A Place to call home

Jordan Harvey is currently based in Christchurch and recently used his savings in the NZDF Savings Schemes to help buy his first home.

Jordan serves as a Regimental Sergeant at the 2/1 Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. In his role, no two days are the same. A big part of his job is making sure his people have the right support they need to thrive. Mornings are often spent checking standards and coordinating with soldiers around disciplinary advice, training and welfare support.

Outside of work, Jordan loves spending time outdoors with his family — especially getting the kids out on adventures whenever he is home and not deployed.

Jordan joined the New Zealand Defence Force in 2006 and has been a member of the NZDF Savings Schemes since 2015.

“Just before COVID struck, we started looking for our first home however, due to my work I was posted away from Burnham, this made us wait until we returned before we started looking again.” When the time came to access his funds through the NZDF Savings Schemes for their first home purchase, Jordan says the process was “very simple, we requested the forms and they were very simple to fill out and send through.”

Like many first-home buyers, Jordan and his family were also thinking carefully about rising mortgage rates and the increasing cost of living. That prompted them to weigh up different locations, balancing housing costs against travel expenses and the convenience of being closer to work.

We asked Jordan how it felt getting the keys to his new home “Surreal, finally stepping into our own house”. It’s great to see the NZDF Savings Schemes helping members like Jordan take that important first step onto the property ladder.

Looking ahead, Jordan’s savings goals are focused on enjoying future family holidays overseas and growing their retirement fund.