First Home Buyer Total Cost Calculator NZ 2026/27

Quick answer: Your deposit is only part of the cash you need. On top of it, budget for legal and conveyancing fees (around $1,600), a LIM report (around $375), a builder's report ($400 to $800), a registered valuation ($700 to $1,200), and moving costs. On a $650,000 first home with a 10% deposit, that is roughly $69,325 of total cash needed, not the $65,000 deposit alone. Enter your own numbers below.

This calculator works out the total cash a first home buyer in New Zealand needs to bring to settlement, not just the headline deposit figure. Enter the purchase price of the home and the deposit percentage you plan to put down, whether that is the standard 20% most banks ask for, or as low as 5% if you qualify for Kainga Ora's First Home Loan. Then add the other cash costs that come with almost every purchase: legal and conveyancing fees, a Land Information Memorandum (LIM) report from the council, a pre-purchase builder's report, a registered valuation, and your estimated moving costs. The calculator adds all of these to your deposit to show the total cash you need, alongside the resulting loan amount and loan-to-value ratio (LVR) the bank will be lending against. It updates instantly as you type, with no need to press a button. This matters because many first home buyers save exactly enough for the deposit and are then caught short by the additional two to five thousand dollars of costs that arrive in the weeks around settlement. Figures are rounded for display and are indicative only, since legal fees, LIM costs and inspection prices vary by region, provider and property, so treat this as a planning tool rather than a fixed quote.

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Updated  Current rates and legislation applied.

Verification & Methodology

Deposit settings: Standard bank LVR policy requires roughly a 20% deposit for owner-occupiers. Kainga Ora's First Home Loan allows a minimum 5% deposit for eligible first home buyers, currently offered through Westpac, Kiwibank and SBS Bank.
On-cost estimates used: legal/conveyancing fees ~$1,600, LIM report ~$375, builder's report $400-$800 (default $600), registered valuation $700-$1,200 (default $950). These are typical New Zealand ranges and will vary by law firm, council and provider.
Moving costs: a general planning estimate (default $800), not an officially published figure. It varies widely with distance, volume and whether you hire professional movers, so replace it with your own quote.
KiwiSaver first home withdrawal: available after 3 years of membership, provided a minimum of $1,000 remains in the account.
First Home Grant: closed to new applications from 22 May 2024 (Budget 2024) and not reinstated. Not modelled in this calculator.
Last verified: July 2026, against current Kainga Ora, Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Inland Revenue guidance.
Source data: Kainga Ora, First Home Loan, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, macroprudential (LVR) policy, and Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver first home withdrawal.

What First Home Buyers Actually Need Cash For

The deposit gets all the attention, but it is rarely the only cash a first home buyer needs. Between signing a sale and purchase agreement and picking up the keys, most buyers also pay for a LIM report, a builder's report, and often a registered valuation, on top of legal fees. Add removalists and connection fees, and the gap between the deposit saved and the cash actually needed can run to several thousand dollars. This calculator adds those pieces together so you see the real number before making offers.

The Deposit: 20% Standard, or 5% with Kainga Ora's First Home Loan

Under the Reserve Bank's loan-to-value ratio (LVR) settings, banks generally restrict how much new lending can go to owner-occupiers with less than a 20% deposit, which is why 20% has become the default expectation. First home buyers without a 20% deposit are not automatically shut out. Kainga Ora's First Home Loan, offered through Westpac, Kiwibank and SBS Bank, lets an eligible first home buyer borrow with as little as a 5% deposit, with Kainga Ora underwriting the extra risk the bank would otherwise carry. New build properties are also exempt from the standard LVR speed limits.

Legal and Conveyancing Fees

A solicitor or licensed conveyancer handles the legal side of your purchase: reviewing the sale and purchase agreement, running title searches, managing the settlement funds, and registering the transfer of ownership. Fees typically run around $1,600 for a straightforward residential purchase, though this varies by firm and by how much extra work is involved, for example if the property is cross-leased, unit-titled, or has unusual title conditions. Get a fixed-fee quote in writing before you engage a solicitor, since some firms charge on an hourly basis instead.

