Buying your first home can feel overwhelming, especially in today’s market.

But a group of local financial advisors from Mortgage Bliss are working hard to make the process easier – one free seminar at a time.

Hosted at Boon Collective, upstairs at level 1, 32 Boon Street, the First Home Buyers Seminar runs on the first Thursday of every month, with a separate KiwiSaver Seminar held on the third Tuesday. These events are free, open to the public, and without any pressure tactics.

Graeme Kinney, a financial advisor at Mortgage Bliss who has more than 20 years in banking and co-hosts the sessions, said there was no sale pitch.

“No one’s trying to sell you anything. We’re there to provide information and help people on their journey to buy their first home or find out more about what they can do with their KiwiSaver.”

The idea was sparked by Scott Innes from Mortgage Bliss who saw a clear need for better, friendlier access to financial advice.

Each seminar covers the basics of buying a first home – what’s required, what to prepare, how KiwiSaver can be used, and what’s happening in the market right now.

With at least three advisers at each session, attendees can get one-on-one guidance after the main talk over a cup of tea and biscuits.

There’s also a website with helpful tools such as mortgage and savings calculators.

The team’s key message is simple: “Come in and ask”.

“People are often afraid to ask because they think it’ll cost them,” Mr Kinney said. “Or they’re worried they won’t like the answer. But we’re here to help them build a plan, no matter where they’re starting from.”

One standout success story is about a couple of guys who reached out for first home advice at just 21 years old. “We worked with them for nearly two years,” Mr Kinney said.

“They’ve both now settled into their new houses recently. It can be a bit of a journey, but they came in and asked the question, we put a plan in place for them, they stuck to the plan and now they’ve both been able to buy their first home.

“It’s about finding out how far away you are.”

In a tough economy where cost of living, council rates, insurance and everyday expenses are high and can be barriers, Mr Kinney said now might be a great time to get serious. “House prices are relatively low, and interest rates are coming down, there’s a whole lot of stuff happening in the market that says it’s a good time to buy.”

Mortgage Bliss intends to keep running the seminars every month for as long as people keep showing up.

The next first home buyer’s seminar is on Thursday, September 4 at 5.30pm.