Given a comparatively high starting point for entry-level properties in Auckland , growth in this segment over the past decade has been the smallest of any region at only 77 per cent . In fact , its affordable housing segment declined by 1.36 per cent in the past year as affordability amid rising debt servicing costs became more challenging . The South Island ’ s West Coast remains the most affordable region for entry-level homes , with the bottom 10 per cent prices at just $ 210,000 .
Even here , affordable homes have increased by 133 per cent over the decade .
These regional variations highlight the significant rise in the entry point to homeownership across New Zealand . What was once ‘ affordable ’ in many areas is now priced at levels that would have been unimaginable a decade ago . While wage growth has also risen , the shift is a fundamental transformation in the market which continues to drive appetite for quality , affordably priced housing options .
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