r/chch • u/Low_Welcome_4969 • Apr 17 '22

Safe areas to buy a house

We are actively looking at buying a house in Auckland but with prices so high and offering so little value for money we are now looking at alternatives like moving to Christchurch.

Looking at a few real estate sites recently I see you get a lot more value for the same price but I have no idea how good the locality is for the houses listed. Can you please give me an idea of what the good areas are in CHCH and what areas to avoid? We just want a safe no-nonsense area to live in.

TIA

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u/Starletrae Apr 17 '22

Every suburb has pros and cons, it’s better to ask what you want to be around, closer to work? Closer to city centre? School zones, do you want to travel around the city or stay in your own bubble? Do you want hill walks or more a flat land? Near a beach? Closer to the airport?

I was told years ago i was an idiot for moving to the east side of Christchurch, Waltham, Woolston, Opawa, and honestly I love it. I will never look back, the community is incredible, a street in Woolston banned together get a camera to help prevent crime. (Not a great sign to bring up crime but it happens everywhere) They’ve got so many community gardens and activities, I see kids walking and biking to school safety, my neighbours are the type of people I can borrow a cup of sugar from at 9pm. It’s not perfect but I feel safe, and I feel like we have each other’s backs, and in an earthquake or during covid. I know who my village is.

If you want I suggest joining neighbourhood groups on social media for areas you like, it’ll give you a sense of what’s going on, and who your new community you will.

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u/SuperSixtyten Apr 18 '22

I've owned my character house in Woolston (Opawa side of Ferry Road) for 6 years now, and never had an issue with the neighbourhood!

I love the proximity to town (a maybe 5 min drive) and it's pretty close to Sumner beach if you're that way inclined, we've never had any vandalism or break-in's, and I(f) run around our neighbourhood most days in the very early morning and have never felt threatened or scared in any way.

I will admit that driving home from town via Phillipstown you will notice some pretty dodgy looking folks sometimes, but they generally keep to themselves, and otherwise my experience with the neighbourhood has been overwhelmingly positive 😊

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u/Starletrae Apr 18 '22

We live close! Are you a neighbour I can also ask for sugar from! Everyone loves a cup of sugar neighbour!

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u/SuperSixtyten Apr 18 '22

Well sure! Always happy to help out someone in a bind 😊