Premium brands always do well in market downturns – and that’s true for the “dress circle” properties in the Queenstown area. The value growth down south has been stellar while other areas of New Zealand – most noticeably Auckland and Wellington – continue to feel the impact of high mortgage costs. The announcement of a…
Read more
Creating wealth for later in life is a goal most of us embrace and spend our entire working lives trying to accomplish. And for the vast majority, property investment is a huge component of their strategies. Many young people today feel the idea of owning property is beyond their reach. However, there are strategies to…
Read more
Signs of an immediate uplift in the momentum of the New Zealand property market have emerged following the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s decision to cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 0.25%. Taking the OCR to 5.25%, the mid-August move by the Reserve Bank was the first rate cut in more than four years.…
Read more
Mortgage rates are dropping against a background of a weak economy, and many pundits are trying to work out whether the current scenario will send property prices north or fail to ignite the market. Many believe that the current Official Cash Rate (OCR) of 4.5% will drop a further 1% to help revitalise the economy. …
Read more
Whether you’re selling your home, or feeling it needs some tender loving care, it’s likely your attention will focus on the kitchen because of its role as the household’s social centre. Over the years, a kitchen will become dated. Drawers might lose their ability to soft close, doors might get chipped and the plastic edging…
Read more
Flooring is such an important element of your home, but it’s often overlooked when you’re preparing to put your home on the market. Focus inevitably falls on the living area, and the bathroom and kitchen. Owners will spend thousands of dollars improving these areas but neglect what is right under their feet. Yet, when buyers…
Read more
Have you ever considered doing a space audit in your home, analysing those rooms where the lay-out could be so much better? If you’re considering putting your home on the market this spring selling season, or planning for a summer campaign, you should take a careful look at whether you’re wasting space in your home.…
Read more
With the days warming and summer approaching, it’s understandable if you think it’s a great time to repaint the exterior of your home. Surely, summer is the best time of year to break-out the brushes because there’s less threat of the rain and damp that would compromise the drying of the paint? Admittedly, one downside…
Read more
Does your home make you happy? It’s a simple yet incisive question aimed at revealing whether you truly enjoy your sanctuary. If you quietly confess that, actually, you don’t love your house or apartment, then ask why not. What’s the problem? How can you change your mood towards your home? Ambivalence or disappointment are emotions…
Read more
Affordable property is hard to find these days and more people are being forced to make tough home choices when buying. Such as, is it worth buying an affordable home if it means living in a high-crime area? This issue is reinforced with more people compelled to live in cheaper, outer-ring areas where crime can…
Read more
