As of 22 May 2024, the Government has decided to discontinue the First Home Grant scheme.  Accordingly, Kāinga Ora will no longer be accepting any new applications.  However, if you submitted your application for a First Home Grant prior to 22 May 2024, your application will continue to be processed and once approved will be honoured for a further period of six months.  If you have already received approval or pre-approval these will also be honoured for a further period of six months.  

On 22 May 2022, the house price caps for both the First Home Grant and First Home Loan were increased to help more eligible buyers purchase a Kiwibuild Home. House price caps set the maximum price for both new and existing homes that are eligible for a First Home Grant.

The increases apply to all new builds outside of Auckland, Queenstown, Greater Wellington, Greater Christchurch, Hamilton, Greater Tauranga, and Nelson-Tasman. These new price caps are set as follows: 

Region

Existing/older properties

New properties

Auckland

$875,000

$875,000

Central Hawkes Bay, Southland, Mackenzie

$500,000

$500,000

Central Otago

$525,000

$800,000

Christchurch Urban Area (Waimakariri District, Christchurch City, Selwyn District

$550,000

$750,000

Dunedin City

$500,000

$675,000

Gisborne

$450,000

$500,000

Hamilton Urban Area (Hamilton City, Waipa District, Waikato District)

$650,000

$725,000

Hauraki, Manawatū, Rotorua,

$525,000

$525,000

Horowhenua

$525,000

$650,000

Kaikōura

$700,000

$700,000

Kaipara

$525,000

$875,000

Kawerau, Matamate-Piako,

$625,000

$625,000

Marlborough

$550,000

$575,000

Napier-Hastings District

$625,000

$825,000

Nelson-Tasman (Nelson City, Tasman District)

$650,000

$875,000

New Plymouth

$525,000

$675,000

Queenstown-Lakes District

$875,000

$925,000

Tauranga Urban Area (Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty

District)

$800,000

$875,000

Taupō

$575,000

$575,000

Wairarapa

$575,000

$800,000

Wellington Urban Area (Kāpiti Coast District, Porirua City,

Upper Hutt City, Hutt City, Wellington City)

$750,000

$925,000

Whanganui, Hurunui

$425,000

$500,000

Rest of New Zealand

$400,000

$500,000

First Home Grant 

The First Home Grant is a Government grant for up to $10,000 for a new home/land and $5,000 for an existing home which eligible buyers can put towards their deposit.  To find out more, and see whether you might be eligible, click here.

First Home Loan

The First Home loan are issued by selected banks and other lenders, and underwritten by Kāinga Ora. This loan is designed to help buyers who can cover the costs of repaying a mortgage but are having trouble getting a big enough deposit together.  To find out more, and see whether you might be eligible, click here

For more information about KiwiBuild, visit https://www.kiwibuild.govt.nz/