Your First Home Purchase with NZ Legal

Buying your first home is one of the most exciting things you will ever do - and one of the most overwhelming. The offers, the open homes, the finance approval, the conditions, the waiting. The legal side does not need to add to that.

We have walked hundreds of first home buyers through this process. We know the questions you have before you know to ask them. Tell us about the property you are looking at and we will take it from there.

This is new territory - and that is okay

Most first home buyers have never signed a sale and purchase agreement, never seen a LIM report, and have never heard of a Record of Title. That is completely normal. We do not expect you to know any of this.

What we do:

• Walk you through everything in plain English. No jargon, no assumptions. If you want to know why we are doing something, we will explain it.
• Keep you informed before you have to ask. We tell you what is happening at each stage - you should never be waiting and wondering.
• Answer the same question as many times as you need. This is your biggest financial decision. You should feel completely confident at every step.
• Tailor the conditions to your situation. The standard agreement off the agent’s desk is written to close the deal, not to protect you. We customise the conditions - finance clause wording, due diligence period, deposit timing, settlement date - to fit your specific circumstances.

KiwiSaver first home withdrawal

For most first home buyers, KiwiSaver is part of the deposit or settlement funds. We manage the entire process so you do not have to deal with it separately.

• Eligibility check. We confirm you meet the withdrawal requirements with your provider - minimum three years of contributions, intended owner-occupier use, and any conditions specific to your scheme.
• Application timing. When you’re using KiwiSaver toward your deposit, we can submit the withdrawal application as soon as the agreement is signed. When KiwiSaver is being used at settlement, we lodge the application once the agreement goes unconditional. Either way, providers need advance notice and we start the process as early as possible so the funds arrive when you need them.
• Coordination with your bank. We liaise with your lending bank directly so that everything goes smoothly on settlement day.

Our service covers

Due diligence

Once you are under contract, we carry out thorough due diligence before you go unconditional:

LIM Report

We order and review the Land Information Memorandum in full - building consents, code-compliance certificates, drainage records, outstanding notices, and help you identify any work done without consent. We tell you what matters and what does not.

Record of Title

We examine the Record of Title for every registered interest - easements, covenants, consent notices, mortgages, and any other encumbrances that could affect your ownership or create a problem when you go to sell.

Natural Hazards

We review the natural hazard information in the LIM and check for flood overlays, coastal hazard zones, liquefaction risk, and any notified hazards. If a hazard is present, we advise on what it means for insurance, lending, and future resale.

Agreement Review and Negotiation

We review the sale and purchase agreement before you sign at no charge and recommend conditions tailored to your circumstances - finance, LIM, builder’s report, due diligence period, deposit timing. If any issues arise during due diligence, we negotiate directly with the vendor’s lawyer on your behalf.

Body Corporate Documents (If Unit Title Property)

If you are buying a unit title property, we review the body corporate pre-contract disclosure statement, minutes, financial statements, and levies schedule. We advise on the maintenance fund position, any upcoming special levies, and obligations that transfer to you on purchase.

Builder’s Report

We recommend all first home buyers obtain an independent building inspection from a qualified building inspector. Advising on the physical condition of the building falls outside the scope of legal services - your building inspector will guide you on that. Where the report identifies something that requires a legal response (exercising a due diligence condition, negotiating a price adjustment, or requiring a remedy before settlement), we handle that part.

Completing the purchase

• All legal documentation. We prepare the transfer and mortgage documents, calculate settlement figures including rates and water apportionments, and make sure everything is in order for settlement day.
• We handle every conversation. Vendor’s lawyer, your bank, the real estate agent, your KiwiSaver provider - we deal with all of them directly. You get updates from us, not a chain of separate phone calls.
• Settlement day. Transfer registered at LINZ, keys handed over. We confirm everything has gone through and report back with your registered title and a full record of funds movement.

Process and timeline

This is how a typical first home purchase works with us.

A standard first home purchase settles four to six weeks after the agreement is signed. We tell you the realistic timeframe for your matter at the outset.

What it costs

Fixed-fee estimate in writing, within two business hours of you telling us about the property.

Where we act

We act for first home buyers across New Zealand. Our team handles matters in Auckland (including the North Shore, West Auckland, Central, East Auckland, and South Auckland), Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga, Queenstown, and the regions. Everything can be done remotely - identity verification is digital and documents are signed online.

Ready to buy your first home?

Whether you are at open homes every weekend, have just made an offer, or are already under contract - tell us about the property and we will take it from there.

Fixed-fee estimate in writing within two business hours.

Insights

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