There is a lot of property for sale right now, but which listing suits you best? OneRoof’s Buyers' Club series brings you the best in New Zealand real estate, from affordable starter homes to luxury mansions. We’ll highlight a range of homes from around the country that are worth your attention.
For horse lovers, the dream is simple: saddle up at home and ride off across your own land with the wind in your hair.
Properties set up for equestrian living rarely come cheap. Most will set you back at least $1 million, and that's before factoring in the considerable cost of owning horses. We've rounded up five listings around the country, ranging from Lotto-winner dream estates to relatively affordable lifestyle blocks.
5 Birch Park Lane, Whitford, Auckland | Price on application
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The list sets off with a gallop at this Whitford mega estate, which has an RV of $9.85m, but a search price of well over $10m. Comprising 10 bedrooms, including a guest cottage and accommodation above the stables, there is space for everyone to relax in pure luxury.
The 610sqm main residence includes an entertaining wing with two kitchens and an underground 3000-bottle wine cellar with a private dining room. Outside, highlights include a championship tennis court, teppanyaki kitchen, saltwater pool and Monet-inspired gardens with a bridge-covered lake.
The luxury estate at 5 Birch Park Lane comes with an Olympic-sized arena. Photo / Supplied
For the horses, a full Olympic-sized arena anchors the equestrian complex, which also includes seven quality stables, a wash-down area, workroom, a fully enclosed lunging ring and on-site accommodation.
In their listing, New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty agents Carolyn Hanson and Markus Blum say 5 Birch Park Lane is more than a home; it is a legacy. “A place where coastal beauty, scale, and refinement come together to deliver one of the finest lifestyle estates available in Auckland today.”
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1549 Raukawa Road, Raukawa, Hastings | Price by negotiation
Dubbed Glen Aros, this homestead was crafted in 1914 and designed by Albert Garnett and is nestled within Alfred Buxton-designed grounds that have been growing around it for over a century.
When riders aren’t spending time in the stables, the tack and feed rooms or all-weather arena, they can take a refreshing dip in the pool, play a spot of billiards in the pool house or frolic in the 10.2ha grounds.
Glen Aros offers 10.2ha of Hawke's Bay charm plus stables, tack and feed rooms, fenced grazing and an all-weather arena. Photo / Supplied
The property, which has an RV of just under $6m, includes a 417sqm main homestead, a substantial four-bedroom cottage, pool house and garaging complex, with a total of nine bedrooms and 11 bathrooms across the buildings.
Mint agent Nic Goodman paints a picture of rural charm and comfort in her listing: "The timber-lined dining room still carries a sense of occasion, while the formal lounge and open fire remind you that country houses were once designed for rooms to have distinct purposes."
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115 Galloway Road, Karaka, Auckland | Price by negotiation
Ray White listing agent Lisa MacQueen calls this rider-ready Karaka estate a “horse lover’s haven”, designed for both serious and recreational riders.
“From contemporary stables overlooking a 60m x 35.5m floodlit arena to 11 post and rail paddocks, every detail has been crafted for effortless horse management and relaxed entertaining,” she says.
The 3.2ha estate at 115 Galloway Road, in Karaka, is rider-ready. Photo/ Supplied
Harrison Lane, one of the country's leading builders of equestrian facilities, designed this complex, which includes four full-height stables with Stable Comfort rubber mattress flooring, concrete breezeway, wash bay with LED lighting, hot and cold-water hosing points, non-slip rubber safety flooring solarium, plus dedicated tack, feed and rug rooms. Creating a full training hub, upstairs offers a lunchroom and changing room.
It’s not just five-star treatment for the horses, as the five-bedroom home also exudes luxurious country style. The RV on this one is $3.625m, but the search price on OneRoof is higher.
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781 Ohariu Valley Road, Ohariu, Wellington | Price by negotiation
This 2.72ha Ohariu property promises all the space, peace and privacy of rural living without the burden of full-scale farm management. This leaves more time to saddle up and utilise the arena, stables, lunge ring, tack shed and yards.
The 219sqm home can be configured for four bedrooms and offers versatile living spaces, as well as extensive double glazing, two woodburners and three heat pumps – perfect for rugging up after a winter ride.
The equestrian facilities at 781 Ohariu Valley Road include an arena, stables, lunge ring, tack shed, and yards. Photo / Supplied
In their listing, Lowe & Co agents Aaron Nation and Mat Baxter note the flexibility here, with an approximately 100sqm fully lined four-car garage that’s ideal as a studio, workspace, or home-based business hub.
The property has an RV of $2m and last changed hands in 2022 for just over that.
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19 River Road, Ashhurst, Palmerston North | Enquiries over $1.35m
The most affordable on the list and offering enticing versatility, this 7.6ha estate listed with PGG Wrightson's Jacqui and Michael Campion is not only an equestrian dream home but also potentially a productive small farm, a work-from-home base or a place for multiple generations to live together.
The 7.6ha estate at 19 River Road has a partially fenced arena, a tack room, feed room and loose box. Photo / Supplied
The well-established equestrian facilities include a partially fenced arena, tack room, feed room and loose box, and the flat, fertile, free-draining land presents income potential for anyone with big dreams.
Reaping the rewards of the 2024 renovation, the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home offers a stylish, modern living environment with lovely outdoor living zones.
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