Moving to a new home can be equal parts exciting and stressful. One of the biggest contributors to this stress is the unknown elements that can happen during your move. Our guide breaks down the costs and timeline so there are no surprises on your moving day.
Here’s what you need to know about relocating to Auckland.
Auckland has some of the highest property prices in New Zealand, so setting a realistic budget is important. Spending too much on a mortgage can leave your budget stretched if interest rates increase in the future.
Median house price: The median house price in Auckland is NZ$1,000,000. We’ll share some more affordable suburbs that are suitable for first home buyers below.
Hidden costs: Factor in rates, insurance, body corporate fees (for apartments), and maintenance costs. We cover some of these fees including building reports and conveyancing fees later on.
First home grant: If you’re a first-time buyer, check your eligibility for government support like First Home Grants and the First Home Loan scheme. These can give you a little boost towards affording a home in Auckland.
Pre-approval: The easiest way to buy a home in New Zealand is to get a mortgage pre-approval. This ensures you understand how much you can borrow before house hunting.
Auckland-specific property risksAuckland sits between two major bodies of water—the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea. While the Hauraki Gulf is calm and protects the eastern suburbs from strong weather, Manukau Harbour to the west is shallower and has stronger tidal currents.
There are some weather patterns and natural hazards to be aware of when buying a home in Auckland.
Leaky homes (1990s–2000s Builds)Auckland’s leaky home crisis is something all home buyers should be aware of before they purchase a house. Auckland was hit hard by the leaky home crisis, which affected properties built between 1994 and 2005.
Leaky homes were houses and townhouses that used monolithic cladding and had no eaves. This type of plaster cladding is prone to cracking and can allow moisture to seep into the home's walls. Here's what you need to know:
Houses with monolithic cladding are high risk. Even if there are no current signs of moisture, monolithic cladding requires upkeep every 5-10 years to prevent cracking.
Repairs can cost NZ$100,000 plus, so always get a building inspection before purchasing.
Ask for council records and previous building reports to check if repairs have been done properly.
If you have children (or plan to in the future), school zoning is important to consider as this will determine which public schools your children can attend. Here’s what you need to know:
Some areas (Epsom, Remuera, Takapuna) are in top school zones, which increases house prices.
Check school decile ratings & ERO reports to see education quality.
Even if you don’t have kids, buying in a good school zone can help with resale value.
When buying a house in Auckland, there’s a lot to consider. If you are a first-time buyer, you may want to balance affordability with safety, access to highways and motorways and good neighbourhood facilities. Here are some suburbs that are worth considering for your first home.
The location is approximately 10km west of Auckland's CBD.
The median property price is around NZ$800,000.
The suburb highlights include good public transport links and local amenities.
The location is about 15km southwest of the CBD.
The median property price is approximately NZ$698,000.
The suburb is known for its community feel and proximity to the Waitākere Ranges.
The location is situated on the North Shore, roughly 6km from the CBD.
The median property price is around NZ$921,000.
It's close to Takapuna and offers various schools. Planned developments aim to add 1,500 new homes and upgrade local amenities.
The suburb is situated around 8km east of the CBD.
The median property price is approximately NZ$760,000.
Highlights: Undergoing regeneration with plans for 7,500 new homes and a revamped town centre.
It's located about 8km south of the CBD.
The median property price varies and is generally more affordable than the central suburbs.
It's an established suburb with ongoing housing developments and improved public spaces.
The location is approximately 17km north of the CBD.
The median property price sits at approximately NZ$608,000 for a two-bedroom home.
This suburb is considered a hotspot for employment and amenities, with good public transport options.
New Zealand does not have ‘stamp duty’, but there are still fees you should be aware of before you buy a house in Auckland.
The Bright-Line Test is the closest thing New Zealand has to a capital gains tax on residential property sales. It’s designed to discourage property speculation and encourage people to hold onto properties for longer rather than flipping them in a short space of time.
If you sell a residential property within 10 years of buying it, you may have to pay tax on any profit (capital gain) you make. Exceptions include:
If the property is your main home, the bright-line rule does not apply (as long as you live there for most of the time).
New builds may have different rules (currently, they have a 5-year bright-line period).
If the property was inherited, the rule does not apply.
The amount of tax depends on your income tax rate, as the profit is added to your taxable income for that year.
