Fond memories of Titirangi

The Titirangi housing market is currently reflective of the rest of the Auckland market with a good choice of homes for sale, and the majority now listed with asking prices or by negotiation rather than by auction - which is reflective of the "cooler" market conditions.

Properties are taking longer to sell and this is allowing buyers more time to do due diligence.

For those selling, these changed market conditions mean it's important to present your home well and to complete any maintenance on the property before you go to market.

Make sure your place is free of rubbish, your gardens are well cared for and your home is tidy and de-cluttered as buyers have more choice and are less likely to pay the best price for a poorly-presented home in need of repairs or with any (obvious) issues.

I've taken a personal interest in all this just recently as my small family is selling up and moving to the regions for a better quality of life. We are leaving Titirangi for Nelson.

As we head to market, it's clear this autumn is a more difficult time to sell than this time last year in that there are more listings on the market, but fewer sales than at the same time last year.

The latest QV House Price Index data also shows the rate of price growth has plateaued and even dropped back in some parts of Auckland including Waitakere city.

We love living in this close knit community and Titirangi's new art gallery and growing cafe scene along with the proximity to the west coast beaches including the famous Piha are special to us.

But my partner has a new job in Nelson, the move gives us the chance to buy a home together, and as our son has learning difficulties, this lifestyle change will allow for more stress-free parenting.

The move south is a big step and especially poignant for me as Auckland is "home" and our home was built on land owned by my grandfather for 40 years, until he sold the section to Danish carpenter Pierre Sorenson, who designed and built the house in 1972. I grew up in the home my parents built next door.

My grandfather was one of the pioneers of West Auckland when at age 20 he moved from Ponsonby and bought 63 acres of land from "old man" Shaw (of Shaw Rd, Oratia) in 1931.

There was no Scenic Drive then (that was built during the Great Depression) and access to his land was off the "pipeline" (Exhibition Drive), which was built to bring water to the Titirangi filter station from the Huia and Niotupu Dams when Western Springs could no longer keep up with the demands of the city's growing population.

This area now finds itself at the centre of controversial plans for the Huia Water Treatment Plant replacement - a situation that has Waitakere Ranges Combined Residents and Ratepayers Group chair Kubi Witten-Hannah calling for a review of the entire strategy for water supply to the whole Auckland area.

I have to wonder whether one option that could be considered in such a review could be the use of water tanks for our growing city's 500,000 residential homes. This approach has already been adopted by NSW in Australia and the Tasman District.