Recent headlines in the national media point to a period of doom and gloom in real estate. Whether it’s high inflation, house prices falling, or barriers to market entry, you’d be forgiven for feelingpessimistic.But not everything you read applies to us here in Central Otago. Sure, we feel some of the effects of national issues.Those people building houses will have to be patient while building supply blockages resolve. Sellers also need to cultivate patience with homes taking a wee bit longer to sell. Mortgage holders willcertainly feel some pain if interest rates continue to rise.Nevertheless, there’s much cause for optimism locally. Looking around Alexandra, I see more development happening at once than I think I have ever seen before.There’s the new Countdown going up, a new Stihl shop, Postie is back in town and there’s a big upgrade happening with the development of the multipurpose entertainment centre in TarbertStreet and Riverside Park, to name a few.Industrial sites are hard to come by and pretty much all our commercial sites are full. Contrast that with just three years ago when there were “for lease” and “for sale” signs everywhere and manyempty retail stores!Residential development is also in a healthy space.Dunstan Park has sold all of stage 1 and 2 with titles come through. Stage 3 has only 3 sections left and titles are due in early 2023. Stage 4, the final stage, will be developed as house and landpackages in the near future.Almost 60 small rural lots have sold in the William Hill development on Dunstan Road. Building won’t start until the new district plan is cemented, but the popularity reflects a trend of people choosingcountry over city.Sunderland Park in Clyde is also ticking along well, with many sections sold or under offer. Building will begin when titles are issued and the sceptic infrastructure in place.So, next time you see negative real estate sentiment in the media, remember that our little slice of New Zealand is largely defying the doom.

There’s no quick fix to the staffing shortage plaguing Central Otago and beyond in 2022, with post-pandemic staffing levels leaving many businesses teetering on the brink of survival.One way businesses can help address hiring issues is by letting go of their unconscious biases, like those around age.Many roles are advertised at a skill and pay level that we might not necessarily think will interest an over 50-year-old. Plus, words like “dynamic,” “enthusiastic” and “energetic” in job ads make us think of younger people. Such assumptions are an example of unconscious bias.We might assume, for example, that “physically demanding” roles exclude older workers, but I know plenty of 60-year olds that could run rings around most people!Valuing over 50 year olds requires rethinking how we value people. Google innovatively launched a Human Capital program back in the 1990s focusing on the competence,knowledge, values, and the innovative potential of individuals. Human capital also incorporates the well- being of the individual.Whilst many people over 50 remain career oriented, others have achieved everything they set out to do. People’s needs and wants change in line with the lifestyle they desire – they may value personal well- being over money and responsibility.They may no longer want the stress of owning a business, managing multiple departments and staff, or earning the big bucks. They’ve already been there, seen it, done it and now opt for a balanced lifestyle over hectic pressure and stress. Some have simply always preferred to be a “do-er” than a “visionary”.Whatever the reason an over 50-year-old is sitting in front of you requesting that you hire them, consider their competence, knowledge, values, and innovative potential without considering their age.Would your business benefit from this over-qualified or over-experienced person’s human capital?Would your other staff benefit from learning from a team member like this? Can your business afford not to take that kind of opportunity?Challenging our unconscious bias in the workplace can help us to make better decisions for our businesses by bringing diversity to the workplace and encouraging innovation through multiple perspectives that reflect our customer bases.So…what’s the average age of your last staff hires?

That is this month’s question.Here at C&R Insurance we know that the majority of people don’t feel as passionate and excited about insurance as we do.For most, obtaining insurance is a chore that they want to be as quick and as painless as possible.Often, people simply sign up with the big names in insurance via a website or phone call and assume they have protected themselves adequately, and they probably have.This is just one approach to obtaining insurance, however. The other is to go through a broker.Brokers are a one-stop shop that can make sure clients get the best cover for their personal situation.They are able to compare policies from company to company, underwriter to underwriter, and offer you the best match to your needs.A broker will ask you more pertinent questions and gain a much more holistic understanding of your lifestyle and possessions than a call centre operator. They will be able to identify all the areas of potential risk in your life or business and advise on fit for purpose solutions.Often, when individuals piece together various insurances themselves (business, motor, life, house, contents etc.) they don’t know what they don’t know, so they don’tconsider all the issues that should inform their decisions. A broker can expertly guide you through insurance policy details.Another advantage of using a broker is that should you need to make a claim, you will have someone who knows the industry inside out on your side. If claims are disputed,your broker is your advocate to the insurance companies.This can take an enormous amount of stress out of the claims process as sometimes if you have different insurances with different companies they will each try to make theother responsible for the claim, and you, the client, become caught in the middle.So next time your insurance is up for renewal, think about talking to a broker to see if their services can make being insured as painless as possible. At C&R insurance we make it easy for our clients.

