That Home Loan Hub

Zebunisso Alimova
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Welcome to That Home Loan Hub, your ultimate guide to mastering the world of home loans and property. I'm Zebunisso Alimova, here to simplify the complexities of real estate and provide you with expert insights and the latest trends. Whether you're a first-time homebuyer, an experienced investor, or simply curious about the property market, this podcast is for you. Join me each week as we unlock the secrets to property success and help you make informed decisions. Let's dive into the world of property together!

  1. 5h ago

    Healthy Homes Compliance Made Simple

    You can pay for a builders report and still have no clear answer on whether a home meets Healthy Homes compliance. That’s the gap we dig into with Evan, as we unpack what the Healthy Homes Standards actually measure, why the results are so black and white, and how that differs from a general building inspection that looks at overall condition and defects.  We walk through the specific compliance areas landlords must meet under New Zealand tenancy rules: heating, insulation, ventilation, draught stopping, moisture and surface water management, plus smoke alarms. Evan explains how the government heating assessment tool turns real details like room size, window type, location, and dwelling age into a kilowatt requirement, and why “living room” really means the most-used living space. If you’ve ever wondered what an inspector inputs and how they decide whether your heat pump is big enough, this makes it plain.  We also talk about H1 and why climate zones and insulation assumptions matter, then hit a surprising twist: a brand-new build can still fail Healthy Homes heating requirements if the specified unit is undersized. Finally, we cover the practical side for owners and buyers, including why we’re starting to recommend Healthy Homes reports even for people buying a place to live in now, and what’s at stake if you rent out a non-compliant property, from fines to Tenancy Tribunal risk.  If you found this helpful, share it with a landlord or first-home buyer, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next practical breakdown. If you’ve had a compliance surprise of your own, leave a review and tell us what caught you out. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Buy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars  You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

    7 min

  2. 1d ago

    What Does “Weathertight” Really Cost In New Zealand?

    Twelve inspections in three days sounds impossible until you hear what a busy building inspector’s week actually looks like and why so many homes are crying out for basic maintenance. We sit down with Evan to unpack a real maintenance report for a Waikanae beachfront property that’s just been inherited by three daughters. The location is incredible, but the exterior tells a harder story: older cedar shiplap cladding that has warped, cupped, and split so badly that some boards break under pressure, plus joinery damage that’s already well past “a bit of paint will sort it”.  We get practical about what a maintenance report adds compared with a typical builder’s report, especially when the goal is weathertightness. Evan talks through how he documents the problem areas in writing, why that matters when you’re chasing quotes, and how thermal imaging can show where moisture is holding inside the house before the stains and mould shout about it. If you’ve ever wondered whether you can just patch and carry on, this conversation makes the decision points clearer.  Then we talk money and scope without sugar-coating it: scaffolding, painting, joinery replacement, and the difference between direct fix and a new cavity system, plus how consent and wind zone settings can change the path. We also touch on smaller unit inspections for development work, Healthy Homes compliance, and why delaying maintenance is the fastest way to inflate your future spend. If you know someone who’s bought, inherited, or rents out a property, share this with them, then subscribe and leave a review so more Kiwi homeowners can find it. What’s the first thing you’d want checked on your place? Send us Fan Mail Support the show Buy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars  You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

    8 min

  3. 2d ago

    What The New KiwiSaver Rates Mean For Your Pay And Future

    Your KiwiSaver settings look small until you do the maths. We sit down with Dave to talk through the April 2026 shift to a 3.5% employee contribution rate, why most people stayed there, and how that extra 1% can translate into real money over decades. If you’ve ever wondered whether changing your KiwiSaver contribution rate is “worth it”, we break it down in plain language, using the kind of weekly numbers that actually match real life. We also get practical about habits, especially for young Kiwis starting work. Setting KiwiSaver to 10% from day one can be a game-changer because you build your retirement savings and first home pathway before lifestyle spending expands. For parents, we talk about how even modest voluntary contributions can create a base that’s hard to replicate later, and why locking money away can sometimes be the point, not the downside. Then we zoom out to what might be coming next in New Zealand retirement policy: a proposed $1,200 KiwiSaver kickstart for babies enrolled from birth, talk of moving toward compulsory total contributions of 12% (split between employee and employer), and targeted changes like contributions for mums during maternity leave to reduce the KiwiSaver gender gap. We also cover why continuing employer contributions past age 65 could be a fairness win, plus the big unresolved question: who pays for all of this, and what does it mean for smaller businesses? If you want clearer KiwiSaver advice, smarter retirement planning, and a grounded take on policy changes, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a mate who needs a nudge, and leave a review with the KiwiSaver question you want answered next. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Buy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars  You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

