Improving waste management on construction sites
Managing and monitoring waste produced on a construction site needs careful planning. Continue →
Author Curreen
‘Mum and Dad’ investors driving prices back up
We’re now seeing more ‘Mum and Dad’ investors eager to get into the property market, which is definitely helping to hold house prices up, says Century 21 New Zealand Owner Derryn Mayne
The arrival of ‘Mum and Dad’ investors is understandable given many factors now at play. Continue →
Which property types will provide the best yields?
In the coming months, there are likely to be some ‘bargains’ on offer for property investors, although a slowdown in value growth may well mean more emphasis on a property’s rental yield, says CoreLogic Senior Research Analyst Kelvin Davidson
Heading into alert level four lockdown, momentum for both property values and rents across the country was pretty strong (see the first chart), and investors had been taking a higher share of purchases – partly due to solid property returns themselves, but also falling returns on other assets (e.g. Continue →
New development in the heart of Avondale
Kāinga Ora is playing its part in the regeneration of Avondale town centre by confirming its plans to build a new housing development known as Highbury Triangle
The development, which is located between Great North Road and Community Lane, is expected to include 236 homes, which will predominately be made up of a state housing complex for older people, alongside a component of market homes and commercial space. Continue →
COVID-19 tail still impacting market
Property sales were up 191% from April to May but still down from last year by 46.6%, with prices fluctuating across the country, the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) has revealed
The number of properties sold in May across New Zealand decreased by 46.6% from the same time last year – from 7,477 to 3,990 – as Alert Level 3 restrictions on the real estate market still made it difficult for property sales to occur, according to the latest data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ), source of the most complete and accurate real estate data in New Zealand. Continue →
$75m available for residential development sector
Well-designed and well-situated residential developments will always sell, and demand for affordable housing remains strong, says Director of New Zealand Mortgages & Securities (NZMS) James Kellow
Auckland’s largest non-bank property financier remains extremely confident in the region’s long-term future. Continue →
New construction protocols under Level One
With the announcement today that New Zealand is moving to COVID-19 alert level 1 at 11:59 on Monday 8th June, the construction industry has now published a revised standard and protocols for ongoing operations
Key changes from alert level 2 to alert level 1 are:
The relaxing of physical distancing requirements on site. Continue →
Government package for commercial leases too little, too late
Property Council New Zealand and the New Zealand Council of Retail Property have voiced concerns over the Government’s proposal to intervene in the industries contractual relationships
“The announcement of a commercial rent dispute process is too little, too late for a majority of landlords and tenants”, says Property Council chief executive Leonie Freeman. Continue →
Auckland house prices barely effected by COVID-19
In the first full month of trading permitted after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, Auckland house prices showed minimal change to pre-Covid prices, says Barfoot & Thompson Managing Director Peter Thompson
What did change significantly was the number of homes sold. Continue →
Winter ripe for first-home buyers
Kiwis will have the best opportunity to get on the housing ladder in more than a decade, says Century 21 New Zealand Owner Derryn Mayne
With many interest rates now well below three percent, and with the Reserve Bank scrapping its mortgage loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions, lower deposits are now required to secure a mortgage and ongoing repayments have never been cheaper. Continue →
New Zealand’s largest industrial and residential development
The development is expected to contribute $2.3b to the economy, employ 6,000 people and provide affordable housing for 2,000 Kiwis when it is completed in 2027
More than a fifth of the 170 hectares of commercial land available at the country’s largest industrial and residential development have now been sold as businesses look to establish large scale local operations in a post-COVID environment. Continue →
Government scraps low-risk building consents
Homeowners, builders and DIYers will soon have an easier time making basic home improvements as the Government scraps the need for consents for low-risk building work
The Government is introducing new exemptions to the Building Act in a move save homeowners $18 million in consenting costs each year, though building work must still meet the Building Code, Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa announced today. Continue →
Greater access regulation to become a new normal
Greater regulation of access to public and private buildings and visitor hot spots may figure among major impacts from the coronavirus affecting architects, builders, facility managers and site owners
“Certainly, there will be a new normal for people-intensive public and private facilities, where owners have a duty of care to protect staff and visitors,” says security and entrance specialist, Boon Edam Australia Managing Director Michael Fisher (Master security licence number: 000104487). Continue →
Office procedures and design standards set to change
The coronavirus pandemic might have some long-term effects on the way we design our offices, reports INC
As companies look to incorporate better sanitation and implement some of the things they’ve learned during the crisis, many aspects of the office could change–from the materials used for upholstery to the overall layouts of floor plans. Continue →
Should the foreign buyer ban be lifted?
The Reserve Bank has pulled enough levers to help buyers, sellers, and the industry at large, but now the Government should review any legislation that may hinder real estate’s revival, including softening its foreign buyer ban, says Century 21 New Zealand owner Derryn Mayne
The Reserve Bank’s decision to remove its mortgage loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions, for at least a year, will mean more young Kiwis can buy their first homes sooner. Continue →
Sales plummeted under lockdown yet prices hit record highs
Despite a 78.5% decrease in sales volumes in April, median house prices across New Zealand increased by 17.2% to a new record high of $680,000, according to the latest data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ)
The number of properties sold in April across New Zealand decreased by -78.5% from the same time last year – from 6,082 to 1,305 – as the level 4 lockdown made it very difficult for property sales to occur. Continue →
Oneoneroa delivering the homes Kiwis want
With New Zealand moving into lower COVID-19 alert levels and restrictions easing to allow property viewings, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Properties is gearing up to continue the sale of homes and welcome residents to Oneoneroa
The hapū development company says New Zealanders have had time to reflect in their bubbles on what they are looking for in a home, the importance of community and location, with Oneoneroa delivering what Kiwis want. Continue →
A budget for our times
Grant Robertson’s rainy-day Budget poured billions – with many more billions still to come – into saving and creating jobs report Dentons Kensington Swan partners Linda Clark and Hayden Wilson
If the plan works (and it is still being developed to match rapidly changing economic circumstances) then New Zealand’s economy may be spared the worst of what the Prime Minister calls “dire global predictions”. Continue →
A 1930s solution to a 1930s-style problem
With private sector development forecast to plummet during this period of economic uncertainty, the government has a clear opportunity to support the residential construction industry and address New Zealand’s shortage of social housing, says economics consultancy Infometrics
The waiting list for state houses has more than quadrupled over the last four years, but high levels of construction have limited the government’s ability to respond to this burgeoning need. Continue →
Construction protocols for Level Two – what you need to know
Industry and government have been working with Site Safe to update the existing construction protocols to reflect what is now permitted under Level 2
Site Safe Chief Executive Brett Murray says “we’ve been working with a cross-industry working group to make sure everyone has access to this important information as soon as possible, so businesses will have time to get to grips with what level 2 means for them. Continue →