Last week the reserve bank raised interest rates by another half a percent and signalled more increases to come. You may be wondering what impact the higher interest rates, coupled with inflation and rising living costs, will have on the local property market.It will definitely be harder for the average person looking to enter the property market. Higher mortgage rates won’t stop people from borrowing, but they will cut acertain percentage of buyers out of the market.As rates bite, the overcommitted are likely to avoid new builds and perhaps sell off sections. Tightly stretched mortgage holders may need to reduce spending, cutting luxuries like dining out.Here in Central Otago, though, the impact is not likely to be as bad in other parts of NZ. Here’s why:Compared to other centres, we are affordable, and we are certainly the most affordable in the Central Lakes region.Young people are prepared to move out of expensive places to buy their first house. Alternatively, they may invest for the future here while renting near their workplace.The government raised the cap for the First Home Grant in May’s budget and removed it for First Home Loans.As our borders open up, more Kiwis and overseas buyers will return, as NZ is seen as being a safe distance from global trouble spots.There’s a trend towards people choosing lifestyle over the convenience of city amenities. With increased opportunity to work from home, more people canescape urban areas.The increasing cost of building, coupled with the shortage of materials, will drive people to choose existing housing.You may need to tighten your belt as we face economic headwinds, but economist Tony Alexander advises borrowers to fix mortgages for two years at the longest,predicting rates are likely to fall by the first half of 2024.High interest rates are never good news for mortgage holders, but locally we should have a softer landing than other regions. I’m confident Central’s property market will remain relatively buoyant.

You’d have had to be living under a rock the last few weeks to not have noticed Simon Henry’s disparaging comments about Nadia Lim in the media.The comments themselves, the outraged response to them, followed by a weak apology and real economic consequences for Henry’s firm DGL as a number ofclients abandoned ship, all point to the importance of corporate culture and values aligning.Culture is inexorably linked to your company values and the behaviours you want your staff to exhibit.According to DGL’s website, their values emphasise respect – for their partners, the quality of their staff, ethical practice, and – ironically – “the rich social and culturaldiversity of our communities.”That’s why Henry’s comments, coming directly as they did from the chief executive, where so shocking.Devoid of substance, they dismissed everything that Nadia has achieved in her professional career to focus on how she looks, and suggested her company has tradedoff her appearance. This shows a total lack of respect.If Simon Henry really believed in his company values, his comments would not have made the light of day.From an HR perspective, his remarks raise a red flag for the likelihood of a toxic internal culture.If you tolerate behaviour that is not in line with your company values, you create a toxic culture, which in turn leads to reduced productivity.Poor company culture also drives resignations. Staff rate a company’s culture as one of the key issues in terms of attrition. It is often more important than pay andwork/life balance when people are deciding whether to stay or leave.With such a competitive labour market in Central Otago, local companies can’t afford to not adhere to their values and create a positive culture.So, take heed of the media storm that Henry stirred up and think about checking that your businesses values and actions align.Your company values should become empowering decision-making tools that promote your brand, and leadership needs to come from the top.Embracing your values leads to conscious thoughtfulness, greater diversity, inclusion, and respect.The outcome is greater productivity and better staff retention, a win for any organisation.

