Rangitahi, a family heaven

We caught up with Anne Paar and her little girls for a chat, as we wanted to hear what they love most about this West Coast paradise.

‍Anne, you are from the Netherlands. What brought you to Raglan?
‍I met a Raglan boy. Having his family close by, as well as great surf, made it an easy decision for us to settle here, altho coming from a bigger city, I did have my doubts. The relaxed way of life here in Raglan quickly made me fall for this place, and now I can't imagine having my girls growing up elsewhere.
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‍What was the draw to building on Rangitahi? Tell us more about your new home.
‍We had been looking for a Raglan house to buy but couldn't find anything we could fall in love with and meet our budget, so when the first stages of Rangitahi opened up to the public, we jumped at the opportunity to build our own. Our small section offers us fantastic views of Karioi and even an unexpected glimpse of the water, and we love how safe it feels for the girls to play outside and ride their bikes to the neighbours. It is all we had hoped for.

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‍Are you commuting to Hamilton?
‍We both made conscious decisions to have work close by and have chosen office spaces in Raglan town. This allows for a natural life/work separation without having to drive for long. As a photographer, I travel a fair bit around the country and always love coming back home.
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‍What are you most excited about for the future of Rangitahi?We are honestly already so content here, but of course, the girls can't wait for the playground and public pool. I am looking forward to playing tennis with my man, and we all love watching the trees grow around us, and spotting what's new on our family walks.

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‍Tell us a little about your house.
‍It's a modest small home, conscious about our footprint on the land and allows the kids to have room to play. The girls each have a room, and being on two levels allows us to seek privacy if needed. We scratched the garage for more garden space, which we are all super happy about. Heating was a big one for us, and we intentionally invested in a European style central heating system. We are still taking our time with the landscaping as we are keen to experience all four seasons first.

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And lastly, how are the kids interacting with the space?
‍They are so happy and in love with our house, which is quite a bit bigger than the rental we had for years prior. Always running in and out of the house it's a constant source of joy and giggles. They love exploring the neighbourhood, and Annouk is so excited to one day paddle or kayak with her dad to Raglan Area School! Just because we can.

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Image credit: MelziVink, Anne Paar
‍Build by White Wood Homes, Rubix Architecture

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