Woodend, Ravenswood & Pegasus
Mortgage broker for Woodend and Pegasus
Two of the busiest growth areas north of the Waimakariri, and most of what sells here is new. 20+ lenders compared, no client fees.
Buying in Woodend, Ravenswood or Pegasus
About 25 kilometres north of central Christchurch, Woodend and Pegasus have changed more in the last decade than almost anywhere in Canterbury. Ravenswood, on the edge of Woodend, has grown from paddocks into a full community with its own shops and a retirement village. Pegasus is a planned town built around its lake. Waimakariri adopted its new District Plan in 2025, which opens up more land for housing across the district, so there is more to come.
That means a lot of the lending here is new build lending: house-and-land packages, fixed price contracts, or a section bought now with a build to follow. Construction loans release money in stages, and the builder's payment schedule and the bank's rarely match on their own. We set the structure up at the start so the money is there when each progress payment is due.
Why new builds can be easier to finance
A new build is often the most affordable way into your own home here. Many lenders accept a smaller deposit on a new build than on an existing home, and new builds are exempt from the Reserve Bank's debt-to-income limits. For a first home buyer that combination, plus a KiwiSaver withdrawal, can bring buying forward sooner than you might expect.
Check the land before you commit
Pegasus sits close to the coast on low-lying land. The council sets minimum ground levels for new lots there, and its proposed district plan maps liquefaction and flood risk across the district. None of that stops you buying, but your lawyer should read the LIM, and it is worth checking the address on Canterbury Maps before you go unconditional. Lenders and insurers will ask.
Downsizing to the area
Plenty of buyers here are moving out of a bigger Christchurch home into something newer and easier to look after. If you are buying before you sell, we can arrange bridging finance so you are not forced to accept the first offer on your old place.
Where we are
Our office is at 3/24 Dublin Street in Christchurch, straight down the northern motorway. Come in and see us, or do the whole thing by phone and email. Journey Mortgages holds a 5.0 rating from 69 Google reviews and Alex Toohey is a Top 25 New Zealand Mortgage Adviser.
- Most common here
- House-and-land packages and new builds
- Worth checking
- Ground levels, flood and liquefaction maps, the LIM
- Also common
- Downsizers buying before they sell
- Cost to you
- No client fees, the lender pays us
Across Canterbury
Other areas we work in
We're based in Christchurch and work with clients right across Canterbury and the rest of New Zealand.
No cost · No obligation
Free 30 min chat about your Woodend or Pegasus purchase
Tell us what you're looking at below, including whether it's a new build. Journey Mortgages will be in touch within 24 business hours.
- A straight answer on what you can borrow
- 20+ banks and lenders compared for you
- No fees to you on home and investment loans
- A reply within 24 business hours
★★★★★ 69 five-star Google reviews · 20+ lenders compared · Top 25 NZ Mortgage Adviser