Normally the July school holidays are considered a slow time for house sales, with many vendors holding off marketing their properties until school is back.
But this year is not normal.
Instead of heading off to Fiji or the Gold Coast, this year New Zealand families will be exploring their own backyard. And that may mean that they’re on the hunt for a dream vacation house a little closer to home, in one of New Zealand’s popular holiday spots.
The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand chief executive Bindi Norwell says there’s typically conflicting views about selling during school holidays as parents have more time, but many families tend to travel abroad.
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“However, as the borders remain closed, people are travelling within New Zealand. We’re hearing stories from some agents that they expect to be busy over school holidays showing people around properties,” Norwell says.
“Ultimately though, our advice to people is to list when they need to sell - don’t wait to try and time the market,” she adds.
Holiday buyers
In fact, says former BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander, it will pay to list a property during school holidays in places like Rotorua and Queenstown.
“There’s not going to be a great rush of people deciding they’ll have a holiday in Hamilton. There will be some in Taupo, but it’s always been a local audience for buyers and sellers there and the absence of foreign travellers won’t make a huge difference,” he says.
He expects that by now, homeowners who need to free up cash to invest into their business, and those selling their second holiday homes, are most likely to list during the school holiday period.
“Some of the property owners, who are keeping the business hibernating through until foreign tourists are returning, are looking to downsize,” he says.
Rotorua's real estate market may benefit from the influx of domestic tourists. Photo / Getty Images
Ray White Rotorua agent Anita Martelli says post-lockdown domestic travel attracts buyers from the South Island, Auckland and Tauranga and there’s shortage of new listings to cater for the demand.
School holiday will enhance buyers' interest even more and it’s a good time to sell, she says.
“For the years people have been coming to Rotorua for a holiday and then they end up moving here. During school holidays there are certainly people travelling, and they will be looking at properties while they are here,” she says.
Bayleys Queenstown managing director David Gubb says Queenstown Lakes area will be very busy during school holidays and sellers are organising marketing campaigns with agents now.
“People are coming in for the school holiday ski season and for us it’ll be a turning point at the beginning of July,” he says.
And to catch those visitors the minute they step off the plane, Gubb says there will be extensive marketing at Queenstown Airport and on local buses.
Looking closer to home
Ray White’s Steen Nielsen says a lot of his Remuera clients leave the city during school holidays.
“They are either skiing or seeking warmth on the islands, so I always recommend to the vendors, if they and to be on the market during school holidays to extend their campaign for a week on either side of school holidays.”
Nielsen has a family home listing coming up for the school holiday campaign as people who will be staying in area will have children and find the Double Grammar zone a hook.
“It's typically families who are looking for a property while they are recharging and enjoying each other's company,” he says.
And on Auckland’s own island escape, Waiheke Real Estate property agent Paul Brisbane says normally public holiday and long weekends are the busiest times to list but school holidays have previously not made a difference.
However, since lockdown the Waiheke market has been busy with keen city-side Aucklanders wanting to move, but not many locals wanting to sell, Brisbane says.
“More and more people who were thinking of living in the Waiheke to commute to Auckland who had an idea in the back of their mind that it might be too difficult to commute, are now saying that they can work from home for a couple of days,” he says.
