It’s sad, but true. The air we breathe is dirty and getting dirtier. Even the air in our homes can be hazardous to our health. It has been estimated that the air inside of the average home is at leas five times more polluted than the air outside – even in the most metropolitan area!…
Category: Real Estate
The Green Home Age Is Upon Us
Green homes are expected to make up to ten percent of new home construction over the next several years. Homeowners are interested in purchasing green homes because of the benefits they offer – from healthier indoor air to energy savings. What are some of the primary benefits of a green home? Such a home is…
First Impressions Count!
The first impression must be positive when a buyer visits your property for sale. A home that “shows well, sells well”. Our experience constantly indicates that a well presented home will sell more quickly and, usually, for a higher price. “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. In preparing your home…
Christchurch Real Estate Market pdate From August 2009
Christhchurch Property Trends Property values in Christchurch declined by 1.9% over the past year (calculated over the three months ending August 2009 in comparison to the same period last year), a substantial improvement on the 5.5% annual decline reported in July. The average sale price for the city increased slightly from to $342,993 to $344,401….
Property Photography Is As Important As Price
Today’s homebuyers are forming their thoughts about your home well before they even see it in person. With a few clicks of a mouse, potential buyers can see which homes they want to explore further, and which ones they want to avoid. This is often based purely on the Location, Price and the Pictures they…
Leaky Homes In New Zealand May Have A Small Light Ahead
Many home owners have found themselves in the unfortunate position of owning a leaky home. So what is the problem all about? New Zealand’s building industry has thrived throughout the last few decades, and new houses and subdivisions are now a common site in most residential areas. However, many of these buildings are affected by…
The Dilemmas Of An Aging Population
We all know how the Baby Boomers Generation those people born post WW2 1956-1964) have affected everything they touch as they have moved up the age pyramid (the pig in the python!) creating markets for products that previously didn’t exist and bringing much wealth to the smart marketers and service providers who could read the trends….
Making The Most Of Renovating Your Home
Seal coating and crack sealing are two very important elements in home improvement and property care. They will make your driveway look a thousand times better and so your house’s value will increase dramatically, a nice driveway is always very important to a home’s appearance as it is usually the first thing people see when…
The Buyer Of Tomorrow
The recession has touched and changed consumers on every level – they’ve acquired new behaviours, thoughts, and feelings. They will therefore unquestionably spend in different ways following the recession. Behaviour: By necessity, consumers have changed their spending behaviour. A quick look at retail sales figures tells a dramatic story of a swift and forceful shift…
Creating Eco Friendly Green Homes For The Future
Energy has become one of the most debatable issues in today’s world and it is no surprise that more homes are looking to reduce carbon emissions and thereby create a more sustainable and healthy world. In fact lot of governments across the world are making it mandatory for homes to have energy efficient systems installed,…
The Insulation Of Death Or The Breath Of Life….
The government has introduced its great plan to insulate even more our New Zealand Homes. From 1979 it was made mandatory for all New Zealand Homes to have insulation put into the ceiling and walls when built. The material used for the insulation is not only carcinogenic but is also creating an environment that’s just…
Cant Pay The Mortgage – You Will Lose Your Home!
New Zealand is in a terrible position in terms of the real estate market. People have been over spending in the last few years as explained in the previous post. But this is about to come to head. The financial hard times are starting to catch up with us and this will be starting to hurt…
New Zealanders Are Struggling To Hold Onto Their Investment Properties.
‘Buy a few investment properties. The rent will pay the mortgage, then later you can enjoy the capital gain’. Well – it seemed a good idea at the time. But the current recession is bringing things home to roost for many who speculated on property in the years leading up to 2007. Unprecedented numbers of…
Why Is It That Our Houses Are Hard And Expensive To Heat – Moisture
A damp home is hard to heat and can make you and your children sick. Damp homes are associated with increased numbers of doctor’s visits for respiratory problems such as asthma. Dampness encourages mould and mildew which can also harm your health. Damp homes also deteriorate more quickly, and they’re uncomfortable to live in. There…
Your Damp Home Is Hurting Your Health!
