Property

* Government to replace joint liability with a fairer, proportionate liability model * Councils can now consolidate building consent functions to streamline processes nationwide * Reforms aim to cut delays, lower costs, and improve housing and infrastructure delivery The Government has announced the most significant reform to New Zealand’s building consent system

The latest QV House Price Index shows average home values across New Zealand dipped by 0.5% over the three months to the end of July, with the national average now $909,671. Values remain almost unchanged compared to the same time last year, and the nationwide average value is

Homeowners tired of wrestling with consent paperwork to erect a modest garden shed or hobby room are set to receive welcome relief. Cabinet has signed off new setback rules that scrap the mandatory distance between a boundary and single-storey buildings smaller than ten square metres, and shrink the distance to

Rental prices across most of New Zealand have fallen, offering some welcome relief for tenants. According to new data from realestate.co.nz, the national average asking rent in June 2025 was $636—down 2.7% from $653 in June 2024. Wellington renters benefited the most from the price drop,

* National average asking prices have remained flat for two and a half years. * Southland sets new price record again while Northland sees significant price decline. * New listings fall across most regions as winter cools seller activity. New Zealand’s property market has marked 2.5 years of flat average asking

Discussions are underway between Te Pare Kauika and Ngai Tahu to develop the Newfield Park Reserve into a $14.4 million community housing development. Previously known as the Southern Collective, the company creates whānau-led solutions for the people of Southland. Janice Lee wrote to council informing the ICC of the

Southland’s property market has reached new heights, with average asking prices hitting a record $564,291 in May. According to realestate.co.nz’s latest data, that’s a 6.5% jump compared to the same time last year — the highest recorded since the platform began tracking prices 18

Independent economist Tony Alexander is back with the latest on the property market, interest rates, and the state of investment property. Why are the South Island’s private debt levels looking lower than the North? What happened to the housing market recovery that some anticipated late last year? Why does