Our Kāinga Ora partnership.

We’re all about helping First Home Buyers
like you. That’s why we’re partnering with
Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, the
government agency that helps everyday
Kiwis get into their first home.

The Kāinga Ora First Home Loan.

There’s no better feeling than getting the keys to your very first home. You can make your mark and fulfil your dreams for the future. SBS Bank is a First Home Loan lender. The First Home Loan, supported by Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities is an initiative to make access to home ownership even easier for everyday New Zealanders.

We also have some great home loan options for our standard residential lending if you don't qualify for the Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities assistance so give the team a call and we can start talking about getting you into your first home. For more general background information on how residential home loans work, please visit our residential lending page.

First Home Loan features

You can borrow up to 95% of property value – that means a deposit of only 5%.
To be eligible you must have maximum total income of:
- $95,000 for individuals without dependents,
- $150,000 for individuals with dependents, or
- $150,000 for joint borrowers (two or more).

This type of loan is for owner-occupied homes only.
This needs to be the only property you own.
This type of loan does not offer a revolving credit facility, overdraft or interest only options.
0.50% FHL Premium Fee Applies.
House price caps no longer apply to First Home Loans

The Kāinga Ora First Home Grant.

Need some help getting a deposit together? If you’re a first-time home buyer, or a previous home owner and you’ve been making regular KiwiSaver contributions for at least three years, you may be eligible for a First Home Grant of up to $10,000 through Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities.

You can apply for either:

A pre-approval before you start looking for a property to buy. This gives you certainty around eligibility and how much you may qualify for.
A grant approval if you’ve found a property and have a signed sale and purchase agreement.

If you buy an existing home

If you buy an existing home, you can get $1,000 for each of the three (or more) years you've paid into the scheme. The most you can get is $5,000 for five or more years.

If you buy a new home or land

If you buy a new home or land to build on, you can get $2,000 for each of the three (or more) years you've paid into the scheme. The most you can get is $10,000 for five or more years.

SKIP to the front of the line.

SBS SKIP is a mobile experience to help aspiring first home buyers prepare to get on the property ladder. It can estimate your eligibility for the First Home Loan and First Home Grant schemes so you can see the impact on your first home goal.

Get started

Our customers are our owners.
No surprise we like to keep them happy.

Thank you SBS Bank we were so privileged to work with you and your amazing local
team purchasing our first home. A great lending experience.
– Paris, First Home Buyer

Important information about home loans.

See all of our current interest rates for First Home Loans. First Home Loan lending and eligibility criteria apply. Our Standard Contract Terms and any applicable credit fees and charges that also apply are available online, from any branch of SBS Bank, or by calling us on 0800 727 2265. The information on this page does not take into account your individual circumstances and is not personalised financial advice. You should seek financial advice before you make any decision to open an account.