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Buying a lifestyle block is all about having passion.
The passion to work on a site that’s more to your liking, and within your budget, rather than working on a big commercial farm.
For many in North Canterbury just 10 to 20 acres of productive land, is big enough to run small numbers of stock on, and yet be far enough away from the nearest city or town to give yourself that feeling of space and quiet, while still being close to make the commute to work each day tolerable.
Throw in the ability to grow your own veges and fruits, run some hens on grass for fresh eggs and breed some pedigree cattle or sheep, and then the dream starts falling into place.
"It’s all about that dream and having the passion to follow your heart,” says PGG Wrightson Real Estate Residential/Lifestyle Sales Consultant Nick Rattanong.
"This is what’s making the lure of lifestyle block living a popular choice for many in North Canterbury,”
Nick specialises in lifestyle blocks and he’s the owner of one as well.
On his small 20 acre spread at Sefton, Nick runs a white Galloway cattle stud, Llamas, Valis sheep, a couple of different breeds of heritage chooks, and an exotic parrot collection.
He’s been there over eight years and says it’s a labour of love.
"It’s big enough for me. I’m like many who want a place that’s big enough to rear animals and make it pay it’s way, without it becoming a big business.”
What started as a small hobby for fun breeding Galloway’s, has grown with continued selective breeding to now being recognised nationally and internationally.
Over the past couple of years he has been awarded a Supreme Champion Galloway of New Zealand title several times, and also won Gold for Champion Galloway of Asia/Africa/Oceania.
In the 19 years Nick has been a real estate agent he says he has seen a big increase in the demand for life style blocks.
"One of the biggest jumps was immediately after Covid - people wanted to become more self sufficient. “They want to know where their food comes from and have the satisfaction of being able to grow it themselves.
"Many are seeking properties where they build a main home on, then later add to it as they become more multi-generational, all why only being a 10 or 20 kms from the nearest town or city.
"I love it because it allows me to follow my passion for breeding heritage cows and chooks. The Galloway’s are wonderful pets for lifestyle owners. They are easy to care for and very friendly making them perfect for small holdings.”
Another life style bock owner following his passion for making the most of his 15 acres is Woodend’s Lance Dartnall.
Five years ago he purchased what he described as 15 acres of paddocks overgrown in gorse on Jelfs Road,
There was not many trees, no gardens and a lot of sand mixed with gravel, but he had a plan.
"Because of my passion for exotic birds and reptiles I had outgrown my home, so I was looking at expanding my hobby to create a location where people could come along and discover all about birds and reptiles and get a lot closer to the many native and exotic breeds we have here.”
He took his love for endemic and threatened species to new heights and developed Wilderness Woodend.
"We did a lot of clearing, planting, and construction, to provide a suitable home for all the animals and to help develop a conservation programme for NZ species,” he says.
"The size of my lifestyle block will also allow me to expand in the future as I push forward with the education of people on our many unique birds and reptiles.
"It’s fun being able to offer a hands-on experience for people who visit us.”
Nick says lifestyle block owners are a growing segment of the marketplace and while some only want a bigger one to two acre yard, others want 20 acres — it varies for customer to customer, but he loves being an owner because it helps him preserve heritage breeds.