Flats being snapped up

Press, 17 January 1979, Page 4

Flats being snapped up

Rental accommodation in] Christchurch is being: snapped up and might soon] be scarce. According to a spokes- ! woman for a real estate: firm, little property will be! available, to rent by the end! of February. However, she! does not think that Christ-) church has a shortage of rental accommodation. “It only just balances out,” she said. Tidy, self-contained houses) in desirable areas were in! greatest demand, said Mr E.) V. Jolliffe, whose firm spe-l cialises in providing rental) accommodation. Many of these homes, which fetched about S4O a week on average, were let to families on transfer. Well kept homes attracted a ready demand, but there was no general shortage of flats and houses.

I Rents for houses had re-1 imained stable or increased! ) slightly. However, they had! I dropped for properties which! !had fallen into disrepair and, ) where the landlords were: ! loath to spend money on imjprovements, said Mr Jolliffe. ■Old, shabby flats often reSmained unoccupied because! (better alternatives were] ’[available. Mr Jolliffe expects that I students will rent much of I the remaining furnished accommodation when they gather in Christchurch for the [new academic year. I Real estate firms say that ! in spite of spiralling emigration figues, the number of people trying to sell their homes in Christchurch before leaving has not changed noticeably. On the other hand, real • estate sales generally have ’improved compared with ! last year’s.