First home buyers Hawke's Bay
First home buyers Hawke's Bay: a local guide
Napier's art deco centre, Hastings and Havelock North each have a feel of their own, with Te Mata Peak and the coast close by, and the first home buyers Hawke's Bay sees each year have a lot of choice between them. 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 Hawke's Bay?
Whether it's a first home in Taradale or Flaxmere, a townhouse in Marewa or something near the water at Westshore, 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.
Hawke's Bay at a glance
A few things worth knowing about Napier and Hastings, whether you've grown up here or you're thinking about the move.
- 3 February 1931. The Hawke's Bay earthquake struck on the morning of Tuesday 3 February 1931. Napier City Council gives it as 7.9 on the Richter scale, with 256 people killed and most of Napier's commercial centre destroyed by fire.
- New land. Some areas were raised by about 2.4 metres, and about 4,000 hectares of seabed became dry land.
- The newest city on the globe. Napier was rebuilt in the styles of the era, and by the end of the 1930s it was described as the newest city on the globe.
- Art deco. Napier's art deco buildings include Māori motifs and works by Louis Hay, an admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright. The Art Deco Trust was formed in February 1985.
- Ahuriri. The Crown bought the Ahuriri block in 1851, and Ahuriri is still the name of Napier's inner harbour and estuary.
- Napier's natural areas. Napier City Council lists Mataruahou (Bluff Hill) Walk, Westshore Beach and the Ahuriri Estuary among them, alongside the region's museum and the National Aquarium of New Zealand.
- Heretaunga. Hastings District Council uses the Māori name Heretaunga for its district, which includes Havelock North, Flaxmere, Clive, Haumoana, Te Awanga and Waimārama.
- Te Mata Peak. It's one of the reserves the council lists, along with Cornwall Park, Keirunga Gardens and Maraetotara Falls, and the council lists 23 marae across the district.
What's Hawke's Bay like as a place to live?
Napier looks out over the bay, with Bluff Hill, Westshore Beach and the Ahuriri Estuary among its natural areas, and some of the flat land around the city was seabed before the 1931 earthquake lifted it. The rebuilt centre has kept its art deco look.
Hastings is the district's other main centre, with Havelock North, Flaxmere and the coastal villages of Clive, Haumoana and Te Awanga each close by. Napier and Hastings are separate councils, so a LIM, rates and building records come from whichever council covers the address.
Buying your first home in Hawke's Bay
Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023 changed how some Hawke's Bay land is viewed. The Hawke's Bay Regional Council classified flood-affected land, and by October 2023 it confirmed 265 Hastings District properties as Category 3, land where living is no longer considered safe because of a risk to life from future flooding that can't be mitigated. Hastings District Council notes that building or major consent applications on Category 3 land are likely to face significant hurdles, and that insurers may cancel or refuse to renew policies, so it's worth checking a property's category before you make an offer.
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.
If you're looking at an older home in Napier, including one from the rebuild after 1931, a builder's report is worth getting before you commit, and the LIM from Napier City Council or Hastings District Council is where hazards and past building work tend to show up.
Lenders can treat a new build a little differently from an existing home, and a deposit of around 10% can sometimes be enough for one. If you're looking at a newer area of Napier or Hastings, it's worth mentioning when you start the check.
Prices move from month to month, so for up-to-date values around Napier and Hastings, Cotality's Home Value Index is a good place to look.
Hawke's Bay suburbs
You can start a check from anywhere in Napier or Hastings, from Bay View and Ahuriri down to Havelock North and the coast at Clive and Haumoana.
Napier
- Ahuriri
- Bluff Hill
- Westshore
- Marewa
- Onekawa
- Taradale
- Greenmeadows
- Maraenui
- Tamatea
Hastings and Havelock North
- Havelock North
- Flaxmere
- Mayfair
- Akina
- Parkvale
- Camberley
- Raureka
- Frimley
The coast
- Bay View
- Clive
- Haumoana
- Te Awanga
- Waimārama
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 Hawke's Bay 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 Hawke's Bay?
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.
How do I find out whether a property was affected by Cyclone Gabrielle?
Start with the LIM from Napier City Council or Hastings District Council, and ask about the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's land categories, which classified flood-affected land after the cyclone. Hastings District Council notes that Category 3 land, where living is no longer considered safe because of flood risk, is likely to be hard to build on and may be hard to insure.
Which council do I deal with, Napier or Hastings?
It depends on the address. Napier City Council covers Napier and Taradale, and Hastings District Council covers Hastings, Havelock North, Flaxmere and the coast out to Clive, Haumoana and Te Awanga. The check works the same either way.
Is a new build in Hawke's Bay treated differently?
It can be. New builds are treated a little differently by many lenders, a smaller deposit can sometimes apply, and a build contract is usually paid out in stages, so it's worth mentioning when you start the check.
Can I enquire from anywhere in Hawke's Bay?
Yes, from Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or any other part of Hawke's Bay.
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 29 October 2026. Sources: Napier City Council: Art Deco Capital; Hawke's Bay Tourism: history of Napier; Napier City Council; Hastings District Council; Kāinga Ora: First Home Loan; Inland Revenue: KiwiSaver for your first home; Hastings District Council: Category 3 buy-out programme.
This page is general information, not advice. Online Mortgages is a referral service, not a lender or adviser.