Tauranga is ranked fifth in New Zealand for the nation's biggest homes.

Quotable Value figures show homes in Tauranga cover an average area of 162sqm.

Big house opulence is a growing trend in Tauranga.

The region with the largest homes was the Selwyn district, west of Christchurch, with an average area of 181.3sqm.

Tauranga QV spokesperson Shayne Donovan-Grammer is not surprised by the results.

'Tauranga is one of the fastest growing places in the country.

'There's more development here and newer homes being built tend to be bigger than older homes – so that would bring our average up.”

He says most of the larger homes are being built in areas such as Papamoa, Pyes Pa, Welcome Bay and Bethlehem.

'Those areas are slightly more affluent so the homes will tend to be bigger. If you see a flash new home it tends to be larger, you very rarely see a small flash home.”

Top five:

• Selwyn District 181.3sqm
  
  
• Queenstown Lakes 181sqm
  
  
• Auckland, North Shore 176sqm
  
  
• Auckland, Rodney 164sqm
  
  
• Tauranga 162sqm