Fixed Rate Mortgage A fixed rate gives you complete certainty by keeping your interest rate and repayment amounts exactly the same for a set period. However, if you decide to pay the loan off early or sell your property during this time, you may have to pay break fees.

Floating Mortgage A floating or variable rate offers maximum flexibility, allowing you to make extra repayments and pay off your loan faster without penalty. The interest rate moves up and down over time, usually in response to changes in the Official Cash Rate (OCR).

Revolving Credit This acts like a large overdraft attached to your everyday transaction account, where interest is only charged on the balance you owe. It is a great way to lower your interest costs by keeping your savings in your account, while still giving you instant access to your funds.

Offset Mortgage An offset mortgage links your loan to multiple everyday savings and transaction accounts, subtracting their combined balances from your debt so you only pay interest on the difference. This allows you to save on interest while keeping your various savings goals clearly separated.

Interest-Only Mortgage With this option, your payments only cover the interest on the loan for a set period (usually up to 5 years), meaning your principal balance stays the same. It keeps your short-term costs lower, but you generally need a 20% to 30% deposit or equity position to qualify.

You can generally choose to make your loan payments weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, depending on what your bank offers.

Tip: We highly recommend aligning your mortgage payments with your payday. Matching your repayment frequency to your income cycle keeps budgeting simple and can even help reduce your overall interest costs over time.

A pre-approval is a formal indication from a lender stating how much they are willing to let you borrow, subject to a few final conditions (like a property valuation, insurance quote, or further verification of your deposit). It gives you a clear budget so you can shop with confidence, and it positions you as a serious buyer when making an offer. It is free to get!

How long does it last? Pre-approvals are typically valid for 3 months. If you haven't found a property in that time, we can usually arrange an extension for you.

A Mortgage Adviser (also known as a mortgage broker) acts as an intermediary between you and potential lenders to find the right home loan for your situation.

Instead of you going bank to bank, we do the heavy lifting for you. We help you calculate your borrowing capacity, negotiate competitive interest rates, structure your loan to pay it off faster, and guide you through the entire application process from pre-approval to settlement. Best of all, our service is typically free to you, as we are compensated by the lenders.

When buying a property in NZ, you should budget for a few essential upfront costs. These typically include solicitor/legal fees ($1500-$3500), a registered valuation ($1000) (if required by the bank), and a building inspection report ($700), Having a buffer of $4,000 is a safe bet to cover these expenses.

If you need to borrow more than 80% of your new home’s purchase price, banks will typically add a small surcharge -known as a low equity margin to your interest rate. This margin usually ranges from 0.25% to 0.35% for loans between 80%–85% LVR, and can climb to around 0.75% if you are borrowing between 85%–90% LVR.

How do I get rid of it?

Build Equity: The margin stays on your loan until you’ve paid down enough principal, or your property's value increases through renovations or market gaines, bringing your total loan below 80% of the property's value.

Watch the Timing: With most lenders, you can only request to remove the margin once your current fixed rate term expires. Breaking your fixed term early to remove it could trigger early repayment fees.

Looking at a New Build? Depending on the lender, you might be eligible for a better offer or a waived margin if you are buying a brand-new property.