It might be tough going for first home buyers, but investors aren't the only ones reaping the rewards of the country's booming housing market.
The local timber trade is also benefiting from strong demand arising from more houses being built.
Around half of all logs harvested in New Zealand go to the domestic market, with most of the supply going to the building industry, furniture makers and paper mills.
Reece Brick, a forestry analyst from AgriHQ told RNZ on Wednesday that having strong and stable prices in New Zealand would be giving the sector much comfort.
"Definitely timber demand is being supported by this booming house market we have," he said.
"Earlier in the year no one was really too sure how COVID would impact it, in terms of house prices and the demand for new houses, but it's going strong at this stage."
The strong domestic market comes after a turbulent time for log exports in the wake of COVID-19.
Although exporters struggled directly after the outbreak of coronavirus prices have now lifted above year-ago levels, driven largely by demand from China.
Brick said in recent months prices have been on a steady rise, despite competition from other exporting nations.
"We're nowhere near the heights we were 18 months, three years ago, during that period, but it's definitely come up and it seems to be moving along nice and smoothly," he told RNZ.
