Suburb spotlight: Onehunga
One of Auckland’s oldest suburbs, Onehunga has a colourful history, strong community spirit, and popular shopping facilities. With property management requests ever-growing, it’s an ideal suburb for rental investment.
Onehunga Property Manager Carolynn Van de Ven says that Onehunga is currently experiencing strong demand from tenants.
"They are looking to secure accommodation in this now popular suburb with it’s many attractions, including the Onehunga foreshore project, Dressmart and many cafes, at a lower cost than its neighbouring suburbs of Royal Oak and Epsom," she said.
"This tenant demand has given property investors the confidence to compete with those looking for family homes and units.
"This combination has seen large gains in property prices in Onehunga in recent years with many property investors satisfied with their decision to purchase in Onehunga."
Source: Barfoot and Thompson average tenancies as at 1 March 2015 and Barfoot & Thompson average sales over the last six months to beginning March 2015 for three bedroom properties in Auckland. Yield calculated using average sale price and average rental per week.
About Onehunga
Located just 8km south of the city centre, the suburb of Onehunga includes a mixture of residential and light-industrial property. As one of Auckland’s oldest suburbs, you’ll find a mixture of housing types, including colonial villas, bungalows and workers' cottages - many with views of Manukau harbour.
The name Onehunga is Māori and the area saw many battles in pre-European times. During the 19th century, most shipping between New Zealand and Great Britain came into the Port of Onehunga, although by the First World War, Waitemata Harbour had become the main commercial port. Declared a borough in 1876, Onehunga was amalgamated with Auckland City in 1989.
A popular community-oriented suburb, Onehunga has many heritage buildings in the town centre. The suburb comes alive at the weekend, when shoppers flock to Dressmart and stop for brunch at one of the many cafes in the heart of the village.
Extensive work is currently underway to revitalise the Onehunga foreshore by creating parkland, beaches and public access to the Manukau Harbour, creating new recreational opportunities and facilities and restoring the community’s connection with the harbour.
Well serviced by a range of public transport options, the Onehunga line was used to launch the city’s new electric trains in April 2014.
For more information about the local market or for a rental appraisal, contact the property management team at Onehunga.
Auckland comparison
- Gross rental yield: Onehunga 3.47% and Auckland 3.54%
- Average sale price (three bedroom): Onehunga $761,389, and Auckland $707,434
- Average weekly rent (three bedroom): Onehunga $508 and Auckland $482
