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Come home to Lakeside
You may not have heard of Lakeside until now, but it won’t stay a secret for long. Tucked alongside Lake Waikare near Te Kauwhata, it offers space to roam and a place to belong.
Lakeside has been master planned, with 6km of walking trails winding their way through 75ha of dedicated nature reserves, a boutique village centre, and high-quality homes designed in harmony with the surrounding rural landscape.
Lakeside has been master planned, with 6km of walking trails winding their way through 75ha of dedicated nature reserves, a boutique village centre, and high-quality homes designed in harmony with the surrounding rural landscape.
Featured homes
Family homes, first homes for first home buyers, and forever homes for upsizers or downsizers – there are all sorts of beautiful high quality homes coming to Lakeside. Here’s a sample of what’s for sale right now.
Lidan and Lei’s story
Lidan and Lei went from renting to becoming Lakeside homeowners in two months, with the help of First Home Partner.
The couple chose to make Lakeside home because it delivered what they were looking for – space, a sense of community and a beautiful setting – conveniently located between Lidan’s two workplaces. He works as a quantity surveyor and his week is split between Hamilton and Auckland. The commute to Hamilton takes him 40 minutes and the drive to Auckland takes him just over an hour. Lei is studying for a Diploma in Architectural Design at Unitec in Auckland, and is loving being able to work at home in the peaceful Lakeside neighbourhood.
“I think it’s a great area. The views of the lake and the mountain are especially good. We have good neighbours. It’s quiet and we feel safe here,” says Lidan. They also like the family-oriented, small town vibe of Te Kauwhata (population 1,500).
“Our home is the right size for us because we’re planning to have kids next year. We’ve got land and we’ve got privacy. We’re getting a new primary school over the road from our house, so it’s perfect. We also want enough room for our parents to come and visit us from overseas.”
Their new three bedroom, two bathroom home was purchased for $650,000 as a Colab Series home, which is an affordable housing product managed by Kāinga Ora. The Colab Series is specific to Lakeside and is aimed at eligible owner occupiers, whether first home buyers or not.
The road from renting to homeownership was surprisingly swift, says Lidan. “Some mates told us Kāinga Ora was doing a first home scheme. We jumped straight in. It helped that the budget was so limited – we couldn’t afford 90 percent of the houses on the market!”
Within two months Lidan and Lei were applying for the home they now own. They were eligible for a First Home Grant to contribute towards their deposit. They were also accepted for First Home Partner, the Kāinga Ora shared home ownership scheme. The couple are the majority owners of their home and Kāinga Ora owns a small share that Lidan and Lei will buy out over time.
“Without help from Kāinga Ora we wouldn’t have made it. The bank would not have lent us that much money. We really appreciated the help,” says Lidan.
Lidan and Lei moved in two weeks before Christmas last year. Lidan says he is especially grateful their renting days are behind them. They worried about rents rising and felt the “limitations” renting imposed quite keenly. For example, they weren’t able to have their parents come and stay for an extended holiday. The plan is to work hard, pay off the mortgage and then “see where we’re at.” He’d like to think that they might be able to buy a second home as an investment one day.
To others who are yet to start their homeownership journey, Lidan says: “It’s not easy, but it’s achievable with some help from Kāinga Ora. You have to work hard, but it’s worth it. It’s really exciting to move into a home we can call our own.”
The couple chose to make Lakeside home because it delivered what they were looking for – space, a sense of community and a beautiful setting – conveniently located between Lidan’s two workplaces. He works as a quantity surveyor and his week is split between Hamilton and Auckland. The commute to Hamilton takes him 40 minutes and the drive to Auckland takes him just over an hour. Lei is studying for a Diploma in Architectural Design at Unitec in Auckland, and is loving being able to work at home in the peaceful Lakeside neighbourhood.
“I think it’s a great area. The views of the lake and the mountain are especially good. We have good neighbours. It’s quiet and we feel safe here,” says Lidan. They also like the family-oriented, small town vibe of Te Kauwhata (population 1,500).
“Our home is the right size for us because we’re planning to have kids next year. We’ve got land and we’ve got privacy. We’re getting a new primary school over the road from our house, so it’s perfect. We also want enough room for our parents to come and visit us from overseas.”
Their new three bedroom, two bathroom home was purchased for $650,000 as a Colab Series home, which is an affordable housing product managed by Kāinga Ora. The Colab Series is specific to Lakeside and is aimed at eligible owner occupiers, whether first home buyers or not.
The road from renting to homeownership was surprisingly swift, says Lidan. “Some mates told us Kāinga Ora was doing a first home scheme. We jumped straight in. It helped that the budget was so limited – we couldn’t afford 90 percent of the houses on the market!”
Within two months Lidan and Lei were applying for the home they now own. They were eligible for a First Home Grant to contribute towards their deposit. They were also accepted for First Home Partner, the Kāinga Ora shared home ownership scheme. The couple are the majority owners of their home and Kāinga Ora owns a small share that Lidan and Lei will buy out over time.
“Without help from Kāinga Ora we wouldn’t have made it. The bank would not have lent us that much money. We really appreciated the help,” says Lidan.
Lidan and Lei moved in two weeks before Christmas last year. Lidan says he is especially grateful their renting days are behind them. They worried about rents rising and felt the “limitations” renting imposed quite keenly. For example, they weren’t able to have their parents come and stay for an extended holiday. The plan is to work hard, pay off the mortgage and then “see where we’re at.” He’d like to think that they might be able to buy a second home as an investment one day.
To others who are yet to start their homeownership journey, Lidan says: “It’s not easy, but it’s achievable with some help from Kāinga Ora. You have to work hard, but it’s worth it. It’s really exciting to move into a home we can call our own.”
“It’s so exciting to move into our own home”
Lidan and Lei went from renting to becoming Lakeside homeowners in two months, with the help of First Home Partner.
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Freedom to roam
Lakeside has 75 hectares of dedicated reserve and wetlands as well as 6km’s of walking and cycling trails, so there’s ample room to roam, with serene views of Lake Waikare to keep you in touch with nature. Quiet, walkable streets make for a pleasant stroll to the village centre for coffee, and a safe bike ride to the new primary school or two new playgrounds coming to the neighbourhood.
Somewhere you’ll belong
Lakeside has an easy-going, small town vibe. It’s the kind of place where neighbours get together for BBQs and kids play handball on the street. There’s plenty of spots to bump into your neighbours for a chat, too. As well as the popular parks and trails, the newly-completed boutique village centre will be a new central meeting space with a playground, office and retail space, all with spectacular views over the lake.
A place to call home
Lakeside offers beautiful, quality homes at a generally more affordable price point than in nearby Auckland. Built by trusted builders with proven track records, there’s a variety of housing styles and plans, so it’s easy to find the right home for your age and stage of life.
Explore more developments like Lakeside
Lakeside is one of six neighbourhoods currently being regenerated by Kāinga Ora in Auckland and surrounding areas. Significant investment is being poured into each of these six neighbourhoods to build on their strengths and prepare them for growth. Together with our partners and local communities, we’re building homes and upgrading streets, infrastructure, walkways, parks and town centres - so you can be confident you’re buying in a place you’ll love to live in for years to come. Click below to explore all six.
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