3. Searching
Discover everything you need to know about house hunting and get tools to find the home that’s right for you.
In this step, we’ll show you what to check for when you visit an open home and help you get ready to make an offer.
It’s time to get searching for your new home!
Bring your needs into focus and narrow your search within your budget by working through questions like:
- how many bedrooms, bathrooms and parking spaces will you need?
- how important are things like a garden, garage or other property features?
- how close do you need to be to things like work, public transport, shops, parks, healthcare or other amenities?
- what are your accessibility needs, both at home and for getting around your community?
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do you or your whānau have any other health conditions that may affect what you need in a home?
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are you looking to buy an existing home, or do you have the option to buy land or build on whenua Māori?
You can use the Finding the right home [PDF, 149 KB] template to make a note of these key features.
House-hunting tools
For Kāinga Ora large-scale development projects:
Kāinga Ora is currently leading the delivery of six large-scale development projects in Auckland and one in Te Kauwhata, Waikato. You can find more information on the homes available for sale in all these developments by visiting the websites below or by visiting our Information Centres.
Hobsonville Point(external link)
Corner of Launch Road and Bomb Point Drive, gravel carpark, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am - 4pm.
Northcote Development(external link)
Northcote Town Centre carpark, Thursday to Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Roskill Development(external link)
Roskill South Info Cube – 142 May Road, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Ōwairaka Info Cube – 80 Hendon Ave, Thursday and Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Oranga Development(external link)
34 Oranga Ave, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Mangere Development(external link)
12 Waddon Place, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Lakeside Development(external link)
Lakeside Village Centre, corner of Scott Road and Rimu Street, Thursday to Sunday, 10am - 4pm
For property listings of all types:
For property value estimates and facts about any home, its location and sales history:
When you’re searching for a home, you’ll notice different types of land ownership. Your solicitor or conveyancer can give you advice about the differences and what they could mean for you.
New Zealand has five main types of land ownership:
- Fee simple or freehold - You own and have unrestricted use of the land and anything built on it, unless there are registered or unregistered interests that restrict use of the property.
- Leasehold - Where someone else owns the land and leases the right to use it (to live or build on it) for a specific amount of time.
- Stratum estate or unit title - This is a common type of ownership for apartments or buildings with multiple owners. You own your specific unit and accessories while common areas are owned collectively (such as foyers, lifts, gardens and laundry rooms).
- Cross-lease - A combination of fee simple and leasehold. Under a cross-lease agreement, you own:
- a share of the freehold title along with any other cross-leaseholders
- a leaseholder interest in the specific area and home you live in.
- A cross-lease agreement outlines the rights and obligations of each individual owner.
- Māori land - Māori land subject to Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993, which can be held on trust by a Māori incorporation or by an individual owner or group of owners.
Buying off the plans?
This is when you agree to buy a home before construction has finished. You’ll see what the final home will look like from architectural plans or blueprints and will review a full list of specifications and inclusions before signing a sale and purchase agreement.
Open homes are a great way to see if a property and the neighbourhood are a good fit for you. Download our open home checklist [PDF, 35 KB], with key things you need to look out for and our house comparison chart [PDF, 37 KB] to keep track of the properties you visit.
You’re getting good at spotting every detail at the open homes you visit, but now it’s time to turn to the professionals:
- Building inspector - They can thoroughly inspect a home you are seriously interested in and provide an official report on its physical condition. They can pinpoint notable defects and potential maintenance issues, including urgent ones, and check for structural issues or any indications of the property being prone to leaks. A building inspector’s report may also be a condition of your home loan and/or sale and purchase agreement.
You can find a list of building inspectors in your area at boinz.org.nz(external link).
Here are some useful website links to assist you with the “Searching” step.
- Checklist – Searching [PDF, 155 KB]
- Finding the right home [PDF, 149 KB]
- Checklist – Visiting an open home [PDF, 35 KB]
- House comparison chart [PDF, 37 KB]
- Types of homes
- Find a building inspector(external link)
- Te Kooti Whenua Māori(external link) - For legal services and support related to whenua Māori
- Te Matapihi(external link) - For Papakāinga Housing Toolkit
House hunting tools:
- Hobsonville Point(external link)
- Northcote Development(external link)
- Roskill Development(external link)
- Oranga Development(external link)
- Mangere Development(external link)
- Lakeside Development(external link)
- OneRoof(external link)
- realestate.co.nz(external link)
- Trade Me(external link)
- homes.co.nz(external link)
- QV(external link)
- Your local council(external link)
Page updated: 15 July 2026