When Lynette and Barry Hood bought a plot on the corner of Cornfoot and Manuka Streets, Whanganui, they paid £100 for the section – the equivalent of about $1600 today. Just two blocks from the beach, the young couple were delighted with their purchase and set about building the home they would raise their two children in.

Castlecliff is the perfect place to raise a family, says Lynette, who has lived in the home she and Barry built for the last 56 years. She’s seen the area go from strength to strength.

“I just love my neighbours. I’ve been here longer than most of them – they’re great. That’s just how people are around here.

“When we first moved here there were lots of young families. The bus stops right outside the door. The schools are right there. There’s just so much in walking distance if you have a small family.”

Sadly, Barry died about 6 years ago, and Lynette has been on her own in the home. Now, she has decided to let a new family enjoy the home. She and her daughter have decided it’s time to buy a place together, with a granny flat on the section for Lynette.

“I think people thought I was going to stay there forever, and I probably thought I was too, so there was a bit of a shock when the [for sale] sign went up on the fence.

“At my stage in life, she thought it might be ideal to be closer to me. I need to do it before I have to rely on other people. My daughter doesn’t want me to go into anywhere else [like a retirement home]. She can see me a lot and I can help her with her little lifestyle block.”

Lynette has spent the last 56 years honing her lifestyle block skills. A keen gardener, she is “always out there, pulling things out, taking cuttings and putting them somewhere else”. She defied all the nay-sayers in Castlecliff who told her she wouldn’t be able to grow much living so near to the sea.

“It’s absolute rubbish. If you look at the amount of plants that I’ve got on there, and some of them are now big trees. It grows alright, but you’ve got to look after it.”

Whanganui is one of the most affordable cities in the North Island. In the last few years it has appealed to investors, sometimes buying at a distance, and first-time buyers who might have struggled to get on the market in the main centres.

About an hour from Palmerston North, two from New Plymouth and two and a half from Wellington, Whanganui is best known for the river, the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui, currently closed for a major re-development and scheduled to reopen in 2024, and the New Zealand Glass Works. An up-and-coming area, Castlecliff is the suburb of Whanganui closest to the sea.

When she’s not pottering around the garden, Lynette has a spot in the shade where she likes to sit and enjoy her hard work. The garden is fully fenced, which means her little dog has the run of the backyard. This would be good for anyone with pets or small children, she says.

There’s also a large garage and workshop, which Lynette says could easily be converted to a two-car garage.

Inside, while the decor could do with refreshing, the house was built with raising a family in mind. There’s a galley kitchen, which leads to the dining room and on to the living room. A small deck through ranch sliders takes you back into the garden.

There are three double bedrooms, and one bathroom, with a separate toilet and laundry room. Lynette says the house is perfectly positioned to make the most of the location.

“In the morning, I get the sun in the kitchen straight in on the table when I’m having my breakfast,” says Lynette.

“It’s on the corner, which is ideal. You’re not looked in on, you don’t have houses on two sides. You’ve got so much space.”

Lynette is seeking offers over $399,000 for the 97m² home, which sits on a 506m² section. The median for Castlecliff is about $365,000.

The listing is with Anthony Floyd and Leighton Toy for Property Brokers.