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Wow you're looking at buying your own house? It's a huge step with lots of complex things and plenty of people are ready to help. 

The biggest benefit of owning your own home is the freedom, it's really exciting. You're no longer limited by what your landlord or caregivers want.

You can make sure the doors are the right width, install rails, customise your kitchen to work best for you and more. But, with great power comes great responsibilities and owning a home, is definitely a responsibility. 

The top things to think about

  1. How much can you afford to spend (and can you get the house you want to live in for that?)
  2. Would you want to live with others and if so, can you share home ownership expenses? (read more about living with others in our article on renting or finding a flatmate)
  3. How long do you plan to live in the house for? This will help you narrow down your search requirements. 

Who you'll need on your team

  1. A property lawyer - They'll be the one who helps you make the purchase and sale. They'll work with the person you're buying froms lawyer and give you lots of advice. 
  2. A mortgage broker or bank mortgage manager - Assuming you're not buying the house with all your own savings, you'll need to talk to a bank to borrow money. A mortgage broker looks at all the banks to bring you recommendations. A bank mortgage manager will only be able to offer you what that bank has to offer, but they will know a lot about that specific bank. 
  3. A real estate agent - You might run into one you really like at an open home or it might be the one which the house you're interested in has chosen. The real estate agent works for the property seller so make sure you remember that. But they do know lots about buying houses which they could be happy to share. 

Things you might like to do if you find a home you love

  1. Get a builders report - you really want to make sure you're not buying a 'lemon' (something that looks good but is really sour in the inside). Builders reports can be expensive but they can save you money down the road on repairs or new rooves etc. The seller may provide one themselves, people still can choose to ask their own builder to do one though. 
  2. Ask for the LIM report - This is the Land Information report from the council which will tell you more about the history of the property. Including slips, water main issues and more. It's useful to help you understand the potential future risks that may not be directly related to the build quality of the house. 
  3. Chat to the neighbours - it might feel a bit weird, and definitely a challenge for the introverted of us. If you spot the neighbours around during the open home or know someone who lives nearby, have a chat. Cars backfiring, dogs barking, children screaming - some neighbours can make or break whether you enjoy living there. 

There's a lot more involved to buying a home. Fortunately our friends at Care Matters have put together a whole guide to owning a home, specifically to support our disability community.

Guide to owning a home of your own (external link)

Already bought or wondering how to make modifications to a home you're interested in? You could seek funding from Government or support organisations. 

Find out what funding you might be eligible for to get modifications to your home on this page. 

Check out this list from equipment and modifications provider Enable New Zealand of people they trust to do housing modifications in Aotearoa.  (external link)

Visit the retailers section to find stores around New Zealand who sell minor home modification equipment you can purchase yourself. 

Last updated on Monday, 26 August 2024

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