One Tree Hill - An exclusive extract

Including Royal Oak and Greenlane

The flat terrain (with the exception of the hill itself) makes these suburbs ideal for the elderly who bravely negotiate the Royal Oak roundabout en route to the homely Royal Oak mall.

The reputable local primary and intermediate schools make the area a drawcard for young families.

With most of these suburbs just missing out on Auckland and Epsom Girls Grammar zoning, families tend to use them as stepping-stones to Epsom when their children reach secondary school age.

Many young professionals make their home in One Tree Hill because of its relatively central location.

Established in the 1930s, One Tree Hill and Royal Oak have many period bungalows, now often on half-size sections.

Although both villas and period bungalows can be found in One Tree Hill itself, villas are less common in Royal Oak and Greenlane.

There are still many state houses as well as brick and tile units, concentrated in streets like Te Rama Rd. There has been a general increase in townhouses throughout the area, due to infill housing.

Amenities
There are at least three public primary schools in the area. Royal Oak Intermediate is an adequate local intermediate school.

If you're not in-zone for Auckland Grammar School or Epsom Girls Grammar, other local secondary schools are the co-ed Catholic Marcellin College, Onehunga High School or Penrose High.

Royal Oak is a thriving shopping hub, although a little scruffy in parts. Several new eateries have opened in the past six years. Nearby Greenwoods Corner has an interesting stretch of shops and cafes, and Newmarket is less than 10 minutes' drive away.

The area's biggest recreation asset is Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill Domain. This expanse of country amid suburbia has lambs, chickens and huge groves of historic trees.

Cornwall Park has recreational areas, barbecues, a restaurant, an information centre and a working farm that families can walk through.

On the One Tree Hill Domain side of the mountain there's a planetarium and a popular playground.

Trends
Demand for houses is always steady in these suburbs, especially near the Epsom border.

Royal Oak recently had a record sale: $880,000 for an upmarket, contemporary, stand-alone townhouse on 400sq m, bought off the plans and not in grammar zone.

In mid-2005, $625,000 was top dollar for similar properties. Bungalows, villas and ex-state homes are snapped up by those buying their first or second homes.

Dated plaster townhouses and terraced homes are slow to sell, largely because of leaky building fears, but also because they often don't offer the same specs as newer homes.

The classic brick and tile unit from the 1960s and 1970s is popular at both ends of the homebuying life-cycle. Being just in-zone for Auckland Grammar or Epsom Girls Grammar will put a premium of at least $100,000 (or 10-15 per cent) on a property.

Best Streets
The area's best streets include Maungakiekie Ave and Wapiti Ave in Greenlane, Haydn Ave, Raurenga Ave and Lewin Rd in Royal Oak and Kowhatu Rd and Irirangi Rd in One Tree Hill.