Canterbury Property Market Update – December 2025
Christmas is just around the corner, and while the warmer months have seen a slight uptick in property sales and prices, for the most part, the market remains stable. Low interest rates and increasing economic confidence are good news for those looking to buy in 2026.
Who’s in the market right now?
First-home buyers and owner occupiers remain the most active across the Canterbury region, with Ashburton seeing particularly strong investor interest.
Most vendors continue to meet the market, with only a few choosing to price above it and hold out for a higher sale price.
Open home attendance remains steady, with the strongest interest typically seen in new listings. However, this interest often tapers off once a property has been on the market for a while. Auction rooms also remain steady, with solid clearance rates continuing.
Canterbury sales statistics
The median house price in the Canterbury region for November sits at $720,000. This is up 2% (from $706,000) in October and up 3% (from $699,999) compared with November 2024.
In Christchurch City, the median house price has increased to $730,000 - up 3.4% (from $706,000) in October and up 5.8% (from $690,000) compared with November 2024.
Below are the median house prices for each district in November 2025 compared with November 2024. It’s important to remember that due to low turnover in some regions, data may be limited or skewed depending on the properties sold.
Ashburton District – median house price sits at $550,000, down 4.3% on this time last year.
Hurunui District – median house price sits at $623,000, up 4% on this time last year.
Kaikōura District – median house price sits at $702,000, down 13.9% on this time last year.
Mackenzie District – median house price sits at $900,000, up 5.9% on this time last year.
Selwyn District – median house price sits at $790,000, showing no change on this time last year.
Timaru District – median house price sits at $510,000, down 1% on this time last year.
Waimakariri District – median house price sits at $725,000, up 2.1% on this time last year.
Waimate District – median house price sits at $549,000, up 31.5% on this time last year.
Regional sales info
Across the Canterbury region, a total of 1,248 properties were sold in November. This is slightly down on October, when 1,369 homes were sold, and on par with November 2024, which recorded 1,267 sales. This drop from October may be partly due to the upcoming holiday period, with some vendors (particularly in smaller regions) choosing to wait until after the break to list their homes.
Of these sales, 851 were in Christchurch City, which is consistent with both October (845 sales) and November last year (843 sales).
The average Canterbury property took 37 days to sell in November, which is three days quicker than September and exactly the same as November last year.
Overall, the market has remained steady for some time now. While we’re seeing small price movements in certain regions, overall price growth has been minimal, and sales volumes are reflecting this stability.
For those looking to sell, it’s important to price well, meet the market, and run a strong sales campaign in the first few weeks.
For buyers, this really is your time. There’s plenty of choice and very little urgency. The market outlook is becoming increasingly positive, and growing confidence can often have a flow-on effect in terms of pricing and the pace of sales. While it’s unlikely the market will move quickly, it’s something to keep in mind if you’re considering buying in the coming year.
Despite the lack of urgency, we still recommend that buyers have a pre-approval in place and a clear plan around their finances. This ensures you don’t miss out and know exactly what you can buy. Get in touch with our Christchurch mortgage advisers if you’d like to become pre-approved.
Source: REINZ