What do you do when you’re stuck between two bad options?

Sell a home you bought near the peak of the market, even though it’s now worth hundreds of thousands less, or stay put in a house that no longer fits your life?

That’s the dilemma facing this week’s listener. They bought in late 2020, welcomed kids, watched their house value fall by around $250,000, and now feel trapped: too much mortgage pressure, not enough flexibility, and no clear “right” move.

Vanessa Williams from realestate.co.nz is in the expert hot seat, to tell us about the shocking number of New Zealanders in this situation, and what they can do about it.

We talk about:

What selling in a down housing market really means for your money
Whether holding on longer could help, or just prolong the stress
How life changes (kids, cashflow, burnout) should factor into property decisions
Why feeling “stuck” is common, and how a clear plan can restore control

If you’re weighing up sell or stay, worried about selling your house at a loss, or feeling trapped by a house that no longer works for your family or finances, this episode has the tactics you need to be thinking about.

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz (mailto:ask@francescook.co.nz) and you might feature on our next episode!

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #NZProperty #WellingtonRealEstate #NZHousingMarket #HousePrices #NegativeEquity #LowEquity #SellOrStay #propertyadvice

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:12 Listener letter: bought at the peak, now stuck
00:03:43 How common is this situation?
00:07:47 First steps: get a realistic valuation
00:08:33 Talk to a mortgage advisor or financial advisor
00:09:15 Could you wait it out? Considering 2026
00:09:57 Creative options: students, Airbnb, and short-term solutions
00:11:49 What if you've lost your deposit?
00:13:33 The power of having a plan
00:15:05 Outro

"Our house value dropped $250k - should we sell anyway?" Mailbag episode