Family finally find dream home after a year of hunting

Layton and Lee-Anne McCann with their children Corey, 4, and Madison, 9 months. Photo/Stephen Parker

It's been a stressful year of house hunting but Lee-Anne and Layton McCann and their young family have finally found their ideal home and are preparing to move in.

Despite pressure of not having somewhere to live with a newborn and a toddler, the couple couldn't be happier and say "everything happens for a reason".

The couple made the decision in June last year to leave Taumarunui for Rotorua. Mrs McCann was pregnant with their second child when they started making the weekly trips to Rotorua to view open homes.

But the market was competitive and they kept missing out.

Mr McCann said by October the clock was ticking and they still didn't have a Rotorua home - not even a rental.

"We were two weeks from having to move out, had a new bub and nowhere to go."

Thankfully a spot of luck meant they were able to find a rental property in Ngongotaha.

They have lived there since October while they continued to search properties for sale.

Finally, a deal was struck with a couple in Sunnybrook and the house sale is expected to go unconditional at the end of the month.

The family, including 4-year-old Corey and 9-month-old Madison, had their sights set on Rotorua for a while.

"It's a better lifestyle, better work opportunities and opportunities for the kids and closer to bigger centres and we couldn't be happier with what Rotorua has to offer for families."

Mrs McCann said they found the property market frustrating because houses they missed out on would be advertised as rentals a month later.

"It made it really hard for young families like us wanting to buy. We went to one open home and the agent told us the open home we were going to that afternoon as well had been cancelled because a woman had just bought the house from looking at photos on the internet."

However, everything worked out well and she said they couldn't be happier with their new place.

"We know that everything happens for a reason and it has all fallen into place."