WINTER EDITION 2022

Two years ago, we celebrated 25 years of being in business and the privilege of building luxury masonry homes for our homeowners. Now we have 27 years under our belt plus the satisfaction of successfully navigating the pandemic.

Like the rest of New Zealand, we’ve had to be adaptable and agile. Despite the commercial and practical challenges of Covid-19, I’m pleased to report that we have our feet firmly on the ground and are forging ahead. We continue to grow.

It seems that every day brings a new challenge, yet the heart of our business is beating stronger than ever. Our on-site building team, has expanded to a force of over two dozen men - apprentices, builders and project supervisors. Just like the beautiful homes that we build, Eden Homes’ craftspeople have a reputation for excellence. Read on to to find out about the final stage of our Verita Village development, and read further to meet one of Eden Homes’ rising stars.

Best regards,

Rob Dines, Company Principal

VERITA VILLAGE APPROACHES THE FINISH LINE

Verita, our European-inspired estate of luxury solid masonry homes in Karaka Harbourside, is nearly sold out.

From the outset, Verita had all the ingredients required to become an outstanding development: quality masonry construction, timeless Italian-inspired designs in a range of sizes, full landscaping and the secure feeling of a village community. New owners move in with no ‘to do’ list; everything is complete.

Launched prior to Covid, Verita quickly attracted interest from a cross-section of buyers. Some bought Verita villas as family homes; others wanted ‘lock up and leave’ homes handy to the airport; and a proportion of buyers wanted low-maintenance ‘empty nester’ homes. When complete, Verita will be a community of mixed ages and stages, which owners are very pleased about.

The final four homes are from 236m2. Each two-storey home has three or four bedrooms, two or three bathrooms, a loggia (outdoor room) and two-car garaging, as well as open-plan living, dining and kitchen. For pricing and further information, contact Sales Manager, Steve Keller on 021 737 997. You can also check out the Verita website.

Below is an example of a Verita floorplan.

MARKET UPDATE

By Steve Keller, Eden Homes Sales Manager

After more than two years of pandemic market pressure, the Auckland real estate market appears to be in a corrective phase. While most suburbs and areas have seen phenomenal growth of home values during Covid times, this is tempered by some levelling in the last 3 - 4 months.

Buyers who have recently been under pressure to act quickly are now able to take time to make good decisions, with the knowledge that the market has started to level with more homes available and choice compared to the last few years.

Harsimran Singh, the new business owner of the “Harcourts New Age” group, is predicting a more level market for the next 12 months. He says that currently about 50% of auctions are selling on the day and buyers are being careful not to pay too much. He’s also noticed lower numbers at open homes. That said, high quality homes continue to attract a good level of interest from discerning buyers.

Harsimran says vendors with realistic price expectations are still achieving very good results. They are able to take advantage of the price levelling when they then go on and purchase after selling their existing home.

"We are now in a phase where we need to adjust to the current market changes by getting back to and focusing on what we do best, working hard for home owners and vendors, after having been in a very active market in the last few years."

SALES STATS AND COMMENTS BY JEN BAIRD (CEO, REiNZ)

Auckland sales summary from REINZ May monthly report, compared to April 2021

• Median price up 4.5%
• Sales count down 41.3%
• Days to sell increased 9 days Compared to March 2022
• Median price down 2.5%
• Seasonally adjusted median price down 0.9%
• Sales count down 34.5%
• Seasonally adjusted sales count down 2.1%
• Days to sell increased 1 day

The current days-to-sell of 40 days is more than the 10-year average for April, which is 34 days.

There were 23 weeks of inventory in April 2022, which is 14 weeks more than the same time last year.

Jen Baird says: “We’re now in the phase of the property cycle where demand has weakened, sale counts are down but prices remain high. We’re seeing a slowdown in activity, there is more stock staying on the market for longer, and while annual price growth is more moderate, the month-on-month trend shows a fall in median prices."

She goes on to say that those who are backed by equity and secure in a job market with a low unemployment rate will continue to see opportunity in the market as more stock increases choice and prices ease. Owner-occupiers are the most present and active in the market, so while we see a softening in the mid-to-low price range, interest is solid in the mid-to-high bracket.

TEAM MEMBER: KAIEA BRIDGES, Apprentice Master Builder

A recent addition to the Eden Homes construction team is Kaiea (Kai) Bridges. While he grew up in Brisbane, Kai’s family roots are in Kiribati. He’s quickly adapted to the Kiwi way of life due to having so many Kiribati family members in New Zealand who have helped him feel at home.

As well as jumping the ditch, Kai has jumped from a degree in IT to a building apprenticeship. Why? We’ll let him explain that.

“I was studying for a computer science qualification at uni and passing everything, which was all good. But I wasn’t happy about being inside at a desk all day. Then, during a uni break, I worked in a carpentry job for about three months. I really enjoyed it, so I decided to change direction and pursue a building apprenticeship instead.”

As a bright spark, Kai was able to pick and choose between apprenticeship opportunities. We’re really glad he chose Eden Homes.

“I’m fortunate to spend each day on site working with highly skilled chippies who are encouraged by the company to make sure everything’s 110%. Attention to detail is everything.”

“I just love the homes we build. It’s good for me to see such interesting designs because I’m starting to gain my own vision and ideas. It’s easy to be proud of the homes, especially the workmanship that goes into them. I also like how landscaping is a big part of a job, so that the owners get a fully completed home.”

When we asked Kai what aspect of his work he liked the most, it was all about seeing a home appear from the ground up.

“The most satisfying part of the job is looking at the progress that’s been made at the end of each week and knowing that you’ve done it with your own hands. It’s pretty cool.”

WINTER GARDENING TIPS

Wait for a fine winter’s day and give your garden some cold weather love. The work you do now will prepare the way for a blooming marvellous spring show.

Mulch like you mean it:

To protect your garden from cold weather, add a 5cm layer of mulch around your plants. This will conserve moisture and also put valuable nitrogen back into the soil. You can super-charge your mulch with dressings of blood and bone, sheep pellets or horse manure. If you have deciduous trees on your property, fallen leaves can be used as mulch.

In the orchard:

• Winter is a good time for planting fruit trees. Select the healthiest specimens with straight stems, then plant into a garden mix for the best possible start. Stake newly-planted trees, to help them survive strong winds.
• Apply layers of mulch and a sprinkle of appropriate fertilizer around fruiting trees and shrubs.
• Autumn’s best for pruning, but you can also prune fruit trees in early winter before buds start forming.
• A copper-based spray is the most effective way of controlling leaf curl in stone fruit trees. The old trick of copper nails banged into the trunk is an absolute no-no.

In the flower garden:

• Deadhead any plants that have finished flowering for the season to encourage new foliage and flowers.
• Get garden beds ready for new season's planting by adding compost, sheep pellets and fertilizer.
• Prune roses, shrubs and any perennials that are looking untidy.
• Bring frost tender patio plants into a sheltered position.
• Keep on top of weeding and apply mulch around plants to suppress weeds.

In the vege garden:

• Plant broad beans, bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, kale, celery, onions, spring onions, spinach and silverbeet.
• Plant root vegetables in well-dug soil – carrots and parsnips do well in an Auckland winter.
• Vegetable gardens can also be rested in winter. Plant a beneficial crop of lupin or mustard, which can eventually be dug into the soil to add nitrogen.