Buying a house, apartment or a rental property

Learn about the house buying process. Work out what you can afford before you start looking at properties.

Before you start house hunting

If you’re thinking about buying you need to think about your goals and finances.

Thinking of buying

Buying your first home

Buying a home can be a complicated process, especially when you have not bought one before.

Understand the house buying process

If you’re buying your first home, you may be able to get government help.

Financial help to buy your first home

If you’re from overseas

There are rules for buying or building residential property in New Zealand.

Check if you can buy or build in NZ

Checks to do before you buy

Work out how much the house you want to buy is estimated to be valued at.

House valuations

Find out as much as you can about the property before you make an offer.

The agreement to purchase the house will not be finalised until you’ve satisfied all your conditions.

Learning about the property

Get Land Information Memorandum (LIM) reports from your local council, and title searches from Land Information New Zealand.

Your lawyer should review both documents before the sale and purchase agreement is finalised.

Contact your local council

How to spot signs of damage caused by a leaky home, including dampness, mould and rot.

Signs of a leaky home

Making an offer

A sale and purchase agreement covers the agreed terms and conditions of the sale or purchase. It is a legally binding document.

Guide to sale and purchase agreements

If you do not agree with something in the sale and purchase agreement, tell the real estate agent — and get your lawyer to check the agreement before you sign.

Providing your tax details

You may need to give your property lawyer (or the person doing your conveyancing) your:

  • New Zealand IRD number
  • taxpayer identification number from any overseas countries where you have to pay tax on your worldwide income (if you have one).

A taxpayer identification number is the number that a country’s tax agency gives you to pay tax. In New Zealand, our IRD number is our taxpayer identification number.

There is a tax exemption for income earned from the sale of your main or family home.

What’s your main home?

Buying property

Buying a rental or investment property

If you buy a property that’s rented and the tenants have a fixed-term tenancy agreement, the tenants are entitled to stay until the date in the tenancy agreement and under the same conditions.

When the property you buy is rented to tenants

Find out about taxes when you have a rental property, what you can claim and what happens when you sell your rental property.

Dealing with tax if you have a rental property

Problems with real estate agents

You can make a complaint against a real estate agent if you do not think they’re meeting the standards they have to follow.

Make a complaint about an agent

Who to contact for more help

If you need more help or have questions about the information or services on this page, contact one of the following agencies.

Utility links and page information

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