Meet the first-time buyers who've bought the house of the future

[Homed] Hi {NAME}, It was fascinating to read about [first-time buyers Sam Holt, 29 and Ashleigh Weir, 26,]( of Oamaru. The couple knew they were in it for the long haul when they started looking for their first home. With youth on their side, they wanted a sustainable, energy-saving, healthy home that would be comfortable all year round, despite the southern weather extremes. And they wanted to reduce their carbon footprint forever. So while most first-timers were scrabbling around to get their deposit together, Holt and Weir were looking at passive houses. Built by eHaus Waitaki, their home is also the first certified one to be built in the region. They didn’t have to scrimp on size - it’s 177sqm. But they did tone down the landscaping outside to make the numbers work. The result is a cosy, three-bed home, with a large, open-plan living space and room for the family to grow. All for about the same price as first timers are paying for new non-passive townhouses in Auckland or Wellington, $850,000. It’s rare in the history of Kiwi architecture that we’ve been as forward looking as the Holt-Weirs, but if the state of our housing stock tells us anything, it’s that we’re going to need to be in the future. Here’s hoping more homes are as sustainable and forward thinking. Apologies for the newsletter’s late arrival, in my rush to get into the garden on the weekend, I forgot to hit the send button. Have a good one, [Kylie Klein-Nixon] Kylie Klein-Nixon Senior Homed Reporter [Kylie Klein-Nixon] Kylie Klein-Nixon Senior Homed Reporter   Enjoying this email? [Check out Stuff's other daily and weekly newsletters.](   [timer][trk_px] [timer][trk_px] better living     Future in plain sight Very few first-home buyers opt for a fully certified Passive House. But this dynamic duo went out of their way to make it happen. [Read more →]( [timer][trk_px]   movie magic Salty about Saltburn If you fall in love with the stately home in Saltburn, it’s going to be unrequited. Drayton House, which stood in for the Catton's pile, in Northamptonshire, is privately owned and off limits to all but a very select few. [Read more →]( property to admire Mid-century masterpiece Anne and Paul Mortlock fell in love with Blaxall House in Christchurch in 1965 when the young couple was invited to a “neighbourly welcome drink”. They waited 16 years to make the unique home their own. [Read more →]( property team up The Punk and the All Black They were on opposing sides during the 1981 SpringBok tour, now former All Black captain Andy Dalton and Blam Blam Blam bassist Tim Mahon are business partners. [Read more →]( community inspiration Cliffhanger couples In a first for Grand Designs NZ, we see a house shared not just shared between two families,but six. How does that work when we all know it’s often hard enough to get one couple to agree on anything? [Read more →]( If you find Stuff's Homed useful and inspiring, please consider becoming a supporter. [I'd like to contribute →]( [Discover more at Homed]( You are receiving this email because you are opted in to receive the Stuff Homed newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( [Manage your profile]( [Privacy Policy]( Did a friend forward you this email? [Sign up to get the Stuff Homed newsletter in your inbox.]( Stuff, 4 Williamson Ave, Ponsonby, Auckland 1021, New Zealand [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [TikTok]( [YouTube](