{"id":236880,"date":"2026-01-16T20:33:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T20:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/236880\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T20:33:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T20:33:13","slug":"finally-ready-to-sell-your-house-six-ways-to-get-the-best-price-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/236880\/","title":{"rendered":"Finally ready to sell your house? Six ways to get the best price in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

If this is the year, after years of riding out a flat property market, you’re ready to sell your home, you\u2019re not alone. Properties are flooding onto the market in New Zealand, and getting the best price for yours requires a smart strategy. Property advisor Ed McKnight has tips. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re thinking about selling your property in 2026, brace yourself \u2013 it\u2019s still a buyer\u2019s market. <\/p>\n

Sure, more homes are selling than during the depths of the downturn in 2023. But there\u2019s also a surge of new listings hitting the market. The number of properties available for sale is currently at a 10-year high.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/p>\n

Looking for a new property might not feel as bleak as it did a few years back. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

These are the properties owners would have wanted to sell a few years back, but were holding off until the market improved. Now that the market is more stable, those sellers are stepping forward.<\/p>\n

But, even though buyers still have the upper hand, a smart seller can still get a good result if they are prepared and strategic.<\/p>\n

1. Spend money to sell your property<\/p>\n

Marketing matters more than many people think. You can\u2019t sell a secret. The Big Mac isn\u2019t the best burger in the world. But it is the most famous. And it\u2019s all down to marketing.<\/p>\n

\"Whether<\/p>\n

Whether you like it or not, you know about it. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

The property listings that stand out tend to feature professional photos. They have a video, floor plans and have premium listings on property websites. Ideally, wait for a sunny day to take the photos. Sunshine alone can lift the listing.<\/p>\n

A good photographer can cost $300 or more. But, if you want to squeeze every dollar out of the sale, in my experience, it is usually money well spent.<\/p>\n

2. Sell an \u2018empty\u2019 property <\/p>\n

It\u2019s often easier to sell a house that no one is living in \u2013 not you, or if you’re a landlord, your tenants. That way, the house is always clean. It\u2019s tidy. And the furniture is arranged perfectly, no matter when a would-be buyer wants to view it. <\/p>\n

All of those things affect how buyers feel the moment they walk through the door.<\/p>\n

Of course, this isn\u2019t always possible because, if it\u2019s your own home, you still need somewhere to live. But, in today’s market, buyers can easily compare hundreds of listings. The homes that look fresh, bright, and beautifully presented are the ones that rise to the top.<\/p>\n

If it’s your home and moving out isn’t an option, the least you can do is strip back your possessions \u2013 either by getting rid of them for good (most of us could do with a major declutter) or by storing them with a friend or relative. Aim to subtract anything ugly, dated, tatty or overtly personal. One hundred family photos clinging to your fridge door? Pop them in a drawer and polish that fridge door until it gleams. Your deceased great aunt’s bulky armchair dominating your small living room? Get it gone. <\/p>\n

\"Don't<\/p>\n

Don’t treat your potential buyer to displays of clutter. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

Also remember that potential buyers will open storage cupboards and wardrobe doors. Make sure you declutter and tidy those spaces and create the impression that your home has storage to spare and is an organised pleasure to live in. <\/p>\n

The aim is to present potential buyers with a fresh, homely, somewhat spare canvas onto which they can project the fantasy of their own best life. <\/p>\n

3. Hire a professional stager<\/p>\n

While properties do well to be empty of people, that doesn\u2019t mean they should be literally empty. Rooms without furniture tend to feel smaller than they really are, and buyers struggle to imagine if they really could fit their queen-sized bed into that bedroom, or if that poky little sunroom would work as an office. <\/p>\n

Staging the property with rented furniture allows buyers to see how it could function, and it also creates a modern, aspirational look. Most stagers will opt for light, neutral tones and a mix of natural fibres and textures, presenting your property in its best possible light.<\/p>\n

It usually costs a few hundred dollars a week, or about $1500 to $5000 across a five-week listing period, with the cost depending on the stager you choose, the size of your home, and whether you opt for partial staging (a mix of your own furniture and rented pieces) or full. <\/p>\n

Make sure you get the staging completed before the photography. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A good home stager will create fresh, inviting spaces. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

4. Make your home ‘move-in ready’<\/p>\n

Home buyers hate hassle and risk. Any \u2018but what about?\u2019 thoughts can lead them to offer a lower price. They do this to account for any potential work they see looming on the horizon. <\/p>\n

So, often it’s a good idea to tweak surface things that look shoddy \u2013 paint the front door, or replace old carpet \u2013 before you go to market. <\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t mean an overhaul to the kitchen or bathroom. But small, strategic improvements can make a surprisingly big difference to the perceived value of your home.<\/p>\n

Not every seller bothers, and in a buyer\u2019s market, the homes that feel tidy, well cared for and ‘move-in ready’ will likely fetch higher prices.<\/p>\n

5. Decide on your \u2018three prices\u2019 before the offers start rolling in<\/p>\n

One of the smartest things you can do as a seller is decide your three numbers before emotion kicks in and you start to feel greedy or discouraged.<\/p>\n

The simplest approach is to write down three prices:<\/p>\n

1. The price that would make you ecstatic \u2014 the \u201cpop the champagne\u201d number.<\/p>\n

2. The price you\u2019d be satisfied with \u2014 not thrilling, but comfortable.<\/p>\n

3. The minimum you\u2019re willing to accept \u2014 anything below this, you walk away.<\/p>\n

Clarifying these numbers to yourself (and if you have one, with your partner) helps you review offers calmly (and can avoid arguments with your partner about what the pair of you will or won’t accept). If an offer reaches your \u201cecstatic\u201d price, you\u2019ll know not to push so hard that you scare off the buyer. <\/p>\n

If you get low-ball offers beneath your minimum number, you know you can confidently kick them to the curb. <\/p>\n

6. Be in a position to walk away<\/p>\n

It’s not uncommon to spend $10,000 or more on a property before it’s even listed. That would only just cover a room or two of new carpet, marketing, staging, and the odd fresh coat of paint. <\/p>\n

But when offers come in lower than expected, some are tempted to try to get a ‘return’ on that $10k investment. They become willing to accept a price they normally wouldn\u2019t, because it seems the only available way to justify the outlay. <\/p>\n

If your minimum price was $900k and the best offer is $850k, the money you spent preparing the home is irrelevant. <\/p>\n

Accepting $50k less just to justify a $10k spend is a losing trade. <\/p>\n

This is one reason that, in a buyer\u2019s marker, it\u2019s preferable to sell before you buy \u2013 or at least make any offers on a property you\u2019d like to buy conditional. Then, if the offers don\u2019t meet your minimum price, you\u2019re in a position to walk away.<\/p>\n

All things considered, selling a home this year won\u2019t be as simple as sticking a ‘For Sale’ sign on the lawn and waiting for a bidding war.<\/p>\n

2026 is still likely to lean in favour of buyers, with plenty of choice and strong competition among sellers. But with the right preparation, you can still come out ahead.<\/p>\n

Ed McKnight is an Auckland-based economist and property investment advisor.<\/p>\n

*This information is general in nature and should not be taken as personalised financial advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If this is the year, after years of riding out a flat property market, you’re ready to sell…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":236881,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[138,219,111,139,69,2114,814],"class_list":{"0":"post-236880","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-economy","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz","13":"tag-opinion","14":"tag-property"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236880\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}