Déan and Lilla, Northcote
First home buyers Déan and Lilla are thrilled to have settled into their brand new Universal KiwiBuild home. Northcote is the perfect location for the couple, close to work and just minutes from beautiful North Shore beaches plus plenty of amenities. “Buying with Universal really was an awesome experience! The entire way, the Universal team put in extra effort and stepped us through the process so well. They made it all so simple,” explains Déan.
First home buyer dreams
But the road to finding their Northcote pad wasn’t an easy one initially. The couple house-hunted for eight months. During that time they missed out on purchasing a number of homes. Looking back, they began to wonder how they could increase their deposit to avoid the constant disappointment. “You just can’t though, at the time. We were over our limit financially, and we had pretty much given up,” says Déan.
Unable to get a foothold in the property market, the couple decided they’d need to park their dream of looking for their own home for the time being, and move into a rented shared flat with some friends to save money and increase their deposit. “We thought we would bide our time, and just see what happens later on down the track,” explains Déan.
“The stars aligned in ridiculous ways”
After moving into a shared flat, one of their flatmates suggested that they should consider some upcoming Northcote KiwiBuild homes which he’d heard about, and thought they may like. Déan and Lilla immediately went to have a look at the Universal Homes Northcote showhome, loved what they saw, and got their documentation in order for their ballot entry. “I think we submitted it just a day before it closed! We were thankful to have got in right before entries shut,” says Déan.
“One day a few weeks later we both got this email – to be honest, I initially thought it was spam. It said congratulations, and you’ve won a home. My girlfriend rang me, and we discussed if it could really be true. The email had Universal Homes New Home Consultant Srecko’s number on it. So, I rang him a bit cautiously to find out more. We were absolutely thrilled to have won a KiwiBuild home! It really felt just unbelievable. The stars aligned in ridiculous ways!”
A simple purchase process
Explaining how they found the buying process as first time buyers, Déan and Lilla comment, “Overall, the process was so simple. All we had to do was pay a small sum as the initial contribution towards the deposit to enable the sale and purchase documentation to be written up. Then as the second step, we paid the remainder of the deposit. This worked so well for us as first home buyers as like many others, we were a bit light on deposit. The Universal process made it more manageable for us. It was so much easier than buying a home already on the open market.”
“Buying with Universal really was an awesome experience! The entire way through, it felt like the Universal team really enjoyed putting in that extra effort. They stepped us through the process so well. Our New Home Consultant Srecko was genuinely excited for us, and the team ensured inspections and so forth were all super easy. Now that we’ve moved in, post-settlement support has been really efficient. There’s peace of mind knowing that we have that support from Universal for our first year.”
Buying off the plan
When it came to their decision to buy off the plan with Universal, the couple has this to say: “Buying off the plan means that you need an open mind, since you can’t see what you’re buying in the flesh. We thought these homes had an excellent design and layout, and we had full confidence in Universal to deliver as such a long-standing home builder. If you’re willing and able to wait, buying off the plan has the added benefit of being able to save more as the house is built. Plus, you get a brand new home that no one has lived in before, with all the modern conveniences like double glazing and full insulation.”
Terrace home benefits
Asked about how they’re finding terrace home living, the couple enthuse, “The acoustics have really surprised us! It’s so much better than we thought it might be. We can’t hear our neighbours at all. That was one of the things we were most worried about. Not hearing neighbours and the privacy that goes with that means a lot when it comes to daily life.” Déan adds, “I think the best thing about our home is the 2.7m high stud! Standard stud is usually 2.44m. This is considered a high-end, luxury height. It really makes a big difference in daily living and ensures the rooms are lighter, look bigger, and feel more spacious.”
Location, location
The Northcote Development embodies an easy lifestyle, situated in a prime position just 8km from the CBD and handy to a plethora of great amenities including walking distance from vibrant local shopping and AUT University’s Northern campus. “Location is important to us, and was a real drawcard with Universal’s Northcote homes,” add Déan and Lilla. “Looking on a map and seeing how close to the city Northcote is, was pretty amazing. The area is so well located. It’s in such a great spot; Takapuna is only five minutes away, you can head straight up North very easily, and it’s only one exit off the motorway to the city.”
Creating quality homes
It’s been a real pleasure for our team to work with first home buyers Déan and Lilla, and support them in achieving their dream of finding a new home. Creating quality new homes in well-connected locations has been our passion for over three generations, as we’ve helped tens of thousands of content Kiwi homeowners find their new home. Our award-winning team is proud to design and build outstanding value, quality, stylish, and secure new homes. We believe in connecting you to a community where you can thrive, with a home to make your very own.
