Property management

When people think about purchasing an investment property, many of them fail to consider if being a landlord would actually suit their personality and lifestyle. Over the years, we’ve worked with countless numbers of landlords who have turned to us for help after realising that managing their property is more work than they expected. The reality is that being a landlord is a very demanding and challenging job. If you’re thinking about becoming a landlord for the first time, we encourage...

Summer is finally here, but the change of seasons brings a new set of challenges for landlords. In general, landlords can expect their tenants to have fewer problems in the summer than in the winter – there are no leaky roofs or heating problems to contend with, for example. That being said, we’ve noticed that a few problems can crop up when the weather gets warmer. To help you prepare for a successful and happy summer, we’ve put together our top...

View Melissa's latest property market commentary in her latest interview on Spotlight on Canterbury.

View Melissa's latest interview on Spotlight on Canterbury.

This year, the Government introduced a number of changes to make it easier for certain homebuyers to purchase a home. Perhaps the most important of these changes is in how KiwiSaver accounts can be leveraged to pull together a deposit and contribute towards the overall settlement. At First Avenue Property we have noticed a dramatic increase in interest from first-time homebuyers this year, which we attribute largely to these rule changes. Changes to KiwiSaver HomeStart scheme In July 2016, changes to...

View Melissa's latest interview with Style TV for tips on getting your property ready to sell.

View our most recent Christchurch Property Market commentary with StyleTV

For many people, renting out a property seems like an attractive way to make extra money or pay off a mortgage more quickly. The reality, however, is that it requires a lot of time and effort to succeed in the rental market. During our many years of working in property management in Christchurch, we’ve seen rookie landlords make the same mistakes over and over again. If you’re a new landlord, it’s important that you learn as much as possible to protect...

Is your rental property adequately insulated? If not, there is still time to take advantage of the subsidies available through the Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes initiative although Government funding is due to come to an end next month. Why insulation matters Until recently, there have been no guidelines or regulations in place to ensure that rental properties are properly insulated. As a result, a large number of properties on the rental market are without insulation. Insulation helps heating systems...

The Real Estate Agents Authority, the government agency that regulates New Zealand’s real estate industry, dictate that all money received in real estate transactions be paid into an audited trust account. This law, however, does not extend to the largely unregulated sector of residential property management. As a result, many property management businesses conduct transactions through their company’s bank account, which is not an acceptable practice from our perspective. At First Avenue, we pride ourselves on our integrity – operating an...