The Mix

Can I fit a pool in my tiny backyard?

It's visually obvious that our urban backyards are shrinking. Backyards are being sectioned off. Homes built on larger lot sizes are being demolished in favour of high-density housing. A 2019 report from the Real Estate Institute showed that in the Auckland region, section sizes have shrunk by nine percent to 675 sq m and they've probably shrunk more since. More...

The regions that can expect the biggest mortgage drop

With nearly half of all fixed-rate mortgages coming up for refixing in the next six months, homeowners in some regions could be saving more than $400 on their monthly repayments. More...

World’s ugliest lawn winner says she leaves watering to Mother Nature

New Zealand garden takes first prize in global competition designed to promote water conservation.  More...

Property owner wins dispute over office expansion plans

After a years-long battle to expand an office space in Martinborough, a new ruling shows the council had no grounds to refuse the consent. More...

The oddest news RNZ covered in 2024

Here are some of the strangest, oddest and most brain-tickling stories RNZ covered in 2024. More...

Tony Alexander: Why no one should expect a housing market frenzy in 2025

As households got hit in the first half of 2024 by soaring costs for council rates and insurance, rising unemployment, and generally depressed sentiment, the FOMO reading fell back again to only 1% come June of last year. More...