Ever wondered what would happen if you incorrectly filled in an insurance application?Across the insurance industry 1-2% of claims are declined due to non-disclosure, but about 10% of complaints arise from this issue.Non-disclosure is where information that could impact a decision to provide cover is not given.Sometimes this could be a genuine mistake or a misunderstanding.In other cases, it could be someone deliberately leaving out something important.An example is the question “Have you ever had a previous insurance claim declined?”Even when arranging contents insurance, the fact that you have had a vehicle claim declined, for drink driving say, is relevant.A person who mistakenly withheld information about being declined for car insurance ended up almost losing their house. One failure to disclose snowballed as all theirinsurances were cancelled and insurance companies subsequently refused to accept them as a client.Fortunately, we were able to help them navigate the system and become reinsured, but not without a lot of stress and extra expense for the person.If you are not sure if something is relevant or important, disclose it and provide an explanation if needed. Most youthful mistakes are not held against you forever.Tips for consumers:1. Answer all of the questions on the insurance application, even if you don’t think they are relevant.2. Contact your insurer if you forgot to include something on the application.3. If someone else fills in the insurance application, you must read through it carefully before signing it.4. When you renew house, contents or vehicle insurance, tell the insurer about any events (convictions, speeding, accidents, losses, etc.) that have happenedsince the last renewal.5. If you can’t remember your full medical history, ask your doctor for a copy of your medical notes, and double-check the insurance application.6. Make sure you keep a record of your interactions with insurers. Don’t rely on verbal agreements.If you fail to disclose, you run the risk of never being insurable again, so if in doubt, leave it in. Don’t guess!

As the property market gets tighter and there’s more competition between sellers, presentation of your property becomes more important than ever.The best way to get your home ready for sale is to plan well in advance. Start by ordering a LIM report/council files. Check that everything on your property is compliant with council regulations and if it’s not, get it fixed. Otherwise, you’ll put prospective buyers off.Next, consider your home’s street appeal. First impressions matter, so keep your lawn and verge lush, trim any overgrown greenery and tidy up whatever is looking tired. It can be well worth hiring a professional gardener to enhance your curb appeal.Prepare for photographs, and increasingly video and drone footage, to be taken of your home. This could include:Touching up paint (if repainting, stick to neutral colours)Repairing defects like broken windows, door handles and blindsDecluttering surfaces, especially in the kitchenRemoving personal items like family photos from viewAdding more pot plantsFreshening up cushions and throwsUpdating bed covers and pillowslipsReplacing tatty carpets and worn floor coveringsImproving light fittingsCleaning windows, inside and outPutting toys, books etc. into storageAdding clean folded towels to the bathroom (and removing toothbrushes and other toiletries)Once your photos have enticed a buyer to come for a viewing, you need to do some additional preparation.Think about enhancing lighting. Increase the wattage of bulbs in darker areas and remove net curtains (unless modern and in fantastic condition) to allow for morenatural light.Make sure the house is heated well in advance of a viewing. A relaxed, warm buyer will linger.Consider brewing coffee or having baking smells wafting through your home.If your house is empty, think about investing in professional staging as it is much likelier to appeal when it is furnished beautifully.In a competitive market, and that’s where Central Otago is heading as more houses are offered and take longer to sell, a better presented home will always win over apoorly presented home.

To present a great CV, put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager. This person has an immediate staffing problem, is usually very busy and is under pressure to fill the vacancy.You, the prospective candidate, want to make it easy for them to solve their problem by hiring you!Follow these tips to get your CV – your personal brochure – to the top of the pile.1. Keep your CV short – We live in a time-poor world so make your CV easy to read. Avoid distracting graphics and meaningless statements.2. Contact details – Make it simple to find your contact details. Place them at the top of the page in clear, uncomplicated text.3. Introduce yourself – Give a brief statement explaining what you’ve been doing, what you want to do, and why you think you’d be a benefit to the company. A cover letter can go into more detail, but include a short summary in the CV itself.4. Identify your Key Skills – Do this on the front of the CV to keep the prospective hiring manager reading! You need to make it obvious you have the skills they need and are the person who is likely to solve their problem.5. Provide examples – demonstrate your key skills, making them relevant to the business.Sales positionKey skill = Proven track record in salesExample = Highest grossing sales member for 2022An example of a key skill at the beginning of your career could beKey skill = LeadershipExample = Captain of the interschool debate team6. List your technical skills and qualifications – Make it easy to assess your ability and training to do the job. Outline your past work experience, including the names of past organisations, your positions, and how long you worked there.Your CV should provide the hiring manager with enough information to assess if you have the skills for the job yet leave them with enough questions that they feel theyneed to invite you to an interview.So dust off your CV now, and if you would like further guidance get in touch with us.

