Start with what the home needs to do for you, then check the property as carefully as the price. This online guide takes you from planning your search to settlement, with links to independent information for the decisions that need closer attention.
Separate essentials from preferences: bedrooms, access, outdoor space, maintenance, work and school routines. Talk to your lender or mortgage adviser about your borrowing position and the conditions of any approval. Allow for legal and inspection costs, insurance, rates, moving and work needed after purchase, as well as the deposit.
For a first home, begin those conversations before becoming committed to a property. If you may use KiwiSaver or another form of assistance, check current eligibility and timing with the responsible provider. Do not count on funds until their availability is confirmed. Read Settled’s buying resources and build your own support team.
Browse our residential listings and open homes. Keep notes so comparisons are based on more than the photographs. Check room layout, storage, sunlight, heating, ventilation, visible dampness, drainage and access. Notice nearby activity and noise. Ask what is included in the sale and what information is available.
Visit the street at different times if daily travel, parking or noise matters to you. An open home is an introduction, not a professional building inspection. Ask direct questions and follow up concerns with the appropriate specialist.
Ask your lawyer to review the title and explain shared driveways, easements, covenants, cross-lease or unit-title obligations where relevant. Understand the ownership structure before planning alterations or use of outdoor space.
For Christchurch property, review council information alongside what is on site. Christchurch City Council property files may include plans, consent records and completion documents. A property file and a LIM are different sources; ask your lawyer what to obtain and review. Neither replaces a physical inspection, and council records may be incomplete.
Request relevant earthquake claim, repair and insurance records. Check the property’s particular land and hazard information, insurance availability and any lender requirements. An area’s reputation or a neighbouring home’s history does not establish the condition of this property. See Settled’s property-research guidance for the checks to discuss.
Understand the sale method and closing arrangements. Obtain legal advice before signing, including on finance, inspection or other conditions you need. Compare relevant completed sales rather than treating an asking price or rating value as a promised market price.
The listing salesperson works for the seller. They can explain the process and available property information, while your own advisers help protect your interests. If there are multiple offers, ask how the process works and put forward terms you can honour.
For an auction property, use our separate buyer auction-preparation guide. Complete the necessary checks and finance arrangements before bidding; do not assume conditions can be added afterwards.
Keep track of conditions and deadlines with your lawyer. Arrange insurance and finance as required by your agreement and advisers. Plan the pre-settlement inspection, moving arrangements, services and key collection. Raise any concerns promptly through the appropriate people.
Call 03 359 0384 or visit our team directory to discuss a Burnside listing or arrange a viewing.
Explore Burnside and our property guides to connect your property search with everyday life in the area.
A freehold title can still have easements and covenants that affect access, building or land use. With a cross-lease, compare the flats plan with the buildings on site and establish which areas are shared or exclusive. For a unit title, review body corporate information, levies, insurance and planned maintenance as well as the home itself. Leasehold ownership requires a clear understanding of the lease, ground rent and review provisions.
These differences matter if you want to extend, fence a garden, keep a pet or change how the property is used. Read Settled’s explanation of ownership types before comparing properties solely by bedroom count and price.
Put the price, deposit, settlement date, chattels and any conditions together as one proposal. A higher price with uncertain finance is a different offer from a lower price with confirmed funding and a settlement date that suits the seller. Your lawyer can translate the checks you still need into suitable wording and deadlines before you sign.
The deposit paid under the sale agreement and the money your lender requires you to contribute are related but different. Confirm the amount, payment date and source of the agreement deposit. Do not assume a KiwiSaver withdrawal or another property settlement will arrive in time without checking the arrangements first.
In a multiple-offer situation, decide your comfortable limit before responding. The seller may consider conditions and timing as well as price, and you may not have another opportunity to improve your offer. Obtain the available information, follow the stated process and avoid removing protection simply to keep up with another buyer.
Use Settled’s sale and purchase agreement guide alongside advice on your own agreement.
Begin with a complete cash plan, not just a deposit target. List your available savings, any confirmed family contribution and any withdrawal your KiwiSaver provider confirms you can make. Keep a separate allowance for legal advice, a building inspection, moving and expenses that start as soon as you own the home. Rates, insurance and maintenance need room in your ongoing budget alongside mortgage repayments.
Ask your lender what a pre-approval covers, when it expires and what still needs approval for a particular property. A pre-approval is not the same as an unconditional commitment to lend on any home you choose. Share the property details and sale method with the lender before committing.
You may be able to make a first-home KiwiSaver withdrawal after at least three years of membership. Eligible withdrawals must leave at least $1,000 in the account, and funds transferred from an Australian complying superannuation scheme cannot be withdrawn for this purpose. Start with your provider, confirm eligibility and the amount available, and allow for its application process before relying on the funds in an offer. See Inland Revenue’s first-home withdrawal information.
A First Home Loan through a participating lender can reduce the deposit requirement to 5% for eligible borrowers. Kāinga Ora underwrites these loans, while participating lenders assess applications. A low deposit does not remove the need to meet lending and scheme requirements or budget for repayments and ownership costs.
Keep a simple comparison sheet with the asking price or sale method, ownership type, floor plan, condition, likely immediate work and total ongoing costs. A lower-priced home with substantial repairs or body corporate costs may be a different commitment from a more expensive home with fewer immediate expenses. Revisit your essential requirements after several viewings so you can recognise a suitable property without feeling pressured by the first appealing one.
Choose a lawyer early, before the offer deadline. Send the property documents and proposed agreement through with enough time for advice. Build your offer around funding you can access, checks you still need and a settlement date you can manage. The steps above apply to first-home purchases too, including the distinction between the contract deposit and your overall contribution.
Use the enquiry form below to contact Ray White Burnside. Include the listing address if your question relates to a particular home, or tell us what you are looking for. For auction registration or a time-sensitive viewing, call 03 359 0384 and ask for the listing salesperson.
Use our Buying and Selling guide to connect the two transactions with one calendar, a money timeline and a fallback for the move. Discuss the plan with your salesperson, lawyer and lender before making commitments.