Owning a home has long been on Natasha Covic’s mind. She’s been squirrelling money away for the last five years as she didn’t want to spend her life paying off someone else’s mortgage. But as house prices rose that dream seemed less attainable – until a friend suggested she investigate one of Kāinga Ora’s homeownership products.

“I’ve always wanted to own a home,” says Natasha, who works as a radiologist. “I’ve been saving towards that goal for a long time, but the market was just getting more and more expensive, so I had given up temporarily, as it seemed impossible.” That’s when a friend showed her the KiwiBuild website. 

“I’d never really considered it, as I didn’t think I’d be eligible, and I thought the chances would be so small of actually winning the ballot. I was so wrong,” Natasha laughs. She decided to try her luck, getting her application in the day before the ballot closed, and is now the proud owner of a three-bedroom house in Ōwairaka. 

“I still can’t really believe it,” she says. “I’m so grateful. The criteria was different to what I expected. For me as a single person with no dependents, buying my first home, I had to be earning less than $120,000 before tax a year. I think lots of people don’t realise they qualify.” 

The house is being built by Neilston Homes in Roskill Development’s Ōwairaka neighbourhood. “It’s just patches of levelled dirt right now, but I should be able to move in, in 12 months’ time, so it’s not long.” 

Natasha is excited about finally being on track to move into her own home. Having rented for years she’s lived in many places she describes as ‘far from healthy’. She is looking forward to a new, warm, dry house close to a dog park, cafes and lovely walks. 

“The fact that it’s a new build is great,” she says. “I think so many people are stretching themselves to afford a mortgage and then having to deal with renovations, repairs or leaky homes on top of that. Knowing I won’t have to spend more money to make it liveable is a huge relief. I also love the fact that it’s in a mixed housing area and that there will be lots of different types of people from different backgrounds. I grew up knowing my neighbours and really want to be part of that neighbourhood environment again. I hope one day to have my own children and that they are able to play with other kids who live nearby.” 

Her advice to anyone trying to get on the property ladder? “Don’t give up. There are more opportunities than you realise, be it KiwiBuild, First Home Grant or whatever. I don’t think I would have been able to do it without KiwiBuild and I think lots of people don’t really understand the mechanisms that are out there to help them become a homeowner. Keep saving that deposit – for me that meant eating less UberEats – and look into what might be available to you.”

Kāinga Ora offers several products to give you a helping hand into homeownership. Find out which homeownership products could be right for you.