Christchurch has experienced steady capital growth over the past couple of years. More recently, Christchurch’s central city is a hive of development activity after initially being held up by red tape and insurance disputes. Commercial, retail and hospitality projects are well underway; the wellpublicised Government Anchor Projects are moving forward and new inner city low-rise apartment developments and townhouses are coming on stream.

Phil and Paul have great business ethics which makes working with them an easy choice. They really listen when I describe what investors are looking for and their commitment to quality drives everything they do. – Campbell Venning

Projections for 2016 are for relatively steady market growth in Christchurch. For savvy investors whose goal it is to buy at the beginning of the growth cycle and sell coming into a market peak, investment in Christchurch over the next few years makes economic sense. Building just in time to tap into a rising market, Virtue Property Group are establishing a strong presence in Christchurch’s property market.

Virtue Group

Virtue Group is a Christchurch-based boutique building company led by industry-qualified professionals, Phil Heslop and Paul Macey. Together the two directors apply their many years of experience in the construction industry (as structural engineers, qualified builders, construction and project managers) to their Christchurch building company.

Their two most recent projects, St Martins Green and Kilmore Mews were sold down in record time, predominantly to investors looking for sound yields and a quality product in the steadily rising Christchurch property market. Kilmore Mews, a great example of Virtue’s ability to read and respond to the investment market, has a stylish design and sound economics – the 17 modern, affordable homes sold out in less than six weeks and had re-sales upon completion above original purchase prices. Located in the heart of Christchurch City and incorporating sunny indoor-outdoor living, Kilmore Mews is now a completed and fully occupied complex housing a mix of tenants and owner-occupiers alike. Within easy walking distance of the proposed inner city anchor projects, Kilmore Mews’ two-storey townhouses offer spacious living and off-street parking.

One of Virtue’s larger projects, St Martin’s Green, which is being developed in conjunction with Four Avenues Property group, is due for stage one completion in August 2016. St Martin’s Green consists of 88 two-storey, two- and three-bedroom townhouses and apartments, priced from $349,000.

Five minutes from Christchurch’s CBD and a stone’s throw from Christchurch Polytechnic, the complex was designed to suit professional tenants, to ensure the highest return from each property type in the development. Each of the three design options was specifically chosen with investor returns in mind. Strong capital growth for the development is expected to come from the re-gentrification of St Martins, Waltham and Sydenham. The market responded positively, with over 90% of the complex sold within six months of the launch.

Virtue’s passion for developing and building new properties which meet the needs of investors as well as owner occupiers has led them to partner with Campbell Venning of the Property Factory, a nationwide Real Estate agency specialising in sourcing and selling residential investment property to investors.

The Property Factory

Together The Property Factory’s Campbell Venning and the Virtue Group have worked collaboratively to market and sell down (in record time) several Virtue projects including St Martin’s Green and Kilmore Mews. Coming on stream in June is an exciting new Christchurch development in Draper Street, Richmond.

“It’s a great partnership,” says principal agent Campbell Venning, “Phil and Paul have great business ethics which makes working with them an easy choice.

They really listen when I describe what investors are looking for and their commitment to quality drives everything they do. The proof is in the pudding – in the last nine months, the team and I have sold over 40 properties to investors including myself and my staff. They’re more than just another building company to us, they’re great collaborators and together we really deliver what investors want, with two virtually sold-out developments in the last 12 months.”

Draper Street

For the third time, Virtue Group is partnering with Campbell Venning of The Property Factory to launch their latest Christchurch development to investors and owner-occupiers. 40 Draper Street is a boutique eight-unit development in Richmond, Christchurch. Richmond is a small suburb on the fringe of Christchurch’s sought after Four Avenues. Since 2011, it has been going through a gentrification process with many of the old properties being renovated or demolished and replaced.

Priced from $344,000, Draper Street combines stylish design with an affordable purchase price and sound returns. The apartments are less than 10 minutes’ walk to the Four Avenues of Christchurch where similar properties are selling between $400,000 - $500,000. With generous floor plans offering 65sqm of internal space, decks up to 13sqm and gardens of up to 113sqm, these apartments offer fantastic value for money.

To find out more about the Draper Street development, please contact the exclusive agent, Campbell Venning at the Property Factory, [email protected] or phone Campbell on 021 515 085.