Hot tips on a couple of delightful Christchurch neighbourhoods that are selling really well (and that I love for their incredible character).

Strowan — This fabulous family suburb has beautiful renovated and newly built homes, in such a quiet location.

This suburb is very established and in my opinion a hidden gem. It is very close to Elmwood Park, has wide streets, and the big bonus is it’s just full of family homes rather than lots of units and townhouses – so no high-density living. Strowan is very appealing to me personally because I lived in Hartley Avenue for many years and my children went to the local Waimairi School. It has excellent school zones including Christchurch Boys’ High School, Christchurch Girls’ High School, and of course St Andrew’s College which is right in the heart of Strowan.

Lyttelton Harbour — From Lyttelton right round to Diamond Harbour, the small bayside communities are growing both in population and character. I have recently sold several houses in these two suburbs as well as Cass Bay and Governors Bay, and have been pleasantly surprised with the huge enquiry that I’ve had. These areas have been somewhat undervalued over the years in my opinion. Luckily we’re in New Zealand and there aren’t many other places in the world you can buy established family homes with tremendous water views for under a million dollars.

These beautiful suburbs are definitely on the rise as people perceive these properties to be exceptional value. As a local resident recently told me, living by the harbour is therapeutic, with a great local community of mariners, artists, small business owners, farmers and generational residents. These neighbourhoods are treasure troves of outdoor activity with easy access to recreational corridors, beaches, walking trails, the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula, and of course the harbour itself.

maryturnbull.harcourts.co.nz