Real journeys, yard by yard.

When Sarah walked into her bank with a 5% deposit, she hoped for a clear pathway forward. Instead, she was met with a blunt response: come back when you have saved a full 20%. After years of disciplined saving and constant setbacks in a tough housing market, hearing that she needed tens of thousands more was disheartening. To make matters more frustrating, a friend mentioned the First Home Loan Scheme, but Sarah's higher income made her ineligible. Feeling trapped in the renting cycle, she decided to give 9 Yards Financial Services a try.

When we looked at Sarah's situation, we knew the mainstream bank's refusal wasn't the end of the road. We checked her overall affordability and identified a specific lender in the market willing to offer low-deposit lending to higher-income earners under favourable terms. Achieving this required Sarah to place complete trust in our advice - taking a leap of faith to put in a conditional offer while our team navigated the complex approval process behind the scenes.

The strategy paid off seamlessly. After years of frustration, Sarah and Andrew finally stepped over the threshold of their very own home. Our advisers correctly structured their mortgage to ensure they could build equity as rapidly as possible, and we continue to partner with them long-term to regularly review their rates and ensure they always have the best deal.

Tired of roadblocks with your bank? Book a home lending review today and discover the options you might be missing

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At 30, Liam was working hard as a primary school teacher in Christchurch, earning $75,000 a year. Between paying rent, managing bills, and chipping away at a $49,000 student loan, buying a home felt like a distant dream reserved for the future. Like so many first-time buyers, Liam assumed he needed a full 20% deposit and worried his student loan would sink his chances of getting a mortgage. Then he came across a 9 Yards video explaining that eligible buyers could purchase with as little as 5% down, prompting him to reach out and see where he really stood.

During his initial consultation, Liam had $58,000 saved across his KiwiSaver and personal accounts. Our team calculated his achievable purchase price on the spot, giving him instant clarity. To boost his borrowing capacity, we modelled a practical strategy incorporating flatmate income. We showed him how having two flatmates contribute toward household expenses would significantly improve his affordability, ultimately unlocking a pre-approval of up to $600,000.

For Liam, this was a life-changing shift. He went from feeling uncertain about whether homeownership was even possible to holding a concrete plan in his hands. Choosing a conservative approach, Liam bought a two-bedroom Christchurch home for $480,000 with one flatmate contributing $250 a week. His journey didn't require a massive corporate salary - just expert advice, a clear strategy, and the right partner to help him navigate the path.

Assuming you need a 20% deposit to buy? Schedule a first-home checkup today and discover your true buying potential

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Maya, a 26-year-old hairdresser earning $55,000, and Dan, a 28-year-old builder earning $65,000, were renting in Clyde and working tirelessly to save for their future. They were doing everything right - budgeting tightly, saving where they could, and building up their KiwiSaver. But as property prices across Central Otago continued to climb, the dream of owning a home felt increasingly out of reach. When they fell in love with a brand-new, three-bedroom home in Clyde listed for $840,000, their hearts sank. At first glance, the price tag felt completely impossible on their ordinary incomes.

Refusing to give up without answers, they booked a meeting with 9 Yards. Together, they had built up $60,000 in KiwiSaver and met the income criteria for a Kāinga Ora First Home Loan. The main hurdle was affordability: how could a young couple earning $120,000 secure a $780,000 mortgage? Our advisers built a structured boarder strategy into their application, proving to the bank that bringing in two boarders at $225 each per week ($450 combined) would comfortably support the loan repayments.

That strategy was the turning point where the dream became reality. Maya and Dan hadn't received a massive inheritance or sudden pay rises - they were the same hard-working builder and hairdresser who had walked through our doors. They simply gained the right guidance. The day they collected the keys to their new Clyde home proved a powerful lesson: never rule yourself out before finding out what is truly possible.

Don't rule yourself out before you find out what's possible. Book a strategy session today to map out your pathway home

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Nick approached 9 Yards after noticing that for the last few years, his KiwiSaver had only earned about $3,000 to $4,000 per year, and based on his balance he knew those figures should have been much higher. Rather than trying to fix this himself, Nick caught up with Robbie to find a stronger fund.

After meeting with Nick, the cause of his frustration was very clear. Since purchasing his home 5 years ago, his KiwiSaver had remained invested in a Moderate Fund. This category of fund didn't suit Nick, who wanted to target high returns over the next 30 years. We quickly realised that if he met with us earlier, his KiwiSaver could have earned $13,000 last year, instead of $3,000.

By mapping out his timeline and goals, Nick got a clear Growth strategy put in place.

The frustration of feeling stuck was replaced with immediate relief. Nick walked away with the total certainty that his money was finally moving in the right direction.

Feeling unsure about your KiwiSaver? You don't have to guess your way through it. Get in touch for a simple checkup today and get total certainty over your future

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Tim was doing everything right. He earned a high income, contributed regularly, and had a long investment timeframe ahead of him. He had everything he needed to reach $1M in his KiwiSaver by age 65. What he didn't realise was that based on his KiwiSaver structure, reaching his goal was going to get harder and harder each year.

The culprit? A default "Lifestages" system tethered to his age. Each year, as Tim got older his Lifestages structure was reducing his exposure to growth assets within his KiwiSaver without him even noticing. In other words, Tim was slamming on the brakes when he should've been stepping on the gas.

There are countless hidden pitfalls KiwiSaver members can fall into. It's completely normal to feel confused or not know every detail. That's exactly why advisers exist: to clear away the noise, fix the traps, and get your future on track.

Confused about your KiwiSaver structure? Let an adviser clear away the noise and help you build a strategy that fits your real earning potential

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Dave was on a strong annual income, and his employers matched his KiwiSaver contributions far beyond the minimum. So why had Dave's KiwiSaver balance not noticeably increased over the last 5 years?

Dave reached out to 9 Yards to get clarity. The assessment confirmed his fears: while competitor funds were actively growing, high provider fees and poor management were quietly dragging back his KiwiSaver performance - for the past 5 years!

The solution was simple. By comparing the entire market, Dave was advised to shift his KiwiSaver into a high-performing provider with lower management fees. This fixed up Dave's KiwiSaver in multiple areas, getting him back on track sooner.

The frustration of being left in the dark was replaced with complete confidence. Dave walked away knowing that not every provider or fund performs the same, but there are steps you can take to significantly improve your KiwiSaver outcomes.

Is your provider quietly costing you? Request a free market review today to ensure your money is working for your retirement, not someone else's bottom line

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In his early 50s, Jason moved his KiwiSaver into a Conservative fund to play it safe. While it's natural to be mindful of risk at this stage, his balance was barely moving. Jason had no idea that high inflation was quietly eating away at his real-world savings. It wasn't till an adviser pointed this out to him that he realised his mistake.

From an adviser's perspective, your KiwiSaver needs to beat inflation at the very least. While market volatility can feel intimidating, there is actually far more risk in losing your purchasing power slowly to rising living costs than there is in short-term market swings over a 10 to 15-year horizon.

Even for cautious investors, a portfolio still needs room to grow if their risk tolerance allows it. With more than a decade left until retirement, Jason was guided into an aligned strategy designed to outpace inflation while matching his true comfort level.

Jason didn't realise there was anything wrong with the way his KiwiSaver was tracking. He is much happier now, knowing that he has the support he needs to ensure the purchasing power of his money moving forward.

Are your savings keeping up with rising living costs? Book a quick inflation & growth checkup with an adviser today

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