Dunedin has become a property investment hotspot for local, national and international investors with strong rental demand and yields and lower price point compared to NZ’s other main centres.
The Dunedin market is a unique investment opportunity given the large student market including a significant international student population with the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic students accounting for just over 20% of the population.
Days to Sell
39
Median Price
$625,000
12 Mo Price Trend
4.3%
Median Rent
+2.2% p/w
Last updated: August 2023. Sources: Tenancy Services & REINZ.
| Population | 126,255 (2018 Census) |
| Forecast Population | 133,900 (2028) and 136,200 (2038), source Statistics New Zealand |
| Tertiary Education |
University of Otago Otago Open Polytechnic Signal ICT Grad School |
| Main Industries | Tertiary Education, Technology and Innovation, IT, Tourism, Fashion |
| Ports and Rail | Port Otago |
| Air | Dunedin International Airport |
| Public Transport | Orbus |
Dunedin is home to the “scarfy” (meaning Uni of Otago student) and has a tradition of offering high level tertiary learning and qualifications mixed with the chance to have a heck of a lot of fun with other likeminded young people from around NZ and the world.
Investors have the option of purchasing and/or developing in the “melting pot”, being the streets closest to the Campus on the north side for mostly 2nd year students, fresh out of a year in the Student Halls to enjoy or invest a street or two, or suburb back in either direction of the Campus and provide accommodation for the slightly more decerning student being mainly 3rd to 5th year students.
Dunedin however is no one-horse town. Dunedin and its surrounding area have had above average population growth matched with significant growth in property values and rental levels.
Confidence in the city is high. The growth in townhouse developments being offered and purchased by both out of town investors and owner occupiers has been significant in the last 24 months, especially in south Dunedin and surrounding flat suburbs. 36 townhomes in Caversham are due for completion in 2022, the largest non-student housing development in decades.
One of the key drivers to the recent surge in growth and now shortage of rental accommodation is the positive impact and growth of the city resulting from a new Hospital being built in the city centre. Added to that is the announcement by the University of Otago of significant investment in infrastructure on the campus alongside and after the Hospital rebuild.
Of interest to both “mum and dad investors” as well as large property developers will also be the adoption by the Dunedin City Council of its Second Generation Plan (2GP), which among other things has provided the opportunity for investors to develop inner city sites which previously were not zoned capable of medium density development.
Another key driver of the growth of Dunedin has been the explosion in tourism over the 5 years prior to COVID-19. Dunedin averaged 5,500 visitors daily, many of whom have made the trip south to see Dunedin’s renowned wildlife and heritage for themselves. A growing part of this sector is the cruise ship industry, which doubled in five years. 130 cruise ships were booked to visit the City of Dunedin via Port Chalmers for the 2020-21 Cruise Ship Season. Dunedin also has an international reputation for fashion design and another major emerging sector in Dunedin is the gaming development industry. New Zealand’s Centre of Digital Excellence (CoDE) is located in Dunedin city centre and it’s likely that Dunedin will become the epicentre of video game development in New Zealand.
iFindProperty is a licensed real estate agency and we cover all of the Dunedin region. We believe we are the best in the business at helping others buy, or sell, Dunedin Investment Properties.
iFindProperty runs a full-service property sales operation. Work with an agent who understands property investment and how to market your property to other investors, in a way that doesn't upset your tenants!
Please contact Dean below or enquire through our website.
"We returned to iFindProperty to buy our second investment property and are just as happy with their service this time around. We bought in Dunedin with the help of Dean, who did all the heavy lifting for us - a relief, since we are still very new to property investment. We’re extremely happy with the result - even in a tough market - and highly recommend IFP."
"Had a great experience getting our first investment property with the Otago rep Dean, highly recommend. Definitely fantastic if you are new to this, but I think even the veterans would benefit. The market is tough, the deals are harder to spot, using Dean and iFindProperty really alleviated a lot of stress, can’t put a price on that!"
"We have just sold our house to an investor who was using Dean Horo as his broker. While Dean was working for his client, he still provided exceptional service and guidance for us, as we were a bit lost in the process at times. He kept us fully updated right throughout, and you could tell he genuinely wanted to get the best results for both parties. We have no hesitation is recommending Dean. "
Dunedin Market Update October 2020
Ask any buyer or sellers agents who live and work in Dunedin or follow any of the abundance of real estate company/mortgage brokers blogs and webinars on the Dunedin property market and you will see a consistent commentary - "not enough stock", record prices, record rent levels, rental yields down, investors missing out on sales, the list goes on. Read More…
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