From 1 October 2022, the Earthquake Commission (EQC) will double cover for damage caused to dwellings by natural disasters. Private insurance will cover the gap between the EQC portion and the value of the dwelling. The government’s intention is to try to lower premiums for many.What does this mean for you?Since the Canterbury earthquakes, insurers have focused on risk-based pricing for house and commercial insurance.Broadly speaking, if you are in a higher risk area, your premium will usually be higher. Some parts of the country, like Hawkes Bay and Wellington, have seen significant premium increases.But Central Otago is a benign environment in relation to natural hazards covered by EQC.We don’t have any hydrothermal fields or volcanoes, and the coast is about as far away as is possible in NZ. Earthquakes and landslips are our main concern.Insurers can charge less based on our location’s low risk. EQC cover, however, is charged at the same price across New Zealand, so someone with a house on a cliff-face in Wellington pays the same levy as an Alexandra resident living on the flat on Earnscleugh Road.Unfortunately, when everyone pays the same rate, some are disadvantaged.The coming change may actually increase total policy costs for Central Otago homeowners as the EQC levy portion rises and the insurer premium reduces at a lower rate than in other areas.This new formula will be applied to home policies renewed after October this year, and insurers may react differently to the changes.Therefore, it’s a great time to review your policies. If you need help C&R Insurance will review for you with no obligation.Financial and coverage benefits that might come from changing your insurance company or your policy. For example, you might consider paying a higher excess (the amount that you pay in the event of a loss) to obtain a lower annual premium.Being locals, we can make personal visits to your home, which means we are able to look around and ask relevant questions about additions like gazebos, sheds and outdoor kitchens to make sure you are covered correctly.Contact us C&R Insurance for more details or to answer any questions you may have.Steve MacManus - Broker C&R InsuranceAuthorSteve has over 30 years of Finance & Insurance experience. His experience and technical knowledge of the Insurance industry has proven to be a major benefit toclients and the company in the past. Steve joined C&R Insurance two and a half years ago, after 13 years working for a corporate broking house where he dealt with large complex corporate accounts. Steve’s abundance of industry knowledge and dedication to achieve positive outcomes for clients is what gives him an advantage when dealing with clients and complicated risks. Outside of the office Steve was an active part of the Scouts NZ national scout team, He now coaches and competes nationally in Cowboy Action Shooting events and when he isn’t busy gardening, he is out enjoying the outdoors.

Ever jumped online to check out how much your house is worth? Or, how much the house you are looking at buying is likely to go for? You’re not alone!Property websites like propertyvalue.co.nz, homes.co.nz, and oneroof.co.nz have made buyers and sellers more educated than ever before.But, how accurate are the valuations they provide?Such websites use historical sales statistics to generate their estimated value of a property, focusing on the percentage of sales above capital valuation.Real estate agents themselves often use the websites to gather data on sales over the last three months.So, they are certainly useful in giving a broad brushstroke of likely value. However, there’s a lot of information not taken into account in website estimates.That’s why the expertise of a local agent is so important.A real estate agent has on-the-ground knowledge about comparable properties in the market. They can evaluate how a house rates alongside others that have sold, and are currently for sale, to give a more accurate idea of value.A good local agent also knows what’s going on in town. They’ll consider which suburbs are doing well, how handy a property is to amenities, and even how the houseis positioned for the sun.In Central Otago, it’s also essential to understand that values vary from town to town.A house in Cromwell would be valued differently if it were situated in Clyde, Alexandra, or Omakau.Remember, too, property website valuations are made sight unseen. Major improvements, particularly those that don’t require council consents listed on the title,aren’t taken into account. Freshly decorated homes, or homes with updated kitchens and bathrooms, will have both greater saleability and greater value.By all means continue to check out property values online. But, don’t become the seller who over- or under- inflates their value, or the buyer who is put off by thesuggested valuation range.Instead, make your valuation more accurate by asking an agent for a market appraisal – the no obligation, free service provided by the real estate profession.Get in touch if you would like to know how much your property is worth.

