Unfortunately, you can’t use your KiwiSaver to buy a HouseMe transportable home directly — but there are a few ways it can play a role if you already own or plan to buy land.

KiwiSaver first-home withdrawals are designed for buying a property where the house and land are purchased together under one legal title. Because HouseMe homes are built off-site and delivered later, they don’t initially meet that requirement. The home isn’t legally tied to the land until it’s permanently installed and added to the property’s title — which is where the KiwiSaver rules get tricky.

Here’s how it breaks down in real terms:

Why you can’t use KiwiSaver upfront

KiwiSaver providers can only release funds once there’s a legal property title that includes the dwelling. With HouseMe, that’s not the case at the time of purchase — it’s still considered a movable asset.
So even though it’s a legitimate home, it doesn’t yet meet the legal definition of a “house purchase” under KiwiSaver regulations.

The technical (but messy) way you could use it

It’s technically possible to use KiwiSaver, but the process is backwards and rarely worth the hassle:

• You’d need to fully fund the home upfront yourself — through cash or finance.
• The home would then be transported, installed, and connected on your land.
• Once it’s permanently fixed to the site and legally recorded on your land title, you could then apply to draw down your KiwiSaver funds, effectively reimbursing yourself after the fact.

In short, KiwiSaver won’t fund the purchase itself — only after the house is complete, installed, and legally recognised as part of your property. That timing makes it nearly impossible for most buyers to rely on KiwiSaver as their main funding source.

How you can use your KiwiSaver effectively

If you’re starting from scratch, the smart way to involve KiwiSaver is to use it to buy the land first.
Once you own the section, you can then purchase and install a HouseMe home on it using your own funds or through our in-house finance solution, FinanceMe.

Many customers take this route:

1. Use KiwiSaver for the land purchase (since it has a legal title).
2. Fund the build and delivery of the HouseMe unit separately.
3. Once the home is sited and added to the title, you’ve effectively created a full house-and-land property that builds long-term equity.

A practical example

Let’s say you buy a $250,000 section using your KiwiSaver and a small top-up loan. You then finance a $130,000 HouseMe home through FinanceMe. Once the home is delivered, installed, and added to the title, your property is now worth, say, $420,000. You’ve used KiwiSaver exactly as intended — to help secure permanent housing — just in a roundabout way.

Why it should change

It would make sense for KiwiSaver rules to evolve. Off-site homes like HouseMe are permanent, consented, code-compliant dwellings — they just happen to be built smarter and faster. The current system doesn’t reflect that reality, and it’s stopping a lot of Kiwis from accessing affordable housing solutions.

Until those rules catch up, KiwiSaver can only help before (buying land) or after (reimbursement once the home is on title), not during.

If you’re ready to get started, our FinanceMe option bridges that gap — it’s quick, flexible, and designed for people who don’t want to wait for outdated systems to catch up.