Papakura Living

**Bytor** · 4th August 2006, 16:05

Being a tight arsed git, I've found that buying a house around Howick is too fuckin expensive, so what is Papakura like? Is it a up and coming area or a shithole? Looking at spending $500k which seems to get a lot more house for ya dollar than Howick/Cockle Bay way.
Have 2 kids under 3, so childcare facilities are pretty high on the list as well as good schools for the future.

Anyone live around that way that can give me some info?

Cheers

**Mrs Busa Pete** · 4th August 2006, 16:20

Originally Posted by NZ-ZX

Being a tight arsed git, I've found that buying a house around Howick is too fuckin expensive, so what is Papakura like? Is it a up and coming area or a shithole? Looking at spending $500k which seems to get a lot more house for ya dollar than Howick/Cockle Bay way.
Have 2 kids under 3, so childcare facilities are pretty high on the list as well as good schools for the future.

Anyone live around that way that can give me some info?

Cheers

Stick to howick or even pakaranga much nicer area for kids

**McJim** · 4th August 2006, 16:25

We have friends that moved out to Papakura recently - so far they think it's good - no problems. They've got 2 young 'uns so I'll ask the wife how they're getting on and get back to you. Cost of houses in East Auckland is obscene though - How can they justify $500K and over for all these houses - do that many people really earn $125K or more per year coz that's how much you need to earn to get on the property ladder out east these days.

**gijoe1313** · 4th August 2006, 16:39

Papakura is a nice place. Plenty of range of housing depending on what your budget is - plus you don't get screwed on the rates like other suburbs in Auckland (knock on wood so far!).

Currently there is a lot of development going on in the Takanini/Papakura/Drury areas and its just a matter of popping in and taking a look at the areas yourself.

Alfriston is going through a big patch of change at the moment also. Plus the accessibility to Clevedon/Kawakawa are all good!

I've been living in Takanini for the last 20 years or so - just gotta watch out for the trains!

The schools available are all good, and if you don't think so - the money you save means you could pack them off to private! I'm teaching at Alfriston at the moment and the area is really starting to come up nicely.

**Drum** · 4th August 2006, 16:43

And soon you'll have new traffic lights to help you get on the motorway!
Baaa haaa haaa haaaa. Baaaa haaa haaa haaa.

Seriously though, nothing wrong with Paps.

**Fub@r** · 4th August 2006, 16:48

The north western portion, or south eastern parts of papakura are probably the better parts of town.

If not go a touch north and look at Conifer Grove, nice quiet secure neck of the woods.

**Bytor** · 4th August 2006, 17:17

Originally Posted by Big McJim

We have friends that moved out to Papakura recently - so far they think it's good - no problems. They've got 2 young 'uns so I'll ask the wife how they're getting on and get back to you. Cost of houses in East Auckland is obscene though - How can they justify $500K and over for all these houses - do that many people really earn $125K or more per year coz that's how much you need to earn to get on the property ladder out east these days.

Tell me about it!

We came over from the UK last year with enough money to have been mortgage free if house prices had levelled off 3-4 years ago. Now I've got to double that and take out another 30 year mortgage whilst earning 2/3rds of what I earned in the UK. How the feck do people afford these house prices on the generally lower wages mystifies us. So much for investing in the kids future, health insurance, medical insurance and as for pensions ha not a chance

I'm just not prepared to financially commit suicide by overstretching the mortgage and buy in Cockle Bay etc, as nice as it is.

Cheers Big McJim for looking into it.

**APPLE** · 4th August 2006, 17:19

paps got to many criminals down there man,Takanini's probly the better bet.how bout conifer grove ways?

**McJim** · 4th August 2006, 17:22

Originally Posted by NZ-ZX

Tell me about it!

We came over from the UK last year with enough money to have been mortgage free if house prices had levelled off 3-4 years ago. Now I've got to double that and take out another 30 year mortgage whilst earning 2/3rds of what I earned in the UK. How the feck do people afford these house prices on the generally lower wages mystifies us. So much for investing in the kids future, health insurance, medical insurance and as for pensions ha not a chance

I'm just not prepared to financially commit suicide by overstretching the mortgage and buy in Cockle Bay etc, as nice as it is.

Cheers Big McJim for looking into it.

Sounds like you're in the same boat as me (same area too I'm in Botany) came out here Oct '04. Need to catch up, sink a beer and compare notes - we'd thought about the Papakura route too but the wife has made a few friends out this way - so have the kids so we'll have to see.

**Will** · 4th August 2006, 18:11

Gidday

I live in Papakura. Near the motorway. So I am very handy to everything. We have no plans on leaving the area we are in.
Schooling is the thing to watch. Rosehill is good for a state school and there is Strathallan in Karaka if you want to go private.
If I want to get out on the bike, I can go South, East or West very easily. North thru the Auckland traffic is not so brilliant.

Gotta do your homework and look around to find what best suits you.

**Jantar** · 4th August 2006, 18:59

Originally Posted by NZ-ZX

Being a tight arsed git, I've found that buying a house around Howick is too fuckin expensive, so what is Papakura like? Is it a up and coming area or a shithole? Looking at spending $500k which seems to get a lot more house for ya dollar than Howick/Cockle Bay way.

Yep, Auckland is expensive.

Down here for $500k you'd get a three bedroom house on 10 acres of land, including pond and established trees and within 12 minutes drive of all the schools, preschools etc.

Right in town, for $500k, you'd get a brand new four bedroom house with double garaging.

**Magua** · 4th August 2006, 19:29

My grandparents live in Papakura. I don't think much of the area but their only complaint is the "hoons" who love to speed past the primary school accross the road.

**Winston001** · 4th August 2006, 20:47

Good on you for having $500,000 to spend. Down here that is telephone numbers. But nearby in Queenstown it would only get you an average/low end home.

It beats me how people can afford the prices these days, especially given that our wages are not high.

The property market has been hot for about 4 years now and in the natural order of things, it will slow down. Prices won't exactly drop in any obvious way but it will become easier to buy at a lower price. Always depends on how keen the seller is.

Immigration has fuelled housing. That has now substantially reduced so the slow down should arrive soon. A clue - when real estate agents are doing press releases saying how everything is fine - it means agents are complaining to their bosses. They don't need to say that when the market is booming.

Finally, gotta say it, Location, Location, Location. I've seen it work time and again over 25 years. But in Auckland you can look for areas which are developing or upgrading. Eg. to my tired memory Ponsonby is an urban ghetto full of Islander families. It was where the famous Dawn Raids took place. Yet I believe it is now trendy. Its a funny old world.

**Troll** · 4th August 2006, 20:47

don't do it

Papakura is not that bad but Howick is that much better

Land prices will always go up more in Howick than South Auckland

Manukau council has a deliberate policy to relocate scum out of east auckland into south auckland, lived there for 20 years and watched it slowly go down

Put it this way, when I lived in Papakura but when i went to the flicks I went over Howick way rather than to Manakau City