The importance Nelson and Tasman residents place on various aspects of homes and locations have been discovered in the results of a regional housing preference survey.

It is important we understand these factors so we can zone land and shape our planning rules to better enable the types of homes people want to live in. Tasman District and Nelson City Councils procured the survey from Market Economics and Research First in May 2021.

The survey canvassed 600 residents with at least 80 percent from within the urban environment of Nelson, Hira, Richmond, Brightwater, Wakefield, Motueka and Māpua. These responses are then tied to demographic characteristics to understand how people choose their homes and locations where prices played no part in choices. Respondents' financial constraints were also considered.

The survey gains a detailed understanding of factors important in choosing types of housing in an unconstrained manner as well as in a situation where they must make trade-offs. Those survey respondents that could not afford to purchase a house in the Nelson Tasman urban environment were asked about preferences for renting. The location was ranked as most important by 46 percent of rental respondents – almost twice as high as the next category (house type). Least important in their choice is the dwelling’s value. The findings indicate that some of the urban demand may be driven to more rural areas of Tasman or even back into residential parts of Nelson, given they are constrained in terms of their first choices by affordability issues.

The highest-rated features for Tasman were the proximity to a GP/healthcare provider and the coast or beach. Local environment features had some of the highest regarded features. Also, 78 percent consider that being safe from crime is very important, while 64 percent chose to be away from industrial areas and 62 percent safe from natural hazards.