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First Home Grant Calculator

The First Home Grant was discontinued on 22 May 2024 (Budget 2024) and is no longer available. This calculator illustrates the old eligibility rules and grant amounts ($5,000 existing / $10,000 new build) for historical reference. For a current first home, use the KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal.

By Konstantin IakovlevPublished 28 March 2026Last reviewed
Data stays on your deviceNZ property data

About this calculator

This calculator implements First Home Grant — discontinued 22 May 2024 from Kāinga Ora. Last consulted 15 March 2026. Verify the figures yourself by following the link.

First Home Grant — DISCONTINUED

Scrapped 22 May 2024 (no longer available)
  • •Status: DISCONTINUED — no new applications
  • •Historical: existing home grant: $5,000 per applicant
  • •Historical: new build grant: $10,000 per applicant
  • •Use instead: KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal
  • •First Home Loan (5% deposit): Still available via Kāinga Ora

Source: Kāinga Ora

Disclaimer

This calculator provides estimates for general information purposes only. Results should not be relied upon as professional financial, tax, or legal advice. Tax rates and thresholds are based on publicly available IRD data and may change. Always consult a qualified tax agent or financial adviser for advice specific to your circumstances.

First Home Grant (DISCONTINUED 22 May 2024)

The First Home Grant was scrapped on 22 May 2024. This calculator is kept for historical reference. Use the KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal calculator instead.

  1. 1

    Historical grant amounts

    Existing home: $5k per applicant · New build: $10k per applicant

    Max $10k existing or $20k new build for couples.

  2. 2

    Historical eligibility

    Required: 3+ years KS, income ≤$95k single/$150k couple, price caps by region

    Auckland $875k, Wellington $750k.

  3. 3

    Current alternative

    Use KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal (still available)

    All KS funds except $1,000 still available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the First Home Grant still available in NZ?
No. The Kāinga Ora First Home Grant was discontinued in Budget 2024. The Government announced on 22 May 2024 that the scheme would close, and Kāinga Ora stopped accepting new applications from 1pm that day. No grants are paid for purchases entered into after that date. Applications already submitted before 22 May 2024, and pre-approvals issued before then, were still honoured (a pre-approval stayed valid for six months from its approval date). If you are buying a first home now, you can still use a KiwiSaver first home withdrawal (no income test) and the Kāinga Ora First Home Loan (5% deposit) — both remain available. This calculator is kept for historical reference and to illustrate the old eligibility rules. Source: Kāinga Ora / Budget 2024 (22 May 2024).
How much was the First Home Grant in NZ?
Before it closed on 22 May 2024, the Kāinga Ora First Home Grant provided up to $5,000 for the purchase of an existing home or up to $10,000 for a new build. The grant was calculated at $1,000 per year of KiwiSaver contributions, so: 3 years = $3,000 (existing) or $6,000 (new build); 4 years = $4,000 or $8,000; 5+ years = the maximum $5,000 or $10,000. Where both partners in a couple were eligible first home buyers, both could apply, so a couple buying a new build who had each contributed to KiwiSaver for 5+ years could receive a combined grant of up to $20,000. The grant was paid directly to the buyer's solicitor/conveyancer at settlement and did not have to be repaid, provided the buyer lived in the home as their primary residence for at least 6 months after purchase. The grant is no longer available — these amounts are shown for historical reference only. Source: Kāinga Ora — First Home Grant (kaingaora.govt.nz).
What were the income caps for the First Home Grant?
While it was open (until 22 May 2024), to be eligible for the Kāinga Ora First Home Grant your income had to be within the prescribed limits: $95,000 gross annual income for a single applicant, or a combined $150,000 for two or more buyers purchasing together. These caps applied to the income earned in the 12 months before the date of application. Income included wages, salary, self-employment income, and most regular taxable income. If your income exceeded these caps, you could still use your KiwiSaver balance for a first home withdrawal (which has no income test), but you did not qualify for the grant. The grant has since been discontinued — these thresholds are shown for historical reference only, but the KiwiSaver first home withdrawal remains available with no income test. Source: Kāinga Ora — First Home Grant Eligibility (kaingaora.govt.nz).
What were the house price caps by region for the First Home Grant?
While the grant was open (until 22 May 2024) it had regional house price caps that determined the maximum purchase price of an eligible home. The caps for new builds were higher than for existing homes and varied by region. Key caps included: Auckland, Wellington City, Queenstown-Lakes District — $875,000 new build, $650,000 existing; Hamilton, Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty, Kapiti Coast, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Porirua, Nelson, Tasman, Waikato — $800,000 new build, $600,000 existing; most other regions — $650,000 new build, $500,000 existing. The property had to be in New Zealand and the first residential property you had owned. The grant has been discontinued, so these caps no longer apply to any new purchase — they are shown for historical reference only. Source: Kāinga Ora — House Price Caps (kaingaora.govt.nz).
Can I still combine the First Home Grant with my KiwiSaver withdrawal?
No — the First Home Grant was discontinued on 22 May 2024, so it can no longer be combined with anything. While it was available, the Kāinga Ora First Home Grant and the KiwiSaver first home withdrawal were two entirely separate schemes that could be used together for the same purchase, with the grant adding to the deposit on top of the KiwiSaver withdrawal. The KiwiSaver first home withdrawal is still available: it lets you bring your own accumulated savings (all contributions and returns minus $1,000) to the purchase, and it has no income or house-price cap. It is processed by your KiwiSaver provider. The Kāinga Ora First Home Loan (5% deposit) also remains available. For a current first home, use the KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal calculator instead of this one. Source: Kāinga Ora / Budget 2024 (kaingaora.govt.nz).

⚠️ Discontinued: The First Home Grant was scrapped in Budget 2024. Kāinga Ora stopped accepting new applications from 1pm on 22 May 2024, and no grants are paid for purchases entered into after that date. The grant previously gave eligible first home buyers $5,000 (existing homes) or $10,000 (new builds) per applicant toward their deposit, after at least 3 years of KiwiSaver contributions. This calculator is kept for historical reference and to illustrate the old eligibility rules — if you are buying now, use the KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal and First Home Loan, which are still available.

How this calculator works

Important: the First Home Grant is no longer available — it closed to new applications on 22 May 2024 (Budget 2024). The figures below describe how the grant worked before it was discontinued. Historically: grant amount = $5,000 per applicant (existing home) or $10,000 (new build), so two eligible applicants could receive double. Applicants had to be a KiwiSaver member for 3+ years, with annual income under $95,000 (single) or $150,000 (combined), buying a property priced under the regional cap. Applications submitted before 22 May 2024, and pre-approvals issued before then, were still honoured by Kāinga Ora (valid for six months from approval).

First Home Grant — Historical Eligibility & Amounts (scheme closed 22 May 2024)

StatusDISCONTINUED — closed to new applications from 22 May 2024 (Budget 2024)
Grant – existing home$5,000 per applicant (historical)
Grant – new build$10,000 per applicant (historical)
KiwiSaver membership minimum3 years of contributions
Income cap – single applicant$95,000 gross per year
Income cap – combined applicants$150,000 gross per year
Price cap – Auckland (existing)$875,000
Price cap – Auckland (new build)$925,000
Price cap – rest of NZ (existing)$650,000
Price cap – rest of NZ (new build)$700,000

The First Home Grant was discontinued in Budget 2024 — Kāinga Ora stopped accepting new applications from 1pm on 22 May 2024. The figures above are the rates and caps that applied before closure, shown for historical reference only. Source: Kāinga Ora / Budget 2024 (22 May 2024).

Worked Examples

Historical example (scheme closed 22 May 2024): single applicant, 3 years KiwiSaver, buying existing home in Wellington for $650,000

$5,000 First Home Grant would have applied. Property within the price cap.

  1. Applicant: single, 3+ years KiwiSaver ✓
  2. Income: assume under $95,000 ✓
  3. Property: existing home, $650,000
  4. Wellington price cap for existing homes: $650,000 ✓
  5. Grant: $5,000 (existing home, single applicant)
  6. Note: no longer payable — the grant closed to new applications on 22 May 2024.

Historical example (scheme closed 22 May 2024): couple (both with 5 years KiwiSaver) buying new build in Hamilton for $680,000

Total grant $20,000 (2 × $10,000 for new build) would have applied.

  1. Two applicants, both 5+ years KiwiSaver ✓
  2. Combined income: assume under $150,000 ✓
  3. Property: new build, $680,000 in Hamilton
  4. Rest of NZ price cap for new builds: $700,000 — $680,000 ✓
  5. Grant per applicant: $10,000 (new build)
  6. Total grant: 2 × $10,000 = $20,000
  7. Note: no longer payable — the grant closed to new applications on 22 May 2024.

Built and maintained by Konstantin Iakovlev. Data sourced from the IRD and official New Zealand government sources.

Last reviewed:

Official Sources

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