For generations of Kiwis, the family bach has always been a safe haven. A place of rest and respite from the grind of daily life — the ultimate way to escape without having to head overseas. But while a holiday home can provide lifelong memories, it doesn’t automatically deem it a sound investment when considering how to park your savings. Widely renowned as experts in the field, Graham Wall Real Estate has sold some of this country’s most exclusive and unique properties and is the undisputed authority on the art of purchasing the perfect holiday home.

With an eye-watering track record and impressive, collective knowledge of the New Zealand market, Graham Wall Real Estate is also an entirely family-run operation. The three-man team, comprising Graham and his two sons, Andrew and Ollie, have naturally made the idea of family central to their business ethos. Being in this unique position means they operate with a deeper understanding and empathy towards what clients and their families need, and when it comes to buying a bach, this is a crucial point of difference. “A holiday home is a completely different type of purchase to a primary home,” Graham explains, citing the process as much more personal. “It’s somewhere you get to spend some of the best moments of your life” he continues, “but ideally a place that still delivers a healthy capital gain if you ever decide to move on.” According to Ollie, it’s all about location. So just where are the best places to consider purchasing a holiday home?

Matakana
This “brilliant destination is experiencing tremendous growth both economically and socially” says Andrew, enthusiastically championing this small township north of Auckland. Long admired for its natural beauty and proximity to beaches like Omaha and Tawharanui, Matakana is becoming, according to Andrew, a veritable “cultural hub, with incredible markets, the best cinema [and] great restaurants and bars” all just an hour’s drive from the city. With a landscape that lends itself to a variety of properties, if beachfront isn’t for you, opt for something more rural, secluded and tranquil. In terms of growth, Andrew explains that sale prices in the area are up 79 percent from five years ago and projects like Bishops Hill “that’s seen farmlands transformed into beautiful estates”, are really adding massive appeal to the area. And as destinations like Brick Bay and the Sculptureum add to the “great wine, food and art offering.” Andrew has also noted that more people are considering permanent residences in the area. “It’s a magical part of the world, and the commute to Auckland is a breeze.”

Bay of Islands
With sprawling azure waters and a climate that’s commonly referred to as the ‘winter-less north,’ the Bay of Islands is, as Ollie puts it “truly one of the world’s last unspoilt paradises.” Located a three-hour drive north of Auckland and encompassing 144 islands between Cape Brett and the Purerua Peninsula, the area is also home to the boutique towns of Opua, Paihia, Russell and Kerikeri. Ollie sees that the appeal of the region has “a lot to do with its tranquillity and peacefulness” and that he doesn’t see this changing anytime soon. Furthermore, the Omarino development is very appealing. With sites on either private beaches or a headland, it offers luxury and privacy in equal measure. Ollie recently introduced a businessman from Finland to the Bay of Islands, and as they looked out over the bay, the visitor turned to him and said, “if I had to spend the rest of my life in one place, this is where I would choose.”

Coromandel
The white sandy beaches that stretch the length of the Coromandel Peninsula have long provided Aucklanders with a weekend destination that’s conveniently close to the city, yet breathtakingly worlds away. According to Ollie, this area is a veritable “rite of passage for kiwi families” where the “generational baches don’t change hands regularly and as such, are not likely to ever fall in value.” Citing a recent sale in Whangapoua as an example of the perfect Coromandel property, Ollie explains that the fact that it was “right on the beach, was well planted for privacy, [had] easy open living where you didn’t feel bad about bringing sandy feet inside, had separate guest accommodation and a sheltered outdoor area”, ticked all the boxes for desirability. “The Coromandel’s consistent rise in property value (44 percent over the last five years), makes it a rock-solid place to invest your hard-earned money,” Ollie explains, “with less populated beaches like Tairua and Cooks Beach likely to see the biggest growth in the immediate future.”

Waiheke Island
“Waiheke continues to hold massive appeal, and for very good reason,” Graham waxes lyrical about the vast and varied potential of the Gulf’s most beloved island, that’s a mere 40-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland. Renowned for its numerous vineyards where people from all over the world come to experience some of the finest viticulture this country has to offer, not to mention the exquisite beaches, astonishing vistas and, what Graham calls its “sustainable approach to development.” Graham explains that “prices have more than doubled on Waiheke over the last five years. Little cottages on Palm Beach that were once in the $1 million price bracket are now selling for in excess of $8 million” a substantial hike that shows how sought-after property is on this small slice of paradise. “For my money,” Graham discloses, “the best investment you could make in New Zealand is on Waiheke.”