# Question 21: My partner and I rent, have steady jobs and are trying to save a deposit for our first home. We worry that the target keeps moving. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What policies might leave a renting couple with more money to save, and what trade-offs would they involve? Collected 2 November 2026 [NZ Election 2026 · Edition 8 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: 2339baed-f9d4-40b6-8afc-a9620020bf12 # The 2026 New Zealand election: what could help you save a first-home deposit? Your concern is understandable. When you're renting, working steadily and putting money aside, two things can undermine your progress: the cost of renting today and the price of the home you're trying to buy tomorrow. Those are related, but they aren't the same problem. A policy could make your weekly budget more comfortable without making home ownership any closer. Another could bring house prices down over time but do little to help with next month's rent. For a renting couple with two steady incomes and a first-home goal, I'd examine six policy areas. ## 1. The policies that could make a difference ### A. Increasing the supply of affordable homes What to look for: Policies that make it easier and cheaper to build more homes, particularly smaller, entry-level homes and medium-density housing. Possible measures include: - Making it easier to build townhouses and apartments. - Funding water, roads and other infrastructure for new developments. - Encouraging councils to allow more housing in areas where people want to live. - Building more public, affordable and community housing. How it could help you: More homes competing for buyers and tenants could moderate house prices and rents. That could help you twice: lower weekly rent while saving, and a smaller deposit target when you're ready to buy. Trade-offs: - Infrastructure costs have to be paid by someone, whether through rates, taxes, developer contributions or user charges. - More development can mean neighbourhood disruption and pressure on existing infrastructure. - Building takes time. Announcing more housing does not immediately produce affordable homes. - Policies need to encourage homes at prices ordinary households can afford, not just increase the total number built. ### B. Making renting more affordable and secure What to look for: - Stronger protections against unjustified rent increases. - Longer notice periods and greater security of tenure. - Healthy Homes enforcement and timely repairs. - More competition in the rental market through additional housing supply. For example, Labour's published 2026 policy proposes banning no-cause evictions, retaining a limit of one rent increase every 12 months, requiring landlords to address serious hazards and providing longer notice for certain tenancy terminations. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy)[Making Renting Better for Kiwis](https://www.labour.org.nz/renting-better) How it could help you: Even if rent doesn't fall, greater predictability makes it easier to plan your savings. Avoiding an unexpected move can also save you bond, moving and setup costs. Trade-offs: - More regulation can increase landlords' compliance costs. - Some landlords may respond by selling, changing the type of rental they offer or trying to pass on costs. - Rent controls can discourage investment in new rental properties if poorly designed. - Tenant protections don't automatically reduce the advertised rent on a new tenancy. One important distinction: a limit on how frequently rent can increase is not the same as a cap on how much rent can increase. ### C. Increasing take-home pay What to look for: - Income tax thresholds that keep pace with inflation. - Lower taxes on ordinary wage earners. - Measures that increase competition and productivity, helping wages grow. - Lower compulsory household costs, including transport and power. How it could help you: More money in your bank account each payday means more money available for your deposit. For illustration: | Extra money saved | Annual savings | | --- | --- | | $25 per week | $1,300 | | $50 per week | $2,600 | | $100 per week | $5,200 | | $150 per week | $7,800 | Trade-offs: - Tax reductions can mean less government revenue for healthcare, education, infrastructure and housing. - If funded by borrowing, they can increase government debt and future financing costs. - A tax cut that gives larger dollar benefits to higher earners may do less for households on modest incomes. - Wage growth can be offset by rising rents, food, insurance and other costs. The useful measure isn't simply the size of a tax cut. It's how much extra money your household actually keeps after all the other costs are considered. ### D. Reducing the cost of everyday essentials This is particularly relevant when you're saving from two ordinary salaries. Look at policies affecting: - Electricity prices and energy competition. - Public transport fares and fuel costs. - Grocery competition. - Healthcare costs and prescription charges. - Childcare, if you expect to have children. Labour's 2026 policy programme, for example, includes a proposed $20 weekly public transport fare cap, a three-year fuel-tax freeze, free prescriptions and other cost-of-living measures. