Inside the First Home for Sale at New Zealand’s Buzziest Golf Resort

Lately, it seems New Zealand often comes up in conversations about other topics. The holiday story turns into a visa question. A golf trip turns into a real estate discussion. For a growing number of affluent Americans, the peninsula nation has moved from a bucket list destination to a place they’re seriously considering spending more time. In a prime coastal resort about 60 miles north of Auckland, that change is starting to show in the housing market.

A newly completed home at Te Arai Links has hit the market asking NZD$18 million, or about $10.8 million, becoming the first fully-furnished private residence available for purchase within the fast-growing golf and lifestyle community. Until now, buyers here were buying vacant parcels and then waiting years for construction.

The five-bedroom house sits just beyond the dunes, with sand dunes and fairways leading down to the Pacific Ocean. Architect Julian Guthrie kept things low and uncluttered, spreading the house over a single level so that it felt connected to the landscape rather than atop it. Almost every room opens to the outdoors, with glass walls that slide out to terraces and outdoor fireplaces. Materials are lean and understated: cedar, pale plaster, and soft sandy tones that feel simple and lived-in rather than overly polished.

Related: A mountainside mansion overlooking New Zealand’s picturesque Lake Wakatipu is listed for $22.8 million.

A Gaggenau-equipped kitchen anchors the main living spaces, while smart home tech hums quietly in the background with underfloor heating, solar readiness and backup power. It’s the kind of setup that makes the longhouse feel less like a vacation home and more like a place you could move into for a season or even full-time.

The timing of the listing is in line with the growing momentum in New Zealand’s luxury property market. Recent policy changes now allow investor visa holders to purchase higher-priced homes, and a favorable exchange rate has effectively discounted prices for American buyers. With better long-haul flight access and the country’s enduring appeal as a tranquil, nature-forward escape, American interest has rekindled.

Related: A brand new home on Pebble Beach Golf Links just listed for $45 million.

Since opening in 2022, Te Arai Links has quickly become one of New Zealand’s most talked-about destinations, thanks to two world top 100 golf courses, a swimmable surf beach, and a laid-back coastal environment that feels instantly familiar to West Coast visitors. It is also loved by professional athletes including Kelly Slater and Rory McIlroy.

With only 60 residential sites planned and miles of unspoiled shoreline, opportunities to buy in the community are few and far between. The arrival of the first completed home hints at what’s to come for Te Arai, where people visit once or twice a year and where a growing number are starting to base their second home.

Click here to see more photos of accommodation at Te Arai.