Can I ask for a sleepover? And other things to consider before buying or renting

Renters United advocate Lucy Watson says asking for a sleepover is more likely when buying a house than renting.

While those in the real estate industry say it’s not common practice in New Zealand, it would ultimately be up to the owner.

But there are still plenty of ways to figure out if a place is a good match for you.

Before moving in, Watson recommends a walk-through of the property with the landlord or property manager, taking photos of anything that needs repairing or cleaning.

“Have that in writing and organise a date close to the time of move-in to come in and actually check that that's been done.

“It’s completely within your rights to want basic stuff done, if there’s stuff left in rooms or just stuff that is broken … and if they don’t [fix it] or don’t want to do that, then that’s sort of an indicator to you as a tenant of ‘oh maybe I don’t want to move in here’ or maybe ‘this isn’t the best landlord or property manager’.”

If flatting, check if subletting is allowed. This is especially useful for students who may be away on placement, Watson says.

Curtain rails are often overlooked and can be missing in some properties, she says.

Negotiate who maintains lawns, trees, hedges, driveways and decks — ideally in writing.

Ray White Mangere Bridge salesperson Jared Hards says viewing in winter means you get to see the house at its worst state on cold, rainy days.

Consider school zones — even if they’re not important now, they might be later. “We sell a lot of houses outside of the more desirable school zone to first-time buyers, and then they come back sort of two, three years later, once they've had kids, and they start to think about school zones.”

Property investor Andrew Nicol, who founded firm Opes Partners, suggests renting nearby first to get a feel for the area.

“The number of people that I've had that live in Auckland and say, ‘hey, we're going to move to Wanaka because it's awesome’ … Then they move there and realise, ‘oh, it's a bit smaller than we like’ and they move back.”

Visit the property at different times to check traffic, off-street parking, public transport and the neighbourhood atmosphere, he says.

“Take for example Lyttelton … there can be quite a lot of sun on one side of the valley and the other side dark as hell and then vice versa at the different parts of the day.”

Hards says while agents must disclose known neighbour issues, it’s worth checking the atmosphere yourself.

Watson suggests checking reviews and asking around about property management companies.

“You only meet maybe one person from the property management company. You don't know what they're like as a whole.”

Look into local developments, Hards says. Public transport changes and shopping centres can boost value or increase rent.

“Future zoning is another big thing, especially if you get further out of Auckland, there's future urban zoning and if zoning of the land changes overnight, the values could increase up to 200 percent overnight.”

Use tools like homes.co.nz or One Roof to view market value, property history, sale prices, and school zones.

Mortgage brokerage platform Tella chief executive Andrew Chambers believes using AI chatbots can give a glimpse of crime rates, schools and transport. For rural properties, community pages or neighbours can offer insight.

When reviewing the building report or Land Information Memorandum (LIM), keep an eye out for anything that could make the property hard to insure—things like flood zones, earthquake risks, or unconsented work, he says.

Houses in flood zones may be cheaper, Hards says, but they come with higher insurance premiums. Consider whether you’re willing to manage the risks.

The Real Estate Authority recommends asking about building materials used that might cause issues, such as monolithic cladding that might result in weathertightness issues, or use of dux quest piping.

And consider getting your own property inspection report - the one commissioned by the seller may not protect you against issues that arise later, as the inspector’s contract was with the vendor, not you, the REA says.

The Settled website offers tools like open home checklists and Property Checker which will help you identify what to look for about a property based on its age, location, construction materials and other factors.

Nicol suggests looking at homes others might avoid — like those near airports or graveyards — to get a better price.

You might get bang for your buck by moving away from the main hub, Hards says, but you’d need to think about your flexibility.

“If you've got to work in the city and you've got to spend eight to 10 hours every week in traffic, it sort of defeats the purpose of moving out to those [places] further away from the city.”

Chambers says lifestyle blocks and character homes are appealing, but they often have high maintenance demands.

Advisors can offer an objective view on what the property offers versus your needs, he says.