Newlands
Affordable homes, a short drive to Wellington City
Overview
Young families and first home buyers flock to Newlands for its wide range of solid 1960s homes at affordable prices. Only a 10 minute drive into Wellington City, it’s appealing to those who commute, and there are good bus links too. The central shopping area has been revitalised and the suburb offers a good range of schooling options that appeal to the young family market.
Best Suited To
First home buyers, young families wanting to be close to Wellington.
Population Profile
Young families, many of whom are also first home buyers, are the mainstay of Newlands. Prices are affordable and there are a good base of services here. Census statistics show that parents with babies or preschoolers are here in above average numbers. The area is ethnically diverse with above average numbers from the Philippines, Fiji, India and China.
Most households are single family with about 63% owning their homes. Newlands is also popular among young renters. Rental prices are cheaper here than in the city and it’s an easy trip to employment in Johnsonville, Wellington, or Porirua.
Typical Homes
Newlands was originally settled in the early 1900s, but the area remained mostly farmland up until the 1960s. The next twenty years saw the construction of most homes you’ll see in Newlands today. Many of these were built by Beazley Homes, a well known New Zealand company that built homes throughout the country, usually to standard style templates.
The 1990s saw the suburb expand to the east, onto sloping sites with harbour views. Here you will find larger family homes, many with monolithic style cladding. The northern section of Newlands is now a separate suburb, called Woodridge. Woodridge is now an official suburb of Wellington and is described in a separate chapter.
Amenities
Newlands has a central shopping centre, originally constructed in the 1960s. The shopping area became rundown and neglected but has recently been revitalised with the construction of a modern New World supermarket.
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Newlands has three primary schools within its boundaries. These are Newlands School, Bellevue School and Rewa Rewa School. Newlands College features a separate intermediate school and college, situated alongside each other. Onslow College is also a popular high school, set in Johnsonville, a short distance to the west.
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Newlands has a number of neighbourhood parks, dotted about the suburb. There is a new community centre in the central shopping hub and this hosts a number of community activity groups including sewing, dance and fitness classes, the local New Players Theatre Group, church groups, toastmasters, mah-jong, crafts groups, and play groups.
Real Estate Trends
Newlands continues to be a very popular locality for first home buyers and there is something here for most budgets. You can get a fairly basic 1960s three bedroom home, likely original and requiring refurbishment, from about $650,000.
Homes that are well presented and at least partly upgraded, with a good sized section, will be offered in the $750,000 to $950,000 price range. Above $950,000 you can expect to get a larger home, likely four bedrooms with modern interior.
The eastern side of Newlands, commonly known as Bellevue, features modern housing constructed from the 1990s onward. These homes will typically sell in the $1.1 million to $1.6 million price range.
Demand is particularly strong for homes at the cheaper end of the market as these are attractive to first home buyers and investors.
Best Streets
Properties with harbour views normally attract the highest prices.
House Prices
Basic three bedroom house needing renovation, from $650,000.
Tidy and renovated 1960s three bedroom house, from $750,000.
Modern four bedroom home, some harbour views, from $1.1 million.
Travel Times
Central city – driving, eight minutes non-peak, up to 25 minutes peak.
Airport – driving, 20 minutes non-peak.
Hutt Valley – driving, 10 minutes non-peak.
Weather
Central Newlands is a valley set between two hilltops. The valley area is reasonably sheltered, but the hilltops are exposed to wind and weather from the north and south. Consequently, some of the highest Wellington winds can be experienced here. Low cloud and mist occur at times, but particularly during winter.