1. Map out a budget
It might seem like quite a challenge to create a budget for something so big, but you need to get an idea of what you’re currently working with to figure out how much you can afford. Track your weekly, fortnightly and monthly expenses and see how they compare to your current income. Take a look at anything you could pare back or cut costs on, and that will give you an idea of how much you have to put towards a deposit.
2. Calculate how much you’ll need
For most homes you’ll be looking to purchase, you’ll need a deposit that’s 20% of the value of the home. This means that for a home worth $500,000, you will likely need a deposit of $100,000. It seems like a lot, but once you know what kind of figure you’re looking at, you can make a plan to save – even if it takes a few years, your hard work and discipline will pay off!
Hint: If you want to know what the mortgage payments will be on your dream first home, check out our handy mortgage calculator to give you an idea.
3. Figure out what you’re eligible for
There are a few initiatives in place in New Zealand for people looking to buy their first home. These have some great benefits and can really help you when you’re getting your deposit together. With a Welcome Home Loan you only need a 10% (soon to be 5%) deposit , which might seem a lot more achievable. If you’re currently in KiwiSaver, you might be eligible to withdraw some of your savings to put towards your first home. KiwiSaver members may also be eligible for a HomeStart Grant of between $5,000 and $20,000 depending on your circumstances.
4. Visualise your goals
Now that you know roughly how much you’ll need to save, write it down. Keep track of your progress regularly – even if it’s just your written goal popped up on the fridge. It’s easy to forget what you’re aiming for, especially if it’s going to take a little while to reach, so keeping it somewhere visible will remind you. Labelling your savings account with a name like ‘My First Home’ will also help you to focus on your goal and keep working towards it.
5. Start saving now
Not only will you end up accumulating more for your deposit the sooner you start saving, you’ll also be able to show the bank that you’re disciplined and have created good saving habits. Demonstrating that you’ve got a respectable amount saved up and have been working on it for a while will set you apart when it comes to being approved for finance – it proves to the bank that if you are approved for a mortgage, you’ll be able to maintain it.
If you want to get into your first home but aren’t sure where to start, get in touch with one of our friendly and knowledgeable mortgage advisers today – it’s a free service and we’ll take you through the home-buying process step-by-step so that you can reach your goals and set yourself up for a brighter future!
Share this article
Today, we’re focusing on the two key factors that determine your mortgage options:
Once you’ve set your deposit goal, it’s time to focus on growing your savings. Budgeting,…
Buying your first home can be challenging, but the “Bank of Mum and Dad” has…
Fill out your details below and someone from our friendly team will be in touch soon.
"*" indicates required fields
1.1 In this Privacy Policy, Haven, we, us and our means:
1.2 Haven is committed to protecting the personal information of all its website users, clients and customers (Users, you, and your) in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 (Privacy Act) and the Information Privacy Principles as set out in the Privacy Act.
1.3 Haven operates the website at haven.co.nz (the Website), which provides information regarding our services (Services).
1.4 This privacy policy (Privacy Policy) operates to inform Users of our policies for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information (which includes, but is not limited to, your name, phone number and postal address) (Personal Information) if anyone accesses our Website and/or decides to use our Services.
1.5 If you access our Website and/or decide to use our Services, then you agree to the collection, use, disclosure, storage and processing of your Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
1.6 The Personal Information that we collect is primarily used to identify you and to provide and improve our Services.
1.7 We will not use or share your information with anyone except in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
1.8 This Privacy Policy does not limit or exclude any rights that a User has or may have under the Privacy Act and (where applicable) the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR).
1.9 For further information, please see www.privacy.org.nz.
2.1 We may collect and use your Personal Information to:
2.2 In addition, we may use your Personal Information for any purpose authorised by you, the Privacy Act, GDPR and/or any other applicable law.
2.3 We may also supplement any information provided to us with information we receive from third parties.
2.4 In addition to other information, we collect the following Personal Information about a User:
2.5 Users may request us to stop sending marketing messages at any time, by emailing contact.us@haven.co.nz.
2.6 The provision of certain personal information is necessary to provide our Services. While providing your information is voluntary, if you choose not to provide it, we may be unable to process your request/provide services.