    9 min

  4. 3d ago

    Choosing The Right KiwiSaver Fund After Buying A Home

    Conservative KiwiSaver funds can feel like a warm blanket, right up until you realise what they might be costing you over 20 or 30 years. We dig into a common KiwiSaver mistake: switching to conservative before buying a first home, then leaving it there long after the keys are in hand. The real question isn’t “what’s safest this year?”, it’s “what gives me the best chance of a strong retirement outcome over time?”  We talk through why long-term investing often rewards staying invested through market ups and downs, and how missing growth years can snowball into a huge gap in retirement savings. Then we tackle the temptation of hype investments, from SpaceX-style speculation to KiwiSaver funds that include Bitcoin. We’re not anti-risk, we’re pro-intentional risk: diversify, understand what you own, and keep “play money” separate from the money you’ll need to live on later.  With election-year noise about the retirement age and whether NZ Super could change through asset testing, we share a simple planning mindset: don’t build your future on promises you can’t control. We also cover a practical step anyone can take today, asking your provider for a fund factsheet so you can see the holdings and how the fund is actually invested. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a mate who’s still in conservative, and leave a review. What KiwiSaver fund are you in right now, and why? Send us Fan Mail Support the show Buy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars  You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

    6 min

  5. 4d ago

    Here’s What To Check Before You Buy On A Slope

    That dream hill view can come with a quiet question: what’s actually holding the ground up? We sit down with Evan to unpack the real-world risks and realities of buying and building on a slope in New Zealand, with plenty of Wellington and Dunedin context where flat land is the exception, not the rule. If you’re looking at a house on a hill, this is the practical checklist conversation you want before you fall in love with the outlook. We get into retaining walls and hillside sections, including what to look for with older crib walls, why drainage and wall geometry matter, and how surcharge loads can turn a “fine for now” wall into a future failure. Evan also shares what it’s like building on steep terrain, where the house is tied into the hillside and carried out on long piles. It’s a candid look at the on-site reality of drilling, including what happens when an auger hits hard greywacke rock and the engineer has to make a call. From there we zoom in on the buyer’s red flags: subsidence and settlement clues such as uneven paths, cracking to foundations or cladding, and windows that have dropped out of level. We also talk about the messy part people forget, like limited access that makes repairs expensive or even borderline impossible, and how storm-driven slips can turn into insurance stress. If you’re doing property due diligence, organising a building inspection, or weighing up a hillside purchase, you’ll come away with clearer questions to ask and fewer surprises. If this helped, subscribe for more straight-up property and building chats, share it with a mate who’s house hunting on a slope, and leave a review with the biggest hill-section question you want answered next. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Buy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars  You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

    10 min

  6. 5d ago

    Your Prescribed Investor Rate Can Save You Tax

    PIR is one of those tiny settings that can quietly shape your after-tax returns for years, and most people only notice it as three letters on a KiwiSaver statement. We bring Dave in for a plain-English Tax Chat to explain what PIR (prescribed investor rate) actually is, how it works inside PIE funds and unit trusts, and why it’s different from your normal income tax rate. We unpack the part that surprises most listeners: for many KiwiSaver and PIE investments, the top PIR is capped at 28%, even if your personal tax rate is 33% or 39%. That can make KiwiSaver tax more efficient for some people using it as a retirement savings vehicle. We also talk through the real-world risk: if your circumstances change and your PIR doesn’t, you can end up paying the wrong amount. Overpaying can be especially painful because you may not be able to claim it back, while underpaying can still lead to a bill later. You’ll get the key PIR bands (10.5%, 17.5%, 28%) and a practical checklist for staying up to date, including where to find your PIR in your provider’s app or portal and how MyIR can help if it’s not clear. If you’ve ever changed jobs, had time off to look after kids, reduced hours, or simply set your KiwiSaver up years ago and never looked again, this is the nudge to check. Subscribe for more straight-talking money chats, share this with someone who has KiwiSaver, and leave a review if it helped, then go check your PIR today and tell us what you found. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Buy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars  You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

