Latest fromResidential Property

Aucklanders build bigger as land values soar
Auckland land prices have surged, spurring owners to almost double the size of their houses in the past four decades.

Property prices reach record high
New Zealand property prices have reached a new record high according to Trade Me Property.

Property boom: Tale of two cities
New Zealand's roaring property market is a tale of two cities - Auckland and Christchurch - while the rest of the country mostly lags well behind.

New housing areas take total to 80
Eighty Special Housing Areas, due to contain about 40,000 sites or residences, have been approved throughout the Auckland region.

Ree Anderson: Auckland's Special Housing Areas
Auckland Council's Ree Anderson talks to Anne Gibson about Special Housing Areas.

Young buyers not the problem
Young aspiring Auckland house-buyers are not spendthrifts frittering their money on weekend entertainment but victims of an over-priced real estate sector, says an economist.

Melbourne's building boom
Twenty-three buildings taller than 200 metres are currently being planned or built in Melbourne, many by Asian developers.

Auckland households face big rates rises
Council figures show 116,000 Auckland households are now expected to face a rates increase of more than 10 per cent, under a policy released today.

Young home buyers told get real
Young, aspiring Auckland first-home buyers are not saving enough, says a real estate agency boss, encouraging them to lower their expectations and spend less.

Farmer sells in disgust at $50k rates
'Horrific" rates of nearly $50k a year on land still being grazed by livestock prompted the $37.9m sale of one of Auckland's largest land lots.

From state house to Remuera
I didn't. I wanted to be a pilot from the age of 4. I used to run out and watch planes from our backyard but at the age of 12 my mum took me to the air force thinking she was doing the right thing.

Andrew Dickens: Intensify inner suburbs, watch city thrive
Andrew Dickens writes: Much of Auckland was unaware of New Windsor until last week when it was revealed that property prices have shot up 58 per cent in the past three years.

Love thy neighbour? Not on The Block
The Block may be a hit with viewers - but the reality TV show's creators aren't popular with some of the neighbours, with 111 complaints.

Do-up on market for $629k
A do-up North Shore property with basic facilities, exposed plywood floor panels and an overgrown yard strewn with junk is for sale for $629k - $269k above its CV.

How mortgages stack up
Auckland has the nation's highest rate of homeowners still paying off their mortgages and the lowest proportion who own their home mortgage-free.

Luxury flat's $195k reserve
Million-dollar views on a slim budget have sparked a flood of interest in a luxury apartment on Auckland's waterfront.

Northland villa a hit overseas
A coastal Northland property purchased for just $9000 in 1974 is commanding a price tag around $1.6 million.

Block houses open doors to the fans
Welcome to Newell St - an otherwise sleepy dead-end road in one of Auckland's hottest city fringe suburbs - median sales price last month: $1.134 million.

Editorial: Kiwi dream needs Govt on board
The Kiwi dream dies reluctantly. The Prime Minister is no doubt right when he suggests that young people dismayed by the latest rise in house values should look at an apartment for their first step on the ladder.

Granny flats the new hot sellers
Single-level Auckland brick-and-tile units are fetching record sums, often double the capital values assessed three years ago.

Double-digit rate increases loom
Rate rises will hit double digits in Auckland's hottest suburbs unless the council takes action on other fronts, says the council's finance boss.

Auckland rates: Valuation up 29pc
The average valuation increase for all Auckland properties is 29 per cent, but the new values won’t be used to help set rates until July next year.

Block fans to step inside
Homes featured on The Block are being marketed online - and fans wanting a sneak peek at yet-to-be unveiled rooms only have to wait two more days.

Open fireplaces to be blocked up
Domestic chimneys will have to be cemented up or blocked in other ways before a house with an open fireplace can be sold under the Auckland Council's planned air-quality bylaw.

Open fire could cost you $20k
Auckland residents may be at risk of a $20,000 fine if they flout the council's planned ban on indoor open fires.

City plan spells end for old flames
Domestic open fires will be banned from 2016 and old wood burners from 2018 under a plan Auckland Council is drawing up.

Highs and lows of apartment life
Buying a small apartment can be a good first step on the Auckland house ownership ladder, real estate experts say.