Back to Blog

August 2023 Housing Market Update

Signs that the heralded recovery of the Auckland housing market is imminent can be seen in the high number of properties sold in August and the prices paid for those properties. “August was the most positive sales month in the past 17 months,” said Peter Thompson, Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson.“Not only did the number of sales during the month increase significantly, but the median sales price at $982,500 was also up 3.4 percent on that for July.“Against where the mark...

How To Shop For Your Dream Home

Searching for your dream home can be an exciting experience: you get to explore different housing styles, check out new locations and think about the kind of decor you love.To help the process go smoothly, a great idea is to spend a little time and effort listing the features you want in a home, before you go shopping.This goes beyond just the style of housing, but also the type of neighbourhood you wish to live in.Savvy buyers also look at the long-term picture, such as the likely capital growt...

Aunty Pat's Ultimate Christmas Pav !

Aunty Pat got this recipe from her sister more than 25 years ago, though the original source may be a Plunket recipe book. This is best made with electric beaters (or extremely strong forearms). Make sure the water has just boiled when you put it in. Ingredients Three egg whitesTwo cups sugarOne tsp vanilla essenceOne tsp cornflourOne tsp vinegarA pinch of saltThree tbsp boiling water Method Heat the oven to 160C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Put all the ingredients, except the boiling w...

Dream Team Father's Day Competition

Participation in this promotion is deemed acceptance of these Ts & Cs. Entry is only open to Auckland residents; one entry per person; Winner will be selected randomly from all correct entries; Competition closes 5pm, 12/09/2022; Prize draw will take place on 14/09/2022 & winner notified by email; If the prize is not claimed within 24 hours, another winner will be drawn; Winner consents to the Dream Team using their name/photo in any media; Entrants consent to subscribing to Dream Team newslette...

As good a time as any to buy or sell!

Owner occupiers should be no more concerned about selling or buying a property in the current environment than at any other time. That may may sound a rash comment to make when there appears to be uncertainty around prices and mortgage interest rates, but the reality is, whether you are a first-time buyer or relocating, if you are buying a house that will become your home, you are likely to own it for 7 to 8 years.Within that timeframe, the market will go through several cycles, and at no time i...

Preparing To Sell - Top Tips!

Before you put your house on the market, get to know your competition, the market and make sure your house is looking its best. Here are some tips to help you figure out what to do before you sell, and how to attract buyers’ attention.PREPARE YOUR PROPERTY (& YOURSELF!) Disassociate Yourself From Your Home.Get mentally prepared to move forward – you are selling property, your next purchase will become “home”Picture yourself handing over the keys to the new owners!Don’t look backwards -...

Word Finder Competition Closes 30 April

...

March 2022 Housing Market Update

Contrary to economic forecasts, the average and median sale prices of Auckland residential property in March showed resilience rather than declining. “Many market analysts will be surprised by the prices achieved,” said Peter Thompson, Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson.“There was a definite storyline developing that prices have fallen but that prediction is a little premature.“March sales were right in line with what typically happens at this time of the year as vendors and buyers ...

Karekare to Pararaha Valley Walk Review

Rating: 10/10      Length: 2 hours      Difficulty: EasyThis is one of my all time favourite walks to do. Drive to Karekare beach ideally in the morning before the carpark gets too busy. Walk through Pohutakawa Glade to Karekare beach and head south. Walk along the beach for 10 minutes before heading inland. You will eventually get to a tunnel and camping area. Keep walking for another 20 minutes to get to Pararaha Valley.This is a...

WIN $200 THESE SUMMER HOLIDAYS!

...

INTRODUCING OUR NEW E-MAG!

There's no need to leave the house to pick up a copy. Enjoy flicking through our latest listings across West & Central Auckland at your leisure.  CLICK HERE to view - updated weekly!...

MARAWHARA WALK

Category: Medium Duration: 2 hours Rating:  10/10Drive to Piha and head towards North Piha. Near the end is a carpark for the Marawhara walk. There is a Kauri dieback cleaning station at the start and the track has been upgraded fairly recently. The first part meanders through the native bush and across a stream. You then head up a lot of steps and get magical views of Piha. After 40 minutes it ends at a road and there is no signage of where to go next. I headed left down the road...

RETHINKING WALL DECOR

With winter here, now is the perfect time to focus a little attention on your indoor areas. Since spending a lot of time at home recently, you may have realised that some of your rooms could use a bit of a refresh. Changing up your walls can be an affordable game changing solution for a new look that can be coordinated with your current furniture. We spoke to expert residential interior design expert, Anna Cuthbert of Cuthbert Interiors to get her thoughts on wall covering trends. Do you think t...

KAREKARE TO PARARAHA VALLEY WALK

Category: Easy   Duration: 2 hours Rating:  10/10This is one of my favorite walks as it has dramatic scenery, a tunnel and a wetland full of birds. Park at Karekare and walk along Pohutakawa glade to the beach. Head south along the beach and you will eventually see some Hillary Trail markers amongst the sand dunes. Eventually it will become a trail and you will get to a tunnel and campground. From here it is about another 10 minutes to the Pararaha Val...

PAMPERING MUM, 2020 STYLE!

Mother’s Day 2020 is going to be the year we all get creative.  Non-essential stores are and restaurants are closed, meaning many of us will have to reinvent our Mother’s Day traditions. Here are some ideas for making the day special for Mum. 1. Create a Mum memories slideshowThere has never been a better time to sort through the 700,000 pics in your digital archives. Celebrate Mum by putting together a slideshow video, to take her on a virtual trip down memory lane. You can integrate s...

PREPPING YOUR PROPERTY NOW

While we're stuck at home, taking the right steps can help your home stand out from the competition. Now is the time to start planning your strategy so you can hit the ground running or get your property listed before lockdown ends.Here are some tips to help you figure out what to do before you sell, and how to attract buyers' attention.Check out the competitionGo online and see what is for sale in your neighbourhood comparable to your home. Note the price points and how the homes are presented....

KEEPING MIND & BODY STRONG

For most of us, we are currently adjusting to a very different lifestyle. While we are all taking proactive precautionary measures like washing our hands and social distancing to preserve our physical health, your mental health is just as important.Tune in and stay connectedWith everyone working from home, trying to keep things ticking over, it is important to add a social component to interactions with colleagues. Consider virtual coffee breaks, online yoga sessions, Google Hangout happy hours ...

WAITUNA RESERVE

Category: Adventurous      Duration: 1 hour          Rating:  7/10 If you love the idea of bush whacking and getting slightly lost then this hidden gem might be the walk for you!  The Waituna Reserve is a valley in the Woodlands Park/Waima area. There is an entrance at the bottom of the driveway for 51 Rimutaka Place. This is a board walk that is about 15 metres long and then there is no path. At the end of Rimutaka Place there is a path that tak...

REAL ESTATE IN LOCK DOWN: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

By Bindi Norwell, REINZ. To help prepare the real estate profession for what will happen once the country-wide lockdown comes into effect, the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) has issued the following advice. This is not legal advice, but provides a recommended approach in certain situations, and as the situation unfolds the guidance could change. REAL ESTATE SALES Open Homes/Private viewingsThese are not considered essential services so cannot take place in person. They could take p...

HOW TO SAVE WATER BEYOND SHORTER SHOWERS!

The current water shortage may continue to worsen as the weather forecast does not predict any rain in the near future. This summer has been one of the driest on record and there is a need to go above and beyond normal efforts to conserve water. Here's some tips that could potentially create an impact on your water consumption.Of course, there are the obvious actions you can take such as taking shorter showers and not leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth. However, there are some wat...

WHATIPU & MT DONALD MCLEAN SUMMIT WALK

Category: Easy   Duration: 20 - 30mins Rating:  9/10Drive to Huia and make sure you stop to buy supplies from the famous Huia Store. Once at Whatipu you've got the choice to either go left towards the beach or right to explore caves. I love the rugged beauty of Whatipu. If you want spectacular views then you must also do the Mt Donald McLean summit walk. At the top of the hill between Little Huia and Whatipu there is a road that will take you to the start of the track. From t...

SUMMER SELLING!

Summer is a hot time of the year to sell and recent promising median price gains are compelling people to reconsider waiting to put their home on the market. Additionally, properties available for sale have declined and are holding back sales activity. So in short, there are currently many opportunities for vendors willing to make a move now. Here are five things that you can do to ensure your property is presented at its best. Getting your house ready to sell in Summer1.  Get an appraisal&...

TE HENGA WALK

Category: Easy/Medium        Duration: 2 1/4 hours       Rating:  10/10This walk is one of my favourites! Head to Bethells Beach and park just after you cross the bridge. At the very beginning there is a broken bridge but don't let that put you off. Take your shoes off and cross the stream, it only goes up to your knees so it isn't too deep. The track enjoys spectacular views of the coast line down to the entrance of the Manukau Harbour and towards Mu...

MERCER BAY & COMANS TRACK

Category: Medium              Duration: 2 1/4 hours           Rating:  10/10Whenever we have overseas guests staying I usually take them on the Mercer Bay Loop walk as it is relatively easy and the views are incredible.  This time I added on the Comans Track and I absolutely loved it. Drive towards Piha and turn off at Te Ahu Ahu Road. The Mercer Bay Loop track starts at the end of the road and is part of the Hillary Trai...

HOW TO BE A FIRST HOME BUYER

Whether you're looking to purchase your first home or your first investment property, if you're a new property buyer, it can be daunting to navigate today's market. Our Barfoot & Thompson Director Kiri Barfoot shares some tips.Save, save, and save some moreThere’s no getting around the fact that, in order to purchase your first property, you'll need money in the bank. Saving up a home deposit can be the biggest obstacle for first property buyers. Studies, travel, and money spent on an act...