Doing the sums
Maths may not have been your favorite subject at school. In fact you might have hated it nearly as much as science. But it you ARE serious about getting into your first home (or second or third...) you've got to crunch the numbers. After all, you can't go returning a house the same way you do a pair of jeans, if things don't work out.
Finding a home
You could easily end up spending the rest of your life doing research. But sooner or later you've got to put all that theory into practice and look for your very own 'quarter acre paradise'. If it all seems too daunting remember, millions of home owners have walked in your shoes before. And they all got through it somehow.
Buying a home
You're keen on a house and seriously thinking about buying it. Now comes the scary part, right? What if someone tries to rip me off? How will I keep up with the mortgage repayments? Well, as long as you know where to go, who to talk to and the right questions to ask, there's really nothing you can't handle.
Investing in property
Mingle at enough parties these days and you're bound to hear someone raving about negative gearing or loss attributing companies. As boring as that conversation may be, property investment is an increasingly attractive proposition for many Kiwis spurred on by the prospect of capital gains and a favourable tax system.
Building & renovating
Watching those home project shows on telly can make building and renovation look like a piece of cake. Oh, if only that was always the case! Still, it's worth the effort to get exactly what you want.
Selling a home
When it's time to go, it's time to go. You know it. Even the dog knows it. The trick is to sell your existing house for more than the one you want to buy, without trading down. This requires either plenty of luck of plenty of preparation.