Employee welfare needs to be top of mind for local employers as ‘The Great Resignation’ is here in New Zealand. Recent research* shows that two in five New Zealand employees (43 percent) plan to actively search for a new job this year. Fifteen percent plan to quit without having another job lined up.  The research also found that 31 percent of people plan to quit their jobs as soon as they secure a new job.  To contend with this trend of people looking elsewhere for employment there are four question employers need to consider:  Do you understand what employees are seeking from their employers? Have you asked this question? Is it higher pay, fewer hours, four-day weeks, or different benefits? It’s time we as employers stop assuming and actually ask our team what they’re after. Are you prepared to be a leader for employers in this space? The first businesses to put employee welfare on a par with profits, will benefit from the early adoption of this policy to become an employer of choice. How do you keep great employees, nurture new graduates, and improve your hiring practices? Developing structured processes for business as usual activities and combining professional development for employees will help you to keep employees. Are you taking your team with you? Give your employees a strategic understanding of your business so they understand their role. That way, you can ensure consistent business messages, the services and/or products you provide and, employees can quickly understand if they’re really the staff for you or, whether they should be working elsewhere! By running regular structured meetings, employers will also get a valuable heads up around staff attrition that will enable them to plan ahead. Clear open communication can put small issues to rest before they become big issues, so that’s another way to ensure you keep your talent working with your business.  *ELMO Employee Sentiment Index – New Zealand (Period: Oct -Dec 21) is a nationwide poll commissioned by ELMO software and carried out by independent research firm Lonergan Research. This is a quarterly index asks more than 500 New Zealand workers about their attitudes, actions and concerns in the workplace in the past three months, in addition to their plans for the future.

Cancer is becoming rife in our communities and when combined with the waiting time for scans and treatment, exacerbated by underfunding and skill shortages, health insurance is more a necessity than a luxury.   It’s been reported that Kiwis have the worst access to funded modern medicines of the 20 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.  Between 2011-2018, we spent less than eight other OECD countries with similar public health systems and procurement methods. Only 5.2 percent of our health budget goes towards funding medicines, less than half that of the United Kingdom, which had the next lowest spend at 11.9 percent. The funding shortfall has meant only 34 medicines have been publicly funded in NZ between 2011 and 2020. An example is Tafinlar, a melanoma drug that costs about $132,000 a year. An application for this drug to PHARMAC was made in 2015, with no progress having been made since 2017. It's concerning to think about the emotional and financial stress that could have been lessened if this drug was able to be accessed by people earlier. C & R Insurance has policies that can assist people to get cover for treatment and drugs that are not government funded. You might be surprised at how little it costs to add cover for cancer, or non-pharmac funded medicines. A typical healthy male in their mid 40s, non-smoker to add Non-Pharmac $200,000/year to their current policy is only $12 per month. And for a healthy female in their mid 40s, non-smoker to add to their current policy $14 per month.  That’s about the same as two coffees at your favourite café. Hospital plans range depending on your cover and excesses and health conditions. Here are some indicative premiums* based on the insured being a healthy non-smoker. Mid 20s - $65/monthMid 30s - $73/monthMid 40s - $98/monthMid 50s - $179/monthMid 60s - $350/month Talk to your broker today to ensure you’ve got the right sort of health insurance for you and your family sooner rather than later.   *Terms and conditions apply and premiums are derived from assumptions and is for the purpose of giving indications

The current residential market remains positive with new buyers coming into the area weekly.Generally, quality properties in Central Otago are still attracting multi-offers, while some properties at the lower end have been less attractive as first home buyers and investors are few and far between. So far the downturn predicted is proving to be the opposite for Central Otago. However, this may change over the coming months depending on the housing supply and demand and rising interest rates. Central Otago is least likely to be affected as many buyers are now choosing Central and Lakes areas as their destination to work from.  Buyers are staking out the greater Central Otago area, canvassing Cromwell, Omakau, Alexandra, Wanaka and Queenstown, more than ever before. People used to just look in one town if they were planning on moving. Covid-19 has had a large influence on this drift south as employees and entreprenuers relocate away from densely populated main centres. The lifestyle areas of New Zealand have so much to offer – and we’re seeing people want to return to the simple life of yesteryear. This trend will impact positively over coming months. Buyers see that there is good value for money in Central and are more than happy to travel an hour or so, ‘driving through paradise’ for their commute or to get to Queenstown Airport.  Our bike trails are also opening up this area to the rest of the world, events like The Prospector, Crankworx and also the Lake Dunstan trail showcasing the playground that is Central Otago and the lakes.I look forward to continuing to bring you regular information and updates about the market and property related topics in coming months. Meet Peter Hishon, Business Owner Tall Poppy Real EstatePeter started in real estate in 2014 and joined Tall Poppy as a franchise owner in 2018. Along with supporting his team of salespeople he has had great success across Central Otago. With a background in sales and negotiation working as a stock agent it was an easy transition to helping clients buy and sell property. Peter placed second in the Tall Poppy annual national sales awards in 2019 and 2020. His agency was also the best medium sized agency nationwide for Tall Poppy in 2021. He was rated as agent of the year for Alexandra and Clyde both in 2020 and 2021.

