Use your KiwiSaver to buy a home
Put in your KiwiSaver balance and see the price it could help you buy at. Then click a suburb on the map to see homes within reach.
What could your KiwiSaver buy?
Under 20% is low-deposit lending: banks ration it and may charge more.
An indication, not a lender’s answer. Borrowing assumes repayments of no more than 30% of income before tax, tested at 7% over 30 years (Average advertised floating rate plus 1 points, as at 22 Oct.) since banks test above the rate they charge, and is capped at six times income. Banks use their own expense checks and rules; a mortgage adviser or the borrowing calculator goes into more detail. Keep a few thousand dollars aside for legal fees, a LIM and a building inspection.
Now pick where you would like to live
Click a suburb to see homes listed or valued at up to $460,000.
Click a suburb on the map. We will show homes there within $460,000, and link you to the full list.
Price is the asking price where a home is listed, otherwise the council’s rating valuation, which can be well off what it would sell for. Look up any address for our estimate before you offer.
How the KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal works
Three years in
You need to have been a KiwiSaver member for at least three years. They do not have to be in a row.
$1,000 stays
Everything else can come out: your contributions, your employer’s, the government contribution and returns. Money moved in from Australian super stays.
A home to live in
It must be a home (or land to build one) in New Zealand that you intend to live in, not a rental or investment.
First home, once
It is for first-home buyers and can be used once. Previous owners may still qualify if Kāinga Ora agrees their finances look like a first-home buyer’s.
Apply early
Apply through your KiwiSaver provider, usually with your lawyer. Providers commonly take around 10 working days; the money goes to your lawyer, not to you.
Protect the deposit
Once you plan to withdraw, think about moving to a conservative fund so a market fall does not shrink your deposit before settlement.
As at 12 October 2026. Your KiwiSaver provider and Kāinga Ora decide eligibility. Work out the exact amount with the KiwiSaver withdrawal calculator.
Next: get pre-approved
Pre-approval is a bank’s or adviser’s say-so on how much they would lend you. It turns the price above into a real budget and makes your offer credible. A mortgage adviser costs you nothing in most cases, and can tell you which banks will lend with your deposit.
Official information
The government pages that set the rules. Check them, and your provider, before you rely on a figure here.
Getting your KiwiSaver for your first home ↗
The rules: who qualifies, what can be withdrawn, and what stays.
Kāinga OraKiwiSaver first-home withdrawal ↗
Eligibility, including the check for people who have owned a home before.
Kāinga OraFirst Home Loan ↗
Buying with a 5% deposit through participating lenders, and its income caps.
Kāinga OraFirst Home Decision Tool ↗
A few questions that show which home ownership schemes you may qualify for.
Sorted (Te Ara Ahunga Ora)How KiwiSaver can help you into your first home ↗
A plain guide, including what withdrawing does to your retirement savings.
settled.govt.nz (Real Estate Authority)The home buying process ↗
Each step from making an offer to settlement, and what to check along the way.
Questions
Can I use KiwiSaver to buy a house?
Yes, if it is your first home, you have been a KiwiSaver member for at least three years and you intend to live in it. You can withdraw everything except $1,000, which must stay in your account.
Can my partner and I both use our KiwiSaver?
Yes. Each of you applies to your own provider, and each must meet the rules. Two balances together often make the difference between a 10% and a 20% deposit.
Can I use KiwiSaver for the deposit before settlement?
Yes. Your provider can pay the deposit to the vendor’s lawyer once your lawyer gives the right undertaking, which helps at auction or when a deposit is due on signing. Talk to your lawyer and provider early.
How much deposit do I need?
Most bank lending wants 20% of the price. Banks can lend some loans with 10%, and Kāinga Ora’s First Home Loan accepts 5% for incomes under its caps. A smaller deposit usually costs more in interest or fees.
Is there still a First Home Grant?
No. The KiwiSaver First Home Grant closed to new applications in May 2024. Withdrawing your own KiwiSaver savings continues.
Do I pay tax on the withdrawal?
No. A first-home withdrawal is not taxed when it comes out.
More home loan tools
Mortgage repayment calculator
Weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments and the interest over the loan.
How much can I borrow?
An indicative borrowing limit and a readiness check, from your own figures.
Pay off your mortgage faster
What extra repayments or a lump sum save.
Break fee calculator
A rough cost of breaking a fixed rate early.
Switching banks
Whether moving your mortgage pays, after every cost.
Buying your first home
The steps from saving a deposit to settlement day.
KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal
What your KiwiSaver could put toward a deposit.
First Home Loan and low deposits
Buying with 5–20% deposit, and what it costs.
Mortgage pre-approval
What it is, what to bring, and how long it lasts.
Today’s mortgage rates
Every lender’s advertised rates, side by side.
Home loan affordability by town
What a median home costs against local incomes, town by town.
Find a mortgage adviser
Advisers and firms near you.
General information, not financial advice. For advice on your situation, talk to a mortgage adviser.