Buying a house in Auckland will incur legal fees. Make sure you factor in the costs of hiring a solicitor or conveyancer to handle the property transaction. They ensure the sale is legally valid and can review your sale and purchase agreement as well as conduct a title search.
The cost is around NZ$1,500 – NZ$3,000, depending on the complexity of the purchase.
These reports help assess the condition and risks associated with the property before you buy it. Some sellers will provide a current builder’s report, while others won’t. If you’re looking at several houses, the cost of paying for LIM and building reports can certainly add up, but these reports can also save you from making an uninformed purchase (like a leaky home).
Provided by the local council, it details zoning, permits, flood risks, and other property-related issues.
The cost is around NZ$250 – NZ$400, depending on the council.
A professional builder inspects the property for structural issues, weather tightness (important for leaky homes), and maintenance concerns.
The cost is typically around NZ$400 – NZ$800, depending on property size and location.
Data from Wise Move showed that over 50% of people moving in 2024 kept their homes the same size.
For example, 19.5% of all moves involved people moving from a 3-bedroom home into a 3-bedroom home, 17.5% involved people moving from a 1-bedroom apartment into a 1-bedroom apartment, and 11.2% involved people moving from a 2-bedroom apartment into a 2-bedroom apartment.
So, while moving to a three-bedroom home is the most popular move for Aucklanders, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments are also very popular. While three-bedroom homes are a more common housing type in Auckland, people who live in apartments tend to be renters, and renters tend to move home more often.
Auckland is a large city, especially when compared to many other centres in New Zealand. Traffic can be busy at the best of times, but there are certain times of day you’ll want to avoid driving. While moving early in the day is a good idea, try to avoid travelling during the peak times.
Rush hour is 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm on weekdays leaving the city.
Mondays and Fridays are the busiest days for traffic.
State Highway 1 is the busiest Auckland road.
Traffic congestion is busiest on the Northern Motorway (from the North Shore) and the Southern Motorway.
Most Auckland suburbs have ample on-street parking. However, if you’re moving into an apartment in the CBD, your movers may find parking a challenge. Parking in a loading zone on the street is a viable and legal option, which may be cheaper than paying for on-street parking.
Whether you’re moving to Auckland for the first time or across the city, packing for your move can be overwhelming. A little bit of pre-planning can go a long way. Here’s how to make your Auckland move go more smoothly.
Getting rid of clutter early on will reduce the price of your move across Auckland. Sort your belongings and decide what to keep, donate, sell, or discard. It’s also a good idea to create an inventory list of valuable items so that you can keep track of everything.
Estimate moving expenses, including packing materials, moving services, and possible storage fees. We’ve outlined a lot of moving expenses for you below.
It’s important to find a trusted moving company in advance. Research moving companies and verify their credentials, licenses, and insurance. During this process, ask them about hidden fees, insurance options, and policies on delays or damages so that you’re not out of pocket if anything goes wrong. Booking platforms like Wise Move make it easy to read reviews from a wide range of trusted movers and request multiple quotes for comparison.
How much you will spend depends on a lot of factors.
To make things simple, we’ve calculated the cost of a home move based on selling a 3-bedroom home priced at $1,000,0000. We’ve included some optional extras, such as home staging so that you can work these into your budget.
|
Service |
Cost (low-end) |
Cost (high-end) |
|
Real estate commission |
NZ$29,000 |
NZ$40,000 |
|
Marketing and photography |
NZ$1,700 |
NZ$3,500 |
|
Staging |
NZ$2,000 |
NZ$4,000 |
|
Building reports |
NZ$800 |
NZ$1,150 |
|
Repairs |
NZ$0 |
NZ$10,000+ |
|
Other costs (legal, validations, etc) |
NZ$0 |
NZ$2,300 |
|
Removalists |
NZ$1,500 |
NZ$4,500 |
|
TOTAL |
NZ$35,500 |
NZ$65,450 |
To make things simple, we’ve calculated the cost of a home move based on renting a 2-bedroom home priced at NZ$650/week.
|
Service |
Cost |
|
Removalist |
NZ$1,000 – NZ$2,000 |
|
End-of-lease cleaning |
NZ$350 |
|
Bond (4-weeks rent) |
NZ$2,600 |
|
Packing materials |
NZ$300 |
|
Cleaning new property |
NZ$350 |
|
TOTAL |
$4,600 |
The cost of your Auckland move will change depending on how big your home is, how much stuff you have, and how far you are moving. Movers may also charge more for having to navigate stairs, difficult accessways or long carries. You can estimate to pay the following rates:
NZ$160/hour for a single truck and two movers.
