If you’ve been contributing to your KiwiSaver over the last 3 years, then you may be eligible for a First Home Grant or First Home Loan with Kāinga Ora.
Kāinga Ora is a crown entity set up under the Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities Act 2019. ‘Kāinga’ meaning home, and ‘Kāinga Ora’ meaning wellbeing through places and communities, has been established to provide urban development and housing opportunities to New Zealanders. Partnering with councils, local government, Māori and mana whenua, infrastructure providers, private developers, and community housing, they’re work is there to deliver public housing and support services to Kiwis.
As a KiwiSaver contributor you can have access to different government funds and incentives through Kāinga Ora to help you get your first home. There are two key funds for first home buyers, the First Home Grant and the First Home Loan which we have more information on below.
First Home Grant
The First Home Grant is free money towards your house deposit. The First Home Grant can be used to help purchase new builds or existing properties up to the value of the price caps in your region.
If you’re eligible for this grant you could receive up to $10,000 to top up your home deposit. This benefit is subject to income, house price cap and location. For the income cap, in the 12 months before you apply you must have earned $95k (or less before tax) for a single person and $150k (or less before tax) combined income for a joint application.
If you’re buying an existing home, the most you can get is $5,000 for five or more years, and for a new home build you can get the maximum of $10,000 for five or more years. It’s important to note that the property purchase price must be within the regional house price caps and you must agree to live in the property for at least six months from the settlement date.
First Home Loan – A Low Deposit Mortgage!
Finding the 20% deposit for your first home is one of the hardest steps in purchasing a home. The First Home Loans helps make it easier for you to purchase your first home. The First Home loan helps you obtain lending with just a 5% deposit. First Home Loans are only issued by selected banks and other lenders, and supported by Kāinga Ora.
To be eligible for the First Home Loan you must be:
- A New Zealand citizen or New Zealand resident holder
- A first home buyer
- Have an income of $95k (or less before tax) for an individual buyer and $150k (or less before tax) combined income for two or more buyers
- Have a minimum deposit that is at least 5% of the property purchase price
- Be purchasing a property of less than 1 hectare
As well as other bank lending criterias of the participating bank or lender you choose. It’s important to note however, that the lending is still done through banks and is subject to their usual lending criteria, meaning that just having the 5% deposit isn’t always enough. Banks and lenders will also assess you on your financial ability to repay the loan, your current level of debt, and your credit history as part of their lending criteria.
How We Can Help
Some participating banks and lenders may allow you to build a new home with the Kāinga Ora First Home Loan, but not all banks and lenders have this option, therefore, using a mortgage broker or expert financial advisor can help navigate this with you. Only a select few banks offer this and choosing the right one for your first home purchase can make all the difference.
Talk to one of our financial advisors at One Stop Financial to discuss your first home purchase options. What makes us different is that we listen and provide you with tailored financial advice. Our expertise is free to first home buyers and we work in finding the best finance options for you so that you can purchase your first home with confidence and clarity. Call us today and start your first home journey with One Stop Financial.
See what our clients have to say
Nick Turner-Wright
9/17/2025
Has been a great experience working with Matt and his team. Have managed to get us better than the desired results so far
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Matt and has team were wonderful to work with when buying our first home. Made the process a lot less daunting than it otherwise would have been. His team were very friendly and kept us up to date. And Matt has awesome knowledge to teach us which you could see his passion. Would highly recommend to anyone.
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Matt and his team are the best around ! We had a tricky deal that was hard to make happen and they went above and beyond for us ! 100 percent would recommend and will be using again!!!
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We first worked with Matt Willoughby and the team at OneStop a couple of years ago as first home buyers, and they were absolutely fantastic. They made what felt like the impossible happen and helped get my partner and me over the line.
Since then, we've continued working with them including taking the plunge into "adulting" by sorting out both life insurance and health insurance. Matt and the team made the whole process simple and easy to understand, walking us through every step.
We've now used them for all our insurance needs over the years, and they’ve always gone above and beyond. Such a great team and genuinely helpful, professional, and always with your best interest at heart. Couldn't recommend them more highly!
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Matt was absolutely fantastic to work with! He made the whole mortgage process smooth, stress-free, and easy to understand. His communication was prompt, clear, and professional every step of the way, and he truly went above and beyond to get us the best possible outcome. We felt supported and informed throughout the entire process. We can’t recommend Matt highly enough—thank you for all your help!
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Matt and the team at OneStop made purchasing our house easy and stress free for my family and I. Would definitely recommend getting in touch with Matt for your next/first house purchase.
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Lavinia Akauola
4/07/2025
Matt is super easy to talk to and really kind. He takes the time to understand where we're coming from and gives helpful feedback and advice that actually fits our situation.
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Great friendly service, highly recommend them.
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We achieved results by getting the loan amount we wanted and expert advice on interest rates and how to add value to the investments. Always be working with Matt and the team.
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Thanks team. OneStop did a great job guiding us through the process of getting our home loan sorted out. The financial advice and support through the process were spot on.
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Brilliant advice and help from Matt. Was a massive help for us in our journey to buying our first home. Will definitely recommend for anyone.
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Best service from smart people
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Matt and Rue saw our vision and heart from the start. We were never left wondering about the next step as they explained things so simply. They were professional yet personable and always available, night or day:) We could not have bought our dream home without them. I would highly recommend this incredible team.
We're so grateful for them.
Belinda and Christopher Beukes, Manawatu New Zealand
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Matt and his team were brilliant. They helped out, and answered every question I had every step of the way. And with their help and knowledge, I was ultimately able to make "what previously seemed to only be a dream" turn into a reality! And that was to purchase my first property! At the ripe age of 47 I may add 🙂. Thanks again for everything guys! Yous rock!
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Matt has stuck with me after some ups and downs,a couple of banks and we got there, I was great full for the let's try again, try another bank and I got there. Fully recommend 🙂
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Matt and his team are amazing! Would recommend them to everyone.
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Matt and his team were absolutely amazing. We highly recommend them. Communication was amazing, we couldn't have bought our house without them.
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Excellent service. I highly recommend Matt and his team A+
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