Hamurana's secret is out - it's a great place to live

Jerry Douglas has watched Hamurana develop around him. Photo / Ben Fraser

Twenty years ago, Jerry Douglas put his roots down in Hamurana.

Building his home on Kaska Rd, he remembers being surrounded by farmland and empty paddocks.

Now more people have discovered the hidden gem, a place of real "peace and tranquillity" and as a result, houses are popping up all over the area.

"There has been huge growth and development in Hamurana itself, and that has been reflected in the house values too.

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"It's now one of the most sought-after areas. It's very noticeable, all the houses being bought out here."

Douglas said figures showing Hamurana house values had increased a whopping 147.2 per cent in the past five years came as no surprise.

"Hamurana's a neat area. It's so peaceful - we personally couldn't move back to the city because of the noise - but the main city is still only 15 minutes away.

"We didn't build here to make a large amount of money but if we could come out of it debt-free, obviously that would be great."

He said the majority of newcomers to the area seemed to be after the lifestyle Hamurana offered.

"We've noticed more people who work in Tauranga are coming to live in Hamurana because they get that lifestyle and good value for money but are still able to commute.

"Then you have those who sold in Auckland and came down here for the lifestyle and have been able to buy in Hamurana and still have some money in the bank."

Douglas said while one day he may have to sell to downsize his home, he wouldn't be looking far.

"When the time comes to sell we would ideally be looking for something smaller in Hamurana.

"We just love it here."