NZ $200 o–$320/hour for a single truck and three or four movers.
A three-bedroom home may take 6-7 hours of moving to complete. This could put your daily labour rates are around NZ$960 – NZ$2,560.
Larger homes take longer to move and will, therefore, increase the cost of hiring a removalist. It’s a good idea to get rid of any clutter, downsize any unneeded items and throw away any broken things so that you’re not paying to take them to your new home.
Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to pay based on the size of your home, according to Wise Move’s 2025 data:
|
Size of home |
Approximate moving cost |
|
Studio/1-Bed Unit |
NZ$129 – NZ$$600 |
|
2-Bed Unit |
NZ$385 |
|
2-Bed House |
NZ$375 – NZ$1,300 |
|
3-Bed House |
NZ$450 – NZ$1,600 |
|
4-Bed+ House |
NZ$3,280 |
These rates are a good starting point to understand how much it will cost to move your items. You can expect the prices to fluctuate on other factors, especially if you are moving long distances or you need extra services like packing and disassembly.
Prices can fluctuate based on other factors such as the distance between your old and new home, any special moving requests, or if you need additional services like packing or furniture disassembly. These rates can help you understand pricing if you are moving to Auckland from another city.
|
Three-bedroom House |
100km |
500km |
1,000km |
|
2 Movers |
NZ$450 – NZ$640 |
NZ$1,100 – NZ$1,900 |
NZ$4,000 – NZ$6,000 |
|
3 Movers |
NZ$570 – NZ$790 |
NZ$1,400 – NZ$2,300 |
NZ$4,500 – NZ$6,500 |
|
4 Movers |
NZ $750 – NZ$940 |
NZ$1,800 – NZ$,2400 |
NZ$5000 – NZ$7000 |
Your moving quote will cover the truck, the movers’ time and any equipment the movers use, such as trolleys and blankets (certain furniture protection may come as an additional line item or charge). Most quotes also include basic insurance so that your items are protected while in transit and while being moved into your home.
Most removalists will ask for more information about your move, including parking and access to the home. For example, if you’re moving from a third-floor apartment with no on-street parking to a house with a garage, they’ll factor things that might slow down their move into the quote. Fortunately, many Auckland suburbs have good access to on-street parking or in the city have proximity to loading zones.
If you’re moving on a weekend or a public holiday, you may also be charged a higher rate. It’s always a good idea to book as far in advance as possible so that you don’t miss out on your preferred day to move.
You can also ask for a breakdown of your quote if you’re not sure what’s included in the price.
Early on you’ll want to weigh up the benefits of hiring professional movers or doing it yourself. Don’t leave this decision to the last minute as you might miss out on your preferred moving day or find it difficult to hire a van.
There are a lot of benefits to hiring professional removalists in Auckland.
It’s convenient—movers are experienced and know how to handle everything from packing and lifting to transportation.
You’ll save time—this helps to reduce stress and time spent on moving logistics.
It’s safer and comes with insurance—professionals are trained to handle fragile and heavy items safely plus most quotes include insurance.
Specialised equipment—you won’t need to arrange for a trolley, ramps, dollies or protective padding for your items as movers come with this equipment.
Hiring professionals might not be the right move for you if you’re:
Moving a short distance—if you don’t have much stuff or aren’t moving very far, a DIY move might be a smarter option
On a budget—if you have a tight budget you can save money by moving yourself
Have friends or family that can help—sometimes many hands make light work
Gather items for your move early. This will allow you to pack away items you don’t use very often first, and leave you with more time the week before your move.
Gather your packing supplies. Make sure you have a variety of sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, labels, and markers on hand.
Pack by room and category—start by packing away seasonal items that you’re not using, items in any spare rooms and non-essential furniture.
Use protective packing techniques—packing your items well from the beginning will help keep them safe. Wrap glass or fragile items individually using bubble wrap and disassemble large furniture.
