Posts by Damian Christie
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Steve - didn't realise you were a builder. Good to know. Although we're very lucky, two builders are close friends, then there's an architect, a sparky, landscape gardener etc. And of course I'm a lawyer so that's the buying and trust stuff sorted. Anyone friends with a bank?
Sofie - There's a bunch of herbs in big pots that are going to taste freedom come August 21st, don't you worry. And a huge number of other plants that have grown to big for their pots over the past 10 years too. They won't know what hit 'em.
If you read the terms and conditions of the auction, you'll frequently find terms like "vendors bid" and other legalese for "making up a bid"... They do it all the time.
The first auction we went to was at Barfoot & Thompson, I was impressed to note that they have an explicit policy of no vendor bidding. Ray White don't, but say that the auctiioneer will clearly identify if that's what he's doing, and say they don't plant bidders. B&T's policy (and given their size in the market) would suggest it's a trend on the out...
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As for auctions vs sales, tenders etc, obviously they all have advantages and disadvantages.
At a set sale, you're never going to get more than you ask for. And if you set that price, and pretty much get that price the very next day, chances are you should have gone to auction. On the other hand, you're happy because you got what you wanted. And at least you had help setting the benchmark price.
At a tender, everyone knows they only have one chance to make an offer, so if they're serious they'll make something as close to the highest they'll consider going. There's no unbiased indication of price and they could easily overshoot the rest of the buyers - great for the vendor, not great for the buyer.
At an auction you might not get the highest price, it's true, but at least there's a degree of confirmation that what you are spending is only slightly higher than someone else was prepared to spend, and that what you are getting is more than any other person was going to give you. And I think often the vendors get a fair price + the emotional premium caused by the auction.
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Ah how I love coming back to a good conversation. Where to start?
The reason I bought, is because at present it's actually cheaper for me to do so than renting. A few years ago (when my rent was lower and interest rates higher) that wasn't the case, which is when the calculations come into it, but I'm pretty sure that paying $50 a week less to live in a bigger house that I'm paying off at the rate of at least 1/20th of a year, which may or may not but probably will increase in value, makes financial sense?
Secondly, I'm so with Sofie on this one, my current landlord is great, but doesn't let me put stuff on windowsills because he once painted them. And no shoes inside. And no hooks in the walls, which means none of my heaviest art. And no smoking, not even when it's been a long night and I just want to tell my friends it's fine just this once because it's cold outside (its always coldest before the dawn).
And because I want to make a mess in the garden and buy lots of plants and not have someone sell from under me just when the lemon tree is starting to make lemons.
And because like most NZers I'm not very good at saving for the future so I'd rather put a half-million-dollar house on HP and pay it off and know that in the future I'll own a house worth slightly more than that.
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This week, Craig Ranapia finds Provocative Woman a charming scent, but as a defence for murder it reeks. It's time to grow up and expect adults to take responsibility for their actions.
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Damian Christie talks to musician Tiki on the release of his remix album 'Flux'
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Glynis Bartlam heads to Wellington and takes a look at Parliament's historic art and objects.
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Russell Brown and Damian Christie talk to Judith Morley-John of the Heart Foundation, a representative of the Chip Group, tasked with making hot chips as healthy as they can.
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Russell Brown and Damian Christie talk to Dr Peter Gluckman, former director of the Liggins Institute, and the inaugaral appointee to the position of Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister.
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Damian Christie and Russell Brown talk to Manurewa's rising R&B star J Williams about his debut album 'Young Love'.
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Edith Piaf had no regrets. This week, Craig Ranapia wishes Francois Fillon had done the same over L'Affair Bastareaud