First home buyers Christchurch
First home buyers Christchurch: a local guide
Ōtautahi is a flat, green city on the Ōtākaro Avon River with the Port Hills rising to the south, and it has plenty of choice for the first home buyers Christchurch sees each year. Here's a local guide, and a simple way to have a home loan specialist get in touch.
What can you talk through with a home loan specialist in Christchurch?
Whether it's a townhouse in Riccarton, a bungalow in Shirley or a newer home out in Halswell, the questions tend to be similar. How much deposit you'll need, whether a First Home Loan or your KiwiSaver can help, and how a lender looks at your income all come into it, and the answers can differ from one lender to the next.
Answer a few quick questions in our readiness check and we'll pass them to one home loan specialist, who can get in touch, usually within one working day, to talk it through with you.
It takes about 90 seconds, then we put you in touch with someone who can talk through your options, and there's no credit check to enquire.
Christchurch at a glance
A few things worth knowing about the city, whether you've grown up here or you're thinking about the move.
- Ōtautahi. The city's Māori name comes from the pā of Tautahi, which stood on the banks of the Avon River, Ōtākaro.
- Within the four avenues. Moorhouse, Fitzgerald, Bealey and Rolleston avenues frame the inner city.
- Hagley Park. The big park sits beside the inner city, and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens lie within a loop of the Avon next to it.
- The Port Hills. They're the remnant rim of the Lyttelton volcano, with a rail tunnel through to Lyttelton since 1867 and a road tunnel since 1964.
- Antarctic gateway. Christchurch is one of only five Antarctic gateway cities, and Antarctica New Zealand is based by the airport.
- A university since 1873. The University of Canterbury began as Canterbury College, New Zealand's second university, and is now at Ilam.
- Riccarton Bush. The only surviving remnant of the swamp forest that once grew on the Canterbury Plains.
What's Christchurch like as a place to live?
Christchurch was built on the first big stretch of dry land above the mouth of the Avon, and the suburbs spread out across the flat in every direction, from the Port Hills and Sumner in the south-east to New Brighton on Pegasus Bay and Belfast in the north.
The earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011 changed the city a great deal, and much of the centre inside the four avenues has been rebuilt since.
Buying your first home in Christchurch
First home buyers made up about 26% to 27% of Christchurch purchases so far in 2026, according to the Cotality-Westpac First Home Buyer Report published in May. Standalone houses make up a smaller share of first home purchases in Christchurch than in Hamilton, Tauranga or Dunedin, at around 65% to 70%, which the report puts down to a more diverse range of stock.
Most lenders look for a 20% deposit, but the Kāinga Ora First Home Loan lets eligible buyers start from 5%, and once you've been in KiwiSaver for 3 years you may be able to withdraw most of your savings towards your first home.
After the earthquakes, residential land on the flat was given a technical category, TC1, TC2 or TC3, based on how it might perform in a future quake, and that can affect the foundations a home needs. It's worth checking a property's technical category before you make an offer.
Prices move from month to month, so for up-to-date values across Christchurch, Cotality's Home Value Index is a good place to look.
Christchurch suburbs
You can start a check from anywhere in Christchurch City, from Belfast and Papanui to Halswell, Hornby and New Brighton.
North
- Belfast
- Northwood
- Casebrook
- Papanui
- Bishopdale
- Redwood
West
- Riccarton
- Ilam
- Fendalton
- Hornby
- Wigram
- Halswell
East
- Shirley
- Linwood
- Burwood
- Parklands
- New Brighton
- Aranui
South and the hills
- Sydenham
- Spreydon
- Beckenham
- Cashmere
- Heathcote
- Sumner
What happens after you tap send
Three short steps. You stay in charge the whole way.
Common questions
Can I buy my first home in Christchurch with a 5% deposit?
You may be able to with a Kāinga Ora First Home Loan, which has income and other criteria and works the same way anywhere in New Zealand. Without one, most lenders look for 20%, and each lender has its own rules.
Can I use my KiwiSaver to buy in Christchurch?
If you've been in KiwiSaver for at least 3 years, you may be able to withdraw your savings for your first home, leaving a small balance in the account, and put it towards your deposit.
What's a technical category in Christchurch?
After the Canterbury earthquakes, residential land on the flat was put into TC1, TC2 or TC3 depending on the chance of liquefaction damage in a future quake. TC3 land generally needs a site-specific geotechnical check and engineered foundations for a new build or major repair, so it's worth looking up before you buy.
Can I enquire from anywhere in Christchurch?
Yes, from any suburb in Christchurch City, from Belfast in the north to Halswell in the south-west and Sumner on the coast.
What happens after I start the check?
We pass your answers to one home loan specialist, who can get in touch, usually within one working day. There's no obligation and no credit check to enquire, and Online Mortgages is a referral service, not a lender or adviser.
Related reading
Facts checked 24 October 2026. Sources: Te Ara: Central Christchurch; Te Ara: Port Hills; Antarctica New Zealand: about us; University of Canterbury: our history; Te Ara: North and west Christchurch; Cotality-Westpac First Home Buyer Report, May 2026; Kāinga Ora: First Home Loan; Inland Revenue: KiwiSaver for your first home; MBIE Building Performance: technical categories.
This page is general information, not advice. Online Mortgages is a referral service, not a lender or adviser.