The Lure Of The Suburbs

Grace New Zealand Blog

While apartments and terrace houses may be a way of alleviating the housing crisis, most New Zealanders still crave the suburban dream of a stand-alone house.

According to the New Zealand Herald, residents from medium density developments in three city suburbs were interviewed about their living conditions as part of Auckland University’s ‘Future Intensive: Insights for Auckland Housing’ report.

The report found most of the 84 participating households said their way of living was just temporary and for affordability reasons.

“The aspiration for suburbia, no matter how unrealistic, is a barrier to the promotion of a compact city that needs to be better understood,” the report stated.

Currently, Auckland has a deficit of 20,000 to 30,000 houses and needs to average 13,000 new homes a year for the next 30 years to cope with the growing population. To address the issue Auckland Council recently released the Unitary Plan, which has earmarked 56 per cent of Auckland for an increase in high density housing.

Yet the University’s report could have significant ramifications on the Unitary Plan, which is still open for public consultation.

“If living in these newer developments is viewed by residents as a transitory stage in their lives, then there are implications for developing the vibrant, liveable, community-orientated local environments promoted in the plan,” the report stated.

It’s not just Aucklanders who dream of bigger homes. A new report released by Statistics New Zealand said although the average size of households is decreasing the size of new houses is increasing.

Census data shows that houses with four or more bedrooms increased from 19 per cent in 1991 to 28 per cent in 2006. Over the same period, building consents show that the average floor area per new residential dwelling increased from 139m2 to 191m2.

While a future Auckland may not be able to provide the suburban dream, Grace Removals can. We have three strategically placed branches around the country and can relocate you and your family to anywhere in New Zealand or the world.

Share

Related Posts

Recent Posts

More Posts

Share

Request an online quote

Save time and submit an online moving quote. We'll quickly get back to you with indicative pricing and answer any questions you may have.
Quick Quote
What kind of move are you making?
International
National
Local
0800 472 2369