Green Homes in New Zealand HHINT-1607H

Episode HHINT-1607H

Live Off the Grid on the Great Barrier Island of New Zealand

Watch this episode at http://www.hulu.com/watch/175931
Great Barrier Island off the coast of Auckland in New Zealand otherwise known as “The Barrier”
http://greatbarrier.aucklandnz.com/
Exclusive community. Property is mostly holiday homes. 600 permanent residents on the island. Homeowners must provide their own means of producing water and power through solar or wind power and other green means.

Highlights of location

Climate

The climate in New Zealand is dependent on the island. Great Barrier Island is a small island located about 90km northeast of Auckland within the territory of the North Island of New Zealand. The climate here is subtropical lending itself to 50-60°F temperatures year round. Don't forget that Australia and New Zealand's seasons are opposite from the United States, so June, July, and August are the coolest months here.

Geography/Topography (mountains, seashore, city)

60% of the island is government nature reserve which allows many endangered birds and wildlife a haven. The island has diverse terrain from white sand beaches to the tallest mountain, Mount Hirakimata, at 2,037 feet.

Attractions

The Barrier is an eco-friendly island and a great place for nature lovers. Take a walk or ride a bike on the many nature tracks, visit the regenerating forest, play a round of golf or visit the art museum.

Links

http://www.thebarrier.co.nz/index.htm

Names of Buyers

Erica and Archie grow citrus fruit in Kin Kin, Queensland, Australia.

Climate

They live along the Sunshine Coast, need I say more?

Geography

Coastal city.

Why are they buying a home internationally?

Need to get away from the city traffic. They want to spend less time working and more time with their children living off the grid.

Wish list

3 Beds
Power and water set up
Additional water supply
Couple of acres of land
$350-400K

Names of Realtors

Karen Edwards at Barrier Properties +64-09-439-0010. I could not find any info regarding Barrier Properties nor Karen Edwards. However, I have listed here a couple of real estate sites for the area.
http://century21.co.nz/index.cfm?pagecall=misc&pagemode=officeProfile&agentID=1808
http://www.greatbarrierrealty.com/

House Search

House #1

Unfinished

East side of island. Work in progress. Single Family home with 3 bedrooms. Listed at $400K but negotiable.
Great water view. Fireplace. But no power or water yet and it needs a lot of work.

House #2

Dark paneling

Western side of island in the Midlands. Three bedroom Single Family Residence on about one acre of land for $375K including power and water. Great water view, but the living room has dark wood paneling and the bedrooms are small.

House #3

Overbudget

This house is listed at $425K but includes 10 acres of land and comes ready with power and water supply, including stream water. Would be great for a growing a nursery.

Which house was selected and why?

House #1 was selected. The couple were able to negotiate the price down to $350K which gave them room to make all of the necessary improvements and the final house would be based on their taste. Brought it up to speed within 6 months.