How the Whanganui housing market is holding up through lockdown

New listings continue to go up in Whanganui despite the country being in lockdown and open homes prohibited. Photo / Bevan Conley

House sales and purchases in Whanganui are continuing and confidence in the local market remains strong, despite the restrictions of the level 4 Covid-19 lockdown.

Since last Tuesday about 16 new listings have appeared in Whanganui and agents feel more confident about sales compared to the last time the city was in a level 4 setting.

"I've had probably five phone calls just this [Thursday] morning," Property Brokers agent Vicky Todd said.

"Compared to last time, the last lockdown, which was really unknown. Last time the first couple of days my phone rang a couple of times, then after that for the next three and a half weeks my phone was dead."

Todd has sold two houses in the last week and had just seen a contract come through on Thursday.

She said buyers were a lot more confident the country would get back to its normal "strong" housing market after the current Covid-19 restrictions.

In July the median house sale price in Whanganui had increased from $350,000 in June 2020 to $454,000.

Todd said offers she had seen for houses were "strong".

Bayleys agent Lyn Wickham said she had managed to get one house sale over the line in lockdown because the house had been viewed and paperwork exchanged before the alert levels were lifted.

"The legwork had all been done, the contract had been printed and started."

Settlements are happening in lockdown because lawyers are continuing to work from home, but moving is not allowed under alert level 4.

Mortgage adviser Aaron Stampa said he was getting sale and purchase agreements across his desk.

"This is the second time around for us, we're old hands at this now.

"Everybody's developed ways to be able to keep the industry moving during these periods."

He said buyers and sellers were able to get all their documents in order so that when alert levels go down they would be able to move into their new house.

Stampa said there was some anxiety among first home buyers in the middle of a settlement.

"The first home buyers are a little bit worried about the fact they've handed in notice on their rental properties and that they're going to get kicked out next week."

Asked if there was any fear of a prolonged lockdown or Covid-19 outbreak like the one occurring in Australia, Stampa said people here were in a confident mood.

"[I] haven't really struck any feedback or any fears of 'what happens if this goes on for weeks and weeks'.

"Everybody's pretty optimistic that that's [going down an alert level] going to be happening ... hopefully next week."