How many years until you've saved a house deposit?

The first-home deposit is the wall most Kiwis hit. So here's a free tool to turn the scary unknown into an actual number.

The House Deposit Calculator tells you how many years and months until you've saved the deposit. Put in the house price, pick the deposit you need (20%, or 10% / 5% for low-equity and First Home Loans), add what you've saved and what you can put aside each week, and it does the rest.

The part that matters most for first-home buyers:

• It counts your KiwiSaver. First-home buyers can withdraw their KiwiSaver (all but $1,000) toward the deposit, so we add that to your starting amount. For a lot of people it's the biggest single chunk, and it can pull the finish line years closer.
• It works at the rate you actually save (weekly, fortnightly or monthly), with optional growth, and shows your deposit climbing month by month.

Seeing "4 years and 7 months" instead of a vague "ages away" is oddly motivating. And the lever you control is how much you put aside each pay, which is exactly what budgeting is for. Track it, free, with KeaBudget.

Built in the open, as always. Tell us what you think at hello@keabudget.co.nz.