A booming year for the West Coast housing market

OneRoof's House Price Report finds buying a home in New Zealand is eight thousand dollars cheaper than a year ago - but prices are climbing back up.

It finds the regions and suburbs that have had the most growth in 2024 - tended to be the most affordable.

Oneroof editor Owen Vaughan says the average property value in the West Coast region was up 11.2-percent year-on-year to 488-thousand dollars.

He says first home buyers in that region are taking advantage of the affordability - and being able to get a home within reach of their budget.