The rate of individual home ownership in New Zealand is high by international standards. Kiwis love property. If your intention is to join this trend and buy a house here, you can begin your research before arriving in New Zealand.
Real Estate Information
Wellington's morning newspaper, The Dominion Post, runs special property features in its Saturday and Wednesday editions, and these can be checked online. There are also a number of national online directories of properties for sale, including Open2View, which provides virtual tours, realestate.co.nz and Trade Me.
The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) is the professional body that regulates the real estate industry. Dealing with a real estate agent registered with the Institute will help to protect you from any financial and legal risks of a private sale.
You can also check the websites of real estate companies in Wellington, which you can find in the Yellow Pages.
Independent advice on building inspections, renovating and working with tradespeople is on Consumer Build - a joint website of the Department of Building and Housing and Consumer's Institute. The REINZ website also includes tips for people buying and selling property.
Quotable Value is the agency that values properties on behalf of the councils in the Wellington region. The values are used by councils to determine rates. This information can be accessed through QV (at a charge) or through the different councils (for free).
Rates and property information for specific properties in Wellington are available through Council websites.
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