It aims to demystify the homebuying process
A new app has launched to help first-home buyers own a property by making the house-buying process easier.
The new app, First Home Coach, was developed by Matt Taylor and Jonathan Curtis after finding that first-home buyers in New Zealand are often confused and overwhelmed about the home-buying process and take advice from the wrong sources.
Having seen the success of a similar digital coaching platform in the UK, the pair decided to launch First Home Coach. Now, 6,000 Kiwis are already using the app – taking advantage of its free tools, jargon-free language, and step-by-step guidance to purchase a home easily.
“Buying your first home is about as Kiwi as it gets. We launched First Home Coach after hearing time and time again how first-home buyers fundamentally didn't understand the process of buying a home, leading to stress, anxiety, and making decisions under pressure,” Taylor said.
“Clearly, [Kiwis] have a vested interest. Some buyers were so confused about fluctuating prices, property reports, LIMs, and engaging lawyers that they gave up on their dream altogether. Our aim with First Home Coach is to simplify the home-buying process with a free, independent app that supports first-home buyers at every stage of the journey.”
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Users enter some necessary details to the First Home Coach app, such as where they are in their house-hunting journey, their location, income, the type of home they are seeking, and the general budget that they have in mind. The app then delivers a tailored property buying plan that details how much the user needs to save for their deposit, legal expenses, and other costs. It also shows a time frame to purchase the home and how much they will need to put away each month to achieve the goal.
“There really hasn't been a one-stop-shop for first home buying advice like this until now, and buyers were very much relying on absorbing info from parents, extended family, the banks, and their real estate agents. Our advice is independent, accurate, practical, and the platform is fun to use,” Taylor said.
“Our mission is to help fix the broken home-buying process so that anyone who wants to buy their first home can achieve that goal. We hope thousands more Kiwis have a go at using First Home Coach to get them there.”
