Two couples are keen to invest in a beach house.  House Hounds brings them together and they purchase a million-dollar bach that ticks all the boxes – and with a 50% deposit. Since repayments are split four ways and they put down such a high deposit, the structure of their loan is very manageable: Each couple pays only $550 a week, and they’ve brought the term of the loan from 30 years down to only 15 years. Halving the loan term saves them $364,100 in interest, or 56% As it’s a holiday home, the two couples create a calendar to keep track of who's using it, then rent it out when it’s empty.  The rental income goes into a shared account that covers the home’s rates, utilities, cleaning, gardening, and property management, so the property basically takes care of itself.

​Two single women are sick of renting small one-bedroom units for $500 a week.  They don’t like paying someone else's mortgage nor living in fear of being evicted at any time. Both would prefer more space and feel safer living with someone else. If each woman bought her own house for $600,000, they would each pay $668,482 in interest - $1,336,964 straight into their banks' pockets. They also have much more limited options at that price range. They connect through House Hounds and fund a 30% deposit for a house worth $800,000 where they have plenty of space, a backyard, and even a spare room. The payable interest has gone from over $1.3 million to $779,896, saving each woman $278,534. They now pay $425 each per week in repayments, put $75 each per week into an account for rates and maintenance, and are building their own capital.

A middle-aged childfree couple is financially well-off and wants to do something to help the younger generation. They find a young woman on House Hounds who is on the right track but struggling to get her property ownership goals over the line. They buy into a property together - the couple as an investment and the young woman as a home to live in. When they agree that it's time to sell, the couple will take the capital gains proportionate to their initial contribution. It's an easy, hands-off investment for them which has helped a fellow Kiwi get herself onto the property ladder.

A single man in Christchurch wants to buy his own home, but he only has $50,000 to put down. ​Meanwhile, a couple in Tauranga want to start building an investment portfolio, but their home town is too expensive to start in. The two parties meet through House Hounds. The couple puts in $100,000 for a deposit while the man puts in his $50,000. They split the repayments proportionately. The man now lives in a house he co-owns, and the couple has bought into an investment property at 80% LVR rather than 65%, since it’s owner-occupied. ​They bring two flatmates in and charge them board, which lowers their repayments.

Young people all over the country are feeling the struggle. Renting is expensive, buying even more so, and the job market is more competitive than it ever has been. University will only put them further into debt, so they decide to enter the trades. By learning valuable trade skills and earning a living at the same time, they quickly save a bit of money - but still not enough for a deposit. With rising house prices, time is of the essence. A group of 5 find each other on House Hounds, and together finance a do-up property in Wellington. Plus, they can all bring industry knowledge to the project thanks to their trade skills.  By putting in only $30,000 each and sharing the workload, the group restores a big, beautiful old character home that's worth nearly twice as much once they've finished.

A couple is ready to buy a home. They’ve found the right neighbourhood, have a $200,000 deposit, and can afford $4000 per month in repayments. But all the houses in the area are much bigger than what they need. Through House Hounds, they find a likeminded couple in a similar situation. Together they fund a beautiful $1.2m property where each couple has their own bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room. If either couple bought the house on their own, their repayments would be $6,782 per month (much more than they can afford), and they would pay over $1.4 million dollars in interest over the 30-year term. By combining resources to buy that same house with twice the deposit, repayments are $5,425 per month - $2,712.50 per couple – and they’ve saved $288,240 in interest. The group takes it one step further, increasing their repayments to $4000 per couple ($8000 in total). This brings their loan term down to only 13 years and the total interest to less than $450,000. House Hounds has saved the group nearly a million dollars in interest!

A young family has emigrated from the UK. They're in a temporary flat while their dog is in quarantine, so are using that time to look for a pet-friendly rental.  Unfortunately the rental market is so competitive that anyone with a pet is pushed to the bottom of the list. Through House Hounds, they meet a man with a dog who they pair up with. By pooling their resources, they buy a property they can all live in with their own space, with a great backyard for the two dogs.

Amy and Aroha are a Taranaki couple looking for their first home. Brad owns the home he lives in mortgage-free, wants to invest in more property, and enjoys surfing. Cam rents in Taupo and travels to Wellington for a week every month for work. They feel like it's wasted rent when they're away from home. Dylan is 20 and lives with her parents and brothers in Hamilton. Every now and then she just wants to escape her family and be close to nature. Ethan is a sales rep who travels around the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, looking for somewhere to put his feet up in between meetings. Amy & Aroha and Brad buy a half-share each of a 3-bedroom home in New Plymouth. Amy & Aroha live there full-time, and Brad stays occasionally - when the surf is good.  Brad, Dylan, and Ethan each buy a 1/3 share in a small bach in Raglan. They set up a calendar to show when each person will be there, with capacity for overlap since there are two bedrooms. Cam only lives in Taupo for 3/4 of the time, so buys 3/4 of a home there. Ethan buys the other 1/4. Amy & Aroha = 1/2 a home in New Plymouth Brad = 1/2 a home in New Plymouth + 1/3 of one in Raglan Cam = 3/4 of a home in Taupo Dylan = 1/3 of a bach in Raglan Ethan = 1/3 of a bach in Raglan + 1/4 of a home in Taupo Talk about a diverse portfolio!

A man owns an apartment. After going through a redundancy and ending a long-term relationship, he wants to free up some cash to go travelling. He joins House Hounds and finds a couple looking for an inner-city dwelling. He sells half of his property to the couple, who move in and share the apartment space while he makes his travel arrangements. Then while he's away, he knows the property will be well looked after. He can take a break and fulfill his travel dreams while ensuring he has a home to come back to, while the couple has the freedom of living in a jointly-owned property by themselves while their co-owner is away.