OneRoof research shows a flash of new builds on the market are offering cheaper housing

The median value of a new home in Wellington is 248-thousand dollars cheaper than an old build - and 119-thousand dollars less in Auckland.

Tauranga offers a 75-thousand dollar saving and Queenstown 70-thousand.

Meanwhile, more than 80-thousand consents for residential properties were issued in the past 25-months - mostly in Auckland - a big increase.

Editor Owen Vaughan says it could be better -- as the building industry's facing challenges.

He says there's been a sharp increase in the price of building materials and labour, - exacerbated by Covid lockdowns.