Original subtitles

- I'm on a hunt to help find everyday Kiwis their perfect country house.

Things are a little different out here in the country.

You still have the hustle and bustle.

Your neighbours can sometimes be a bit noisy.

Time moves a little slower.

But you don't get this in the city.

www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2024

Today we're house hunting with Hannah and Josh in the beautiful Hutt Valley.

Now, there are a couple of different ones on this house hunt today ―

a backyard that's basically forest;

Welcome to this beautiful native bush that could be all yours.

It's incredible, isn't it? - Amazing. - Yeah, it's beautiful.

- ...then a backyard with its very own creek.

- I think the dogs would have an adventure in there, wouldn't they?

- They'd be living in there for sure. - Yeah.

- Plus I get out of my comfort zone for some wet and wild rafting.

Hopefully we can find Hannah and Josh their perfect home in the Hutt Valley.

- We've been together for a few years now, but we've been married for a year.

We just celebrated our first wedding anniversary.

- Yeah. - We're a blended family.

We've got four children ― three on Josh's side and one on mine.

- And three fur babies. - Two dogs and a cat.

We looked at Hutt Valley because it's got a nice community feel, we think,

and it's just close to everything.

Good access to the trails up in Belmont Park.

- We've heard lots of things about groups in the Hutt Valley

that have got things that adults and kids can get involved in, like skating nights,

and just stuff that we can do together as a family is what we're really looking for.

- Hannah and Josh are up for doing a little bit of handiwork if need be.

And they're after something with a functional outdoor space for the kids and their fur babies.

With a budget of 1 million, I'm hoping I can find this couple their perfect family home.

The Hutt Valley is only a 30-minute drive from Wellington.

But as you'll see throughout the house hunt,

this idyllic region offers no shortage of natural beauty.

And with plenty of outdoor activities for the family to enjoy,

it's no wonder that Hannah and Josh have honed in on this little piece of the North Island.

Now, this first house on our journey gets us off to a strong start.

It has a healthy dose of character

and the established vegetation gives it some privacy from the street.

So let's get this house hunt started.

So, are we ready to do a bit of house hunting today?

How are we feeling? - Really looking forward to it. Excited.

- So, tell me a little bit about why we are in the Hutt Valley today.

Why this area in particular?

- Well, we've got kids that go to school in the Hutt Valley,

so we're looking to get a bit closer to that and all their after-school activities and thingslike that.

- Yeah. We live in a suburb nearer the city.

And we really like being near bush, and there's a lot more reserves and stuff out here.

So having something, like, on our doorstep

that we could walk out into with our dogs and stuff would be really awesome.

- Amazing. But nottoorural.

You're hoping to be close enough to the city, but with that rural field?

- Yeah, that's right. - A balance of both would be amazing.

- Well, I think this area totally lives up to that.

I think this is gonna be great for you two.

So, one-year wedding anniversary celebrated recently. Congratulations. - Thank you.

- Tell me a little bit about how you two met.

- We met the modern way, didn't we? - Yeah. - Online, we met.

We were both busy with our kids and stuff.

So we're a blended family. I've got one child as well.

So, yeah, we met online, and, um...

Yeah, it was about four years or so ago now.

And we've been married a year.

- What was his opening line on the app? Do you remember?

- I remember it being something about being a big ball of cheese.

And I thought, 'I like cheese. We'll go that way.' Yeah.

- So, upsizing ― that's the word, isn't it?

We want a bit more space from the current house that you're in.

- Yeah. We're in a three-bedroom house,

and we've got four children, two dogs and the two of us.

- Yeah. It's quite small three-bedroom. Yeah.

Small section. - Every other week, it's pretty cosy.

- Well, knowing what you guys need, I reckon I've found three fantastic options for you today.

So shall we start the hunt with house number one?

- That'd be great. - Yes, let's do it. - Let me tell you about this house.

It's a 1970s character home ― sort of an A-frame style architecture, which I really like.

It's quite quirky. Are you ready to take a look around?

- Yeah, let's go. - Let's start. - Awesome.

- So, welcome in.

'70s is probably the word for it.

It's in '70s style, but it has been modernised.

Underfloor insulation.

It's got solar panels on the roof. It's even got an EV charger.

So you're all good to go if you get the EV ― future focused.

How does it feel to you two?

- A bit quirky, but yeah, I quite like it.

- Yeah, I think when I first walked in, it felt really welcoming and warm,

and you can just tell that there's been a lot of love put into the house.

- There's little interesting pieces all through this home, but I really like the feel of it.

And I know you're gonna love the view from the lounge.

So shall we head through and have a look?

- Awesome. Yes, please. - Come on in.

Have a look at that view of Wellington Harbour.