More than ever we’re all under increased pressure in our workplaces – it might be due to Omicron’s impact on our teams, or the labour shortage making it hard to recruit and retain people, or there simply not being enough hours in the day.It’s imperative that business leaders communicate effectively with their teams and embrace their business values in stressful times.If you pride yourself on having family values in your business, then make sure you uphold these when it really matters.That means supporting employees to look after children who are unwell or letting them take time off to ferry elderly relatives to appointments.If one of your values is being results driven, make sure your processes measure results, and staff need to understand how their role and performance directly impacts results.Another core business value is open communication – do your existing communications techniques reach your staff in the ways you want it to? Do you need to consider new communications methods?Why not consider putting your health and safety information, or your welcome presentation into a video format to make it fun and engaging. This is going to appeal to younger employees are used to digestible video content thanks to tik tok, snapchat and Facebook.With all the technology that can support us to communicate now, why not have your next video call on a sunny trail around Central and take a walking meeting to recharge.Having clear business values and employing staff who are aligned with these values will help set you up for success.Meet Cherilyn Walthew, Director and HR Business Partner EASI NZ2021 was the 25-year anniversary for Cherilyn in the Human Resources sector which has crossed over many industries. Having started as a specialist IT recruiter, Cherilyn’s career has moved from sales and servicing to relationship management and strategic planning. She returned to NZ in 2010 after spending 17 years living and working in the UK and Ireland. Outside of work the Wanaka local lives on a 8 acre property near Hawea. Together with her husband they make pickles and jams under the brand Pirate Pickles.

For many people your insurance can be ‘set and forget’ purchase, but in times like these with building costs escalating and rebuild timelines increasing you need to review your home and commercial building insurance regularly.Your sum insured is how much your house or building is ensured for. Having the right level of cover provides confidence that you will be able to rebuild or repair your home or building and secure your family or business future but it also ensures that you’re only paying for cover you actually need.Our advice is that you check your sum insured every years. Right no w as building labour is scarce and building materials are going up in price we’re encouraging our clients to make sure their sum insured are at the right value.The role of a broker is to add value to your decision making – we can ensure you remember to factor additional things in that you might miss.For example when setting your sum insured have you thought about accounting for any extra professional fees you might incur if you do have to rebuild your home such as an architect or designer?What about extra costs to clear the site or demolish your home if it is partially damaged by a fire? This is usually in the realm of another $30-50k.There are different ways you can insure your home, either up to the sum insured value or replacement sqm. It’s important to understand the difference. There is a great online tool that is easy to use for homes. The Cordell Calculator is an independent tool that uses information from a variety of third party sources and typical rebuild costs for homes with similar materials and features. All you need to do is enter your address and check the information is complete and accurately describes your home. For commercial buildings insurers are likely to request an insurance valuation every 2-3 years. There is a range of valuers in the region and we are happy to share their details with you.We look forward to sharing more tips and case studies to demystify insurance for Central App readers in our columns. Dewald de Beer, C & R Insurance. PHOTO: SuppliedMeet Dewald de BeerDewald has over 20 years’ experience in business and sales management. Together with his family he made Alexandra home in January 2017. He joined the team at C & R Insurance in June 2019. His passion for business, serving the community and being part of positive change is core to his values and commitment towards the region and its people. He enjoys spending time with his family, golf, tennis, lawn bowls and making music. C & R Insurance is a locally owned and operated company. They live and work in the same communities as their customers, and are on a first-name basis with them.