It’s hard to believe that February has come and gone, Summer is now well and truly behind us – the days and weeks are flying by so fast!

With 2020 now in full swing, and people planning for the year ahead, Autumn is shaping up to be a compelling time to sell.

Traditionally, we’ve always been taught that Spring and Summer are the ideal periods in which to sell – and that’s certainly still a great time to be on the market. However, the team at Harcourts Holmwood has also noticed a marked increase in buyer activity in this current market, particularly with first home buyers.

The fresher months certainly bring some benefits. The days are still long and there’s plenty of natural light, but the fierce heat of mid-summer is starting to dissipate, making for perfect open home conditions.
The market’s in great shape at the moment. The latest REINZ stats show that 2020 started with an increase in both median price and the overall volume of sales, not to mention a whopping 20% drop in the number of average days taken to sell.
All of this means there are still plenty of opportunities to take your home to market before Winter starts knocking on the door.
If you’re thinking about buying or selling, or are just after some friendly advice, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch – one of our Holmwood Consultants will put together a marketing plan that’s tailored to your needs.

You can also request a no-obligation appraisal by clicking  HERE – the team here at Holmwood is ready to help you!

Harcourts Holmwood Top Picks for enjoying Christchurch this Summer 2020.

Click on the links below for more information. Reminders will be up on our Facebook page. HAVE FUN!!

Deep South Lazy Sundays

Every Sunday 19 Jan – 16 Feb 2020
3.30pm to 5pm
Botanic Gardens

https://ccc.govt.nz/news-and-events/whats-on/show/755

 

World Buskers Festival

23 January to 16 February 2020
Christchurch City

www.breadandcircus.co.nz

 

Chinese New Year Parade

16 Feb 2020 3pm to 5pm
Starts: Bridge of Remembrance
Finishes: Cathedral Square

https://ccc.govt.nz/news-and-events/whats-on/show/3262

 

Summer pool parties

Break out your bathers Christchurch as Jellie Park, Waltham, Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre and Lyttelton pools host parties across the Summer season!

https://ccc.govt.nz/news-and-events/whats-on/?programme=17

 

Live at the Point – Sunday Sessions

Every Sunday until 16 February 1pm
Godley House gardens, Diamond Harbour

https://ccc.govt.nz/news-and-events/whats-on/show/3533

 

Night Noodle Markets 2020

6 Feb 2020 to 15 Feb 2020
4pm to 10pm
North Hagley Park

 

YES Power Sparks

15 Feb 2020, 6.30pm to 10pm
Fireworks at approx. 9.40pm
North Hagley Park

https://ccc.govt.nz/news-and-events/whats-on/show/483

Electric Avenue Music Festival 2020

22 Feb 2020, 11am to 11pm
North Hagley Park

https://ccc.govt.nz/news-and-events/whats-on/show/3223

On 15 August 2019 the Government announced a policy that allows owners of on-sold over-cap properties in Canterbury to apply for an ex gratia Government payment to have their homes repaired.

If you’ve bought a home in Canterbury and discovered that it is damaged over the EQC cap, you may be eligible for an ex gratia payment to cover the cost of repair.

Under the policy, you will have twelve months (no later than 14 August 2020) to register your interest for the ex gratia payment. After that time, the policy will not be available.

If you qualify you may be able to receive an ex gratia payment equal to the agreed cost of repair.

To qualify for the support package, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

  1. You have purchased a property in Canterbury after 4 September 2010 (the date of the first 7.1 magnitude Canterbury earthquake) and on or before the announcement of this support package on 15 August 2019; and
  2. Before selling the property the previous owner settled a claim with EQC on an under-cap basis; and EQC cover depends on how the natural disaster damage occurred.
  3. Post-sale you have discovered the property has incomplete or insufficient repairs either as a result of defective repair or through damage which had not been properly assessed; and
  4. The cost of the repair, together with the amounts previously paid by EQC for the property is more than the EQC cap ($100,000 +GST); an
  5. You are unable to access private insurance to cover the cost of repairs.

This is will be a welcome resolution to many homeowners but is subject to agreement with EQC as to the extent and cost of necessary repairs.

christchurch real estate eqc insurance

What is payable under the policy

Where the eligibility criteria are met, payment will be based on a scope of works that takes into account:

  • the work required to repair the natural disaster damage in accordance with the EQC Act, and
  • any other reasonable cost of that repair work.

We may have settled the original homeowner’s claim by a managed repair (where we undertook the entire repair process), cash payment (where the homeowner receives a cash payment and manages the repair themselves), or a combination of the two.

If a previous homeowner received a cash payment for some or all of the repairs, and those repairs need addressing, you will need to find out who did the work, and what warranties are in place. You can read about warranties on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s building website

If you find that the repairs have not been carried out, you may need to find out more from the person you bought the home from, and the real estate agent you used to buy the property.

It’s important that any payment you receive is used for repairing or replacing damaged property. Any future insurance claims or cover may be affected if the payment is not used for this purpose.

If you would like to register your interest for the ex gratia payment please use this online on-sold property register of interest form.
Alternatively use our printable register of interest PDF form.

The weather is getting warmer and we are heading into a very busy selling season in the Christchurch real estate market. Harcourts Holmwood have recently announced another Gala Auction on Thursday 28th November  from 6pm at our auction rooms (Ground Floor, 397-399 Ilam Road).

