From Alaska to Aotearoa: Finding Home with Tommy’s

Brian Smith and his wife, Jenna, made the big move from Alaska down to New Zealand and were looking for a house to settle down in their new country. Tommy’s found them a great place that suited their needs on the south coast – warning them of the cold winters the coast can produce. But the couple were not put off – even Wellington’s windy winters are nothing compared to the freezing climes of Alaska. And when it was time to expand their family and buy a second home, it was a no-brainer for the couple to choose Tommy’s again.

Can you describe the moment you knew you had found the right home with Tommy’s?

We would have been in New Zealand for about a year, we owned a house in Alaska but we had been renting once we made the move to Wellington. We wanted to have a place of our own.

We were blown away by the open houses we saw and put in an offer for a house we saw that was listed by Tommy’s. Unfortunately, we didn’t win that one but our agent, Alexia, kept us in mind. She worked with us to find the exact type of house we were looking for, and when a good option came up she immediately got in touch. She was able to get us in to see the house the same day as the listing opened. It was great for what we needed at the time, a little one bedroom right on the water on the south coast – we put an offer in that day and there was a bit of competition from other buyers, but we got it. Alexia was honest and mentioned the risk of cold winters in the house exposed to the sea, but we assured her we weren’t bothered at all – we’re from Alaska!

You decided to buy a second home with Tommy’s as well, how did that go?

When my wife and I were ready to start a family we realised we needed more space, so we went back to Tommy’s and talked with Alexia. She found us a great house on the south coast with everything we were looking for – a beautiful view, a large garden and ample space for a child. I knew as soon as I saw the floor plan and the listing that it had checked off all the boxes of things we were looking for. My wife is an artist and it had enough space for a studio, and I love cycling and it was a perfect spot for that. We sold our old house and bought the new one through Tommy’s – turns out we are Tommy’s people!

What was the most memorable part of your home-buying journey?

I just remember the sense of relief when everything was sorted and we actually got into the house. I get a bit of anxiety with house buying, but with every hiccup along the way we had a fierce advocate in Alexia. Had I known everything would have gone so smoothly, I would have been a lot less stressed!

How has your life changed since moving into your new home?

The major thing that has changed for us is we had our first kid 10 months ago. We also got a Shiba Inu puppy, which we couldn’t have done without the big yard. The other thing that’s changed is that, thanks to the yard, we are able to grow vegetables, and I’ve unexpectedly found a passion for gardening! We are growing healthy food that we can puree for our son, and supplement our own meals with – veges such as leeks, squashes, and corn. We  are working on developing a skillset we didn’t realise we could have, thanks to the new house and large garden space.

Can you share a special memory or milestone that took place in your new home?

Bringing a kid home was a pretty big milestone – thanks to the spare room we were able to have my wife’s family come from overseas to help out and spend time with the baby. When we walked into the house with the dog there to greet us and the new baby, it was an amazing feeling – arriving into your own home as a family.

Can you describe the feeling of stepping into your home for the first time?

We had finally got into the house after a tricky time getting all the dominoes to line up. The neighbours and their kids all rallied together to help us move boxes, which was a lovely welcome to the neighbourhood. Tommy’s gave us a coupon for a pizza and a bottle of wine so we had our meal and then we slept for about two days. We were so tired and relieved – we were in the home, we had done it.

In what ways has your new home positively impacted your family’s life?

Now we are in a fantastic spot, in a house that works for us with a young child and a dog. We have space to host family when they come from the other side of the world, which is really important to us. I don’t have any desire to move from here – things are going very well for us in the house, and in New Zealand, in general. Sometimes we miss Alaska, but we feel settled and happy here.