Homewise - Understand what a property will cost to own, before you commit

Where we fit in

A step in your research - before you start spending on due diligence

You’ll walk through a lot of houses. You can only afford to properly investigate one or two. A builder’s report is essential before you buy - but at $500 or more, it isn’t something you can order for every place you like the look of. Homewise sits earlier than that, while you’re still narrowing the list.

While you’re looking

Compare properties on more than the asking price

A 1960s weatherboard bungalow and a 2005 townhouse cost very different amounts to own, and the listing won’t tell you that. A Homewise Report sets out the likely maintenance rhythm and long-term costs for each - so you’re comparing places on what they’ll actually ask of you, not just what they’re advertised at.

Before you commit

Decide which property earns your due diligence

Once you’re serious about a place, the costs start stacking up - inspection, LIM, lawyer. A Homewise Report helps you work out which property is worth that spend, and gives you specific things to point your building inspector at when you get there.

Being straight with you about what this is

What a Homewise Report does

Explains the maintenance and running costs that are typical for a property of this age, type and construction
Puts realistic NZD figures against those costs, in the near term and across 20 years
Flags the risks commonly associated with properties like this one, and what to look for
Translates any building report or LIM you share into plain English, with costs attached
Gives you better questions to ask the agent, the vendor and your inspector

What it doesn’t do

We don’t visit the property. We work from the address, whatever documents and photos you share, and public information
It isn’t a building inspection and doesn’t replace one - always get a physical inspection before you buy
It can’t find defects that only show up in person, and it isn’t a valuation or legal advice
The costs are informed estimates and guidance, not quotes

What you get

The ownership picture, in one place

Your Homewise Report runs from the next six months through to twenty years of ownership - written for someone buying a home, not for a tradesperson.

The 20-year cost projection from a Homewise Report: a stacked bar chart of annual costs, with routine maintenance in teal every year and orange capital works spiking in year 11 for a kitchen replacement and year 15 for a roof replacement. — The 20-year projection from the sample report. The tall bars are the years that catch owners out - a kitchen in year 11, a roof in year 15. See the full budget page →

Property Health Score

A simple A–D rating with an honest summary of the overall cost and risk picture, based on what we can see. Where the information is thin, we tell you that too.

Maintenance Costs in NZD

What routine upkeep is likely to cost each month, plus the capital reserve worth setting aside for the big-ticket items - a roof, a hot water cylinder, exterior repainting.

20-Year Cost Projection

A visual budget showing roughly when money tends to be needed on a property like this, and what for - so the expensive years don’t arrive as a shock.

What to Look At First

The items worth attention in the first six months, with indicative costs - and a short list of things to have your building inspector look at closely.

Something to Take Into Negotiation

An indicative dollar range to weigh up when you’re thinking about your offer, based on the deferred maintenance the report identifies. A conversation starter, not a guaranteed saving.

Questions to Ask the Agent

Five specific questions drawn from this property’s findings. The ones that get you a useful answer - not the generic list everyone asks.

How it works

Three steps, no faff

One checkout, one reply, and your report arrives before you need to make a decision.

1

Order in two minutes

Secure Stripe checkout asks for your name, email and the property address, then takes your $89. That’s everything we need to start.

2

Reply to your receipt

Stripe emails you a receipt straight away. Reply to it with anything you have - a LIM, a building report, listing photos, notes from the open home. The more you share, the more specific your report. Nothing to send? We get started anyway.

3

Read it before you decide

Your full report lands in your inbox within 24 hours - health score, maintenance plan and 20-year budget.

Sample reports

Have a proper look before you buy one

A real Homewise Report

This is a complete report - health score, full maintenance plan and 20-year budget. Click through and read all three pages. Nothing is held back for the paid version.

Health score NZD cost estimates 20-year budget Negotiation range Vendor questions First 12 months checklist

10 Fraser Ave, Johnsonville →

Order

Get a clearer read on the property you’re considering

One property, $89, and a report in your inbox within 24 hours.

Homewise Report

One property, delivered within 24 hours.

Homewise Report - 1 property $89 NZD

What happens when you click through

You land on our secure Stripe checkout. It asks for your name, email and the property address - that is everything we need to start.
You pay $89 by card.
Stripe emails you a receipt. Reply to it with anything you have on the property - a LIM, a building report, listing photos, notes from the open home - and we will fold it into your report.
Your report arrives within 24 hours.

Order a Homewise Report - $89 →

Secure checkout by Stripe. We never see your card details. Your payment appears as Relatable Limited, the company behind Simply Property and Homewise.

Questions

Common questions

Do you visit the property?

No, and we’d rather be upfront about that. We work from the address, whatever documents and photos you share with us, and public information about the property and the area. That means we can tell you a lot about what a property of this age, type and construction is likely to cost you, and what commonly goes wrong with them - but we can’t tell you about a problem that only shows up when someone puts their head into the roof space. That’s what a building inspection is for.

Is this a replacement for a building inspection?

No. They do different jobs and you should get both. A building inspection puts a qualified person physically on site to find defects in that specific house - it’s the single most important thing you can do before buying, and we say so on every report. A Homewise Report comes earlier, helping you decide which property is worth that spend, then helping you understand what owning it will actually cost.

Do I need a building report or LIM first?

Not at all - the address is enough to get started. If you do have a LIM, a builder’s report, the listing photos or notes from the open home, reply to your Stripe receipt and send them through. Your report gets noticeably more specific with them, and we’ll translate the technical findings into plain English with costs attached.

How accurate are the costs?

They’re informed estimates based on current New Zealand trade pricing and the typical maintenance cycles for that type of property - not quotes, and not a prediction of what a particular job will cost you on the day. Treat them as a realistic planning range for budgeting and comparing properties.

How long does it take?

Within 24 hours of receiving your property details and payment. Order on a Friday morning and you’ll have it before the weekend is out.

I’m looking at a few properties. Can I order more than one?

Yes - one report per property. That’s really what it’s built for: putting two or three places side by side and seeing how differently they’ll treat your bank account over the years.

What if I don’t end up buying the property?

The report still earns its keep. It teaches you what to look for, what things cost and what to ask - and buyers tell us that sharpens how they look at every house after it.

Buying a home is exciting. It’s the unknowns that keep you up at night.