5 Things to Check Before Buying a Property in New Zealand

Before spending $375+ on a council LIM, here are five checks every NZ property buyer should do first. Most of these are free or very cheap, and they can save you time and money.

1. LINZ Title Search

The Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) title search tells you:

A title search costs around $3 from LINZ directly, or your solicitor can obtain it. Always check the title before making an offer — covenants can significantly restrict what you can do with the land.

2. SiteIntel Instant Report

SiteIntel gives you an instant snapshot of the property's risk profile using public data:

At $39 NZD, this is a fraction of the cost of a LIM and gives you the information you need to decide whether to proceed to a full LIM.

3. Council GIS Public Maps

Most NZ councils publish their GIS maps publicly. For Hamilton, visit the Hamilton City Council maps portal to check:

These are free but require some GIS knowledge to interpret. SiteIntel does this for you automatically.

4. Google Street View and Satellite History

Use Google Maps to:

This is free and takes 5 minutes.

5. Building Consents on the Council Website

Some councils allow you to search their consents database by address for free. In Hamilton, you can request a property file search. This tells you what building consents have been issued — and sometimes what hasn't been consented.

When Should You Get a LIM?

After these five checks, if the property looks promising:

Then get an official LIM. It's the only document that includes council-internal records like outstanding notices, unconsented work, and requisitions — information that no public data source can provide.