First Home Buyers – 5 tips to start
There is so much to work out! How do I buy a section? When do I contact Kiwisaver? Who can help with finance? How do I purchase a section?
We are going to run through where to start and what order you need to take those steps!
How to get started
- The first step of any project is funding, you need to find out how much you want to borrow and work backwards from there. Example: budget $850k – 350k (section) = $500k for a house build. If it is your first home, we recommend using a mortgage broker as they can help with the ins and outs of getting the Kiwisaver grant if you are eligible. Mortgage brokers also help with the best deal on interest rates at the end of the build.
- The second step is to find a good lawyer if you don’t already have one. You need to be able to trust that they can do a good job at looking after you from a legal standpoint. Lawyers will help with land and build contracts but also suggest things like wills at the same time as getting your first home.
- Start looking and talking to builders – just research for now…
- Now it is time to look for a section! Ideally you want to pick your section before you decide on a design because you want to design your home to maximise sun during the day.
Questions to ask yourself when choosing a section:
Is the land TC1, TC2 or TC3?
Can the neighbours build me out?(design or position their house so that it will impede sun and view etc?)
Are there any restrictive covenants (design rules) for the section? What are they?
Can the neighbours put a relocatable house next to you?
Is the boundary fencing included in the price?
Are their any street lights or anything else in the place I would want to put my driveway?
Where and when will I lose sunlight? Are there any trees which may effect this? - The last step is to find a builder. You want a builder with good reviews and a proven track record of delivering homes on time and on budget. You also want a builder who you feel you can trust throughout the process. They need to be upfront about all the costs and potential challenges with the build. Your builder will be able to provide you with a contract, specification and plan for you take to your mortgage broker, lawyer and Kiwisaver .
Some questions you may want to ask:
How much experience do you have?
What is the typical build time?
Are you Master Builders?
What is your payment schedule?
Can I see one of your builds in progress?
What is included in the cost?
Do you have a guarantee?
Last but not least, you want to do some research into how much your house will cost vs how much similar houses are selling for in the area. You want to make sure you are getting the best value for your money.
Now you are in the know so you can make a start on your new build. Simply broken down –
1.Finance, 2, Lawyer, 3. Look for builder, 4. Choose section, 5. Choose builder
How easy is that? Would you like any other info on what to do?
It is as simple as getting in touch with us to have a friendly chat. We are here to help!