Buying a home

Understanding your budget

Creating a budget will help you understand the type, size and location of the new home you can afford, set savings goals, understand your living expenses and give you an idea of how much you need to borrow. You’ll need to know:

• Your household income and living expenses
• How much you can contribute to the deposit
• What home loan repayments you can afford

Kāinga Ora will confirm exactly how much we will contribute towards purchasing a home with you once you have received and shared your pre-approved home loan from a participating bank with us.

Homes eligible for First Home Partner

Homes eligible for First Home Partner must be:

• a ‘brand new’ build - this means the home is a new build that has not been previously occupied (other than by the developer or builder), and has received a Code Compliance Certificate within the previous 12 months; or

• purchased 'off the plan' - this means that you are purchasing a new home before construction is complete. The house and land must be purchased together on a single Sale and Purchase Agreement. First Home Partner does not support scheduler payments or construction loans

• habitable from the date of settlement or from the relevant completion date once the Code Compliance Certificate/title has been issued

• assessed in accordance with the bank’s own credit standards

You must also be buying the home for you to live in and commit to living there as your primary place of residence for at least three years from your settlement date. If your personal circumstances change that require you to move or sell your home within this three-year period, then you will need to discuss this with Kāinga Ora.

As part of your application, we will assess your circumstances and areas you are interested in buying, and provide guidance to help you find a suitable home for the needs of your household. Once you have identified an eligible property that you can afford, you will need to contact us to confirm the property satisfies the conditions outlined in your Commitment Agreement and begin the process of co-purchasing the home.

Buying a home

If the home you are interested in purchasing satisfies the conditions in your Commitment Agreement, we will provide you with an Approval Letter for you to give to your chosen participating bank, and a Shared Ownership Agreement that governs the relationship with Kāinga Ora for the period of shared ownership.

You will also be provided with a Sale and Purchase Agreement by the seller of the home.

Approval Letter

The Approval Letter confirms that the home you are interested in purchasing satisfies the conditions of co-ownership with Kāinga Ora set out in your Commitment Agreement, and the final equity amount that we will contribute towards purchasing the home with you. Your chosen bank will request this as part of finalizing your home loan.

Shared Ownership Agreement

The Shared Ownership Agreement is an agreement between you and Kāinga Ora, and is a mandatory part of purchasing a home with First Home Partner. It outlines the details of how we will share ownership of the home and includes:

• the rights and responsibilities of both you, as the majority homeowner, and Kāinga Ora as a tenant in common co-owner
• your obligation to do your best to buy the share in the home owned by Kāinga Ora within 15 years of your settlement date
• your responsibilities to upkeep and maintain the home
• requirements to seek prior approval from Kāinga Ora for any improvements or renovations to the home
• the process for obtaining valuations, selling the property, and responsibility for any costs incurred
• when the agreement and relationship with Kāinga Ora will end.

Sale and Purchase Agreement

A Sale and Purchase Agreement is a contract between the buyer and seller of a home. It outlines what will happen, and when, and sets out all the agreed terms and conditions of purchase. You will need to provide copy of your unsigned Sale and Purchase Agreement with Kāinga Ora clauses included (Requirement for Sale Purchase Agreement – Checklist) as part of the Commitment Agreement. Along with a copy of the specifications and plans for the property or Code of Compliance Certificate, if newly built.  Kāinga Ora will assess the property and sign the Sale and Purchase Agreement as co-purchaser and return these to your Solicitor.

You will need to provide copies of these signed documents back to us at least 10 working days before your date of settlement. If we do not receive the signed documents within this timeframe, it may result in our share of equity being delayed and not paid out in time for settlement.

Contact us

If you have questions about buying a home, get in touch with your Kāinga Ora Relationship Manager, or you can:

• Phone us on 0508 935 266
• Email us at firsthome.enquiries@kaingaora.govt.nz