Slice of Paradise: Bridgette still on the hunt for a new home

Auckland’s own Bridgette took part in Three's Slice of Paradise to find a family home for her and her young children. Bridgette joined Peter Wolfkamp and Shelley Ferguson on the show which follows Kiwis from all over New Zealand on their property journeys. She wanted to buy a house on Auckland's North Shore, ideally with five or six bedrooms, a view and a pool.

Bridgette's budget was $2 million but she says in the hot housing market and a desirable area, she was surprised to find that money didn't go very far. "I think you go in with these expectations and wanting everything for as little money as possible. And then you find that with the hot Auckland market, that you get very little for your money. It's quite eye-opening when you go from house-to-house and it happens at every house," she says.

Bridgette says, her time on the reality show was a valuable experience. It helped her understand what she wanted and equally what she didn’t want. "It was really good to look around at a number of different locations and different sorts of houses, - including one property in Devonport which made her realise she wasn't interested in a fixer-upper," Bridgette says.

Since Slice of Paradise finished filming, Bridgette says she hasn't locked down a property instead preferring to look ahead and see how the market improves. With the election coming to an end, summer nearly upon us and the market beginning to cool, she's feeling optimistic that she'll find something within her budget. "It's probably a good thing I didn't buy a few months ago as the market's gone down, so that's obviously a win when you're on a budget. I've started looking again and I've found something that's really interesting, potentially."

Bridgette says, looking back she would warn herself to remember the "reality of the time" and to lower her expectations - however, she's glad she didn't rush in and buy a house for the sake of it. " Unless you're really in love with something, I think it's best if you just wait until something comes along that you can really see yourself living in. Ultimately at the end of the day, if you're going to be spending a number of years there, you want to really love where you're living."

Watch Slice Of Paradise on Three every Wednesday at 7:30 pm.