Leah.

"It's a lovely place," she said. "I like the location and the property is really nice."

The afternoon auctions were busy, with rooms often at capacity and punters pushing to find a spot at times.

The Herald observed a crowd that appeared to mainly be over 35-years-old.