What do you reckon? - That's amazing.

That's beautiful, isn't it? - It's to die for, really, isn't it?

- So much sun is gonna stream through those windows all day long into this beautifully cosy lounge.

It just feels so warm already.

You've got the nice wooden ceiling, the heat pump, obviously, keeping you warm,

plus double glazing all around the house.

- It's interesting. We've got the same sort of beam in our current house.

- OK. - Yeah, I quite like that, actually.

Yeah, I like the spots of character everywhere.

That really reminds me of, like, an English pub, having beams on the ceiling like that.

So I think that's a bit of nostalgic comfort for me.

- Can you see the family living in a home like this at the moment?

- Yeah. - Yeah, definitely.

Yeah. It's cosy but still quite open, so, yeah, it's really nice.

And that view is amazing. - It is a million-dollar view right there, isn't it?

Hey, well I'll send you off upstairs to have a good look around the rest of the house.

Meanwhile, there's a lot of bush out there, so I'm gonna go bush for a while,

and you can find me out there when you're done.

- Will do. - Awesome. - Cool. See you soon.

- Wow. - Oh, look at that.

It's almost as good as downstairs.

- And, look, you can still see the ocean out of the window there. - Yeah.

All right, shall we go and find out the price from Matt? - Yeah, let's do it.

- Haere mai. Welcome to this beautiful native bush that could be all yours.

- Wow. - It's incredible, isn't it? - It's amazing.

- It's beautiful.

It's something I would have loved to have grown up into.

I just don't know if it's a bit too much work for us. - Yeah.

- So, we do need to talk about price. - Yep.

- Knowing your budget, what do you think this place would come in at?

- I think it will be at the higher end of our budget.

- About a million, I think. - Yeah, probably about a million.

- The good news is, I think we could get this property for the low nines.

- Oh, wow. OK.

I was surprised, actually, that it is within our budget, so that gives me some hope.

I think that's something that we could work with. - Yeah.

- But it'll be interesting to see what the other houses are like that Matt's got to showus.

- Up ahead, there are two more house tours,

one through this 1890s stunner that comes with a waddle of pets,

then we go closer to town to see this modern option, which still has some quirky touches.

And the purple bathroom? - I like it. - I'm all right with the purple.

- Great. Excellent. No need to repaint. - Easy fix. Yeah.

- I'm house hunting in the Hutt Valley region with Josh and Hannah, who are looking to upsize.

We've seen one home so far, which had a lot of features that really impressed.

But I'm keen to show them through this second property,

which even comes with its very own creek.

A bit of a special one, this one, for house number two.

Look at this incredible almost sort of an English manor style home I've brought you to,

with the big ― I think those are conifer trees.

I don't know a lot about trees myself, but we'll go with conifers. - Sounds good.

- This was actually built in the 1890s, this house.

But it originally was on Oriental Parade in Wellington.

So yeah, it's been relocated in the early 2000s. - Wow.

- And when they relocated it, obviously everything was modernised ―

the plumbing, the electrics, it's all brand new. - OK.

- To the point where they've even put in another EV charger.

This house has an EV charger and a Tesla battery on the side for those solar panels.

- OK. - So a real blend of the old and the new here.

- I like it, eh? - Yeah, I really like it.

- Like we said, we like a bit of character in a house, so it's really cool.

All the windows and all stained glass.

It's all really beautiful and provides a bit of history.

- Different living areas in this house.

This is the main living area. I love these high ceilings.

And again, the stained glass windows, those beautiful big sash windows letting all that light in.

- Yeah, it's really interesting, and it's quite beautiful ― like, all the detail.

There's, like, English roses going around the top there.

- Do you feel right at home in this? - Yeah, it's got a bit of that vibe.

I can definitely... It's definitely got some memories of houses that I've seen before.

But yeah, I love the floor, and the sash windows are beautiful.

Yeah, it's really nice. - The character is just amazing.

- There's definitely character in the kitchen, so let's head through and have a look at that.

So, no shortage of wood in this kitchen.

You've got the big large wooden workbench.

Wooden cabinetry as well.

But again, an interesting sort of take on this place.

The style is unique.

- It's very nice, but it's quite dark at the moment.

So I think maybe a little bit of paint might brighten it up a bit.

- Make it feel a bit brighter in here if it was lighter painted.

- Well, there's plenty more to see, so I'll head you off to the main bedroom.

Take a look around, and I'll be down by the creek.

When you're done, come find me. - OK. - See you soon.

- This is pretty grand, isn't it, this room? - Yeah.

Just coming up those stairs was beautiful.

- Yeah. I noticed when we were coming up, there was a lot of detail in the wood again.

And they've got a clawfoot bath in the bathroom. It's beautiful.

