One of the upsides of testing positive for Covid is that it gave me a head start on this month’s Barometer, which consequently keeps the boss off my back. As Omicron spreads itself across the country, I ponder how the New Zealand property market has mirrored this Covid outbreak. When Auckland sneezes, New Zealand catches a cold (or maybe it’s Covid!) Toward the end of 2021 real estate agents started to...
Real estate agents are great at the ole’ humble brag. You know the ones: SOLD for a suburb record! SOLD 100% higher that the RV SOLD with 52 offers submitted at the tender! Want to know how I did it? Sadly, those days are gone (perhaps not the bragging). As we transition from a sellers’ market to a balanced, or perhaps even, a buyers’ market, now is the time you should be looking to...
We love to predict the future so let’s whip out the crystal ball and do our best to anticipate the factors that might influence the market in 2022. Cost of Construction Over the past year the cost of materials has gone up and up with no sign of slowing. In fact, there isn’t even a guarantee the stock will be available when you do need it. Anecdotal evidence indicates the cost of building a house is...
If it doesn’t cost, you anything it normally means somehow you are what’s for sale. It could be your personal details, your buying preferences, or, in the property market it is likely to be your ‘free’ online market assessment. In New Zealand there are several portals which now offer those, including: Homes, Property Insights (Trade Me) and One Roof. Traffic to these sites is significant, and large...
It’s not uncommon for agents and conveyancing lawyers to come head-to-head as they navigate their way towards a successful sale. But while the relationship can be strained at times, both parties play an important role in any property transaction. This month we take a look at what exactly that role is and why not all lawyers are created equally. Unlike the ability to sell your home privately, you will be...
After a long period of ‘normality’, community transmission is back and we find ourselves in a Level 4 lockdown. A place, quite arrogantly, I don’t think any of us thought we would ever be again. Unlike last year, there doesn’t appear to be the same level of fear. We have been here before. We understand the virus better. We have a vaccine. And working from home is a firmly established business...
Unless you have been on a complete spending freeze it would be hard not to have noticed the rapidly escalating costs of goods and services. Nowhere is this more evident than in the building industry which has been hit hard by supply issues. For years New Zealand has had relatively low inflation which is an indication of slow growth. One way to stimulate growth is to lower interest rates because it...
The central business district has historically been considered the heart of any city, but recent events have changed the way people use the CBD. So, how does the changing face of business influence our cities and the way we live? We are making steps all over the world towards vaccinating the masses in the hope of returning to some sense of normality. At some stage down the track we will look back on this...
Price pressure It’s often been said that you can tell if a city is humming based on the number of cranes on a skyline. And I’ll tell you what, I’ve noted a fair few around here recently. So, is Wellington really humming? Cranes, and their association with a thriving economy, are generally an indication of new commercial construction. But in Wellington’s case, the bulk of the inner-city...
Wellington wastewater issues continue to plague the city as our aging infrastructure haunts us. Last month trucks blocked main CBD routes as they were put to work removing wastewater to prevent another environmental issue in the harbour. No sooner had the trucks taken the sewage and buried it at the rubbish dump, did the pipes burst in Aro Valley. No wonder rates are on the (significant) rise! So what...