First National principal Ann Crossley says people factor in walkability when looking for a house.
First National principal Ann Crossley says people factor in walkability when looking for a house.
People who like to go about their day-to-day activities on foot in Rotorua should consider living in Sunnybrook and Victoria, according to a new analysis.
Areas with scores between 70 and 89 were also very walkable, and most errands there could be accomplished on foot.
Homes.co.nz spokesman Jeremy O'Hanlon said suburbs with the highest walk score often had the higher value estimates. They were typically in the central suburbs, but there were exceptions.
LJ Hooker Rotorua principal Malcolm Forsyth said walkability factored into decisions when looking for homes.
"When you're buying in a place like Rotorua you have that ability to consider that sort of thing."
However, people didn't expect to be able to walk everywhere, as long as there was reasonable access to a good range of facilities.
Mr Forsyth said people often asked if homes were within walking distance to schools.
Amenities like public spaces and suburban shopping complexes aren't too far away for those living in most neighbourhoods.
Rotorua was fortunate to have good schools in residential areas across the district.
First National principal Ann Crossley said the company would advertise the fact whenever a property was within walking distance of the lake, the Redwoods or a school.
"It's certainly a factor for people," she said.
Those who were looking to live close to town would pay extra to be able to do so, she said.
It wasn't just proximity to amenities that attracted buyers, but being close to the Redwoods and mountain-biking tracks could also be a positive.
Hielke Oppers, principal real estate agent at Harcourts Rotorua, said walkability could add value for some people, but others couldn't care less about it.
Being near a school often added to the attractiveness of a property.
Older people might want to be close to a bus stop or the GP, or the supermarket, and so value walkability, said Mr Oppers.
Walkability could add a bit of value when investors were looking for blocks of flats near the city centre, he said.
Ross Stanway, chief executive of Eves and Bayleys Real Estate, said walkability had always been a factor for house buyers - particularly those with young families where access to schools was important.
"Also I think it has always been attraction for people to be able to walk to the shops or walk to work," he said.
Rotorua Lakes Council sport and recreation manager Rob Pitkethley said Rotorua was a very walkable city, being generally flat.
"Amenities like public spaces and suburban shopping complexes aren't too far away for those living in most neighbourhoods and tracks through our green spaces allow for easy connections to other suburbs and the central city."
Mr Pitkethley said Rotorua had a flat, easy-to-navigate central city featuring three premier open spaces - Kuirau Park, Government Gardens and the Lakefront.
Mr Pitkethley said there were obvious health and wellbeing benefits for people who walked rather than drove, as well as environmental benefits through having fewer cars on the roads.
"Walks through our parks and other open spaces are a big feature in Rotorua and we have a very supportive local trails trust working to provide access for people on foot, horseback and bikes."
The city had good shared pedestrian and bike paths with more being constructed as part of Rotorua Lakes Council's CyWay project to establish a connected city-wide cycleway network, he said.
Walk Score Walk Score analysed hundreds of walking routes to nearby amenities with points awarded based on the distance to the amenities in each category, according to the website.
Amenities within a five-minute walk were given maximum points. No points were given after a 30-minute walk.
