ALL TOOLS
KIWISAVER FOR YOUR FIRST HOME

Can you use your
KiwiSaver yet?

Three years a member, and $1,000 has to stay in the account. Owned a home before? Kāinga Ora decides whether you still qualify, before your provider will release anything. Put your numbers in to see where you stand and what your KiwiSaver actually adds to the deposit — yours and your partner's.

Your KiwiSaver

Rough numbers are fine — drag a slider or type an exact figure.

Years in KiwiSaver
A first-home withdrawal needs 3 years of membership.
KiwiSaver balance
$1,000 of this always stays in the account.
THE REST OF IT
Other savings
Everything outside KiwiSaver you'd put in.
Price you're looking at
10%+ DEPOSIT — LOW-DEPOSIT LANE
$47,200 of KiwiSaver toward your deposit
Deposit with KiwiSaver in
$79,200
Of $650,000
12.2%
That's your KiwiSaver and savings together. What a bank will lend on top is a separate question — it turns on income, debts and their servicing test.

What the rules require

3+ years in KiwiSaverMet
First homeMet
You'll live in itNot an investment property

Your KiwiSaver provider decides eligibility and releases the money — not us. For previous owners, Kāinga Ora decides first.

Where the deposit comes from

Your KiwiSaver balance$48,200
Less the $1,000 that stays in−$1,000
Your available KiwiSaver$47,200
Other savings$32,000
Total deposit$79,200

At $650,000, you're $50,800 short of a 20% deposit. Under 20% is still doable — it's the low-deposit lane, with tighter criteria.

Start it before you go unconditional

A first-home withdrawal typically takes 10–15 working days once your provider has everything. The money goes to your solicitor's trust account, not to you, and it needs to be there by settlement. People get caught assuming it's instant — line it up early, and earlier still if Kāinga Ora has to weigh in first.

This is a guide to the withdrawal rules, not a decision. Your KiwiSaver provider decides whether you're eligible and how much is released; for previous home owners, Kāinga Ora makes its own determination first. Rules and processing times can change — confirm with your provider before you rely on the money being there.

OTHER TOOLS
BudgetRepaymentsCost of ownershipExtra repaymentsReno equityOffset / RCBreak feeFix or floatRent vs buyTwo homesSplit loanHabit costAll tools →
DEPOSIT IN, OFFER OUT

Talk to an adviser before you make an offer

This shows what your KiwiSaver adds to the deposit. What a bank will lend on top — and how to time the withdrawal so the money lands before settlement — is the part worth getting right. A licensed adviser in your region can do both. Free to you, opt-in only.

Find an adviser →