A smaller deposit can get you into a home sooner. But it doesn’t make the house cheaper. I’ve built over a thousand homes. Here’s my take on the housing promises, the costs that keep piling up, and what I think would actually help.

What’s the biggest barrier for you: the deposit, the repayments or the price of the house?

Recorded 27 October 2026. Policy proposals may change.

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Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/

Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com

0:00 - 0:47 Intro

0:47 - 2:20 National & Labour 5% Deposit

2:20 - 3:43 What makes houses so expensive?

3:43 - 4:33 Helping first home buyers

4:33 - 6:12 Promises vs delivery

6:12 - 6:43 Labours capital gains tax

6:43 - 6:54 Attacking investors

6:54 - 8:00 What would I do?

#johnkenel #thepropertydevelopmentclub #NZHousing

You've got two ticks on the ballot paper. One chooses your local MP. The other largely determines how many seats your chosen party gets, if it qualifies.

I work through the room-of-chairs example, the 5% or one-electorate rule, why TOP received more than 63,000 votes but no MPs in 2023, and how ACT qualified below 5% in 2008. Then we get to the part after election night: who can put together the support to govern.

You can give both votes to the same party or split them. What matters is understanding what each tick does. These are examples of the rules, not recommendations about who to vote for.

For the 2026 election, check your enrolment at https://vote.nz.

You need to be enrolled by midnight Sunday 25 October, New Zealand time. Advance voting in New Zealand starts Monday 26 October. Election day is Saturday 7 November.

Source links for the voting rules, dates and historical results are below. Check vote.nz for current enrolment and voting information.

Voting and enrolment: https://vote.nz/2026-general-election/voting-in-the-election/what-to-do?lang=en-NZ

2026 key dates: https://vote.nz/2026-general-election/about/overview/key-dates

How MPs are elected: https://elections.nz/democracy-in-nz/what-is-new-zealands-system-of-government/how-are-mps-elected

2023 official results: https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/index.html

2008 official party totals: https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2008/partystatus.html

2008 Epsom result: https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2008/electorate-12.html

Government formation: https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/our-business-units/cabinet-office/supporting-work-cabinet/cabinet-manual/6-elections-transitions-and-government-formation/government-formation

#johnkenel #nzpolitics

This week Andrew Crosby and I get into whats happening in New Zealand property and the wider economy, so you can get a better understanding of the market.

Sign up to my FREE monthly newsletter to improve your finances: https://johnkenel.com

Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.johnkenel.com

Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/

Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com