- A little balcony over there. - Oh, yeah.

Oh, wow.

- I can really see myself sitting out here in the morning having a coffee.

- Oh yeah, definitely. There's loads of room to have a table and chairs or something.

I love how you can see the hills from here.

Yeah, this is really nice. What's Matt up to down there?

- I've just been trying to spot some eels in that creek.

I reckon your kids might like a bit of eeling down there.

What do you think? - Definitely. I think the dogs would have an adventure in there.

- They'd be living in there for sure. - Yeah.

It is beautiful to have that on your property

and to have the ducks and eels and stuff close by.

- What are your thoughts on house number two so far?

- Yeah, it's quite green and imposing, isn't it, even just standing here and looking up?

- It's so different. It's almost regal, isn't it?

- Yeah. It's definitely got more of a grand vibe to it.

I love all of the character, for sure.

Like, even though house number one was full of character, it's just a different type.

- Yeah. - Well, budget-wise, what do you think this place is coming in at?

- Um, I reckon it might be about high nines ― somewhere around there.

- Yeah, I'd say just on the area, and, you know, it's on a flat section and stuff,

I'd probably go a bit more, actually.

I'd say high nines... - Approaching a million, - Maybe just over a mil. Yeah.

- High eights. - Oh, wow. - Really?

- 895 is the ballpark figure that we're looking at for this beautiful home.

- Really surprised at that. This is a really nice area, as well.

- It's a lot of house for that money, isn't it? - It really is, yeah.

- Two down, one to go. Shall we head to property number three?

- Let's do it. - Let's do it.

Before we get to our final house tour,

I say goodbye to my dry clothes and hello to a rafting adventure,

which truly is a one-of-a-kind experience.

- Now, I know what you're all thinking.

'That Matt Gibb guy ― what a sell-out.'

'That Matt Gibb's lost his edge.'

Well, let me show you that this old dog still knows how to keep it real.

Hamish, how are you, mate? - Good, mate. How are you? - Very good.

I hear you're the man to come and see if you're in Upper Hutt for a little action adventure. Is that right?

- Oh, yeah. We've got plenty to offer here, man.

- And what do people get out of an experience like this, do you reckon?

- So much, man. You know, we really try and connect people to the elements,

teach them a little bit about hydrology and how to raft,

also confidence building, jumping off rocks and whatnot, you know, pushing the limits.

Just heaps of fun for everybody, really.

- Do you find that people really surprise themselves

with what they can do, or what they thought they could do?

- Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

Going down our grade three wilderness river section, it's a journey.

It's 10.5km of rapids, 62 rapids in the river.

You know, it's a real accomplishment,

and you can see that people get that sense after doing a big mission like that,

and they're pretty surprised that we do it every day.

- It must be awesome for you, though, getting to see that reaction from people.

- Oh, that's why I do it, man.

It's the main reason why I'm a raft guide,

is to be able to share this passion that I have for rafting with other people.

- And having an experience like that so close to a major city, as well.

- Oh, tell me about it, you know.

40 minutes' drive from the CBD, you can go and do these amazing adventures

and then shoot off to Brewtown afterwards

for a few beers and a feed with the boys and have a good time.

- Sounds like a good day, mate. You've definitely whet my appetite.

I reckon it's time to get out there and head to the river.

- Let's go get wet, eh? - Let's do it. - Yeah.

Well, that's about all the adrenaline I can handle for one trip.

So let's return to the job on hand and see if we can get Hannah and Josh into a home.

So, our third and final option of the day.

This one is a really cute 1900s villa.

And so you've got that classic villa feel, but with some modern improvements to it.

It's been renovated quite a lot over the last 10 to 15 years.

And it's in a great location, so we are really close to the town and really close to the foreshore.

So amazing location, great for kids, zoning for schools.

- Mm-hm. - I think this could be a great option for you.

- Yeah, looks good. - Yeah, definitely.

- What do you think of the house from the front? - I love the character.

It fits in with all the other houses around the area,

and it looks like it's been done really nicely.

- It's got a nice family feel that I thought could suit you guys. - Yeah, definitely.

- Shall we take a look around? - That'd be great. - OK.

- So, you just saw the main living area as we walked through.

I can just imagine you guys having one of your movie nights in there.

Nice cosy family area. - Definitely.

- But this ― I love this big, spacious, modern kitchen.

It's an up-to-date kitchen, all the mod cons,

and double glazing throughout the house, as well as central gas heating as well.

So it's modern, it's new, it's warm and it's quiet.

- Yeah. Well, you've always wanted a kitchen island, and so there you go ― there's one.

- Yeah, definitely, I think that you've made it if you've got an island in your kitchen.

Definitely. Yeah, I can really see us in a place like this.

