New Zealand vs. Australia – there has always been a fierce rivalry between these two nations whether it’s over sporting prowess or the ‘occasional’ ownership spat concerning Phar Lap, Russell Crowe or the beloved pavlova.

But over the past decade it has become increasingly clear that New Zealand has one important advantage over Australia – access to good-value lifestyle housing that offers all the city living ‘must-haves’.

For instance, in major metropolitan cities such as Sydney or London, buyers should be prepared to fork out well over a million New Zealand dollars for a new property with ferry access to the CBD, schools and motorway access at the doorstep, a modern design, indoor/outdoor flow, a backyard and a short walk to the water.

I know there has been a lot of grumbling about the Auckland property market, but you can purchase a new home here with all of these features, and more, for considerably less – try half the amount. No other international city comes even close to offering that.

As a Project Director for AVJennings, I’ve spearheaded a number of major developments and it has become clear that you simply cannot buy a house overseas with both good amenities and in a desirable location without your pocket suffering. Developments like Auckland’s newest coastal community Hobsonville Point, where the majority of new houses range between $400,000 and $800,000, remain exceptional value when compared with overseas markets such as Sydney, Melboune, Gold Coast and Brisbane.

However, opportunities to invest in properties, either to live in or as an investment, on the Auckland harbour in a high rent and low interest rate environment will not last forever. Inflationary factors such as the Christchurch rebuild plus the fact that Auckland is a truly international city with many people immigrating daily from countries like China, Korea, UK and Australia, only puts more pressure on rental and house prices.

The migration of new Kiwis to Auckland is however, testament to the employment opportunities that fuel the Auckland economy and the lifestyle value proposition that Auckland represents on a world stage.

It’s no surprise then that Auckland was named the third best city in the world to live in according to Mercer Consulting’s 2011 survey ‘The world's best cities for quality of life’. Neighbouring Sydney only managed a tenth place while London trailed far behind at 38th. 

Having worked for AVJennings on both sides of the Tasman, I can categorically say that Kiwis, and Aucklanders in particular, really do have an attainable superior lifestyle and housing value position. And many don’t know how good they have it.