Black Mold Mildew or mold (also known as black mold or toxic mold) is a type of fungi that develops and grows on surfaces in the form of powdery or downy substance. Humid/damp surfaces incombination with a very moderate temperature and sufficient amount of light provide the best conditions for mold growth. The toxic mold…
Home Dampness Tips
New Zealand is renowned for damp winters, both inside and out. If you hang your washing in the spare room on Monday, chances are it will still be wet on Thursday. A damp home is hard to heat and can make your family ill. Damp homes are associated with increased numbers of doctor’s visits for…
So You Want More For Your Property….
Yes, I have heard it too many times before. Why is that offer so low? I want $XXX,000! I don’t care how the banks value my property, they are too conservative! My home is worth MORE! How much your home is worth to you, may not be how much the home is worth to the…
New Zealand June Property Review
PROPERTY VALUES INCREASE AS THE MARKET seems STABILISES FURTHER The QV national residential property indices for June released today show a 7.1 per cent decline in property values over the last year. This is a further improvement on the 8.1 per cent annual decline reported last month, and reflects continued stabilisation of the property market….
House Dust Mites Have To Go
What is a house dust mite allergy? House mite allergy is a hypersensitive reaction to proteins in the excretion of dust mites. The protein attacks the respiratory passages causing hay fever and asthma. It will aggravate atopic dermatitis in people who have a tendency to this problem. House dust mites are found in all homes. They are microscopic…
Unhealthy Homes Are Hurting New Zealand
There are a number of factors that can lead to unhealthy air in your home or workplace, including lack of ventilation, too much humidity, and water infiltration or leakage, among others. Poor indoor air quality can cause a number of health problems such as breathing difficulties and allergies. Humid or damp conditions in your home…
New Zealand Housing And What May Be To Come
A snapshot of what is and what may be to come. A looming demand for new dwellings and a predicted spring sales recovery are just some of the hopeful signs emerging for the housing sector this week. The sector, picked by some to be hammered by a 30 per cent chop, is giving off mixed…
South Island Auctions Are Taking Off
This Press Release Made by Harcourts Grenadier is a truely good sign that there is some definate life still in the property market. I worked for this company for a short time and I believe their systems and agents are amoungst the best out there. If you are in Christchurch or anywhere in the south…
Increased Population + Less Housing = A Ahousing Shortage
This is yet more signs from the media and agents telling of a housing recovery. A housing shortage looms as migration leaps and house-building halves. Property experts say increased demand is likely to boost house prices, especially in Christchurch. The real estate slump, the credit crunch and the recession have pushed home-building to 54 per…
Mortgagee Sales In New Zealand Are Steadily High
Aucklanders hit hardest as forced property sales quadruple Mortgagee sales in Auckland are the highest in New Zealand, with more than four times as many forced sales than a year ago. The sheer volume of residential housing in the city, high median house prices and people being laid off are being cited as factors in…
Valuations – What Are They And How Are They Determined
When you decide to enter the market by selling your real estate property, there are still a number of things that you need to consider in order to get the best possible outcome from your whole real estate experience, and to avoid any costly mistakes on your part. You wouldn’t want to give your real…
Green Housing Is Where We Need To Be Thinking
It isn’t the intent of this article to discuss whether or not global warming is a reality. To be completely honest, it really doesn’t matter either way where this article is concerned. The fact of the matter is that we need to figure out a way to live more harmoniously with our planet. Currently, the way humanity…
New Zealands Economy Still Shrinking Deeper Into A Recession
New Zealand’s economy shrank for a fifth consecutive quarter in the three months to March and recorded its first annual decline in economic activity since 1992. Figures published by Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) today show gross domestic product fell 1 per cent in the March quarter, following a revised fall of 1 per cent in…
The Wave Of The Real Estate Cycle
The real estate market has been rising nationally the last few years and the media went hog wild over the frenzy and everywhere you looked there was someone or something telling you that real estate was HOT HOT HOT! Prices were going through the roof and there was unprecedented growth and people were becoming multi-millionaires…
June an July Real Estate Market Thoughts
June and July are usually very quiet months but what a difference in levels of stock this year compared with last! Here’s my take on it from a buyers and sellers point of view and then my own summary of what I think will happen – would appreciate everyone elses thoughts on what the future…
Unemployment And The Real Estate Industry
There have been many reports recently stating that “experts” are seeing a turnaround in several segments of both the commercial and residential real estate markets here in New Zealand. But I find it hard to see this and put credibility on these reports. I justify this by saying there is no other crux that is…