3 Top Websites For House Hunting

Here are the go t0 websites for house hunting

So you’ve got your Pre-Approval sorted and your onto the next step, Finding A House.  At this stage of the process, research is key to making an informed purchase.  Here are our picks for the top websites for house hunting.

1. Homes.co.nz

Homes.co.nz is a new kid on the block for house hunters.  The website offers free insights into property listings.

Its key feature is HomesEstimate an algorithm which factors in historic sales data and trends to give an idea of the current market value of a property.  It has shown even in this unpredictable property market to be a much more reliable estimate than of dated Registered Values and other valuations.

Homes.co.nz also provides a record of house sales dating back years to give you an idea of current market values in your search area.

Wanting to know what is on the market?  Use the For Sale function to discover listed properties with a link to book an appointment with the agent.  Note this feature is currently widely available in Wellington with it becoming more widely available in Auckland and other areas.

Key an eye out for a bunch of future enhancements to the site to help you with your property search.

2. Realestate.co.nz

Realestate.co.nz is a one stop for properties as the official website for the Real Estate Institute of NZ.

Signing up for an account allows you to setup notifications for properties that match your criteria and save properties to your list to help you plan your Open Homes.

Each property listing includes location maps with local amenities like schools and parks, floor plans and videos (if the agent has included one).

The search function is also very flexible allowing to search for properties under the magic $550k KiwiSaver HomeStart grant cap and for properties with listed price to avoid the dreaded auctions.

The website is supported by apps for both iPhone and Android.

3. Trademe.co.nz

Trademe.co.nz more commonly known for New Zealand’s favourite pass time of flogging our unwanted household items is also a top resource for researching properties.

Using the advanced search function you’re able to setup email alerts for your specific search criteria to keep you in the loop about the latest listings.

Trade Me recently updated it’s app to include recent sales history which can help to determine what to expect for house prices for an area or a particular property.

Trade Me also supports apps for iPhone and Android.

These websites used in conjunction are highly useful for first home buyers trying to gather the right market information to make an informed decision.