Property · Building · Design
The Cordell Construction Cost Index (CCCI), released by Cotality on 8 October 2026, shows residential construction costs rose 1.7% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter, the fastest quarterly increase since the end of 2022. Annual growth rose from 3.5% in the second quarter to 4.8%, exceeding the long-term average of around 4%.
Should losses on a rental property be allowed to offset salary income? A tax reform proposed by the ACT Party has once again put the interests of landlords, tenants and first-home buyers at the centre of New Zealand’s election debate.
There are now more options for building a small home in the backyard. Whether the exemption pathway is available still depends on the specific product, site conditions and supporting infrastructure.
A single company has bought 60 homes in an Auckland apartment development; New Zealand construction costs have recorded their fastest quarterly increase since late 2022; and ASB has adjusted its fixed mortgage rates, lowering some and raising others.
After paying NZ$1,330,000 for a home and living there for six years, an owner preparing to sell discovered that the four bedrooms and two bathrooms advertised at purchase did not match the approvals recorded in council files. This was the problem faced by a homeowner on Auckland’s North Shore. He spent more than ten thousand New Zealand dollars addressing the issues, and his complaint against the original selling agent was dismissed.
New Zealand’s housing market is showing a divergence: house prices are still slowly falling and buyers remain hesitant, yet building consents and residential construction activity have already picked up.
The NZ dollar has fallen yet again.
How much did Jacinda Ardern’s former Auckland home actually sell for? The answer has finally emerged: NZ$2,150,000.
The University of Auckland is moving ahead with selling its former Epsom campus. Epsom MP David Seymour wants the Government to buy the site and establish a co-educational secondary school with support from Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls Grammar, proposing that it have no enrolment zone and accept students from across the city. However, the Government has yet to approve either the land purchase or the school, and neither the enrolment arrangements nor the amount of public funding required has been settled. For parents, the key question now is whether this proposal can actually create more accessible school places.
Buying a home in New Zealand means weighing up several factors, including your budget, location, the property's condition and its ownership type. Understanding the different forms of ownership, along with the rights and responsibilities they involve, can help buyers assess more fully whether a property meets their practical needs and future plans. In previous articles, we have explained the four common forms of property ownership in New Zealand and how to read a property title.
In New Zealand, a failed building inspection can mean rebooking, work stopping, subcontractors standing idle and subsequent stages being delayed, ultimately adding time, labour and communication costs.
A wall, a bathroom or even an entire room can be built in a factory before being transported to a building site for assembly. While foundations are being laid on site, factory production is already under way; tasks that once had to be completed in sequence can now potentially happen at the same time.