Nor'West News: September 24, 2020

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12 Thursday September 24 2020 Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz NOR’WEST NEWS News Event to bring neighbours together • By Bea Gooding CHRISTCHURCH residents will soon be reconnecting with their neighbours in style. The city council’s Summer with your Neighbours event is due to start next month, which brings people closer together while celebrating the unique and diverse mix of each neighbourhood. A strong focus this year was for John Filsell neighbours to re-establish connections with each other following the Covid-19 lockdown. The event allows residents to apply for funding to organise events within their community, including street parties, neighbourhood clean-ups, fundraisers or sports days. Said John Filsell, city council head of community support, governance and partnerships: “Getting to know your neighbours creates a greater sense of community connectedness and safety.” Following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, he said there was a “huge swell” of community connections with neighbours developing strong relationships and supporting each other. The same could be said for the current pandemic. “Due to the Covid-19 lockdown, people were out in their neighbourhoods again and connecting from a distance; checking on vulnerable people and making sure they had access CONNECTING: Neighbourhoods can apply for funding to organise a street party, clean-ups or sports day. to food,” said Filsell. “Summer with your Neighbours events will help bring people together again and provide an opportunity to build on relationships, and even thank neighbours for their help.” The event was previously known as Neighbourhood Week and was first held in 1998. After community feedback, the city council decided three years ago to extend the event until the end of summer. “Weather was often an issue during October, and by extending it through to March allowed events to be held over Christmas and in the new year when the weather tends to be better,” said Filsell. Last year the Halswell-Hornby- Riccarton Community Board distributed $4500 in funding to local events in the city’s west. • Summer with your Neighbours starts October 23 and will run until March. Reinforcing links GETTING to know your neighbour isn’t just a nice thing to do – it might help you and your community meet and then recover from shocks and crises. Research suggests wellconnected communities do better in the aftermath of natural disasters, University of Canterbury Associate Professor Lucie Ozanne says. Their members also benefit from a sense they live in a community that is well connected, that cares about itself and the people in it, the community resilience expert said. “There are so many benefits for the place and for the people who live there,” she said. “The literature suggests there are positives for people’s sense of belonging, their sense of community, and even physical well-being. “So, the more we can do to foster links with other people in our neighbourhoods, the more people will feel they are somewhere that people care, and will help them and the wider community.” Ozanne welcomed the city council’s Summer with your Neighbours programme as a good way to help neighbourhoods reinforce their links. The programme will this year focus on re-establishing connections following the Covid-19 lockdown. Applications were still being processed, but it was anticipated street parties, neighbourhood clean-ups, fundraisers or sports days would be in the mix. Such events would help reaffirm pride in the community while introducing people to each other, and establishing new social links. This was important in a city where many neighbourhoods had pockets of transient people, or had many new residents, she said. Simply getting together with others was difficult postlockdown, as people continued to be wary of others from outside their bubbles. The Summer with your Neighbours programme could help reintroduce people to their neighbourhoods in the alert level 1 environment. Associate Professor Billy O’Steen, an expert on community and civic engagement, said community events could help foster stronger neighbourhoods. They could help break-down social isolation by introducing people to their neighbourhood, and by encouraging people to get to know each other. “The key is, people need to make it work. We all have a responsibility to make the effort to support each other, and make the effort to be known to each other.” People responded to the shock of the March 15 terror attacks by wanting to be part of events and gatherings that demonstrated a sense of community. Gatherings could help restore community links postlockdown - even while normal life resumed.
NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Thursday September 24 2020 13 PROPERTY NEWS Canterbury property market exceeding records August was a record month for the Canterbury property market, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Recently released REINZ statistics show the median property price in Canterbury increased by a record 13 per cent in August 2020 on the same period last year, with total sales volumes up 14.5 per cent. Bindi Norwell from REINZ says in August the Canterbury region also saw the lowest level of total inventory (2247) since records began. “We are seeing high levels of enquiry continue across all price brackets, with buyers keen to purchase a home,” Bindi says. “There are approximately 30 per cent more investors in the market compared to last month, who are keen to invest and take advantage of the low interest rates. Over the next few months there will be many factors that could impact the market, but it is expected to continue as it has been,” she says. The Nor’West property market is also continuing its impressive growth incline with the median price for property in the area increasing by 10.7 per cent in August 2020 on the same period last year, bringing the median price in the area to $549,000 for the month. Total sales volumes for the Nor’West area also increased for August 2020 to 158 sales, with the median number of days to sell sitting at just 31. Owner of Ray White Bishopdale & Strowan, Barry Ellis, says the Nor’West market is one of the best in the region. It’s an area well-known for high-quality properties and is attractive to a wide range of buyers from first home buyers to investors and families looking for larger family homes in key school zones, particularly right now as families start to think about the new 2021 school year, he says. “We’ve got a lot of buyers actively looking in the Nor’West area – there simply aren’t enough listings on the market to meet the demand. Most properties we are taking to the market are often seeing 30 to 50 groups attending the first day of open homes, with many properties seeing well over 100 open home attendees over the campaign. “This level of enquiry is unprecedented; it’s certainly an exciting time for Christchurch property owners, particularly those looking to take advantage of the current market conditions,” he says. Co-owner of Ray White Bishopdale & Strowan Karen Ellis agrees the property market is booming, with auctions proving an effective way to get top dollar. “With so many buyers in the marketplace, auction is proving the best way to achieve top dollar for your property by creating competition among the interested buyers. In the last three months we’ve seen incredible auction results.” Karen recently marketed and sold 15 Karen Lane, Beckenham at auction, which sold for $567,000 after competitive bidding between keen purchasers (24 bids in total) which was a stunning $57,000 (11 per cent) above the Rateable Value. Ray White Bishopdale & Strowan have another five auctions booked in the next two weeks and are expecting to see more incredible results. “If you are thinking about selling, now is a great time. You only have to look at the results we’re seeing, and the market statistics being released each month to realise it. And with spring well and truly here, those property owners that take Barry and Karen Ellis, Owners Ray White Bishopdale and Strowan. hold of the current momentum will be rewarded,” Barry and Karen say. So, if you are curious to know what your property could sell for, give them a call and they will have one of the team complete a market valuation. “It’s free, only takes 20 minutes, and you could be surprised at the result.” For advice on your next real estate transaction, contact Ray White Bishopdale & Strowan on 0800 YELLOW (935 569). Nor’West Market Snapshot August 2020 Median Sale Price $549,000 (+10.7%) Compared to $496,000 in August 2019* Total Number of Sales 158 Compared to 155 in August 2019* Total Sales Value $108m (+23%) Compared to $88m in August 2019* Median Days to Sell 31 (+2%) (-13%) Compared to 36 in August 2019* What’s your property worth? Call 0800 YELLOW to find out *Statistics have been sourced from REINZ Ray White Bishopdale & Strowan 0800 YELLOW (0800 935 569) rwbishopdale.co.nz | rwstrowan.co.nz Inline Realty Limited (Licensed REAA 2008) Proudly owned by Karen Ellis 021 519 275 Barry Ellis 021 519 274
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Nor'West News: September 24, 2020

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