It’s been 15 years or so since quarrying on the Stonefields site ended. Sitting on the site now is a thriving suburb, that boasts a strong community spirit and excellent amenities.
That’s not a accident. Stonefields the suburb was carefully designed and developed with community front of mind.
Quality apartments, terraced townhouses and duplexes, plus standalone dwellings along with an excellent new primary school, great shops, cafes and other amenities, lie just 10km from the central city. Residents living in what is essentially a small, self-contained town within Auckland City, enjoy easy access to public transport and nearby beaches. Developers have included numerous green spaces, with lakes, wetlands and boardwalks for recreation and relaxation.
Close proximity to amenities such as Auckland Netball Centre, Remuera Golf Club, Lunn Ave with its ever- increasing array of shops and services, and the mighty Sylvia Park mega shopping mall, has proved to be another major drawcard for homebuyers.
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Because much of the housing in the surrounding suburbs was up to 50 or so years old when development began, there was a definite demand for new homes in the area. It’s being met now – to a large degree – with the completion of hundreds of new dwellings at Stonefields.
By the time construction is complete, around 2025, more than 6000 people are expected to be living in the neighbourhood, enjoying the close-knit nature of the area and facilities such as Stonefields Market, a concentrated shopping hub with excellent cafes and restaurants.
OneRoof reported last October that early buyers in the suburb had already made significantly more profit than vendors in surrounding areas when on-selling their Stonefields homes, proving that quality, modern, easy-care properties in well-appointed neighbourhoods really do hold value, even in a quiet market.
Who lives here and what do they do?
While Stonefields is certainly family-friendly, with its sparkling new primary school, it also appeals to young workers without children and to retirees looking for lock-up-and-leave properties with compact sections and minimal maintenance required.
What’s to love?
There’s an incredible amount to love about Stonefields. Strong relationships have quickly formed between neighbours and the active local residents’ association ensures that even the shyest newcomer soon feels right at home. Children can play safely on the streets or in the many recreation areas – enjoying a typical Kiwi childhood, which many had feared was gone for good.
Stonefields School’s well-appointed hall acts as a community hub for dance classes, martial arts, service groups, and other activities.
There’s practically no need to leave Stonefields when delicious food, good coffee and a nice pint of beer or glass of wine can be found at Stonefields Market. Charlie and George Café is especially trendy and well patronised.
Nearby Lunn Ave has undergone a remarkable transformation of its own in the past decade and is now a shoppers’ paradise with a well-stocked New World supermarket, Farro Fresh store for gourmet items, and handy hardware and furniture stores.
Trains to the city, to Sylvia Park or South Auckland can be accessed at Glen Innes Station, a short bus ride away, and a swimming pool, rugby, cricket and netball venues are either onsite in Stonefields or nearby.
Buying and selling
Tracey Preston is Stonefields branch manager for Barfoot and Thompson and she’s such a fan, she bought in the area herself.
“I didn’t know Stonefields at all and I just thought of it [as] being properties that all look the same, but there’s much more to it than that.”
She says that there’s still a lot of momentum in the market and construction hasn’t finished yet. “There are some big blocks by the lake that are zoned for new apartments and apparently there’s going to be another 10 years of development.”
Preston says that properties move quickly and most sell just a little under, right at or above their CV.
“A lot of our buyers are emotional buyers and if you’ve made your house or apartment a little special, perhaps with landscaping or interior feature walls, you can quite easily add $30,000 or so to the price.
“In fact, one villa sold recently for $200,000 over CV.”
She says that the biggest attraction of all here is the sense of community and the fact that everybody looks out for each other.
“My son is 11 and he’s at Stonefields School, which has a great reputation and is currently expanding, with new classrooms being built.
“I just love having all the facilities I need within walking distance; the hairdresser, the nail bar, the yoga centre – it’s all here.”
Preston says that families will often move three times within Stonefields, buying bigger places as their children grow and need more space.
“It does seem that once you live here, you’ll never want to leave.”
