All Posts

Decks, retaining walls, pools, bathrooms, kitchens and garage conversions: what actually needs a building consent in Auckland, what doesn't, and how to fix it if you've already built without one.

North Shore City held its ground in August while sales activity slowed across Auckland, and the Reserve Bank raised the OCR for the second month running. Here's what August's REINZ and Barfoot & Thompson figures mean for Mairangi Bay & Surrounds, suburb by suburb.

North Shore City was the only one of Auckland's seven territorial authorities with a median price above July 2025, up 0.9 percent to $1,160,000. In Mairangi Bay & Surrounds the median eased to $1,380,000 on a thin month at the top end, while homes sold faster than they have since November.

Auckland's new rules let you build a granny flat up to 70m² without consent. Here's why that's rarely so simple in Mairangi Bay, Murrays Bay and Rothesay Bay, plus the costs most owners don't see coming.

June produced three different property markets, nested inside one another. Auckland-wide, prices eased. North Shore City, one small step up. Mairangi Bay & Surrounds, up sharply, 20.8% on June 2025 and 10.1% on May. Read only the last number and you'd think the area was booming. Read all three together and a more useful, more believable story shows up: prices didn't accelerate on the way out to Mairangi Bay, the sample size did the opposite, and got a lot noisier. REINZ's Jun

What Plan Change 120 means for homes in Mairangi Bay and the East Coast Bays. The PC78 vs PC120 changes, the local impact, and how to have your say.

The national headlines say steady, soft, slow. The East Coast Bays say something different. May 2026 data shows Mairangi Bay and the surrounding bays holding firm around $1.59M, selling faster than the wider North Shore, and going to auction at twice the national rate. Here is what it means for buyers and sellers.

Thinking about selling your home privately? Here's what private sale actually looks like on Auckland's North Shore — the real costs, the buyer psychology, and what you're giving up.

Mairangi Bay median up 6.9% year-on-year to $1.55M. North Shore outperforms Auckland. Rate direction shifting. Full April 2026 market report for Auckland & North Shore.

March 2026 North Shore & East Coast Bays property market update. Sales data, median prices, interest rate outlook & what the Strait of Hormuz crisis means for NZ property.

Every April, the same conversation starts. Vendors begin to wonder whether they've missed the window. Their neighbours sold in September. Their friends listed in October. The market "slows down" in autumn, everyone says, and winter is worse. You should have listed six weeks ago. Wait until next spring. It is one of the most repeated pieces of advice in New Zealand real estate. It is also one of the least examined. I pulled 430 residential sales across Campbells Bay, Mairangi

Four real campaigns. Four lessons in what costs sellers money — and what makes the difference between a good result and a great one.

Most sellers over-renovate before selling. Here's what actually moves the price — with a real example from a North Shore campaign that added $150k.

Your CV, online estimate, and registered valuation all tell a different story. Here's why — with real examples from North Shore sales.

Auctions aren't a mystery — they're a method. Real examples from both sides of the room, including a strategy that helps buyers bid with confidence.

February was a busy month — and there's a lot here to feel good about. Auckland recorded its strongest February for sales since 2021. Barfoot & Thompson moved 785 homes, and across the full market, REINZ saw transaction volumes at a five-year February high. Buyers are active. They're out looking, they're making offers, and deals are getting done. Yes, the median price came in lower than January. Some of that is seasonal — the mix of what sells in February tends to skew toward

The auction stalled at $1.62m. Three days later, it sold for $1.84m. Here's the strategy behind a Murrays Bay sale that delivered $365k over CV.

How did the Auckland & North Shore market fare after the holidays? Find out here!

Cross leases sound complicated but they don't have to be. Three real examples of how I've navigated cross lease questions for buyers and sellers on the North Shore.

How did the Auckland house prices fare in November 2025? Find out details here! Plus - the North Shore housing market defying gravity.