Single Parent
Buys Back Into Wellington Post-Divorce.

The problem.

Rebecca is a 37-year-old senior physiotherapist working for a Wellington DHB. Following a divorce in late 2025, the family home in Karori was sold and the proceeds split — leaving Rebecca with $82,000 deposit savings plus her KiwiSaver balance of $26,000. She wanted to buy back into Wellington as quickly as possible to maintain stability for her two primary-school children.

The challenges were significant: her income at $95,000 had to service a Wellington-priced mortgage on a single income; she'd been declared as a co-borrower on the prior mortgage, so her credit file showed the historic loan; and as the children's primary caregiver, she received Working for Families tax credits which her own bank refused to count toward serviceability.

When she approached the bank she'd held the original mortgage with, they offered her borrowing capacity of just $480,000 — well short of what Wellington's market required even for a modest 3-bedroom home. She was advised to consider renting for 2-3 years before reapplying. Rebecca reached out to Finch as a second opinion before accepting that recommendation.

How we solved it.

The result.

Rebecca secured pre-approval of $570,000 — almost $90,000 above her own bank's offer — within 17 days of submission. She purchased a 3-bedroom townhouse in Newtown for $678,000 (close to school and her workplace), settling 6 weeks later.

Her loan was structured as a 70/30 split: 70% on a 2-year fixed at 5.69%, 30% floating so she could attack the principal with annual tax refunds and bonus income. She also captured a $4,200 cashback contribution from the new lender, which fully covered her solicitor and moving costs.

Rebecca's feedback: "Three months earlier I was told I'd have to rent for years. Finch took my actual situation seriously instead of plugging me into a single bank's tick-box calculator. The kids are settled in our own home and life is moving forward again."