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy) Trade-offs: - Subsidies and fare caps require funding. - Price interventions can create unintended market effects. - Some benefits are concentrated among people who use particular services. A public transport subsidy, for example, may be less valuable to someone who needs a car. - Lower prices today don't necessarily address the underlying supply problems. ### E. Making the first-home deposit easier to reach This is the policy area most directly connected to your goal. Potential approaches include: - Expanding eligibility for First Home Loans. - Supporting lower-deposit mortgages. - Improving access to KiwiSaver first-home withdrawals. - Rent-to-buy programmes. - Building more affordable homes for first-home buyers. For example, Labour has proposed: - Expanding First Home Loans to a $300,000 household income eligibility cap while retaining a 5% deposit. - Allowing more banks to participate. - Introducing a rent-to-buy pathway for eligible Kāinga Ora and community housing tenants, with $100 a week credited towards a deposit. [Making it Easier to Buy Your First Home](https://www.labour.org.nz/election-policy-pages/buy-your-first-home/) National has also listed expanding access to 5% first-home deposits among its 2026 election policies. [2026 Election Policy](https://www.national.org.nz/policies) Trade-offs: - A 5% deposit reduces the initial savings hurdle but doesn't make the house cheaper. - A smaller deposit means a larger mortgage, higher interest costs and potentially more exposure to falling house prices. - Banks still assess whether you can afford repayments. - Rent-to-buy eligibility may be limited to particular types of tenants and properties. - If more buyers can borrow without a corresponding increase in housing supply, some of the benefit could be absorbed into higher house prices. This is an important distinction: making it easier to borrow is not necessarily the same as making housing more affordable. ### F. KiwiSaver and retirement savings Look at whether parties propose changing: - Employer and employee contribution rates. - Government contributions. - First-home withdrawal rules. - Investment options and fees. A stronger KiwiSaver balance can help with a first-home deposit, but it is important to distinguish money that increases your actual wealth from money that simply moves money between your accounts. For example, increasing compulsory contributions might help build long-term savings, but it could reduce your immediate take-home pay. National's 2026 programme includes a proposal to make KiwiSaver compulsory for all workers, alongside other changes. [2026 Election Policy](https://www.national.org.nz/policies) ## 2. How the main parties' 2026 housing approaches differ There are some useful differences between the published proposals. Here is a factual comparison of policies relevant to renters and first-home buyers. | Party | Relevant 2026 policy direction | | --- | --- | | National | Expand access to 5% First Home Loans by lifting the income cap to $300,000. No new taxes. [National is backing first home buyers](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/backing-first-home-buyers)[2026 Election Policy](https://www.national.org.nz/policies) | | Labour | Expand 5% First Home Loans, introduce rent-to-buy for eligible public and community housing tenants, strengthen rental protections, and expand public and community housing. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy)[Making Renting Better for Kiwis](https://www.labour.org.nz/renting-better)[Making it Easier to Buy Your First Home](https://www.labour.org.nz/election-policy-pages/buy-your-first-home/) | | Greens | Promote affordable and healthy housing, stronger renter protections and a fairer income and tax system. Their manifesto sets out a broader housing and income programme. [Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026)[Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/housing) | | ACT | Its property-policy proposals include restoring the ability to offset future residential rental losses against other taxable income, intended to support rental investment. [Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026) | | NZ First | Proposes changes to fast-track housing approvals, including requiring infrastructure such as roads and wastewater to be approved beforehand. [Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/) | | Te Pāti Māori | Proposes rent controls, ending no-cause evictions, a vacant-home tax and other housing and tax changes. [The property policies: How election 2026 housing promises line up](https://www.interest.co.nz/property/140674/housing-policies-capital-gains-tax-solar-roll-outs-rent-controls-and-offsetting) | These are selected policy positions, not complete party manifestos. Policies can also change, and the ability to implement them depends on parliamentary support, funding and legislation. You can examine the full proposals at: - [Policy.nz – 2026 housing policy comparison](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/housing?