<p>Saving $80,000 should feel like a major milestone. But when you’re trying to buy your first home, it can leave you asking a very real question: is this actually enough?</p><br><p>In this Ask the Experts episode, a listener who’s fed up with renting wants to know whether they’re genuinely ready to buy, or about to take on more than they can afford.</p><br><p>They’ve built a solid deposit, but recent spending has shaken their confidence, and now they’re stuck between waiting longer or jumping in too soon.</p><br><p>So what does “ready” really look like for first-home buyers in New Zealand?</p><br><p>Vanessa Williams from <a href="http://realestate.co.nz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">realestate.co.nz</a> is ready to help us break down the hidden house buying costs people often forget to budget for, how much buffer you really need, and what to do if you slip while building toward a first home. There’s also deposit rules, borrowing options, and how to pressure-test your plan before you make one of the biggest financial decisions of your life.</p><br><p><strong>Links</strong></p><p>Follow Frances Cook on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram </a>and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a>, or join the <a href="https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Money Memo newsletter</a> for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.</p><br><p>This podcast was filmed and produced by <a href="https://open.acast.com/networks/66bb134aa34ffa41d64cdfac/shows/66bb153a578b70d89d091601/episodes/www.fanaticals.co.nz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fanaticals</a></p><p>Video editing &amp; content production by Lana Byrne&nbsp;</p><p>Audio engineering by Tash Chittock</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>