17/06/2026
If you've ever wondered why I tell people not to panic when things go sideways during a property purchase, let me tell you about 8A Kukupa Grove.
This property was... let's call it "full of character."
We were selling on behalf of Public Trust, so there were no vendor warranties. It had original 1970s décor that hadn't seen a makeover since the Bee Gees were topping the charts. There was an unconsented bathroom, missing doors, a defunct body corporate, and presentation that can only be described as somewhere between a renovation project and an episode of The Twilight Zone.
Then came the builder's report.
Eighty-four pages.
Eighty-four.
By the time you'd finished reading it, you'd think the place was about to be blown into Cook Strait by the next Wellington southerly.
The bank certainly thought so.
Finance declined.
Most people would have walked away.
Not Trisha.
She picked up the phone and contacted the owner of the building inspection company directly. She explained that while the report listed every issue under the sun, it completely missed the bigger picture. The home was structurally sound. It needed work, yes. But the majority of that work was cosmetic and could be tackled over time.
To their credit, the inspection company reviewed the situation, conducted a peer review, and even introduced changes to their internal processes.
Then Trisha took on the bank.
She went straight to the lending manager and made her case. This wasn't a collapsing house. This was an affordable first home with huge potential.
And guess what?
Finance approved.
When that unconditional notice landed in my inbox, I was genuinely shocked.
Against all odds, Caroline and Trisha got the keys to their first home.
Now the real work begins.
Congratulations Caroline and Trisha. This one was well earned 🫶
Linda & Ray Wallace in Real Estate
Ray White Kemeys Brothers
