Recommended reports

Land Information Memorandum (Council LIM reports)

When purchasing a property it is common practice to purchase a LIM report from your local council. Each council will charge for a LIM Report. The charge will vary depending on the council so contact them direct for up to date pricing. In some cases, the salesperson will have a LIM available for you.

A LIM provides information on special land features or characteristics (e.g. erosion, hazardous substances), storm water and sewerage, rates owing on the land, title, future plans about the area (e.g. zoning, building heights), builders' certificates issued, use to which the land may be put and any other information the local council considers to be important.

It can take up to 10 working days to obtain a LIM report when the council is busy, so you may need to factor this in. You may be able to request an urgent LIM. These are only available from certain councils.

Titles

Property titles contain an up-to-date picture of the legal ownership of land in New Zealand. They show a property's proprietors, the legal description and the rights and restrictions registered against the title, such as mortgage or covenant. In many cases, salespeople will have the title available for you.

Valuations

A valuation report on a property is recommended as the CV (Council valuation) is for rating purposes and may not provide a true market price for the property. These can be commissioned from independent registered valuers or from Quotable Value New Zealand.

Builders and engineers' reports

Registered builders and engineers can give a report on a property which helps you understand the structural and building condition of the house.

Geotech/engineers' reports

You may want to purchase one of these reports for certain types of properties, for example a property on a cliff top section or one where you suspect the land is unstable.

For a list of qualified builders and engineers, contact your local master builders association, the building research association, your local authority or Engineering NZ.