The town where you can buy your first home for $325K

PHOTO: Fishing fleet in Westport, Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal

A South Island town is increasingly attracting first-home buyers, with average house price at a third of the national average.

Westport has an average price of $325,000 compared with the national average of over $1 million, and that’s appealing to people who cannot afford a house in the main centres and want to work from home.

Daimon Schwalger, an award-winning artist known as The Nomad, has become part of the furniture since moving to the Westport in 2019.

“I never actually thought that I’d end up in a small place like Buller. There’s a really beautiful community connection where people sort of watch out for you,” he said.

After decades as a touring musician and city-dweller, Schwalger and his wife bought a house for $240,000.

Profile your business – FOR 12 MONTHS | $999 plus GST

It became a base for their dream businesses – an audio-visual production company and a massage therapy business – and they haven’t looked back since.

“You’re driving back over that Buller bridge back into town and you’re just loving it, it’s just amazing, and it’s so good to be home.”

Buller District mayor Jamie Cleine said a steady stream of professionals have been arriving from main centres since Covid kicked off.

“Covid has been quite good for regions like Buller. A number of people have discovered that they can work from home, and so that’s opened their eyes to what the Buller has to offer.”