Navigating Moving Costs: How Personal Loans Can Help Renters in New Zealand

Moving house is a significant milestone, but for many renters in New Zealand, it can also bring considerable financial stress. With rising rental prices, tight competition, and the upfront costs of bond and rent in advance, it’s no surprise that moving often feels overwhelming. Add to that the need to furnish a new place or cover moving truck hire, and it becomes clear: the costs can accumulate quickly.

The good news? You don’t have to navigate it alone. A personal loan can provide renters in NZ with flexible support when it’s needed most.

Common Expenses Renters Face When Moving

When it comes to moving house, many of the costs hit all at once. Even if you’re moving to a nearby suburb, the financial pressure can be significant:

• Bond payments: Usually the equivalent of 2-4 weeks’ rent upfront.
• Rent in advance: Often required for your first 1-2 weeks.
• Truck or van hire: Costs can add up, especially if you need extra help loading and unloading larger items.
• Professional cleaning: Required by many landlords to secure your bond return.

Altogether, these expenses can easily run into the thousands, making it tough to cover everything from your savings alone. That’s where a moving house loan can help spread the cost more manageably.

Furnishing a New Home: The Hidden Costs

Many rentals across New Zealand are unfurnished or only partially furnished. This means new tenants are often left scrambling to buy essential furniture and appliances as soon as they move in.

Common essentials include:

• Beds, sofas, dining tables, and chairs
• Whiteware: fridges, washing machines, and dryers
• Small kitchen appliances like kettles, toasters, and microwaves

Buying everything at once can be an unexpected and stressful expense. A furniture loan or appliance loan can provide access to funds when needed.

How Personal Loans Can Help Renters

A personal loan is a lump sum of money you borrow and pay back over time in regular, fixed installments. A personal loan for renters is designed to help cover essential moving or set-up costs without the high interest rates of credit cards or the inflexibility of Buy Now Pay Later schemes.

Benefits of a personal loan include:

• Fixed repayments: Easy to budget for each fortnight or month.
• Set loan term: Choose how long you want to repay the loan for.
• Lower interest rates (often): Compared to credit cards or payday loans.
• Quick access to funds, especially with an online personal loan application process.

It can be an ideal solution for renters needing flexibility and peace of mind.

Who Can Apply?

You don’t need to own a home to apply for a personal loan. In fact, many renters are eligible as long as they meet the eligibility criteria:

• Aged 18 years or over.
• Are a New Zealand citizen or resident.
• Have regular income (even part-time).

Some lenders may also consider your rental payment history. But rest assured: being a homeowner is not a requirement.

Tips for Applying and Getting Approved

To improve your chances of approval, keep these tips in mind:

• Only borrow what you need: Use a personal loan calculator to estimate your repayments.
• Prepare your documents: Proof of income, ID, and rental agreement may be requested.
• Compare lenders: Look for providers that offer fast approval and clear loan terms.
• Check the fine print: Understand fees, interest rates, and repayment options.

Alternatives to Personal Loans

Personal loans aren’t the only way to fund a move, but they are often the most practical when time is short. And appropriate credit checks and responsible lending checks apply.

Other options include:

• Using savings (if available) to fund or partially fund a move.
• Borrowing from friends or family.
• Community grants or support services.
• Buying second-hand goods (note: you won’t have a manufacturer’s warranty on second-hand appliances)

Still, a personal loan offers a secure and structured way to manage expenses and reduce stress.

Make Your Next Move with Confidence

Moving should be exciting, not stressful. Whether you’re shifting to a new city, upsizing, or downsizing, a personal loan for moving costs can help cover everything from rent in advance to essential items.

Explore your options with Nectar Money and get a quote tailored to your needs. With flexible repayments, fast approval, and an easy online application, we make moving simpler.

Personal finance advice

Unsure of how to manage your money? You can access free personal finance services or pay for professional personal finance advice.

How much can you borrow with a Nectar Money Personal Loan?

With Nectar Money, you can borrow a small personal loan from Nectar Money based on your needs. Use our loan repayment calculator to find out how much you could get.

Getting started with Nectar Money

Do you need a great rate on a personal loan? We’d love to help with your personal loan requirements. Find out how much you could borrow and learn more about our personal loans. You can get started with Nectar Money and get a personalised loan quote online, which will include your interest rate, maximum borrowing amount, and repayment options.

Nectar Money – we make lending sweeter.*

*Nectar Money’s lending criteria and responsible lending checks apply.