3.1 We want to inform you that, whenever you visit our Website, we may collect information that your browser sends to us that is called Log Data.
3.2 This Log Data may include information such as your computer’s Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser version, pages of our Website that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, and other statistics.
4.1 Cookies are an alphanumeric identifier stored by your browser in order to monitor your use of the Website.
4.2 Our Website uses these “cookies” to collect information and to improve our Services.
4.3 You have the option to either accept or refuse these cookies, and know when a cookie is being sent to your computer. If you choose to refuse our cookies, you may not be able to use some of our Services.
5.1 Your Personal Information may be disclosed to, and held and used by, the following persons:
5.2 Your Personal Information may also be used by, and you consent to the use of your Personal Information by, Haven (including any third party that provides services to Haven) to keep you informed about other financial opportunities, products and services, including by phone call, email, text message, Haven’s online portal or any other electronic means. Any electronic marketing communication offering other financial opportunities, products or services will include an unsubscribe facility.
6.1 We value your trust in providing us your Personal Information, thus we are striving to use commercially acceptable means of protecting it. However, no method of transmission over the internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure and reliable, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
6.2 We will take reasonable steps to ensure the Personal Information collected, used or disclosed in accordance with this Privacy Policy is stored in a secure environment protected from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
6.3 We will hold Personal Information collected in accordance with this Privacy Policy before and after the provision of the Services in order to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, but only for so long as we are legally entitled to do so.
6.4 We will advise any User as soon as practicable after becoming aware that a notifiable privacy breach (as that term is defined under the Privacy Act) has occurred in respect of that User, and take all steps necessary to comply with the Privacy Act requirements.
7.1 Our Website may contain links to other sites. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that site. Note that these external sites are not operated by us. Therefore, we strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of these websites. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.
8.1 Our Website and Services do not address anyone under the age of 13.
8.2 We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under the age of 13.
8.3 In the case we discover that a child aged under 13 has provided us with Personal Information, we immediately delete this from our servers.
8.4 If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with Personal Information, please contact us so that we will be able to undertake the necessary actions.
9.1 We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. Thus, we advise you to review this page periodically for any changes.
9.2 We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. These changes are effective immediately, after they are posted on this page.
10.1 Subject to certain grounds for refusal set out in the Privacy Act, Users have the following rights in relation to their Personal Information:
10.2 If a User wishes to exercise any of the above rights, please contact Haven at contact.us@haven.co.nz. Please note that we may need evidence to confirm that you are the individual to whom the Personal Information relates. Your email should provide evidence of who you are and set out the details of your request. Haven will process this request as soon as reasonably practicable, provided that we are not otherwise prevented from doing so for legal or other reasons such as, but not limited to:
11.1 Haven at all times has a person appointed as its privacy officer (the Privacy Officer).
11.2 The Privacy Officer will be familiar with the provisions of this Privacy Policy and be available to assist on privacy matters for Haven.
11.3 The Privacy Officer may be contacted at contact.us@haven.co.nz.
12.1 If any part of this Privacy Policy is found by a court to be invalid, void or unenforceable, whether under the Privacy Act, GDPR or any other applicable law, such provision will be deemed to be deleted from this Privacy Policy and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
13.1 If you have any questions or suggestions about our Privacy Policy, do not hesitate to contact us.
The Haven Travel Promotion is only open to legal residents of New Zealand who are eighteen (18) years of age or older.
Disqualified Participants’ are: (a) all Haven Financial Advisers employees (b) all people under the age of 18 years.
The Competition begins on Monday 13th March 2023 to Wednesday 31st May 2023.
Complete a financial review with any of Haven’s advisers for any service during the entry period and you will receive one entry into the Competition.
The final winner will be drawn on Monday 5th June via random selection by Haven Financial Advisers.
The Winner will be notified by email, phone (voice or text), mail or in person. Where attempts to contact the Winner fail (e.g. when the Winner cannot be contacted by phone after three attempts or mail sent is returned) Haven Financial Advisers will select another winner. If, after successful notification, the prize is not collected within two months of being announced, it will be regarded as forfeit. (Note: 3 attempts to contact the Winner will include individual calls to any numbers provided at the time of entry.
