Opotiki farmers Arnold and Lois Reeve turned their favourite picnic spot with panoramic sea views into the location of their dream retirement home.
“We used to sit here and have a picnic lunch and say we would love to build here one day,” Lois says.
In 2023 they did just that.
Their new home is on their run-off property where the young calves and yearlings and dry stock are looked after until they’re old enough to join the herd on their dairy farm next door.
When they moved into their Generation Home in March, Arnold and Lois handed over their farmhouse and the daily workload of the dairy farm to their daughter, Fiona, and her husband Shane Gebert, and the couple’s two children Sian and Liam.
“They’re in our former home on the farm and they love it. They pulled it to bits and did it up on the inside,” says Lois, who has been married to Arnold for 52 years.
Arnold still works every day on the farm, as he’s really only semi-retired, and having the farm just two kilometres away is too much of a temptation.
But it’s also a short trip for the grandchildren to pop over and visit and check out what yummy treats might be in the scullery.
ARNOLD
We were going to a wedding in Palmerston North and had time to spare in Taupo so we thought we’d go and look at the Generation Homes show home there.
LOIS
We just loved the finish of the show home. We took Generation a rough idea of our home plan. Generation has a similar plan that was too long for our site. So we adapted it and they built the plan that we liked, which was lovely.
LOIS
We checked out other builders, but for some reason our location didn’t suit them. They didn’t want to build past Whakatane despite the thriving local subdivisions. And we were impressed with the quality of the Generation Homes show home. We also knew we had only so many dollars to spend and the fixed price was just so important.
ARNOLD
The fixed price took away the worry. If you didn’t have that, it would be quite stressful.
LOIS
The process was so good. We can’t fault them. They were so organised. We are really happy.
ARNOLD
It was a fast build I think – 18 weeks. The timetable and schedule of payments was really good. We knew what was happening when and how much money it was costing.
The show home was a big influence for us – we chose the things we liked there, such as carpet and flooring.
LOIS
We chose the wall colour we saw in a motel one night. The neutral grey was just lovely.
LOIS
It was stress free. My sister is building at the moment and she is trying to manage it herself and it’s hard work for her. For us, it was just so easy.
ARNOLD
The build was well run and well managed with good contractors. They kept things going with local sub-contractors and some from Tauranga when needed. I opened the gate for them at 7am every day, like clockwork. Sometimes they worked until dark or after dark. They worked hard. We had great confidence in their work.
We visited the site nearly every day. We were also cleaning up around the site to keep everything tidy and ensuring there was access because it was very wet. We made sure there was enough shingle laid so the delivery trucks wouldn’t get stuck.
LOIS
It’s two kilometres from the farm on our run-off. We didn’t want to go too far away. We’re on a hill and we can see the new subdivision down in front of us – Waiotahe Drifts. There are beautiful sea views – we can see Whakaari (White Island) and the new groynes and can watch the mussel boats come into the harbour. There’s a cycle trail and good fishing around here. When Arnold and I grew up as little kids we had sea views and could see the whales migrating. We love the sea views from here.
Have you made any changes or alterations since you moved in?
ARNOLD
Only a few little minor things like gardens and concrete paths around the outside. We are getting there with the gardens and landscaping. We are going to build a retaining wall around the front so we are not looking through a cow fence to our views.
LOIS
We took our time to move in because we had a house to live in. We were lucky we didn’t have to rush.
LOIS
I like the layout of the house. The visitors’ bedroom has got a coastal view. We’ve got higher ceilings and windows for the beautiful views of the coast and a lovely wide entrance and hallway. Our bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe and the ensuite behind it is just really nice. The kitchen is lovely. We’ve got a lovely alfresco area leading from the dining room. It’ll be lovely in the summer.
ARNOLD
I like the big, extra wide garage. It’s 8 metres by 8 metres and can fit our big truck, and Lois’s car, the ride-on mower and a lot more junk. It is very spacious.
LOIS
But it doesn’t fit the tractor!
ARNOLD
I like the media room with the gas fire and the TV above it.
LOIS
We have a wet room, being a farm, with a washhouse and toilet, so when Arnold comes in off the tractor wet and dirty, he can go straight in.
LOIS
Be careful and have a budget and agree you will just start off with the basics. Make sure you can get a loan. Check how your KiwiSaver can help and seeing a broker can help. If you are going to an auction, have helpers there. You can stay with your parents a while to save money.
We still haven’t got new furniture. We’ve used the furniture from our old house just to save money. We put most of the money into building the house. So, get your home, the roof over your head and then get the other things later when you can afford it.
