Sell Your Home At A $250k Loss Or Stay Miserable?

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 [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail]) and you might feature on our next episode! Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe 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