Property market surpasses expectations – but will it last?
New Zealand’s property market continues to hold up despite all the uncertainty, surpassing expectations, and prompting economists to revise their forecast once again. While a downturn is still expected, most experts agree that the drop shouldn’t be “massive”…. Some relevant factors to watch According to independent economist Tony Alexander, there […]
Why it’s important to regularly review your insurance
Your insurance policies have been issued, so that’s that dealt with, right? Well…. maybe. If you’ve gone through the process of putting insurance cover in place, you might think that’s something that’s off your to-do list for the foreseeable future. But even when you have a great cover, things may […]
I had cancer. Can I still get insurance cover?
Surviving cancer can change a lot of things in your life – but what about your insurance? If you’ve battled cancer in the past, you may be unsure of what it means for your ability to get insurance in future, or to call again on the cover you already have […]
Is the First Home grant “out of tune” with this property market?
A recent article on TVNZ.co.nz compared residential figures and First Home grant eligibility criteria, and found that most first-home buyers in main centres would not qualify – with the exception if Christchurch. Time for an update? First Home Grant: How it works The First Home Grant (formerly known as HomeStart […]
Is a ‘mortgage repayment holiday’ right for you?
You might have heard of bit of talk lately about mortgage holidays. As part of its response to COVID-19, the Government has been working with lenders to make it easier for borrowers to get a break from their home loan repayments. While ‘mortgage repayment holidays’ have always been an option […]
Nine ways to reduce stress in your daily life
1. Keep your focus small When you start feeling stressed out, it can be easy for that feeling to snowball and become overwhelming. If you’re stuck in that type of stress where you have so much to worry about that you can’t do anything, break it down into small chunks. […]
Big Welcome to Level 2
Plus, tips for helping your kids into their first home and more As New Zealand moves to Level 2, we hope you’re doing OK and looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends. Thanks to our collective efforts, we can now get out and about again. We can get a […]
Property market: Where to from here?
What’s next for property market? It’s the question that industry experts are pondering right now, as the last pre-lockdown data becomes available. The latest QV House Price index, focusing on the month March, shows that the property market was continuing to perform strongly throughout early-mid March, but it doesn’t provide […]
Renovation Cheat Sheet
Renovations of tired, rundown homes can add big dollars to both yield and sale price. While it can be an expensive proposition (especially if you start moving walls around or redoing kitchens and bathrooms) there are some simple ways in which you can modernise old and unattractive homes without spending […]
Suddenly working from home? Five great tips.
Whether you are hastily setting up a shop at your kitchen table, or have been operating from a home office for a while, there a few things you can do to make sure that you’re remote working in a healthy way. Set limits When “work” is just on the other […]