Where the Winner is required to claim the prize in person, they must provide proper identification (eg driver’s licence, passport, birth certificate).
The Promoter (Haven Financial Advisers) will not be liable for any prize(s) that do not reach the winners for reasons beyond the Promoter’s reasonable control. Where a prize is being supplied by a third party, the Promoter accepts no responsibility in connection with the provision of the prize, including without limitation, the failure of the winner to receive ownership of, or use of, the prize or any performance issues associated with the prize.
The Promoter will not be liable for failure to provide (or delay in providing) the Prize resulting from any events, circumstances or causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of god (natural disasters), acts of war or terrorism, national emergencies, issues of public health and safety, pandemic, mechanical breakdown, industry disputes, riots or failure of communication or power supply or voluntary or involuntary compliance with any regulation, law or order of any government.
Prizes may be subject to additional terms and conditions imposed by a third party (for example, vouchers may have additional terms and conditions and/or an expiry date or in the case of travel, additional terms and conditions may be imposed by airlines, service providers and venues).
The Promoter will not be responsible for any loss or damage suffered by entrants or anyone else as a result of, arising out of, or in any way connected with the Promotion or its prizes.
Disqualified Participants’ are: (a) all Haven Financial Advisers employees (b) all people under the age of 18 years (c) all people without a qualifying delivery address.
Or,
Refer someone else to complete a financial review with any of Haven’s advisers for any service during the entry period and if they complete the review you will receive one entry each into the Competition.
The Winners will be determined by Haven Financial Advisers and will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
The Winners will be notified by email, phone (voice or text), mail or in person. Where attempts to contact a Winner fail (e.g. when the Winner cannot be contacted by phone after three attempts or mail sent is returned) Haven Financial Advisers will select another winner. If, after successful notification, the prize is not collected within two months of being announced, it will be regarded as forfeit. (Note: 3 attempts to contact the Winner will include individual calls to any numbers provided at the time of entry.
Where the Winner is required to claim the prize in person, they must provide proper identification (eg driver’s licence, passport, birth certificate).
The Winner takes the Prize entirely at his/her own risk and indemnifies Haven Financial Advisers in respect of any claim for any accident, injury, property damage or loss of life that may occur in connection with the prize. The Winner is responsible for all insurance, tax or other costs that may be associated with the Prize. Where the Prize has associated terms and conditions the Winner accepts the Prize subject to those terms and conditions and restrictions.
The Prize must be taken as stated and no compensation will be payable if the Winner is unable to use the Prize as stated.
The Promoter (Haven Financial Advisers Limited) will not be liable for any prize(s) that do not reach the winners for reasons beyond the Promoter’s reasonable control. Where a prize is being supplied by a third party, the Promoter accepts no responsibility in connection with the provision of the prize, including without limitation, the failure of the winner to receive ownership of, or use of, the prize or any performance issues associated with the prize.
The Promoter will not be liable for failure to provide (or delay in providing) the Prize resulting from any events, circumstances or causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of god (natural disasters), acts of war or terrorism, national emergencies, issues of public health and safety, pandemic, mechanical breakdown, industry disputes, riots or failure of communication or power supply or voluntary or involuntary compliance with any regulation, law or order of any government.
Prizes may be subject to additional terms and conditions imposed by a third party.
The Promoter will not be responsible for any loss or damage suffered by entrants or anyone else as a result of, arising out of, or in any way connected with the Promotion or its prizes.
The Promoter collects and holds personal information provided by entrants for the purposes of administering this Promotion and for future Promoter promotional purposes. All personal information provided by entrants will be held by the Promoter and will not be provided to third parties unless otherwise specifically set out. Under the Privacy Act 2020, entrants have the right to access and correct their personal information.
The Haven Travel Promotion is only open to legal residents of New Zealand who are eighteen (18) years of age or older.
Disqualified Participants’ are: (a) all Haven Financial Advisers employees (b) all people under the age of 18 years.
The Competition begins on Monday 13th March 2023 to Wednesday 31st May 2023.
Complete a financial review with any of Haven’s advisers for any service during the entry period and you will receive one entry into the Competition.
The final winner will be drawn on Monday 5th June via random selection by Haven Financial Advisers.