    5 min

  7. 6d ago

    How To Read A Builders Report With Confidence

    A builder’s report can feel like a bunch of headlines until you know how to read the labels and what they imply for real risk, real money, and real next steps. We sit down with Evan to translate the common report terms into plain English, so you can stop guessing and start prioritising. If you’re buying a home, supporting a client, or simply trying to understand what you’re looking at before going unconditional, this is the practical guide we wish everyone had. We unpack what a New Zealand pre-purchase building inspection report typically covers, from exterior claddings and roof spaces to subfloors, sites, and moisture readings. Evan explains the difference between cosmetic issues and minor maintenance, and why that distinction changes fast depending on the scale of the home, from an 80 square metre weatherboard to a 350 square metre two-storey property. We also dig into “action required”, the phrase banks and lawyers latch onto, and how it links to weathertightness risk and long-term deterioration if defects are left unattended. We then get into judgement calls that matter: when something becomes a safety hazard, like a second-storey deck balustrade with timber decay, and when a report has to say “further investigation” because access or conditions prevent a complete view. Finally, we talk about the growing habit of throwing reports into AI, what it does well, and what it can miss without the right prompts, plus where electrical checks sit in a builder’s scope and why older wiring can trigger insurance requirements. If you found this useful, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s house hunting, and leave a review so more Kiwis can buy with confidence. What part of a builder’s report do you find hardest to interpret? Send us Fan Mail Support the show Buy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars  You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

    10 min

  8. Jun 25

    From A $42k First Home Boost To A Bigger Retirement

    Numbers don’t have to be boring, especially when they mess with your assumptions about money. We corner Dave from Booster for a rapid-fire run through KiwiSaver stats that hit right where it counts: first home buying, retirement savings, and the small choices that compound into massive outcomes over time. If you’ve ever thought “my balance isn’t big enough to matter”, this chat is the reality check.  We start with first home buyers and the average KiwiSaver withdrawal of about $42,000. We unpack what that figure can mean for deposits, borrowing power, and why even a 1 to 2% higher contribution rate while saving can change your interest rate and your options. Then we get into fund choice after you buy, including the shift away from conservative funds and why a long-term growth approach can leave someone dramatically better off by retirement.  From there we tackle a stat that should stop anyone mid-scroll: around 1.6 million KiwiSaver members are not contributing. We talk through the common reasons, what contribution holidays can cost in missed employer contributions, and practical ways to build savings habits anyway, from putting $20 into a kid’s KiwiSaver to swapping flashy gifts for something that actually multiplies. We also touch on rising average balances, more members crossing $80k, the biggest generational wealth transfer in history, and why managed funds and diversification can matter alongside KiwiSaver.  If you want KiwiSaver advice that stays grounded in real New Zealand behaviour and real-world constraints like the cost of living, press play. Subscribe, share it with a mate who needs a nudge, and leave a review with your current contribution rate and what would help you lift it. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Buy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars  You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

    12 min
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About

Welcome to That Home Loan Hub, your ultimate guide to mastering the world of home loans and property. I'm Zebunisso Alimova, here to simplify the complexities of real estate and provide you with expert insights and the latest trends. Whether you're a first-time homebuyer, an experienced investor, or simply curious about the property market, this podcast is for you. Join me each week as we unlock the secrets to property success and help you make informed decisions. Let's dive into the world of property together!

Information

  • Creator
    Zebunisso Alimova
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    290
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 That Home Loan Hub
  • Show Website
    That Home Loan Hub