That Home Loan Hub

Cold bedrooms, dripping windows, and mould on the walls are treated like “just how houses are” in New Zealand, but the health fallout is huge. We sit down with Jessica Kelty from Thrive Kind, a home performance advisor working across the Kāpiti Coast and Wellington region, to talk about what actually makes a home warm, dry, and healthy and why too many rentals still miss the mark. 

We unpack the Healthy Homes Standards and the uncomfortable reality that landlords can often sign themselves off without a proper compliance system. Jessica explains how that lack of tracking and independent checking leaves tenants carrying the risk, while good landlords get dragged down by a system that’s far too easy to game. We also talk through the real-world impacts of cold, damp housing: asthma, respiratory illness, and the strain this puts on families and the health system, plus what “healthy” indoor temperatures look like in practice. 

From there we get practical: insulation support through Warmer Kiwi Homes for eligible owner occupiers, smarter ventilation habits to cut condensation, and the simple “blast ventilating” routine anyone can start tomorrow. We also zoom out to building performance, new builds that still grow mould, and why design choices like orientation and sunlight matter as much as aesthetics. If you care about rental compliance, home ventilation, insulation, mould prevention, and healthier housing in Aotearoa, this kōrero will give you clear next steps. 

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Mould on the walls is bad enough, but what happens when vermin and droppings are reportedly falling from the ceiling onto kids’ beds and the rent still has to be paid? We sit down with Jessica Kelty from Strive Kind to walk through a confronting Auckland case study that wrapped up around April, where a pregnant single mum with three boys fought to prove her rental was unhealthy. The final outcome included a $13,000 payout, but the bigger story is what it took to get there and why so many tenants never reach that point. 

We talk plainly about tenant rights in New Zealand, the Healthy Homes Standards, and why enforcement can feel disconnected from real life. You’ll hear why “just move out” is not practical advice in a rental shortage, especially once you factor in bond, moving costs, schooling, and the fear of a bad reference. We also dig into the power imbalance that can turn renting into a fear-based relationship, where speaking up risks retaliation, notice, or losing the roof over your head. 

From there we look at the role of property managers as the layer between landlords and tenants, and what can go wrong when property management is inconsistent or poorly regulated. We also question what a Healthy Homes compliance report really means if assessors are not consistently trained or held to a clear compliance system. Our goal is not landlord bashing, it is shining a torch on the gaps so more homes are dry, safe, and liveable. 

If this matters to you, share the episode with someone who rents or owns a rental, and leave a review so more New Zealanders can find these conversations. What do you think should change first?
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Money advice usually starts with budgets and numbers. We start somewhere more honest: the feelings you have when you open your bank app, the stories you learned as a kid, and the weird ways shame can make you spend, avoid, and then repeat the cycle. Rachel Davis, co-founder of High Money and co-author of Money, Money, Money, joins us to unpack why 80% of money is mindset and only 20% is mechanics, and what that means for everyday life in New Zealand.

Rachel shares a deceptively simple “money therapy” exercise where you talk to money as if it is a person. It sounds playful, but it surfaces real patterns fast: bingeing on treats after a hard week, ghosting your accounts when you feel guilty, and wanting security while acting like it will all work out somehow. From there we get practical about updating money beliefs, building an emergency cushion, and making saving and investing feel calm and repeatable, especially if you are aiming for a first home deposit, growing KiwiSaver, or trying to get consistent with an index fund.

We also step back to look at the wider system. Women are more likely to retire with less because of caregiving, part-time work, pay inequity, separations, and even the lifetime cost of the pink tax. You cannot budget your way out of poverty, but if you have any room to move, mindset work can help you use that room well and stop self-sabotage. We finish by redefining wealth as choice and potential, and Rachel leaves a parting message: go gentle, drop the shame, and start looking.

If this hits home, share it with a mate who avoids money chats, subscribe for more grounded money conversations, and leave a review so more Kiwis can find the show. What money belief are you ready to update?
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Money doesn’t just change what you can buy, it changes what you believe you’re allowed to try. Emma Hanover grew up with food banks and the constant feeling that there was never enough, left school at 16 with dyslexia and ADHD, and still built a life that looks “impossible” from the outside: a sold high-growth trade business, and now full-time property trading and consulting across Auckland and Taranaki.

We get practical about what actually moved the needle. Emma explains how being customer-centric helped her outpace competitors, why she talks openly about money with her kids, and how she teaches budgeting with real-life constraints (including a $500 clothing budget designed to last six months). We also unpack how couples can divide money roles without secrecy, so one person carries the admin while both stay aligned on the big decisions.

If you’re curious about property flipping in New Zealand, this chat is refreshingly unromantic. Emma shares why “you make money when you buy”, what changes in a declining market, and how funding can work through investor capital, second tier lenders, and JV (joint venture) deals. She also talks about the losses people don’t brag about, and why many traders are rebuilding homes that banks won’t even lend on, not stealing easy stock from first home buyers.

If this resonates, share it with a mate who’s feeling stuck, and please subscribe and leave a review so more Kiwis can find the show. What part of Emma’s money story challenged you most?

Fundhaus.co.nz
https://www.instagram.com/emma_hanover/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-hanover-7bb4a81b5/

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The day before an auction, a young mum rings in tears: her bank has just refused her finance. She thought she had done everything right, she had been dealing with her lender directly, and she was sure approval was coming. That one “no” could have meant losing the home and starting again from scratch, but it also revealed something most buyers only learn the hard way: pre-approval is not the finish line, and the property itself can be the deal breaker.

We sit down with George Love from Harcourts to unpack a true “war story” that shows the real value of using a mortgage adviser in New Zealand. We talk about what happens when a bank suddenly flags a property due to risk settings like flood zones, historic insurance claims, or concerns that trigger extra reports such as weather-tightness checks. We also explain why brokers often ask for more documents, how we position your story across different lenders, and what it looks like behind the scenes when we escalate an urgent file so a live purchase doesn’t collapse.

Then we zoom out to the bigger mission: helping first home buyers get on the property ladder with realistic expectations. We share practical habits that build momentum over time, from choosing a starter home that needs a bit of TLC to cutting back on the small weekly spends that quietly wreck a savings plan. If you’re weighing up bank vs broker, or you’ve ever worried your approval could vanish at the worst moment, this listen will sharpen your strategy. Subscribe, share it with a mate who’s house hunting, and leave a review with your biggest home loan question.
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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