2020 Property and Construction Honours — Development of the Year

Selected development: Pacific Gardens

Reasons for selection: An outstanding location, first-class construction quality, convenient amenities, boundless growth potential and affordable prices… Pacific Gardens offers everything you could imagine in a good home.

Located in central Manukau, Auckland, Pacific Gardens covers approximately 9.4 hectares, with total investment of around NZ$750,000,000. The development is planned to include 1600 homes, spanning property types including townhouses, apartments and hotels. Once completed, it will become a landmark residential community in South Auckland.

The development comprises three phases. In the first phase, stages 1A, 1B and 1C have all sold out, with settlements to be completed progressively. Stage 1D arrived to acclaim in September 2020, primarily offering townhouses with 2 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms, or 3 bedrooms with 1.5 or 2.5 bathrooms. The release immediately sparked intense market interest, selling 61 homes in less than two months. The 7 releases offered so far have almost sold out, with several selling out on their launch day. Scarce availability and glowing reviews have made Pacific Gardens a truly standout Auckland development in 2020.

Why is Pacific Gardens selling so well? Its popularity is closely tied to its combination of attractive qualities. In other words, buyers here can have the best of both worlds.

An established location with strong growth potential

Pacific Gardens is located in central Manukau, close to the on-ramps for State Highways 1 and 20. With both motorways nearby, the CBD is just 25 minutes away. Amenities including Westfield, Auckland Botanic Gardens, MIT, Tai Ping supermarket and the train station are within 1.5 kilometres, putting everyday convenience within easy reach.

Under Auckland’s 2050 plan, Manukau is also a key hub for the city’s southward expansion and an area of rapid urban growth. With several government infrastructure projects being delivered, the area has considerable development potential.

Diverse homes, each with bestseller appeal

As a large residential community, Pacific Gardens has consistently avoided uniformity in its home designs. For the façades, for example, the designers use contemporary architectural techniques and varied horizontal and vertical lines to give the buildings rhythm and clarity. Each block has its own character, creating cohesion while retaining individuality.

For its floor plans, Pacific Gardens focuses on regular layouts, natural light and elegance, creating a range of highly popular designs. Overall, the layouts are well proportioned and make exceptionally efficient use of space. Generous glazing creates bright, airy interiors; titled parking spaces provide direct access to the home; and the properties have freehold titles and a 10-year building warranty.

First-class quality at entry-level prices

Despite its first-class construction quality, Pacific Gardens offers entry-level pricing. In the seventh release, 2-bedroom homes with a single parking space currently start at just NZ$675,000, while 3-bedroom homes with two parking spaces start at NZ$779,000. In Auckland, where the average house price has already exceeded NZ$1,070,000 according to August 2020 data, this represents

a clear advantage in the total purchase price. This price advantage also makes Pacific Gardens suitable for both owner-occupiers and investors.

Owner-occupiers can buy their first home in the city with a relatively low deposit. For investors, Pacific Gardens offers an excellent investment opportunity, whether measured by capital growth potential or rental yield.

The final release of homes in the first phase’s stage 1D is expected to launch in late 2020 or early 2021, primarily offering 3F freehold townhouses. This limited release will be available to overseas buyers. Stay tuned.