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [Green Party 2026 manifesto](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [National's 2026 policies](https://www.national.org.nz/policies?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [Labour's 2026 policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy?utm_source=chatgpt.com). ## 3. An important question: are policies helping renters or helping buyers? These aren't interchangeable. Consider three hypothetical policies: | Policy | Immediate effect on your household | Longer-term possibility | | --- | --- | --- | | $50 weekly tax saving | $50 more available for savings | Larger deposit | | More rental housing | Potentially less rent pressure | More stable housing costs | | 5% deposit mortgage | No immediate savings increase | Earlier access to ownership, but bigger mortgage | There is also a less obvious issue: house prices. The Ministry of Housing's December 2025 affordability indicators reported a 4% national improvement in deposit affordability over the year. This reflected incomes increasing and house prices declining nationally. It also found rental affordability improving by 3%. The figures varied considerably between regions. [Housing affordability improved in 2025, but unevenly and with regional variance - Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (Formerly Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga](https://www.hud.govt.nz/news/housing-affordability-improved-in-2025-but-unevenly-and-with-regional-variance) That illustrates why it's important not to measure a housing policy simply by whether it makes mortgages easier to obtain. If easier borrowing pushes prices up, you might end up needing just as much money for your deposit. ## 4. How I would evaluate policies against your actual goal I'd use five questions when reading election promises. 1. Will we have more money each payday? Look at income tax, transport, electricity, grocery and healthcare costs. 2. Will our rent become more manageable? Look at rental supply, tenancy protections and measures that affect rents. 3. Will the deposit target become smaller? Look at housing supply, affordable housing construction and policies that affect purchase prices. 4. Will we have a realistic route into ownership? Look at First Home Loans, KiwiSaver withdrawal rules and eligibility criteria. 5. Is the policy financially sustainable? Look at how it's funded, whether it requires more government borrowing and what other services might lose funding. I'd also pay attention to the difference between policies that give you money directly and policies that promise indirect benefits over several years. A $50 weekly saving is relatively easy to understand. A promise to make housing more affordable through planning reform is potentially important, but harder to translate into a reliable household budget. ## 5. A practical example: what could the moving target look like? Imagine you and your partner are saving towards a hypothetical $700,000 first home. Illustrative deposit targets 20% deposit # $140,000 5% deposit # $35,000 Difference: $105,000 A lower deposit can make buying possible sooner, but the mortgage is much larger. These are deposit calculations, not an indication that a lender will approve either loan. Suppose your household can currently save $400 a week: - $400 weekly = $20,800 annually. - An extra $50 weekly = $2,600 annually. - An extra $100 weekly = $5,200 annually. That additional money matters. But so does whether the house you're saving for becomes more or less expensive while you're accumulating it. I'd therefore pay attention to policies that improve both sides of the equation: your capacity to save and the underlying affordability of homes. ## 6. My suggested election-day checklist With the New Zealand general election on 7 November 2026, you have an opportunity to compare the parties' actual published commitments rather than relying on campaign slogans. [Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/housing) For your circumstances, I'd put these questions on your reading list: - Does the party have a credible plan to increase the supply of affordable homes? - Does it address rental affordability as well as home ownership? - Will its tax and cost-of-living policies leave working couples with more disposable income? - Does it support first-home buyers without simply increasing borrowing and house prices? - Can it explain how its policies will be paid for? - What happens to renters who don't qualify for targeted housing assistance? Remember that you have two votes: the party vote and the electorate vote. The party vote determines each party's share of parliamentary representation, while the electorate vote chooses your local representative. ## 7. Let's make this more relevant to your deposit goal There are three details that would make a substantial difference to assessing the policies in practical dollar terms. Your household's approximate position With those figures, I can work out how different combinations of tax relief, lower living costs, rental policy and first-home assistance could affect your deposit timeline, including the trade-offs. The central question worth taking into the voting booth is: which policies would