Blog

Selling your house at auction is often the best way to truly test the market, and get the best price for your property. There are many other benefits as well – you have a pre-set timetable for your marketing campaign and if you reach your reserve your house is sold there and then. But itRead more

Our guest bloggers from Resene take a look at what buyers want in a dream home, and how to achieve it. We’ve heard Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz say, “there’s no place like home”, and many buzzy bee jokes end with the punchline “honey, I’m home!” – but now, we can actually get aRead more

It’s spring time, the weather is warmer, and more people are out and about looking at open homes. As such, spring is often a popular time to list homes for sale.  So if you are looking to sell your property, how much is your home worth? Did you know? The average time it is taking toRead more

You’ve seen your dream home – the only problem is it isn’t built yet. Is it ever a good idea to buy off the plans? The short answer is yes – there are some advantages to buying property before it’s been built, but there are some obvious cons too. The trick, as with any purchasingRead more

If your property is in need of repair or you’re even considering a few renovation projects to get it ready for sale, there are a few things you need to consider first. Whilst well planned, cost-effective renovations can certainly add value to a home, there is always the risk of over-capitalising. That’s why it paysRead more

If you’re preparing to sell your home, you may have started to go through the process of tidying, decluttering and making modest repairs, but to really make your home stand-out against the competition, have you considered property staging? What is property staging/styling? Professional home staging or styling is the process of using a property stylistRead more

Spring is finally here! We’ve made it through the cold and wet winter months, Daylight Savings is around the corner and everywhere flowers are blooming. As well as improving everyone’s overall feeling of wellbeing, the warmer weather and longer days are a good opportunity to embark on some basic maintenance jobs around your rental property. NowRead more

The commonly held view goes something like this: All mortgagee sales go for a song because the bank just wants to get rid of the property as soon as possible to cover the debt. Mortgagee sales can represent a great opportunity for the right buyer, in the right market, at the right time. However, theRead more

In a competitive market one of the questions we most encounter from homeowners is should we buy or sell first? Harcourts New Zealand CEO, Chris Kennedy shares his thoughts on the matter. It comes up because in a tightly competitive market homeowners are often worried they’ll miss out on a rare dream home if they waitRead more

When it comes to buying investment property, is rental yield the iron-clad indicator you can take to the bank? Or is it another statistic that can mislead or misrepresent the potential of a property? If you’re looking for investment property, consider rental yield as one tool in your kit, albeit an important tool. It indicatesRead more