Spring / Summer Edition 2017

For the first-ever edition of The Eden Report, we’re giving you a local expert’s lowdown on the Auckland housing market, tips for feeding your garden this spring and summer, and a peek into the mind of a builder’s apprentice. Our plan is to produce four of these reports a year, always with your best interests in mind. If there’s something you’d like us to report on, drop me an email office@edenhomes.co.nz.

Wishing you a superb holiday season.

Best regards,

Rob
Director,
​​​​​​​Eden Homes

Solid Gold at the House of the Year Awards

The Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards are ‘the Oscars’ for New Zealand’s residential home building industry. It’s a glittering night for the best builders in the country, so we were proud to be awarded gold awards for both the homes we entered.

Category: Nulook New Home $700,000 - $1 Million
​​​​​​​Home: A Taste of the Med, a luxury home on a corner site in Karaka Harbourside Estate 
​​​​​​​Award: Gold Award 2017

Category: CARTERS New Home $1 Million - $2 Million
Home: Coastal Classic, a stunning single-level home on the waterfront in Karaka Harbourside Estate
Award: Gold Award 2017

No surprises for the Auckland property market

For the low down on Auckland property prices we spoke to Graham Viall, a Harcourts business owner in South Auckland.  Here’s a summary of his thoughts:

• Fundamentally, the Auckland market is doing what it’s always done. Property values double every 10 years. I’ve seen them do this for three decades running. Right now, property selling prices are around 90% above 2007, which is about what I’d expect.
• The slow down during the GFC (global financial crisis) threw a spanner in the works, slowing or stopping the usual trend of rising prices. The last three years have been a catch up – a decade’s worth of growth in a short period, which has spooked some without a historical perspective – so now we’re almost back on track for the 10-year-double-your-money pattern.
• Auckland has a persistent supply and demand problem. We’re up to 50,000 houses short, and that fact hasn’t changed over the last three years. Even though the Government is stopping foreign nationals from buying existing homes, an activity which in my view has been very insignificant, they’ll still be able to buy new properties. It’s highly debatable whether this change of legislation will reduce the overall housing demand in Auckland.
• When you look at the big picture, I believe it would be damned pessimistic to think the future is not going to be rosy for property in Auckland.

Cole worked with us for a year before he officially started his apprenticeship, so he knew what he was in for. He combines building tasks on site with book work, which is overseen by his team leader and regularly checked by his BCITO (Building & Construction Industry Training Organisation) supervisor.

So why did Cole choose to become a builder?

"I know that I learn practically, by doing things with my hands. That’s what attracted me to building. And it’s a good time to be getting qualified - builders are in high demand."

"Working for Eden Homes is giving me a wider range of skills, because our homes are masonry and we do the entire build from the ground up, right through to the landscaping. I’m working with a great group of guys – they make it fun."

Aside from his talent with tools, Cole loves rugby.

"My obsession with rugby started when I was five. I’ve played all through school and was part of a successful 1st 15 team at Saint Kentigern College that won multiple titles. I’m now part of the Counties Manukau Development Academy playing for their Under 19 team and loving it! The fitness I gain from my day job certainly helps my rugby!"

Waterfront 'Kiwi Cape Cod' showhome project: Stage 1

Next month we will be kicking off our new showhome on a beautiful waterfront site at 61 Milano Boulevard.  Best described as a ‘Kiwi take on a classic Cape Cod home’, this architectural home will of course be masonry, with rich detail, timber and weatherboard elements and fabulous views of the harbour. The showhome will have a nautical waterfront theme with relaxed everyday living and real indoor outdoor flow.

As the home and landscape take shape, we’ll share progress with you. Watch this space! ​​​​​​​

Our top tips for spring and summer gardening

In spring and summer, your garden, trees and lawn are in full grow mode. How do you ensure they’re getting everything they need? At Eden Homes we have a lot of contact with garden experts, especially when we’re designing and installing new landscapes. Here are some of the tips we’ve gathered:

• Watering – when and how much? At this time of year, through to summer your garden will require concentrated effort with watering. The best times to water is early morning, long before the day gets hot, as well as in the evening when the ground has cooled.
• Add water crystals to your pots and tubs. Hydrogel crystals increase the water-holding capacity of potting soil, which helps your potted plants and trees look their best during summer. To make this easy, look for a potting mix that includes both water storage crystals and slow release fertiliser.
• Keep your garden moist with mulch. Topping your garden beds and planters with a good quality mulch will help retain up to 70% of moisture otherwise lost to evaporation.
• Feed the soil with solid fertilisers. In spring and summer, when plants are growing with full speed, your soil can quickly become depleted. We recommend digging in plenty of compost and applying a top dressing of general fertiliser pellets. If you prefer to keep it natural, sheep manure pellets are the new go to product.
• Feed the plants with foliar fertiliser. You should also be applying a foliar feed, which feeds your plants directly. Aim for monthly applications. You can pour it over plants with a watering can or use a sprayer.
• Get a soil test. If you want to take your gardening to a higher level, get a soil test. It’s the key to feeding your garden exactly what it needs. ​​​​​​​