help you build financial security as renters today, without making the cost of becoming homeowners even harder tomorrow? ## Gemini Answer ID: c7f903d2-bae4-484a-bd5d-1d6e1d6a3756 For a renting couple with steady jobs trying to save a deposit, the "moving target" feeling is a very real reality. The intersection of renting costs, tax policy, housing supply, and lending rules means that different political parties offer very different pathways—each with distinct advantages and trade-offs. The major policy approaches in the 2026 general election landscape that directly affect your ability to save while renting and bridge the deposit gap include the following: --- ### 1. Policies Aimed at Rent Control and Tenant Cost-Relief * **The Policies (Green Party, Te Pāti Māori):** * The Green Party proposes capping annual rent increases (tied to the lower of inflation or average wage growth) alongside permanent/long-term tenancy security and stricter rental standards. * Te Pāti Māori advocates for universal rent controls alongside similar tenant protections. * **How it could leave you with more money to save:** * Directly limiting rent hikes prevents your weekly overheads from creeping up unexpectedly, making it easier to lock down a strict monthly savings budget without fear of a sudden landlord price surge. * **The Trade-Offs:** * Critics and property sector economists argue that rigid rent controls can disincentivize private landlords from investing in or maintaining rental properties, potentially shrinking overall rental supply. A contraction in supply can ironically make finding a rental property much harder and more competitive over the long term. ### 2. Policies Aimed at Cooling Investor Demand & House Prices * **The Policies (Labour, The Opportunities Party):** * Labour’s package includes a capital gains tax (CGT) targeting residential investment property (excluding the family home). * The Opportunities Party (TOP) proposes a broad annual land value tax. * **How it could leave you with more money to save:** * These tax structures are designed to curb speculative property investment. By reducing the advantage of holding multiple residential properties, the goal is to moderate house price growth—effectively slowing down or shrinking that "moving target" so a first-home deposit becomes mathematically reachable faster. * **The Trade-Offs:** * While a cooler property market helps first-home buyers on the purchasing side, taxes or restrictions that heavily squeeze private investors can cause some landlords to exit the market. If rental stock drops faster than new builds appear, it can drive up rental competition and costs in the interim, counteracting your short-term savings goals. ### 3. Policies Aimed at Lowering Deposit Barriers * **The Policies (National, NZ First):** * National has emphasized expanding access to low-deposit schemes like the 5% deposit First Home Loan options, alongside supply-side fixes like cutting red tape for granny flats and medium-density zoning. * NZ First leans into shared-ownership models and increasing housing availability alongside population planning. * **How it could leave you with more money to save:** * Needing a 5% deposit instead of a traditional 20% dramatically lowers the financial finish line. For a $700,000 home, dropping the requirement from $140,000 to $35,000 means you could theoretically stop renting and buy years sooner, bypassing years of inflation eating into your savings. * **The Trade-Offs:** * Lower deposit thresholds mean larger mortgages, higher interest repayments, and a greater risk of falling into negative equity if property values dip. Critics also argue that injecting low-deposit buyers into a constrained market without matching supply can artificially stimulate demand and push prices right back up. ### 4. Policies Aimed at Landlord-Friendly Supply Growth * **The Policies (ACT):** * ACT focuses heavily on property rights, opposing new tenancy restrictions and abolishing loss ring-fencing for rental properties to help rental cash flow, alongside sweeping planning deregulation. * **How it could leave you with more money to save:** * The core argument here is supply-side: by making it as easy and profitable as possible to build and supply houses, market competition will naturally drive down the cost of housing and stabilize rents over time. * **The Trade-Offs:** * These policies offer fewer direct regulatory protections or immediate cost-saving buffers for renters. They rely heavily on the trickle-down effect of a deregulated market to eventually help affordability, which can take years to materialize. --- ### Summary Checklist for Your Vote When weighing your options at the ballot box, your decision largely comes down to which timeline you are prioritizing: * Do you prefer **immediate cost containment** (rent caps or tax shifts designed to depress house prices quickly, with the risk of rental market friction)? * Or do you prefer **entry acceleration and supply-side growth** (lower deposit hurdles and building deregulation, with the risk of larger initial debt or sustained market prices)? Are you and your partner leaning more toward policies that protect your immediate weekly renting budget, or ones focused on lowering the final purchase barrier? ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: 3844a8c6-d20a-43b9-a3d4-cf4f2385bdf2 Saving for a first home deposit while renting in New Zealand can feel like chasing a horizon that keeps shifting. Different political parties offer distinct toolkits aimed at easing this pressure, balancing immediate relief for renters against broader systemic changes to the housing market. To explore where different approaches might leave you and your partner, you can compare specific party stances on platforms like Policy.nz. Below is an overview of key policy areas that directly impact renting couples trying to save, along with their inherent trade-offs. * * * 1\. Direct Rent Relief and Tenancy Controls * **The Policies:** Proposals that cap or limit annual rent increases (e.g., restricting increases to a set percentage like 2% per year), or provide targeted financial assistance/tax rebates for renters. * **How it helps you save:** Capping rent inflation directly preserves your disposable income, leaving more room in your weekly budget to transfer straight into your house deposit savings. * **The Trade-offs:** * ** Supply contraction:** Economists and property sector groups frequently warn that rigid rent controls can disincentivize private landlords from investing in or maintaining rental properties, potentially reducing the overall supply of rentals and driving up competition for remaining homes. * ** Maintenance neglect:** Landlords facing strict caps on revenue may trim maintenance budgets, impacting the quality of rental accommodation unless strict enforcement (like a rigorous Rental Warrant of Fitness) accompanies the policy. 2\. Easing First-Home Buyer Entry (Demand-Side Support) * **The Policies:** Raising income and house-price caps for government-backed schemes like First Home Loans, or adjusting thresholds that allow lower deposit requirements. * **How it helps you save:** It lowers the absolute finish line, meaning you might not need to save a full 20% on a escalating median house price before a bank will touch your application. * **The Trade-offs:** * ** Price inflation:** Critics point out that pumping demand-side support (more purchasing power or lower barriers) into a constrained housing market can backfire. If more buyers qualify with lower deposits, it can stimulate bidding wars and push house prices higher, moving the target yet again. 3\. Boosting Housing Supply and Zoning Reform * **The Policies:** Streamlining consenting processes, incentivizing large-scale construction, and revamping urban zoning laws to allow denser, more diverse housing builds. * **How it helps you save:** Over the medium-to-long term, increasing the sheer volume of housing supply aims to flatten or depress runaway house price growth, making the target more stationary and realistic. * **The Trade-offs:** * ** Time lag:** Supply-side fixes do not happen overnight. Infrastructure development, consenting, and construction take years to flow through to market affordability. It won't give you extra cash in your savings account this month or next. * ** Infrastructure and neighborhood strain:** Rapid rezoning and high-density builds require heavy investment in local infrastructure (pipes, roads, public transport), which can lead to localized disruption and debates over neighborhood character. 4\. Tax Changes on Property Investment * **The Policies:** Implementing broad capital gains taxes (CGT) on residential property, land value taxes (LVT), or land-banking taxes designed to discourage speculative land-hoarding and rebalance the tax system away from residential property toward productive economic sectors. * **How it helps you save:** These policies aim to level the playing field between residential property investors and owner-occupiers, cooling speculative demand and potentially reducing house price inflation over time. * **The Trade-offs:** * ** Rent pass-throughs:** Property industry stakeholders argue that new taxes on landlords are frequently passed down to tenants via higher weekly rents in the short term, which could temporarily squeeze your ability to save. * ** Market transition:** Major tax overhauls can cause short-term volatility or uncertainty in the broader economy and housing market. * * * Deciding Where You Stand When weighing your party vote, consider your timeline: * If you are hoping for **immediate relief** to boost your weekly savings rate, policies focused on rent stabilization or direct buyer entry thresholds offer the most direct, short-term impact—though they carry risks of market distortion or supply friction. * If your main worry is that **prices will outpace your savings forever** , policies focused heavily on structural supply expansion and tax neutrality target the root cause of long-term affordability, even if they require more patience. You can review your local candidates and fine-tune your perspective ahead of voting by checking resources on [Vote.nz](https://vote.nz) and Policy.nz. ## AI Overviews Answer ID: b5685401-5b83-4582-aacd-984f29780334 Saving a home deposit while renting in New Zealand is notoriously challenging, especially when house prices feel like a