MOVING ON

Leaving a tiny apartment in Auckland for a big house in Blenheim came with so many blessings

- Catherine Steel

Sometimes Fay Clarke pinches herself and is reminded that the spacious historic three-bedroom villa she shares with her family is all theirs.

After struggling to enter the Auckland property market, she, her husband Julian and son Tyson found it unaffordable and had to fall back on cramped rental apartments.

But the stars aligned in 2021 when Julian, a logistics manager, was given the chance to transfer to Blenheim for work. Fay, a business events development manager, was on maternity leave at the time, and after the couple viewed the property in Blenheim, they knew it had potential.

“The home was being rented, and we had been through and loved it,” says Fay. “I grew up in The Netherlands – this house is a classic example of what I would have seen growing up in my hometown; it would fit right in.”

Placing an offer before their flight to Auckland departed, by the time the plane touched down, it was accepted.

“We moved down to Blenheim in May 2021, and the house, which was amazing on the outside – was desperate for love on the inside,” Fay says. “As soon as our flight landed, we started planning where to start renovating and what took priority. In Auckland the property market offers you a small apartment for around one million dollars whereas in Blenheim you can buy a standalone house for less.”

The couple’s two-storey, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home features a lounge, TV room, kitchen and dining room downstairs, opening to a pool area and garden.

“It was a real blessing for us,” Fay says. “A large, standalone house with a garden was excellent coming from a tiny two-bedroom rental apartment.”

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