The Holmwood Summer Gala Auction packages include special marketing offers that are not to be missed. Speak with one of our consultants today for more information.

christchurch real estate harcourts holmwood summer gala auction

Update on the Christchurch real estate market by Hayden Broadbelt

August saw the Reserve Bank of New Zealand drop the official cash rate fifty basis points to 1%. The size of the drop was seen as a surprise by many economists, but greatly welcomed by the housing market as the banks dropped their interest rates following the RBNZ direction. The flow on effect was positive, with first home buyers making their presence felt in the housing market. Reports have shown open home numbers increasing on the back of these favourable lending rates.

Properties for sale across Christchurch continued to be tight as property owners looked towards the warmer months to showcase their properties. Days on market dropped by 6 days to 39 days from last month, demonstrating that strong buyer demand and limited stock availability has increased sales levels. August also saw a 3.3% lift in the median sale price as the trend line continued to go in the right direction. There were 536 properties sold in August, showing an expected seasonal increase.

Christchurh real estate

Anticipation for the Spring rush continues to hold the housing market to ransom as vendors remained in a holding pattern in the hope of achieving above market values for their properties. Their price expectations continue to be a hurdle despite strong buyer demand. Auctions continue to be the preferred vehicle for sale as buyer v buyer will always achieve better results than buyer v vendor.

Of course property listings are the lifeblood of any real estate business and the volume of listings coming into Harcourts across the city continues to track well. Harcourts remains the preferred real estate company in Christchurch with close to every second new property to the market being listed by your city’s favourite real estate brand.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling, or are just after some friendly advice, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch or request a no-obligation appraisal by clicking  HERE – the team here at Holmwood are ready to help.

 

From the daffodils that frame Hagley Park and the blossoms that line the Avenues, there really is nowhere quite like Christchurch in the Spring.

And, as the Garden City comes into bloom, the local property market is looking full of life too! Despite winter’s reputation as a quiet time in real estate, the median house price in Christchurch was up in both June and July, compared to the corresponding period last year. The total volume of sales increased across that two-month period as well, with more than a thousand properties changing hands.

These results seem to fly in the face of the narrative circulated by the media in recent weeks. But, it’s important to remember that most of the data used by industry commentators is based on national figures – and those figures are heavily influenced by the Auckland market. If you’re buying and/or selling in Christchurch, the only numbers which really matter are much closer to home.

Christchurch real estate market Harcourts Holmwood

Given the current momentum of the local market, the coming months are shaping as the ideal time to sell your home. The onset of spring is always the catalyst for sales, with purchasers hustling to complete transactions before Christmas. New job prospects and schooling requirements for 2020 fuel this even further, while the warmer weather and the sunnier days mean homes just look, and feel, that much more appealing.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling, or are just after some friendly advice, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch or request a no-obligation appraisal by clicking  HERE – the team here at Holmwood are ready to ‘spring into action’!

Harcourts Holmwood announce sponsorship of the Christchurch Chapter of Good Bitches Baking

Good Bitches Baking (GBB) is a network of people who want to show kindness to those in their communities. They do this by delivering delicious homemade baking to people in the community who are having a hard time.

Their mission; to make Aotearoa the kindest place on earth.

The organisation was started by Wellington friends Nicole Murray and Marie Fitzpatrick in 2014. They founded GBB, in the Kiwi tradition of delivering comforting food in an hour of need, and it has become extremely popular throughout New Zealand. There are now GBB Chapters right across the country with new Chapters starting all the time.

Good Bitches Baking Christchurch Harcourts Holmwood

The Christchurch GBB Chapter, led by Sally Clarke, has massive 175 bakers. In July they baked 177 boxes of goodies for different organisations and groups across Christchurch including Battered Women’s Trust, Women and Men’s Night Shelter, Post-Natal Depression Canterbury, Neo-Natal Ward and Dementia Canterbury to name a few. Harcourts Holmwood are absolutely delighted to announce their sponsorship of this thriving Chapter.

“I was so pleased when Sally approached us to sponsor this organisation,” says  Harcourts Holmwood CEO, Tony Jenkins. “Good Bitches Baking is a fabulous and very kiwi concept. We can all remember times in our lives when sitting down with a cup of tea and some home-baked treats has provided a moment of reprieve from a difficult situation.”

Click here to find out more about GBB and see how you can volunteer

Spring is fast approaching and we are heading into a very busy selling season in the Christchurch real estate market. Holmwood have recently announced another Gala Auction on Thursday 26th September from 6pm at our auction rooms (Ground Floor, 397-399 Ilam Road).

The Holmwood Spring Gala Auction packages include special marketing offers that are not to be missed. Speak with one of our consultants today for more information.

Harcourts Spring Gala Auction

Burnside High School zone has been extended beyond what it was in 2019 and 2020. It’s now set into Bishopdale and Papanui from the 2022 school year. The Ministry of Education will continue to monitor the roll at Papanui High School, and this overlap area would be one that the school’s zone could withdraw from in the future should they become at risk of overcrowding.

This comes as part of a seven-year project by local principals and boards of trustees to manage enrolments across the city. Seven schools – Burnside High, Hillmorton High, Mairehau High, Papanui High, Riccarton High School, Linwood College, and Haeata Community Campus will amend or implement their enrolment zones.

The four single-sex state high schools – Christchurch Girls’, Christchurch Boys’, Shirley Boys’, and Avonside Girls’ – will have “dual-layer” enrolment schemes where their zones overlap with that of a nearby co-educational school.

Click here to view interactive map of the new Burnside High Zone