moving target. As you consider your vote for the **November 7, 2026 general election** , different political parties are pitching distinct housing and tax strategies. Policies that impact a renting couple's ability to save generally fall into three levers: direct buyer assistance, rental cost caps, and systemic tax or supply reforms. * * * 1\. Direct First-Home Buyer Assistance These policies target the deposit directly, attempting to lower the entry hurdle or expand your borrowing capacity. * **Widening Deposit Schemes:** **National** proposes raising the First Home Loan income cap to $300,000 for all applicants, allowing more middle-income couples to buy with a 5% deposit. * _Pros:_ Lowers the raw dollar amount you need to save before entering the market. * _Trade-offs:_ A 5% deposit means borrowing 95% of the home's value, resulting in higher monthly mortgage repayments and increased interest paid over time. * **Government Shared-Equity Models:** **NZ First** is floating a shared-ownership model where the government co-owns a percentage of your first home. * _Pros:_ Decreases the size of your required mortgage and deposit. * _Trade-offs:_ You do not own 100% of your home equity, and you will eventually need to buy out the government's stake. * **Rent-to-Buy Pathways:** **Labour** has indicated a plan to introduce rent-to-buy pathways for eligible families. * _Pros:_ Provides a structured mechanism where part of your rental payments go toward eventual equity. * _Trade-offs:_ Eligibility criteria can be restrictive, and these programs are often limited in scale. * * * 2\. Rent Control and Tenancy Protection These policies focus on reducing your current outgoings so you have more leftover disposable income to funnel into savings. * **Hard Rent Caps:** The **Green Party** is campaigning to limit annual rent increases to 2%. * _Pros:_ Gives you predictable weekly expenses, preventing "rent shock" and helping you map out an exact savings timeline. * _Trade-offs:_ Opponents argue rent controls can prompt landlords to defer maintenance or exit the market entirely, reducing the overall pool of available rental properties and driving up competition. * **Banning No-Cause Evictions:** Both **Labour** and the **Greens** pledge to ban no-cause evictions and extend tenant notice periods (e.g., up to 90 days for property sales). * _Pros:_ Saves you from the sudden, massive financial drain of moving costs, bond transfers, and letting fees if a landlord ends a lease without reason. * _Trade-offs:_ Landlords argue increased friction makes managing properties riskier, which can lead to stricter tenant screening and tougher barriers for young renters. * * * 3\. Tax and Supply Structural Shifts These broader economic measures seek to alter how residential property is treated as an investment asset, aiming to curb rapid price growth. * **Capital Gains & Wealth Taxes:** **Labour** is proposing a 28% Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on investment properties sold after July 1, 2027 (excluding the family home). The **Greens** favor expanding the bright-line test to 10 years alongside a comprehensive wealth tax, while the **Opportunities Party (TOP)** proposes a land value tax. * _Pros:_ Intended to disincentivize property speculation, potentially stabilizing house prices so the "target stops moving" while you save. * _Trade-offs:_ Landlord groups argue that restoring tax penalties like removing mortgage interest deductibility can lead to landlords passing compliance costs directly onto tenants through higher rents. * **Deregulating Supply:** **ACT** and **National** favor slashing council planning barriers and resource consent red tape to flood the market with new housing supply. * _Pros:_ Building more houses naturally eases competitive upward pressure on both rents and purchase prices over the long term. * _Trade-offs:_ Spurring supply via infrastructure deregulation takes years to translate into finished houses and does not provide immediate financial relief to your weekly budget. * * * Summary of Party Positions Policy Category| Left-of-Center Approach (Labour / Greens)| Right-of-Center Approach (National / ACT)| Center / Alternative (NZ First / TOP) ---|---|---|--- **Renters' Relief**| Rent caps (2%), banning no-cause evictions.| Removing rental restrictions to incentivize landlord participation.| Raising minimum healthy home standards. **Buying Support**| Rent-to-buy pathways.| Higher income caps for 5% deposit First Home Loans.| Shared-equity government co-ownership models. **Tax & Market**| 28% Capital Gains Tax or Wealth/Asset Taxes to curb price growth.| Landlord tax relief (losses offset) and cutting consent red tape to boost building supply.| Land Value Tax (TOP) to encourage efficient land use. If you want to dive deeper into how your specific numbers line up, it could help to look at what size deposit you are aiming for. If you'd like, let me know: * Your approximate **combined annual income** * Your current **savings goal** or target purchase price * How much you are currently able to **set aside each month** I can run some projections to see how different deposit thresholds or timeline changes could impact your buying window.