Label everything clearly. Write the contents of the box or container on the outside with a pen or on a label and include contents, destination room, and fragility warnings.
Pack an essentials box for moving day. This should include anything you need on the day of the move such as toiletries, daily medications, phone or laptop chargers, important documents or IDs, a set of clean clothes, and basic kitchen supplies.
At this stage, you should notify any relevant parties (employers, schools, service providers) about your move. If you’re on a periodic lease you can notify your landlord now or at the four-week mark.
You can also order packing supplies from places such as The Warehouse, Bunnings or Warehouse Stationery and start packing your non-essential items away.
Now is a good time to check in with your moving company. Send them a message or phone them to confirm the moving details so that you know what time your movers are arriving.
Update your address with the postal service, banks, government agencies, and any delivery-specific subscriptions. You can change the default address on your browser so that any online deliveries go to your new address.
Ring your utility company and transfer any necessary utilities and services to your new home.
Start packing up more of your home. You should pack up most items apart from necessary furniture. Make sure any fragile items are packed securely.
Start organising pet and child care for moving day. You may want to think about leaving your pet with a friend or booking them into a dog daycare service for the day.
Prepare appliances by defrosting the fridge, disconnecting washing machines, and securing cords.
Pack an essentials box for the first few days in your new home. This should include any items that you would use every day. Keep it separate from other packed items so that it's easy to find.
Confirm your final arrangements with movers and make sure they know how to find your house.
Make sure all your packing is complete and finalise any outstanding logistics on your moving day.
Start with an inventory check. Go through the checklist you created early on and make sure your items are all accounted for once your move is complete.
Do a final walkthrough walk-through of your home, open cupboards and check sheds or crawl spaces for any items that may have been left behind.
Direct your movers and tell them where to put furniture and boxes. This will reduce the amount of time you have to spend moving heavy furniture around your house.
Unpack your essentials first. Start by organising the biggest furniture items first and the stuff you need right away—think beds, kitchen items and linens. You can gradually unpack office, lounge and outdoor items over the next few days.
Check that all your utilities' and essential services—like wifi, power, gas and water—are all functioning as soon as your move is complete. You can ring your service provider if anything isn’t connected.
Check that your address has been updated on your mail from any banks, insurance, and subscriptions.
Take some time to explore your new neighbourhood. It’s a good idea to locate grocery stores, hospitals, schools, and other essential services nearby.
Take care when transporting delicate or oversized items. If you are hiring movers, inform them about these special items ahead of time so they can bring the right equipment. If you're moving artwork, pianos, antiques, or other valuable items, consider:
Using custom packaging for artwork.
Hiring professional piano movers.
Wrapping artwork in protective coverings.
Securing fragile pieces in sturdy crates.
Disassembling large furniture when possible
Moving overseas comes with an added layer of complexities. If you’re moving to Auckland from an international location, make sure you have all your visa requirements sorted out ahead of time.
New Zealand has strict customs rules so be aware that you can’t bring perishable foods, pets that haven’t been through quarantine, or some types of plants or soiled items (like hiking boots, sports equipment) into the country.
Make sure you have a plan for when your shipment of goods is getting into New Zealand and how far the port is from your final destination. Additionally, ensure your important documents (visas, work permits, passports) are up to date and readily accessible during the move.
Sustainability is an important factor to consider when moving. The good news is, that you don’t need to buy your packing equipment brand new.
You can reduce the amount of waste created during your move by using recyclable packing materials, such as biodegradable packing peanuts and reusable moving boxes. Instead of buying new boxes, check with local businesses or online marketplaces for second-hand ones.
Donate or recycle items you no longer need to minimise landfill waste. You can find a moving company with eco-friendly practices (such as an EV or recycled packing supplies).
Moving to a new home in Auckland is exciting. A new suburb could mean more job opportunities, access to new school zones or simply a bigger house! While moving home is exciting, moving can also be full of hidden surprises. We know you’ve got enough to think about without the stress of budgeting for the unknown or packing and hauling your stuff across Auckland.
At Wise Move, we make it easy to find a trusted and affordable mover to get you from A to B. Whether you’re moving from Manakau to Mt Eden or from the CBD to Ponsonby, we make it easy to get multiple quotes with one enquiry. Book your next move now.
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