Twenty-five families have emerged successful after entrusting their home-owning dreams to a raffle. More than 100 groups registered for a ballot to own a terraced townhouse at the West Edge development in New Lynn, West Auckland. Those whose names were drawn from the box on Saturday afternoon were able to immediately pick the unit they wanted and sign a sale and purchase agreement, bypassing the auction process.

They each paid $1000 to enter the ballot and those who missed out had their money refunded.

Successful applicant Mary Parshotam said she was "elated" to sign for her new three-bedroom house. Waiting for her name to be called was a nerve-wracking experience, given the size of the crowd, she said. "I didn't even think I had a chance, I just thought 'I'll go and see'. It's luck, right? It's the luck of the draw." Mary Parshotam and husband Bharat already own a family home in nearby Lynfield and bought the townhouse as an investment property.

They plan to give it to their son, who is now 18, when he is older. Mary Parshotam had never been to a house ballot before but said they were common in Canada, where she used to live. She said the idea appealed to couple because it seemed fairer than an auction. "It gives everyone an equal chance and it doesn't matter how much money you have or don't have, if your name gets called your name gets called."

However, she did not expect the method of selling to make a difference to those with their hearts set on a particular house. "I think that if you're going to go for a house, it doesn't really matter what method, you're going to do it." Bharat Parshotam said the ballot was a good idea but was more of a "marketing ploy" than anything else. "It generates a lot of interest."

The 12-hectare development on the site of the old Crown Lynn factory is eventually planned to house about 5000 residents in 1800 homes. The first stage comprises 88 townhouses priced from $500,000 to about $750,000, ranging in size from 80sqm to 146sqm. Construction is due to start in March 2016.

Project manager Winson Tan, of property developer Avanda Ltd, said he expected a lot of the people who registered for the ballot did so to avoid the uncertainty and stress of an auction. "Our ballot systems enable all those people to go for the fixed price, for the house that they want, for the design that they want." He said the scheme offered homes at realistic prices for young couples and families.

Avondale woman Raina Jogia was one house-hunter who was not sold on the scheme. She registered for the ballot in the hopes of buying an investment property but declined to go through with the purchase after her name was plucked from the box. The $705,000 home she and her partner wanted had been snapped up by an earlier winner and the only three-bedroom home left available was about $35,000 dearer, she said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/73561304/homes-snapped-up-in-new-lynn-ballot.html