Show Notes
The national average to build a standalone house is about $3,236 a square metre – roughly $576,000 before land. But that's only half the story. And there's a myth worth busting: that the land goes up while the building goes down. In this episode, Ed and Andrew break down what building really costs, region by region, and why buildings actually appreciate. You'll learn: What a build really costs (and the 20–30% most people forget to add on top) Why it costs about 50% more to build here than in Australia Why your building gains value over time, and what insurers and valuers prove The lesson? Replacement cost is the floor under house prices ... as building gets more expensive, so does the home you already own. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok
More from The Property Academy Podcast
Caro walked out of her divorce with four kids, $14 a week in child support, and the belief that she’d have to do this on her own. Seventeen years later, she’s 61, single, and has just bought her third investment property. In this Case Study Sunday, Caro shares how she built a portfolio from scratch on a nurse’s income. You’ll learn: How a nurse on a single income bought three investment properties on her own How she learned that a man is not a financial plan What five straight years of getting turned down by the bank taught her to change The lesson? She’s the first to say she had energy on her side ... but it was years of grinding, studying all night and renting to get ahead that actually changed her life. Want to share your story on Case Study Sunday? Send us a message, email [email protected] Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Sign up for the weekly Private Property newsletter Instagram TikTok
Labour wants a 28% tax on the profit when you sell an investment property. So we built a spreadsheet ... not to argue whether it’s fair, just to answer one question. If you buy a property, what does the bill actually look like? In this episode, Ed and Andrew run the numbers on a 28% CGT in plain English. You’ll learn: What actually happens if Labour’s capital gains tax comes in The bill you’d actually receive, and can you legally minimise it How it changes which property you buy The lesson? A CGT wouldn’t kill the maths, but it changes the game most for anyone planning to switch from growth to yield at retirement. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok
I usually buy off-market, so I’d never really done the open-home circuit as an investor. So one afternoon I went to three in a row to see what actually happens. A messy layout, a big price drop, and a do-up the vendors wanted $1 million for. Here’s what I found. In this In The Field episode, Ed takes you along to three Auckland open homes and shows you how to read one like an investor. You’ll learn: The questions to always ask an agent What can go wrong when you invest in a townhouse What happened when Ed rang the agents back after the auction The takeaway? An open home isn’t about the staging. It’s about the questions you ask after you leave. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok
A woman had it all figured out: good income, mortgage-free, the trust paid off the house. So where’s the money she used to put on the mortgage going? “Honestly, we just spend it.” In this episode, Ed and Andrew explain why even high earners can’t find money to invest and the one fix that reliably works. You’ll learn: Why your money gets absorbed, not wasted The “commitment device” that forces you to save without willpower Why a mortgage top-up is temporary and what it can turn into The takeaway? The hardest part of investing isn’t the maths. It’s removing your own ability to change your mind. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok
Around 600,000 more people are set to call Auckland home... like half the South Island upping sticks and moving to the big smoke. So, where do we put them all, and what does that mean for where you buy? In this episode, Ed and Andrew map out the $50 billion of infrastructure reshaping the city, decade by decade.You'll learn: Why Auckland needs the equivalent of 100 new suburbs How new trains, motorways and busways lift house prices around them Which projects are near-certain, and which might never happen The lesson? Follow the roads and rail, but know the timing. The price boost tends to arrive a year or two before a project opens, not at the time of the announcement. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok