‘I never thought it was possible’: How this family went from rental eviction to their first home in eight days

Sunday, 28 June 2026

A Taranaki family bought a house for around $500,000 just days after receiving an eviction notice.

Over the first three months of this year, first home buyers made up 27% of all sales, and the price they're paying for a house is up slightly too

Cotality data shows first-home buyers are the only major group increasing their share of property purchases this year.

Property experts say lower prices, more choice, KiwiSaver access and low-deposit lending are giving first-home buyers greater confidence and negotiating power.

A Kiwi family who once only dreamed of being homeowners are among first-time buyers “bucking the trend” in New Zealand’s flat housing market.

Nikitia Pouwhare says they received a 90-day notice to vacate on May 19 after their landlord decided to sell their Taranaki rental.

She never dreamed that, just eight days later, they’d be celebrating having an offer accepted on their own home.

Are you a first-time buyer with a story to share? Email annemarie.quill@stuffdigital.co.nz

Sold! From left to right, Tumoana, Millie, Falkyn and Nikitia in front of their new home.

With two young children, aged 3 and 5, and a tight rental market offering few affordable options, Nikitia said her initial reaction to the landlord’s notice was terror.

“All that went through my head was sheer panic over what me and my family were going to do, where we were going to live,” Nikitia told Stuff.

“Rentals are hard to come by and expensive to pay. So I thought, that’s it, I’m going to try and buy a house.”

Nikitia, who works for The Warehouse, and her husband Tumoana, an employee of ANZCO Foods, faced significant hurdles, including high existing debt and zero cash savings.

The family bought a standalone, three-bedroom 1959 weatherboard home in Waitara, Taranaki. (For clarity, the image was altered during the marketing process.)

“I used to look at others buying homes and I was happy for them, but felt disheartened too,” she said.

Nikitia admitted she didn’t think they would succeed, but felt a responsibility to try.

“This was bigger than buying a house,” she said. “This was stepping up and being responsible for the little lives we created. My babies deserve stability, and we never have to worry about getting notice for ending tenancy again.”

They immediately closed their Afterpay accounts to tighten up their finances and reached out to a mortgage broker to see what was possible.

By using their KiwiSaver funds for the main deposit, the goal came within reach.

They scraped together enough to cover essential upfront costs, such as building inspections and a Land Information Memorandum report.

The property sits on a 510m² section, features a large double garage, and cost around $500,000. (For clarity, the image was altered during the marketing process.)

Whirlwind purchase

Just four days after receiving their eviction notice, the family attended open homes. They made an offer on May 25, which was accepted two days later.

On June 23 they went unconditional on a standalone, three-bedroom 1959 weatherboard home in Waitara, Taranaki. The property sits on a 510m² section, features a large double garage, and cost around $500,000.

“I never thought it was possible but we finally made it,” said Nikitia.

The move was about creating a space of their own where they could make long-term memories and improvements over time, she said.

With settlement locked in for July 9, Nikitia hopes her family’s whirlwind success inspires other first-time buyers who are sitting on the fence or feeling discouraged by the numbers.

“If you are feeling in doubt about buying, there is no good time, there is only now,” she said. “Sometimes it’s just about getting the right advice, doing the research, understanding your options, and taking that first step.”

Buyers have the ‘upper hand’

Nationally, total property sales fell in May for a fifth consecutive month, down 8.3% year-on-year.

For the first five months of the year, there were 1775 fewer transactions than in 2025, according to data analysis firm Cotality.

Craig Lowe says it is the best time in two decades for first-time buyers, particularly in Wellington.

Buyers are cautious because of high living costs and political uncertainty caused by the looming election, Cotality NZ chief property economist Kelvin Davidson says.

The number of purchases by owners looking to move plummeted 11.1%, while sales to investors shrank by 5.7%.

But first-time buyers are bucking these trends. Across the first five months of 2026, they were the only major group to increase total purchase numbers, tracking up 2.4% against last year, Cotality said.

In April and May, they accounted for 28.5% of purchases nationally, nearly 31% in Auckland and a massive 39% in Wellington.

“Lower property values than a few years ago, plenty of property to choose from, access to KiwiSaver and the availability of low-deposit lending have all combined to help keep first home buyers active and give them confidence to get into the market,” said Davidson.

“Although stock levels have eased a little as we head into winter, there’s still enough choice in the market for buyers to retain the upper hand when it comes to price negotiations.”

Best time to buy for 20 years

In the capital, the market is probably the best it has been for first-time buyers in two decades, says Craig Lowe, managing director of Lowe & Co Realty.

“They really are the strongest segment, for sure. The proportion of household income required to service a mortgage in Wellington has dropped back to approximately 35%, a threshold recognised globally as the benchmark for genuinely affordable housing.

“You can’t time the market. You can only know that there’s value there now… I think first-time buyers will be very happy that they bought now.”