- Plenty to see in this house, so I'll leave you have a look at the main bedrooms,

as well as the bathroom ― make sure you have a look at that on your way through.

If you like purple, you're gonna love it.

If you don't, you can get a roller out.

I'll be outside when you're done. I'll see you then.

- Great. - Cheers.

- This is bright, isn't it? - Yeah. Really bright. Nice high ceilings again, though.

- Yeah. It's got some good storage space in there.

- It's quite small for a main bedroom. - Yeah.

- But then you have got all of this storage and stuff, which is quite good.

So I don't think you'd need much more than your bed out, probably.

- What do you think about the rest of the house? Not quite big enough?

- The location is great, but I think for our family it might just be a bit too small.

- Yeah. - Um,... yeah.

- Kia ora korua. - Kia ora.

- Some lovely outdoor areas at this house.

Obviously you saw the front garden. It's kind of a beach vibe, almost. - It's awesome.

- There's a vegetable patch out the back there.

You were into a vegetable garden weren't you? - Definitely. Yep.

- Plus this little alfresco dining spot.

What do we think about this house after having a good look around?

- Just its location is brilliant.

The gardens, as you said, are really, really nice.

I like the kind of beach vibe of the garden out the front.

And then out back, this has kind of got that really nice flow,

and you can imagine entertaining out here.

- Yeah, kids running around, dogs running around.

- Fully fenced as well, for those dogs.

- Yeah. I reckon you could just move in and not have to do anything. - That's right.

- And the purple bathroom? - I like it. - I'm all right with the purple.

- Great. Excellent. No need to repaint. - Easy fix. Yeah.

- So, we do need to talk about the price. - Yeah.

- What's your guess? - Sort of around 940, 950, something like that.

- I think a bit higher. I think the location itself, I think between 960, 980.

- OK. One of you is right.

- Oh, it won't be― it's probably not me.

- I'm sorry. It's not.

He's bang on, actually ― about 950 is what we're thinking for this house. - Wow.

Lower than I expected, for the location more than anything else.

It's within budget.

I think it's something that's definitely on the table for us to talk through.

- Have a chat to your kids as well. They'll have something to say, I'm sure.

And we'll get back together again and see if you've made your mind up.

- Yeah. - Sounds good. - Awesome.

- So after giving Hannah and Josh a bit of time to discuss their options with the rest of thefamily,

it's time to check back in and see if they're gonna make a move on one of those houses.

Josh, Hannah, how are you? - Good, thanks. Yourself? - Yeah, good.

Nice to catch up with you again on another windy day here in the Hutt Valley.

- Yeah, it's certainly that.

- So you've had a bit of time to kind of talk through the houses that we looked at.

- Yeah. - Did one house sort of stand up above the rest?

- Yeah. It did. Yeah.

- Well, before you reveal your decision, let's talk through those houses again.

The first place we looked at was nestled in that native bush,

a really beautiful home on multiple levels.

What did you like about that one?

- I liked the character in the home and the fact that it just felt fun.

It felt warm, but it felt fun. And I liked all the native bush.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- I felt like it had enough space for us as a family, as well. Yeah.

- The second home we looked at, built in the 1890s, relocated from Wellington,

such an amazing different sort of a house, wasn't it?

- I mean, it's got a lot of space. It's really big and open.

- The outside space, having the wee creek there and stuff, was really nice.

Yeah, I really liked that property as well. - Yeah.

- And then the third one we looked at was the cute little villa.

- Yeah. - Nicely renovated, a different feel. Completely from the first two.

- Yeah. - But we liked the proximity to town and the beach.

- The location was primo. The location was really, really good.

It was quite immaculate inside. - Yeah, really well done.

- Yeah, you could move in there and not need to do anything, eh? - Yeah.

- I guess now's the time to find out. Which of the three houses are you gonna put an offerin on?

- We're gonna put an offer in on... number one.

- House number one? - Yeah. - Beautiful!

Yeah, I can imagine the kids growing up in that bush, down the bottom,

exploring, going for adventures every single day after school.

- Yep, definitely. - Is that what tipped it over the edge?

- Yeah. - Couldn't get past that view, eh?

- The view and the cute, you know, glow worms and things in the garden.

- Those little bits. Those little details.

- Yeah. I can just imagine making a lot of memories there with our family.

- Oh, totally. Look, all the very best, and I hope that it works out for you.

I hope the offer is accepted. So all the very best. - Fingers crossed.

- Lovely to meet you two. - Thanks, Matt.

- Thanks for making it a really fun process. Cheers, guys.

Offer in and offer accepted.

Hannah and Josh, well done.

That first house really is the perfect place to raise a family.

So all the very best for your next chapter in the Hutt Valley.

www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2024