Finding a property

Property options

What kind of home suits you?

Each era of NZ housing has its own personality — and its own maintenance profile.

• Older character homes — charm and big sections; check insulation, wiring, piles and roofing.
• Mid-century and 70s–90s homes — solid on the whole, but watch for era-specific materials (see stage 3).
• Modern and new builds — warm, dry, low-maintenance, often warrantied; smaller sections are the trade-off.
• Townhouses and units — affordable and lock-and-leave; understand the ownership structure first.
• Off the plans — get the contract lawyer-checked; progress payments, completion dates and spec changes all need scrutiny.

Understand the types of ownership

The ownership type is on the record of title, and it changes both your rights and the property's value:

Freehold (fee simple)

You own the land and everything on it outright, subject to registered interests like easements. The most common and simplest form — the norm across Selwyn and Christchurch.

Leasehold

You own the buildings but lease the land, with ground rent that can be reviewed sharply upward. Prices look cheap for a reason — understand the lease terms before going near one.

Unit title

Common for apartments and townhouses. You own your unit plus a share of common areas and pay body corporate levies. Ask for the body corp's financials, maintenance plan and minutes — they tell you what's really going on.

Cross-lease

You share the underlying land with the other owners and lease your dwelling from the group. Alterations usually need the neighbours' consent. Not a deal-breaker — but know what you're buying.

Viewing an open home

Go twice if you can — once with the heart, once with the head. On the second visit:

• Feel and smell: musty air, odd patches of fresh paint or one heavily air-freshened room can all be telling you something.
• Look up and down: ceiling stains, sagging rooflines, cracked cladding or piles, gutters and downpipes.
• Test things: taps, windows, doors, switches.
• Outside: north-facing living gets the sun; check fences, retaining walls and where stormwater goes.
• Ask the agent: roof, wiring, heating, known issues, why the owners are selling, what chattels stay. Agents must answer honestly and can't withhold known defects.

Buying with an agent or privately

Most NZ homes are sold through a licensed agent, which gives you real protections: agents are bound by the industry Code of Conduct, must be truthful, and must give you REA's sale and purchase guide before you sign. In a private sale the safety net is smaller — your lawyer and building inspector matter even more, and every claim should be verified rather than trusted.

Want help finding properties? Talk to us — we're across most of what's for sale (and quite a bit that's about to be) in Selwyn and Christchurch.

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always get independent advice before signing anything. See also the Real Estate Authority's settled.govt.nz.