Wellington City Council has opted at the last minute not to approve a special housing area in Thorndon, where there were plans to build 31 apartments

The time is right for first-home buyers to strike – but how?

"It's uncovering what's there. For the most part they have lots of integrity, the old houses."

Too many people have been taken out of the property market, particularly in Auckland, CoreLogic says.

A slowing Auckland housing market could cause problems for this year's contestants on The Block: Side by Side.

A proposed $130 million retirement village near Richmond, Nelson could be under way next year as part of a planned 50ha residential development worth about $350m.

More calls are being made for the Government to step up its vigilance on the quality of building products and other imports. The Specialist Trade Contractors Federation says Standards NZ needs "urgent reform" because of the current system, which depends on private players to fund New Zealand's end of trans-Tasman standards.

An America's Cup win could push up house prices on Auckland's beachy North Shore, but Team NZ need to work harder. Emirates Team NZ won the first four races in the America's Cup final against Oracle Team USA. As they took a commanding grip on the series, Kiwi fans were allowing themselves to speculate what might happen if they took back the Auld Mug. A win was expected to be good for the Auckland's economy and infrastructure, sparking development like Wynyard Quarter. North Shore real estate agents said a win would increase demand for rentals, but property prices were likely to go up only if the cup was retained in Auckland.

A new commercial development on Wellington's waterfront looks set to cause controversy before construction even begins. Wellington City Council's Site 9, alongside Customhouse Quay, has been earmarked by developer Willis Bond & Co for a new five-storey block – but it is being opposed by Waterfront Watch, and is expected to end up in the Environment Court.

More and more Kiwis are choosing apartment over houses. In this High Life series, Homed explores what that means for the way we live.