Not “3 bedrooms” or “2 bathrooms”.
More like:
What’s yours?
Okay, here’s a situation I’d love to get people’s thoughts on.
A homeowner bought near the peak of the market in late 2020. Since then, life has moved on - kids arrived, finances changed, and the house no longer really fits their needs. The problem is the market has shifted too. Their property is now worth around $250k less than what they paid.
So they feel stuck between two tough options:
It raises some questions:
Does selling in a down market always mean making the wrong decision?
Is it better to hold on and wait for prices to recover?
Or should life changes (kids, stress, cashflow) take priority over trying to avoid a loss on paper?
If you were in this situation, what would you do?
Sell and move on with life?
Or hold on and ride it out?
Keen to hear how others would think through a decision like this.
What adds more value in NZ: an extra bedroom or an extra bathroom?
I know we’re a nation of DIYers, but I’ve seen more than one person overcapitalise on their home thinking a renovation will automatically lift the value. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it comes at the expense of liveability. Out of curiosity, we pulled some 2025 listing data to look at whether extra bedrooms or extra bathrooms shift prices.
For 3-bedroom homes nationally, a 3 bed/2 bath averaged just under $988k. A 3 bed/3 bath sat materially higher. We saw a similar pattern in 4-bedroom homes as well.
Before anyone jumps in: this doesn’t mean adding a bathroom guarantees a 40% uplift. Homes with more bathrooms are often larger, newer, or higher spec to begin with. This is correlation in asking price data, not a guaranteed renovation return. But it does suggest buyers consistently place a premium on additional bathrooms, particularly in family-sized homes. Full transparency: I work at realestate.co.nz and we looked into our national listing data because we wanted to know which had more 'value' a bedroom or a bathroom. (Note, these are average asking prices, not sale prices).
Interested to hear what people would prioritise if budget only stretched to one. Extra bedroom? Or extra bathroom?
I'm interested to know what hidden costs have caught you off guard when buying a home here in New Zealand?
I recently spoke with Frances Cook of Making Cents and we talked through the true cost of buying a home in New Zealand, and some of the expenses that can derail your plans if you’re not prepared.
Things like: legal fees, building inspections, meth or asbestos testing, unexpected repair issues in older homes, the extra cash you need on hand before going unconditional. Or in my case, needing to replace the 105-year-old water cylinder... and then having to replace the pipes because they weren't compatible with the new cylinder!
I want to hear from those of you who’ve been through the process. What hidden costs surprised you when buying a home and what tips would you give others to help them prepare for the financial commitment that is home ownership?