Hello Fellow Cheapies
I figured it was time I made my contribution to call myself a true Cheapie :)
Something's always bugged me about NZ property websites. TradeMe, realestate.co.nz, every listing site, every agent's glossy brochure. They're all built for the people selling. They talk
up the "sunny aspect" and the "character features" and never mention the street has flooded three times since 2015, or that the insulation's munted, or that the asking rent is $80/wk over
the suburb median.
There's no website that's actually in the renter's or buyer's corner. So I built one.
In the wake of the recent weather events, I figured a tool like this could help a lot of us, especially anyone curious about what's actually sitting under their own home.
Paste any NZ address, see the whole picture in one view:
- Flood zones, liquefaction, tsunami, slope failure, coastal erosion, wind zone, nearby contamination
- Rent vs suburb median (real MBIE bond data so you know if you're being rinsed)
- Capital value + price sanity check for buyers
- Transit, road noise, crime, school zones, heritage overlays
- Healthy Homes checklist for renters
- Mortgage, rates, insurance maths for buyers
All from official government sources (GWRC, WCC, GNS, Stats NZ, MBIE, LINZ). Collated so you don't have to chase a dozen different council GIS viewers.
Free. No signup. Wellington has the deepest data because that's where I've done most of my testing, but most major centres have pretty solid coverage too.
Built for:
- Homeowners who are just curious about their own place. What hazards actually sit under it, what's coming climate-wise, what to tell the insurer, what to prep for the next big rain
- Renters about to sign a lease, who want to know what the listing didn't mention
- Buyers wondering if the asking price is fair or if they're being had
Disclosure: I built it solo. Not selling anything. Just wanted Kiwis to have something in their corner when making big housing decisions.
Would love feedback, particularly if you find a property where the data looks off or if you think something can do with improvement.
Just checked my own property, it’s cross lease (and says so on your website) but has a big warning about leasehold properties which is incorrect.
“ Ground rent typically reviews every 7 to 21 years and can jump 20 to 50%. Mortgage options are narrower: some banks won't lend on leasehold, others require shorter terms. Ask for the current ground rent, next review date, and lessor identity before signing.“