© Copyright 2025 Tella (New Zealand) Limited. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Tella.
24 minute read
5 Practical Ways First-Home Buyers Are Winning in 2026
Ready to buy your first home in NZ? Discover 5 practical strategies used by successful buyers to secure property, build equity, and beat the market.
Nurain Nadzirah
10 July 2026
While many remain sidelined by uncertainty, first-home buyers have become the most active group in the New Zealand property market.
According to the June 2026 Housing Chart Pack from property data firm Cotality, first-home buyers accounted for 27.7% of all purchases in the first five months of 2026.
If you’re looking to get the keys this year, here are five practical ways you can follow their lead.
1. Utilising KiwiSaver savings
Successful buyers have stopped treating KiwiSaver as a ‘set-and-forget’ retirement fund. They treat it as a deposit tool.
The Strategy: Grab an eligibility estimate from KiwiSaver provider months before even start looking. Having that hard number in hand means knowing exactly what you can afford before walking into an open home, helping you move faster than the competition.
2. Leveraging the Quiet Market for Negotiation
With overall market sales volumes down, the frantic 15-minute bidding wars of the past have largely disappeared.
The Strategy: Because these buyers come to the table with pre-approved finance, they can submit 'clean' offers. Sellers love this certainty, often giving first home buyers the edge to negotiate for extras like building reports or professional cleaning.
Ready to see what’s possible for your budget?
See how you can navigate the market with a strategy that works for you.
3. Prioritising ‘Turnkey’ Value
First home winners are choosing certainty over the ‘fixer-upper’ fantasy.
The Strategy: Buyers are hunting for modern and energy-efficient townhouses or well-built units that don’t need renovations. This way, there’s no risk of budget blowouts, allowing them to settle in with total peace of mind.
4. Running the ‘Rent vs. Mortgage’ Math
Instead of worrying about interest rates, they think about the long term: they’d rather use their money to build their own wealth than keep paying off someone else’s.
The Strategy: Unlike rent, which goes up every year, a mortgage payment stays stable. By buying, they escape the cycle of rent hikes and turn their monthly payments into an investment in their own future.
5. Using Data Tools to Move Fast
Successful buyers don't work off gut feeling; they know their numbers inside out to stay agile.
The Strategy: Use online calculators to stress-test their own budgets against fluctuating rates. Get an instant estimate using our First Home Deposit Calculator, or compare current rates across the market via our interest rate comparison table to ensure you aren't leaving money on the table.
Stop waiting for the ‘perfect’ time to buy.
The most successful buyers are the ones who show up with a plan and start building their own equity.
If you’re ready to stop watching from the sidelines, let’s run the numbers and see how we can get you into your first home.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or professional advice. It does not consider your personal financial situation or objectives. Please consult with Tella mortgage and financial experts before making any decisions regarding your mortgage or debt strategy.
Category:
Category: