Finding the right property
The house-hunt bit is usually the fun part. It's also where people commit to a property that a bank quietly won't lend on — worth knowing what to watch for.
Start with your borrowing number, not the listings
Pre-approval first, listings second. It's tempting to reverse this, but every week I meet people who've been shopping in a bracket their income can't quite reach — and it's harder to go back down.
Property types banks get twitchy about
Leasehold (Auckland/Wellington waterfront), unit-title with weak body-corporate finances, apartments under 40–50m², tiny homes, homes on Māori land, and anything with weathertightness issues (some 1990s–2000s builds). None of these are automatic 'no' — but they change which lenders will play and often the deposit required.
The practical checks
Order a LIM and get a building inspection early, especially in Wellington where sea-level rise, slope stability and older weatherboard homes show up. Check the CV vs asking price, look at nearby sales in the last 6 months (homes.co.nz, OneRoof), and view at least twice — once in daylight, once when you're not being rushed.
Getting a real feel for the area
Drive it at 8am on a Tuesday, 6pm on a Friday, and 11pm on a Saturday. Every suburb has a different personality at those three times. It's the cheapest, best due-diligence there is.
Have a question on this bit?
Send it through and I'll come back with a straight answer — no fee, no pressure.
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