The joy of first homeownership has come a little earlier in life for Dominic Bradbury than it does for most.

The 19-year-old civil engineering cadet closed on a three-bedroom home on John Laughton Place in June and is now well settled in with three boarders keeping him company – and pitching in on the bills.

“They’ve been super good to work with,” Dom says.

“We've been rotating dinners so far, and it’s all going really well.”

Homeownership was not always the goal for Dom, but saving money was.

At 14, he made himself some business cards and handed them around the neighbourhood, with the intention of making money to save for university.

Dom then worked at Bunnings from age 15 until he left school and got his current job at Whakatāne District Council as a civil engineering cadet.

“That covers all my studies, so I didn’t end up needing to pay for university. I used that money, saved for another year, and managed to get most of the way there for a [house] deposit.”

He says that once he entered the cadetship, he realised he had a good nest of savings, and a real shot at purchasing a house.

Instead of moving into a flat and paying rent, Dom lived at home for another year and paid board, with a serious focus on boosting his savings.  

Dom's savings didn’t stretch to cover the entire deposit, but having already enquired about the house and received the valuation, his grandparents stepped in to help bridge the gap.

While Dom was motivated to buy a house, there were times in the process that doubt crept in.

Right after he got the valuation, news started emerging about United States tariffs, which caused a lot of stress.

“It made me think, ‘Do I still want to go in on this?’” he says.

“But the best time to buy a house is today, and the next best time is tomorrow.”

In searching for a house, Dom says he prioritised finding a property with good bones and rental potential.

He considered purchasing in Edgecumbe, where house prices were less expensive on average than in Whakatāne, but says the latter provided some extra stability, especially given that he intends to hold onto it long term.

Dom originally started looking at two-bedroom properties but realised having just one flatmate would not help him cover enough of the expenses.

The house he ultimately bought was moved to the section from Hamilton in 2005.

“While it is quite an old house, all the foundations are new, and it’s had new under piping, so hopefully there won’t be too many unforeseen maintenance costs,” Dom says.

“That was a real flag for me.”

Dom's house was listed for offers over the low $500,000s, and was sold in the mid-$500,000s.

He says he saw other three-bedroom properties listed around the $500,000 mark, and two-bedrooms around $400,000.

“There are quite a lot of options out there.”

Dom would love to see more young people getting into home ownership.

“I think if people can identify those goals early, if you can get those savings going while you’re still at home, it makes a massive difference in the long run.”

He recommends the use of a mortgage adviser to avoid having to enter into, and keep track of, negotiations with multiple banks. Dom used Trish Marsden of O’Hagan Home Loans and Insurances.

“It didn’t cost me anything, she did all the negotiations with the banks, and they pay that part of the fee. It just streamlines the process massively.”

Dom says Trish had everything organised and gave it to him straight while they worked together.

“She was a massive help through the whole process. It was a lot going through that at 19 – I'm still learning how to pay bills, let alone figuring out a mortgage.

“Trish made it super easy.”