Hamilton’s newest and most innovative street – Springside Court in Rototuna – will be officially opened by the City’s mayor at the end of July, marking a new way of living in the northern suburbs.
On Sunday July 30 at 2pm Hamilton mayor Andrew King will open the cul-de-sac street of 14 architecturally designed duplex townhouses.
The public are invited to the event, which will also include a sausage sizzle, and can walk through the modern townhouses, which are priced from $650,000.
Lodge real estate agent Cathy O’Shea, who is marketing the properties, says it’s a golden opportunity to purchase property in a new street in one of the most desirable suburbs in Hamilton.
“At $650,000 these townhouses are entry level for the north-east,” says O’Shea. “Smart investors and people looking for a modern, designer home that they can ‘lock-up-and-leave’ will find Springside Court very attractive.”
Springside Court is located on a quiet cul-de-sac street off Borman Road. It is close to the Rototuna shopping centre, supermarkets, parks and several decile 10 primary schools, as well as the new Rototuna Junior High School and Senior High School.
The proposed Rototuna Town Centre, which will include a library, swimming pool, transport hub, council buildings and mall, will be built further along Borman Rd. Springside Court is also convenient to the Waikato Expressway, the Hamilton Ring Road and other city arterials roads.
The median selling price for Rototuna in May 2017 was $745,000 and Flagstaff was $791,000.
O’Shea says “Rototuna is an area everyone wants to be in” and that the value of bare land there has “shot up” in the past few years.
“I’ve lived in Hamilton for more than 25 years and I’ve seen the growth, particularly in the northern suburbs. It’s supply and demand, it’s that simple.”
“There are new schools and new amenities concentrated in this one small area,” says O’Shea. “There is an accumulation of decile 10 primary schools in the north-east, and the school zoning is relatively tight. All of this means that Flagstaff, Rototuna and the north is a great place to be, and has led to unprecedented demand for property here.”
In November 2014 the price of bare land in Rototuna was $87 per square metre and now it’s $499 per sqm. “That means residential zoned land here used to cost $680,000 per hectare in 2014, and now it’s $4,990,000 per hectare with services.”
O’Shea says with such demand, it’s important to think differently about housing and the way land is used to build residential dwellings.
“One way of making more housing available in an area is to have varying degrees of housing intensity, including freehold duplexes and townhouses. At Springside Court the developer could have done five big sections, but he’s created 14 unique and stylish townhouses that are all on their own freehold title.”
The average section size in Springside Court will be just over 200 square metres. “Kiwis are just getting used to the idea that 500sqm is small, so it’s a change in thinking about how we live,” says O’Shea. “This has become more common in Auckland, but this style of living is relatively new for Hamilton.”
O’Shea emphasizes that the development, although more intensive, is designed and built to the highest standards. “They are beautiful homes, just beautiful,” says O’Shea.
Designed by Rototuna-based firm Byrne+Enright Architects and built by Hamilton Master Builders Da-Silva Builders, each townhouse has a uniquely designed exterior of white brick, Linea and vertical Colorsteel.
Each three-bedroom townhouse is fully landscaped and on a freehold section. Properties are orientated for the sun, have elegant flow from the stylish kitchen through to the large outdoor deck, and come with high-end Bosch appliances. The kitchen and dining room area are ideal for entertaining, with a stone-top bench, a gas hob for the home chef and double sink for convenience. The three double bedrooms are spacious and modern.
LED downlights, double glazing, continuous gas hot water and a 6kw Fujitsu heat pump add to the comfort and warmth of each home. The townhouses also have three bathrooms, an extra luxury which gives everyone privacy and space. This includes a main bathroom, an ensuite bathroom and a third guest toilet with hand basin downstairs. In keeping with its high-end design, ceilings are high, showers are spacious and fully tiled and the internal access garage is carpeted.
O’Shea said the townhouses would appeal to Baby Boomers and professionals. “They are low maintenance, comfortable and luxurious. They are ideal for people whose children have left home and want to downsize, or professionals who travel a lot and want a place they can easily ‘lock-up-and-leave’.”
She said Springside Court will also have a sense of community. “People in a small cul-de-sac tend to look out for each other, and all the houses face the street.”
Lodge Real Estate Hamilton’s managing director Jeremy O’Rourke says Springside Court is an excellent option for people looking to get a foothold in north-east Hamilton. “This is luxury-townhouse living in the heart of a friendly suburban community,” says O’Rourke. “It’s got everything you want – location, easy access to shopping, schools and recreational areas, and the price is right too. What’s not to love?”
Mr O’Rourke says the properties will also appeal to investors, and the rental appraisal is estimated at $480 to $530 per week.
All homes come with the Master Builders 10-year guarantee. Landscaping has been designed to complement the colours of the townhouses and includes magnolia and liquid amber trees, red and silver flax plants, grasses and hedging.
One buyer has already moved in to Springside Court, and there are five houses for sale at $650,000. The remaining eight townhouses are for sale at $680,000.
The event officially launches at 2pm on Sunday July 30 at Springside Court, off Borman Road in Rototuna. A free sausage sizzle, sponsored by Cathy O’Shea from Lodge Real Estate’s Rototuna office, will be from 2-3pm.
