Why are houses so expensive in New Zealand? | AUT Infrastructure Matters

Welcome to Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT) Research Matters! 🚀 AUT’s Research Matters video series is where AUT academics answer everyday questions about their fields of expertise. Get the answer to those questions you’ve always had – or maybe never knew to ask. Why are houses in New Zealand so expensive?! And why does fixing the problem seem so hard? 🏠 From gridlocked roads and underperforming rail to flood-prone suburbs and spiralling build costs, the pressures on our cities can feel endless. Is another Auckland harbour crossing really necessary? Will IKEA make traffic even worse? And just how risky is skipping a builder’s report- are we talking minor wobble or full Leaning Tower of Pisa? AUT’s Professor John Tookey is unpacking the big questions about housing, transport and infrastructure in his latest episode of Infrastructure Matters. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:33 Why are houses so damned expensive? 01:30 Why is Tip Top corner always so congested, and will IKEA make it worse? 02:22 Why does New Zealand have such a rubbish rail system? 04:54 Should I buy a house in a flood prone area if it hasn’t actually flooded before? 05:32 Does Auckland really need another harbour crossing? 06:57 On a scale of one to Leaning Tower of Pisa, how bad is it if I skip getting a builder’s report before buying a house? 07:25 Why is housing provision so difficult? 08:45 Why does everything ever built cost more and take longer than expected? 10:01 My gas hob is on the fritz. Should I replace it with an electric one? 🔗 Check out more on Professor John Tookey: https://academics.aut.ac.nz/john.tookey ♨️ Want to learn more about NZ’s gas problem? https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300887747/nzs-gas-problem-phasing-out-natural-gas-in-homes-demands-affordable-alternatives-first 🏗️ Find out what foreign investors will really want from the infrastructure summit: https://theconversation.com/hey-big-spenders-what-foreign-investors-will-really-want-from-the-infrastructure-summit-251798 📖 Read Urban Aotearoa. The Future for Our Cities (2024) https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/urban-aotearoa 🚧 John’s article explains how house construction in New Zealand is a disaster, but can it fixed? Find out: https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/26-08-2017/house-construction-in-new-zealand-is-a-disaster-but-it-can-be-fixed?amp=