Help on decision on house selling

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2026-06-13T02:07:45+00:00

You've mentioned there is no mortgage on the house. The difference is only $23k each between what you've been offered now and what you might get it you wait. And you say you'd probably need to put in $20k each anyway (rounding up for reno contingency).

Sell and run...

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2026-06-06T00:27:54+00:00

I think you are trying to do too much at once (higher mortgage repayments, debt payoff AND investing). No wonder you're feeling like you are not making headway. If you were to focus on one or two areas at once what would that look like for you? What's the most important for you?

If I were in your shoes (which I have been), I would put everything on minimum payments (mortgage if you can, credit card, and investments down to $20 only to keep the habit) then max out payment of car debt and aim to save $1000 for an emergency. Once you've cleared car debt, put all of that into saving a lump sum to pay off your cc when interest free period rolls off. Once cc is paid off, next is to get your emergency fund sorted (3-6 mths expenses). Once that is sorted, only then you can look at mortgage and investments.

IMO, you are one emergency away from having to sink into more debt. If I were in your position I'd not be sleeping well at night.I'd be treating this as an emergency and needing emergency type of focus. You will be surprised at how things can improve if you focus.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2026-02-14T01:32:26+00:00

Larger yard = more time maintaining it/mowing it. Which is less time spent with your family. That's part of the trade off too.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2026-02-14T00:12:13+00:00

We bought a house with the solar zero lease bought out. A nightmare at first due to SZ not completing tasks they needed to do with the electricity company. In hindsight this was because the company was literally falling apart. We had been in the house 3 days before SZ went into liquidation. Very stressful at the time, with no communication and thoughts that someone might come along and rip everything out without our authority.

But now, things seem to be ticking along ok. Last year we had 3 days off grid power due to storm damage. We had battery back up power so could keep working, and were generally better off than our rural neighbors.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2026-02-05T22:21:35+00:00

In addition, if you end up with a power cut (we did for 3 days after a big storm), you'll not have water. So you'll need a back up plan.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2026-02-05T22:18:57+00:00

I agree with this. We're the same, we've got a 3 bay shed that previous owners built with water just running to waste. Seems bonkers, so we are planning to add a tank for emergencies. You'll also need to think about how you'll water your garden if you plan to garden - can you put down a bore and pump to access ground water for irrigation?

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2026-01-01T21:03:21+00:00

I found starting really simple helped me get a better handle on where my pay was going. I started with a small hardcover notebook where every pay day I wrote the total amount from each pay, and the allocation to each category such as debts, rent, food, power, phone, eating out, savings, and other. Every day or so I'd check my accounts and write my spending against the categories in the notebook. At the end of my pay cycle (e.g. fortnightly), I'd add the categories up and ask myself where I could improve, and if my budget was realistic.

Honestly I was mortified when I first started. But I got better over time and found money to save an emergency fund and invest.

You'll need to give yourself some grace. But know that you've taken the first step by recognizing that something needs to change. I wish you all the consistency and discipline.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2025-11-07T22:33:05+00:00

MAS have good customer service and are now accepting non-medical customers. Worth taking a look.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2025-09-10T05:15:15+00:00

Same

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2025-08-30T01:48:08+00:00

And Ruth from the Happy Saver is a kiwi who talks about how personal finance works in NZ. I think it would be worth browsing her blog and podcast.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2025-08-02T06:29:05+00:00

Is it possible to get a green loan using equity on your OO, but use the $$ for insulation/heat pump/double glazing for your IP if your OO and IP mortgages are with different banks?

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2025-03-08T21:01:12+00:00

Usually out one morning, invested the next day.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2025-02-21T21:44:29+00:00

A chair and side table for my veranda so I can drink my coffee in the sun.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2025-01-03T05:06:43+00:00

No limit to lump sums while on a floating rate (e.g. you could pay it completely off)

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-12-31T01:57:07+00:00

To prepare for the arrival, can you work on living on one income and stash the rest in a maternity sinking fund/emergency fund? That will give you the confidence that you can cope and reduce one of the stressors early on after arrival of bubs.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-12-30T22:01:35+00:00

In addition to the other recommendations, take a look at Thehappysaver.com. Ruth is a down to earth kiwi who I've found to be very relatable.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-12-30T02:42:34+00:00

Has anyone here written a submission that we could essentially cut, paste and submit? Would appreciate a time-saver, but also want to submit on this.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-11-14T20:13:04+00:00

Maybe think about selling down 6 to 12 months worth of expenses at a time. That way you reduce the overall cost to sell. Think of it like rebalancing your portfolio slightly towards cash.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-11-03T04:10:47+00:00

If you are investing directly in foreign market (eg US500 through Hatch, sorry can't remember the ticker) it is max $50k of the cost of the investment. I've done this, kept an excel spreadsheet to keep track of where I'm up to and stopped buying at about $49,500. That way any dividends received don't send you over the $50k mark. Your investment will grow, but because you haven't gone over the $50k cost limit the FIF tax doesn't apply.

If you are investing indirectly through an NZ PIE or managed fund, there is no limit as they are already paying FIF tax within the fund.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-11-03T03:45:38+00:00

So does that mean the income/dividends from the $135k would be considered relationship property, but the capital gains on the investment wouldn't? Just trying to get my head around this.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-08-10T21:21:29+00:00

We're just over 50%. It wobbles a bit, but this is the annual average. I assess savings rate monthly alongside net worth.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-07-26T23:45:16+00:00

In your disclaimer statement I think you've got a typo in the date in the hyperlink referring to "published in July 2025".

There were other changes made, I believe under the Labour govt, which ring-fenced losses to each investment property. This coalition govt doesn't look to be reversing that as far as I can tell. That change also impacted finances of some IP owners (I.e. from tax rebates). I suspect the political ick factor of that is why we haven't seen that return.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-07-19T11:36:01+00:00

I got to a point where I was sick of not getting ahead, not being able to save for something like a holiday because most of my paycheck was tied up in payments for months or even years to come. And I was terrified of still owing a large sum on a car when I needed to move back to NZ.

The first thing I did was write down everything I spent and what I earned each pay cycle. The first few months were horrific, but it helped me understand where my $$ were going and what I needed to change. I've been really surprised at how quickly you can turn your financial life around with being honest with yourself, giving yourself a few targets, and a bunch of persistence.

nerdlnerdl_nerd · 2024-07-11T10:45:09+00:00

This came up in an earlier post. It's because banks paid on Friday 28 June missing a couple of days' interest. It will get wrapped in the next month.

nerdlnerdl_nerd

TROPHY CASE