Manisha’s West Hills Home
“As a first home buyer purchasing off the plan, I had no idea what to expect. The process with Universal Homes has been really easy,” says Manisha, proud homeowner at West Hills in Auckland’s North West. We sat down to chat with Manisha early on in her home-buying journey, then recently caught up with her again now that she has moved in, to find out how it all went for her.
Easy care: apartment benefits
“It’s just me buying by myself, so once I started to look at buying a home I needed to consider what I could afford as an individual,” explains Manisha. “My apartment is just perfect because I have my own outdoor space and a patio, the apartment size is generous, and best of all everything is low maintenance.”
Discussing what attracted her to this home typology, Manisha says, “What drew me to Universal’s apartments at West Hills was their low maintenance benefits as well as their great design. Inside, it’s very open plan, and there’s lots of light. My home is really spacious for an apartment; it’s not too small like many other apartments I’ve seen, so I can enjoy entertaining in my new home which is something that’s important to me.”
Low maintenance lifestyle
Manisha was drawn to the low-maintenance lifestyle benefits at West Hills. “Living in an apartment is so easy, in terms of lifestyle. Being brand new and low maintenance means it’s very easy to clean, manage, and do the gardens.”
“I’ve gone from living in a more traditional freestanding home, to apartment living. This is so much easier to manage when it comes to daily life: there’s less cleaning, less home admin. I enjoy the lack of maintenance aspect, both indoors and out. I have a ground-floor apartment – so I get a patio at the front. I see how long my parents and other friends spend gardening, and when it came to finding my own new home, I wanted something simpler. It was so cool to see the garden and landscaping as the build progressed, and how well it’s been planned in terms of easy maintenance: perfect for a first home buyer like me. It requires very little from me – no lawns to mow is such a bonus!”
New home perks
“Moving into a brand new home is really different to living in a pre-existing older home, which is what I was used to before. It’s so much nicer! Everything is clean and fresh, and just so easy. Maintenance-wise, there’s really nothing to do. It’s great because you just move in, and that’s it. Everything is done for you: it’s all good to go. There’s no need for any renovations, which is so good!”
Manisha bought her new home off the plan, which means she agreed to purchase a property, while it was still in the process of being built. Asked how she found this as a first home buyer, she says, “Everything that was on the plans, was exactly how it ended up. It was all very accurate. The plans gave me a good representation of what I was going to get.”
We’re with you each step of the way
“Buying with Universal has been excellent. The communication has been great all the way through, even when it came to uncontrollable circumstances and covid delays due to lockdowns. My Sales Consultant Adrienne has been really amazing, and so helpful with all my questions. I’ve been able to view my home in progress at milestone points, including a visit for curtain measurements. When I was going unconditional a few covid-related issues arose but Universal resolved it all really quickly, so it was all pretty stress-free for me.”
Reflecting on the buying process, Manisha adds, “As a first home buyer who has never done this before, everyone has been very helpful, and the whole team is very informative. If there was something I didn’t know, they were so great, which made the process easy for me. It has meant that I’ve enjoyed the process of buying my first home, which is not something you hear as often. It’s been very exciting.”
Lifestyle meets convenience
Designed and built to suit the demands of an increasingly busy Auckland, West Hills provides an exceptionally well-connected location and a great lifestyle choice in Auckland’s North West, allowing easy access to the CBD, North Shore, and all the outdoor adventures of the West Coast.
“I love the whole Westgate area,” explains Manisha. “I grew up in West Auckland: it’s my home. I was drawn to West Hills because it’s so close to Westgate, the NorthWest mall, motorway access – it’s just such a great location! Everything I need is within walking distance, including my gym and the supermarket. The convenience of my family being nearby is handy, too.”
“West Hills has a lovely homely, family feeling. The area is also very quiet, which attracted me. There’s a strong community vibe, and the neighbours are so friendly. I’m getting to know the other people in my apartment block, as we all moved in at the same time which has meant we have a bit of a shared bond.”
For everyone who wants a home that’s truly their own
Warm, dry, light, and low maintenance: our homes embody considered design with an on-trend aesthetic, across each of our typologies. Enjoy all the perks of a brand-new healthy home including double glazing plus the latest appliances and fittings, all wrapped up in our easy-to-care-for designs. We are proud to offer an industry-leading 10-year Master Build Guarantee on all of our homes. For everyone who wants a home that’s truly their own, there’s Universal Homes.
