Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 17

Thread: Housing affordability comparisons

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    105

    Default Housing affordability comparisons

    Just thought I would post this interesting link about housing affordability comparing the main English speaking countries including NZ:

    http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusin...10004604.shtml

    Admittedly, the data is quite old but it looks like NZ fairs pretty poorly. Still, at least what you get for your average house is much better, with NZ average houses being more than double the size of their UK counterparts. This is a particularly telling quote:

    "New British housing is now only 15% larger than the former East German slab developments, of which one million have been vacated, since the reunification of East and West Germany"

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    Still, at least what you get for your average house is much better, with NZ average houses being more than double the size of their UK counterparts.
    Size isn't everything. Watch out for those dehumidifiers when viewing NZ houses, and go on a chilly day.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Ōtepoti, Aotearoa
    Posts
    2,736

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JandM View Post
    Size isn't everything. Watch out for those dehumidifiers when viewing NZ houses, and go on a chilly day.
    Quote: "The Survey rates the affordability... using the Median Multiple approach. This identifies the median household income and the median house price ..."

    That is quite relative and depends on several factors not explained in detail in the report (http://www.demographia.com/dhi-ix2005q3.pdf).
    E.g. how do you determine the household income of students flatting or living in a college. Is it just one or are there several households?
    In a town like ours around 1/6th of the population are students; most of them not living with their parents. Their income is below average and they are many; thus the median income in our town is relatively low. Is this significant for the house prices? I don't think so.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Chch, NZ
    Posts
    2,226

    Default

    E.g. how do you determine the household income of students flatting or living in a college. Is it just one or are there several households?
    I think it probably balances out as all the other countries also have students living on or off campus.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Edinburgh>Cambridge>Auckland
    Posts
    758

    Default

    These figures are not a massive surprise. I also think it is important to remember that, given the low quality of housing in NZ, the average migrant may not be happy with the average kiwi house.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Ōtepoti, Aotearoa
    Posts
    2,736

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Super_BQ View Post
    I think it probably balances out as all the other countries also have students living on or off campus.
    Yes of course. But their report is based not on countries but centres. Our town qualifies as one. Thus it is relevant if there are 16% or1.6% students in town.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    105

    Default

    A fair point about the quality, I have heard that NZ houses can suffer from damp in some areas - will make a note to go house hunting in winter on a rainy day

    Having said that, most new builds in the low-end of the market in the UK (anything under £300k depending on region of course) are also poorly constructed and severely lack in imagination. In contrast the range of styles I have seen on realestate.co.nz seems much broader.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Manchester > Now Tauranga
    Posts
    4,393

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kea View Post
    I also think it is important to remember that, given the low quality of housing in NZ, the average migrant may not be happy with the average kiwi house.
    Apart from explicitly mentioning leaky homes then you managed to tick all the ENZ housing discussion bull * bingo boxes in one sentence. Well done.

    Just as I'd not discuss the 'average migrant' as being illiterate, conceited and a moaner, then I'd not say the average kiwi house would be damp, made of balsa wood, be the size of a football pitch and only have parking on the lawn. The stereotype may be that, but the average?

    The housing is different over here, I'm not going to deny that. But that's part of what makes NZ. There are several good reasons for why more houses
    are wood framed / clad than in europe. Flexibility from seismic events is just one, the relative availability of timber compared to brick, and also the shorter lifespan of the building as people get to design and build the house to meet their own family needs much more over here (I'm comparing here to England as that's what I know).

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Chch, NZ
    Posts
    2,226

    Default

    Just as I'd not discuss the 'average migrant' as being illiterate, conceited and a moaner, then I'd not say the average kiwi house would be damp, made of balsa wood, be the size of a football pitch and only have parking on the lawn. The stereotype may be that, but the average?
    Well that all depends what average you are looking at. Average to those from the UK or from the US? Indoor home comfort from the average Australian or from the average Japanese? Yes climates in those countries differ a lot and NZ is no exception.

    As I posted before, WHO (World Health Org) sets out standards on room temperatures to resist health problems. Overall it's fair to say that in NZ the average house is indeed short in meeting these standards (as it's unaffordable due to high energy costs or building costs). When you compare to countries where their houses have no problems meeting the 18-24C room temperature (regardless of the climate), I think most migrants from those places will find houses in NZ to be less comfortable.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Manchester > Now Tauranga
    Posts
    4,393

    Default

    High energy costs compared to where. North America? I would assume so yes based on the numerous posts about this. The UK? No, probably 'cheaper' over here.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •