Ready

to buy

If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re thinking about buying a new home.

Ready

to buy

Thinking about buying?

Welcome to The Long Way Home series: Ready to Buy

This journey guide gives you a realistic, step-by-step look at what it actually takes to buy well in New Zealand, from early research through to the day you collect the keys.
Buying a home isn’t just a transaction; it’s a major life moment. It can be exciting, but also overwhelming. That’s why we’ve broken the process into six practical phases, each filled with insights, checklists, and tools to help you move forward with confidence.

This is your chance to stop guessing and start planning. With the right knowledge and support, you’ll be better prepared to make good decisions, avoid common traps, and find a place that truly fits your life.

Phase 1: Research & Location Fit

Learn how to assess suburbs, school zones, transport, and lifestyle fit — and explore tools that help you compare areas and understand long-term value.

Phase 2: Viewing Homes & Market Education

Start visiting open homes with a purpose. Learn what to look for, what to track, and how to turn every open home into a research opportunity.

Phase 3: Understanding Sales Methods & Market Conditions

From auctions to deadline sales, learn how homes are sold in NZ — and what it means for how you prepare, bid, or make an offer.

Phase 4: Making Your Move

Prepare to take action with confidence — from understanding how to structure conditional offers, to preparing for auction day with full due diligence.

Phase 5: Going Unconditional

Know what it means to go unconditional and what must be signed off on before your purchase is legally binding.

Phase 6: Settlement & Moving In

It’s not over when the offer’s accepted — it’s just beginning. From final inspections to key handover, learn how to plan your move and start your life in your new home with peace of mind.

Phase 7: Quick Wins & First Impressions

Make the home feel like yours — fast. From fresh paint to lighting upgrades, discover simple, high-impact updates that create comfort, personality, and pride in your new space within the first few weeks.

Phase 8: Core Maintenance & Safety Checks

Lay the groundwork for long-term comfort and peace of mind. Learn what to inspect, update, and secure — from plumbing and electrics to insulation and smoke alarms — in the early days after moving in.

Phase 9: Outdoor Spaces & Street Appeal

Step outside and take control of your surroundings. Explore simple landscaping, privacy upgrades, lighting, and future planning tips to improve street appeal, usability, and value in your outdoor areas.

Phase 10: Larger Upgrades & Renovation Planning

Start turning your vision into reality. Whether it’s a kitchen upgrade, new heating system, or layout change, this phase helps you plan major improvements with confidence — at your pace, on your terms.

Want access to the full guide?

Create your free myTrends Property account to explore every phase of your journey. Plan, learn, save, and take action with full access to guides and tools tailored to Kiwi homeowners.

Want access to the full guide?

Create your free myTrends Property account to explore every phase of your journey. Plan, learn, save, and take action with full access to guides and tools tailored to Kiwi homeowners.

1. Join

Your personalised Trends Property journey starts here
Creating a free myTrends Property account is the first step toward turning inspiration into action, whether you’re renovating to stay, preparing your home for sale, getting ready to buy, or looking to build. As soon as you join, the platform begins to tailor your experience based on your goals, so everything you see is more relevant, timely, and aligned with your personal property journey.

  • Create a free myTrends Property account quickly and easily in seconds.
  • Answer a few quick questions to customise your experience, such as your property goals, project timeframe, and design interests.

Get tailored content and tools matched to your project goals, so your myTrends Account page, recommendations, and guides are always aligned with where you’re at.

2. Guides

Step-by-step advice at the right time, in the right order

  • Access Quick Guides, Mini Guides, and full-length Courses
  • Learn about property, renovation, design, and building
  • Understand what to ask and expect from trusted professionals

3. Notes

Capture ideas and inspiration in one central place

  • Add written notes or paste links and references
  • Organise notes into folders and highlight important ones
  • Pin key thoughts to the top for your team to see

4. Resources

Upload and store all your project files securely

  • Save brochures, quotes, PDFs, images, or spreadsheets
  • Share with your team to keep everyone aligned
  • Avoid multiple email versions with one source of truth

5. Team

Invite others to collaborate on your project

  • Add up to 9 collaborators (friends, family, pros)
  • Assign access levels: Partner or Collaborator
  • Share updates, ideas, and resources in one place

6. Save

Collect content that inspires you and keep it organised

  • Bookmark articles, videos, audio, case studies and portfolio.
  • Add your own notes and reflections to saved items
  • Revisit ideas and turn inspiration into action

7. Visualise

Build your own visual library of property ideas

  • Save images from any section of the site
  • Group images by custom folders like “Kitchen Ideas” or “Landscaping”
  • Revisit later and share with your team or design professional

Create your free myTrends Property account to explore every phase of your journey. Plan, learn, save, and take action with full access to guides and tools tailored to Kiwi homeowners.