With the Holidays and New Year celebrations behind us, the spring sales season for real estate kicks off in little more than three months’ time. If you’re planning on selling your home at this peak buying period, you might find it a little scary to think you have around 12-16 weeks to prepare. Spring is…
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As we enter 2026, New Zealanders can reflect on a property market that resisted a recovery despite nine interest rate cuts but saw values remain steady. As the latest OneRoof home survey points out, there were winners and losers in 2025, and we should not feel downcast about the immediate future. The latest cut of…
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Just as Kiwis were getting used to the idea the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) might end its program of interest rate cuts, Westpac NZ shocked everyone by raising rates 0.3% on fixed term loans. The move prompted Finance Minister Nicola Willis to suggest owners and first-home buyers should “shop around”. After Westpac announced…
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As we enter 2026, the real estate market continues to produce outstanding results for sellers and investors despite buyer disappointment at the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to not cut interest rates for a fourth time in less than 12 months. The average value of a home rose 1% in November, following a 1.1% rise…
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Have you ever heard of the trend called Cashmere Kitchen? It’s a new fashion based on an old philosophy of making your kitchen cosy with warm neutrals rather than taking the more modern path of a stark-white tableau. Designers say that to create a Cashmere Kitchen you must use natural materials with neutral colours and…
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When preparing your home for sale, it can feel like there are a million tasks ahead of you, each vitally important to winning over the buyer and achieving your maximum possible price. One of the overlooked elements of a home is the quality of the flooring. It’s true that buyers don’t walk into a home…
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As price trends head ever higher and finance pundits predict that we’re done with interest rate cuts for the foreseeable future, what’s it going to take to get a buyer excited about your property? What are the trends for 2026 that will stop buyers thinking about their prospective mortgage repayment and fall in love with…
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It’s the summer holidays and a time to relax, but if you’re a DIY enthusiast you know there’s only so much sitting in a deck chair you can do before the urge to break out the toolbox becomes overwhelming. There are countless small chores around the home to dive into with the sun on your…
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One of the greatest pleasures any homeowner has during the summer holiday season is to host friends and family in their backyard, firing up the barbecue, putting drinks on ice and basking in this wonderfully relaxing time of the year. Of course, this description of an idyllic summer get-together hides the fact that there’s lots…
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How you decorate your bedroom is a highly personal choice – all that matters is you create a space that’s relaxing and calming, and makes you look forward to climbing into bed each night for a restful sleep. Of course, there are a few golden rules, most of which are pretty obvious. These include selecting…
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