PACKED to the RAFTERS
New Zealand Listener|April 30 - May 6, 2022
As house prices soar, more and more extended families are discovering the benefits of living together.
SARAH LANG
PACKED to the RAFTERS

When Joelle Peters left her Dunedin home aged 19, she never imagined living with her parents again. “I thought, ‘Yes, I’ve left home forever!’”

Now, the 31-year-old lecturer at Otago Polytechnic’s engineering department lives with husband Ben, their children Eli, six, and Oriana, three, her parents and her aunt in “a big 19th-century home”.

When she had children, Peters wished she had family support under the same roof. But that wasn’t the primary driver for the housing arrangement.

“It was ridiculously impossible to get into the Dunedin housing market.” (The median price there is currently around $645,000.)

“Despite Ben and I getting quite good full-time salaries, we couldn’t get a mortgage without a really significant chunk of savings – which we couldn’t get because most of our money went on rent. Catch-22, pretty much.”

So in July 2019, the couple pooled their savings with those of her parents, who sold their house, and her aunt to buy the large property and live under the same roof.

“My husband, kids and I live on the top level, with three bedrooms, a small lounge and small bathroom.”

Downstairs, there’s communal living space on one side. “Mum, Dad and my aunt live on the other side, which has two bedrooms, Mum’s and Dad’s offices, and a bathroom.”

Everyone shares the kitchen and laundry. There’s a cooking roster, and a Google Doc to split house-related expenses.

Before they bought the land, it had been subdivided to create two new sections, which they’ll build on. “One house,” says Peters, “will be for my sister, her husband and kids, and the other for my aunt.”

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEW ZEALAND LISTENERView all
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024