That’s why our profile this month is so interesting. A young couple (both 30 years old) have used a mixture of strategies (including selling dogs, partnering with family members, and using small inheritances) to enter the market. It’s yielded Jeremy Lawson and Katie Nimon some great results, and though they didn’t buy for capital gains, they’ve been rewarded by hefty property price rises since the market took off mid last year.

Thinking outside the box was the motivation behind our lead story as well. Subdivision of existing properties can be a long and expensive process; but it can also be highly lucrative. Our writer Sally Lindsay has been talking with the experts to understand the process in key markets; we also have a case study from Gisborne who explains how their properties have risen in value since they undertook subdivision.

There’s no denying that mortgage rates are on the way up. The central bank may have kept the official cash rate on hold at 0.25%, but it’s reduced its monetary support by ending its LSAP quantitative easing program.

Strong inflation data in July has furthered the expectations of a mortgage rate rise, and wholesale markets have reacted, alongside some of our major banks. Kiwibank, The Co-operative and TSB upped their fixed rate loans in mid-July by roughly 30 basis points in many cases, with the rest of the market set to follow. We explore the best strategies for investors and discuss whether short or long-term rates are the way to go in the light of these changes.

And maintenance is in the spotlight for our renovation section, with the good people at Builderscrack providing us with their pick of “must-do” maintenance tasks over the colder months.