LIM Report

A Land Information Memorandum, or LIM, is a report the local council prepares summarising everything it holds on the property's file: consents and their sign-off status, rates owing, drainage and flood information, notices, and consented versus unconsented work. It typically costs around $375, though the fee is set by each council and differs between districts. A LIM is not a legal requirement, but almost every buyer makes their offer conditional on a satisfactory one, since it is one of the few ways to confirm the council's records match what you were told.

Builder's Report

A pre-purchase building report from a qualified inspector typically costs $400 to $800 and covers the structural, moisture and maintenance condition of the home, including the roof space, subfloor, and any signs of weathertightness issues. For an older home especially, this is one of the highest-value costs on this list: a report that flags a $20,000 reroofing job, or worse, moisture damage in the walls, can save you from a purchase you would regret. Most sale and purchase agreements include a building report as a standard condition, alongside the LIM and finance conditions.

Registered Valuation

A registered valuer's report, usually $700 to $1,200, gives an independent, qualified opinion of what the property is actually worth, distinct from the price you have agreed to pay. Banks commonly require one when your deposit sits below 20%, since they carry more risk and want confirmation the price is supported by the property's market value rather than the sale price alone. Some lenders accept a cheaper desktop valuation in straightforward cases, so ask your bank or broker what they will accept first.

Moving Costs

Moving costs are the most variable line here and are not drawn from any official rate sheet, they are a general planning estimate you should replace with your own quote. A small local move in a hired trailer might cost very little beyond your time, while a full-service removalist for a family home, especially over distance, can run into several thousand dollars. Get a quote once you have a settlement date, since prices shift quickly around weekends and month-end, when most people move.

Using Your KiwiSaver to Help Cover These Costs

Once you have been a KiwiSaver member for at least three years, you can generally withdraw most of your balance to help fund a first home, provided you leave a minimum of $1,000 in your account. This withdrawal is typically paid toward your deposit or purchase price through your solicitor's trust account, rather than being available for on-costs like the LIM report or moving expenses. Plan to have those covered from other savings, since they are usually due before or separately from your KiwiSaver funds arriving.

What Happened to the First Home Grant

The First Home Grant, which previously paid eligible buyers up to $5,000 for an existing home or $10,000 for a new build, was closed to new applications from 22 May 2024 under Budget 2024 and has not been reinstated. Do not include a First Home Grant in your figures. The main government support remaining is the KiwiSaver first home withdrawal above and Kainga Ora's First Home Loan, which lowers the deposit hurdle rather than adding a cash grant on top of your savings.

Worked Example

Emma and Josh are buying their first home for $650,000. They have saved a 10% deposit and plan to use Kainga Ora's First Home Loan, since they do not have the full 20% a standard loan would require. Their deposit is 10% of $650,000, which is $65,000. On top of that, they budget $1,600 for legal fees, $375 for a LIM report, $600 for a builder's report, $950 for a registered valuation, and $800 for moving costs, a further $4,325 in total. Adding the deposit and the additional costs together, Emma and Josh need $69,325 in cash to settle, and they will need to borrow $585,000, an LVR of 90%.

Compare that with a buyer putting down the standard 20% deposit on the same $650,000 home. Their deposit is $130,000, and the same $4,325 of additional costs brings their total cash needed to $134,325, with a smaller loan of $520,000 at an 80% LVR. The lower-deposit path through Kainga Ora's First Home Loan cuts the cash Emma and Josh need to find by $65,000, at the cost of borrowing more and paying interest on that larger loan for longer.

Who This Calculator Is For

This calculator suits anyone getting close to buying their first home in New Zealand and wanting a realistic total, not just the deposit figure they have been saving toward. It helps buyers weighing a standard 20% deposit against a lower-deposit path like Kainga Ora's First Home Loan, and anyone checking they have enough cash in reserve before making an offer.

What This Calculator Assumes

• Standard bank deposit expectations of around 20%, with Kainga Ora's First Home Loan allowing a minimum 5% deposit for eligible first home buyers.
• Legal fees, LIM report, builder's report and valuation figures are typical New Zealand ranges as at July 2026, and will vary by firm, council, region and property.
• Moving costs are a general estimate only, not an officially published figure, and should be replaced with a real quote.
• The calculator does not model insurance, rates adjustments, or a post-settlement cash buffer, which are worth budgeting for separately.
• Results are indicative only and do not constitute financial or legal advice.

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