Watt Dabney

Hi, I live in Kaiapoi and have done for 4yrs. I really love it here, a great community with everything you could need but Chch on your door step. We have a cinema, various fast food outlets, a library, a pool etc etc. My one bug bear with the place is the high school leaves a lot to be desired, the head has been on sick leave for over a yr now and the place is suffering for not having someone properly at the helm. The deputy is doing ok but there is only so much you can do when you are just keeping someones seat warm. Saying that I know plenty of people who still send their kids there and are satisfied (both kiwis & poms). The primary schools are fine.

On the commuting subject, my OH commutes to Hornby and its no problem, there is actually a back route behind the airport which cuts out Hornby junction, so th only bottle neck is the Johns Rd junction. My son goes to school in town (Cobham Intermediate just off Memorial Ave) and I go to college in town (Hagley, right on the park). I leave the house at 7.40 I drop my son off at 8.05ish and I am at college by 8.20ish. If it rains it slows the traffic by about 10mins.
We love it out here, and if the high school was ok we would definately be staying, but unless we can get an out of zone place for another school we will have to look at moving, which will be a real shame.

Hop this helps, if you are set on kaiapoi and a commute dosent bother you, personally I would rent in a good school zone when you 1st get here, then buy in Kaiapoi and commute. Rangiora is also nice but a bit further out and its just a bit too far for me, on Mondays my kids go to guitar lessons in Rangiora and I have to say I wouldn't like to add that to my journey every day, but hey its horses for courses.

Paula

sky

There's Waikuku, Pines beach and Woodend beach about 10k up the road from Rangiora. I like Waikuku best cos it has a lovely community feel and a dairy that sells absolutely everything
You prob would be best just renting for now like folk say cos you may not like it.
Burnside high asks for a copy of a bill or letter every three months to make sure you're still living in the catchment area so if you do rent close to your chosen high school make sure they don't catch you out like that if you move away.

Hang11

Have you looked at the other side of the city on the peninsula? A bit more expensive than Rangiora/Kaiapoi, but zoned for a good high school, and stunning views. It has all the things you want, and probably better weather too, due to microclimates, and a bit of shelter from the wind because it's hilly.

Have a look at www.min.co.nz and search through Church Bay, Charteris Bay, Diamond Harbour, Governers Bay (pricey), and Lyttleton, or even further afield at places like Little River. Just my opinion, and sorry to upset anyone who lives in Rangiora/Kaiapoi, but I think these areas are nicer, more topography, not just flat, and right by water.

I just pinched this picture off there of the views from one of the houses they have for sale.

CAN2NZ

We live in Ilam and our son goes to Burnside which contrary to another post is not downtown.

Anyway, we bought a section in Rangiora and hope to be in the house in the next many months.

We picked Rangiora because we think we get more for our money in building new out there than buying someone's neglected shed. The best part of the town is the North West where you can enjoy the Ashgrove school. The school is the only one in Rangiora to attend. The high school is just fine and has a good reputation. Please see the ERO reports for first hand information.

Don't be under any false apprehensions about the housing stock in NZ. It is awful and the use of the word shed is quite descriptive. Your shed at home is not double glazed, heated, insulated and has no more than one electrcial outlet and light. Here, you will find much the same. A woman who works for me lives in a house that is less than five years old and was built without double glazing or heating. Her monthly electric bill in winter was running to $600. Be very careful what you buy or rent.

However, here in any place that is worth living in if you have a famiy, that house will usually cost more than $400,000 and will need up to $100,000 worth of work to get it right. Once you are done spending you will still have a small house with one bathroom and toilet. So, why do it. If you can go to $650,000 and above, than you have more options. However, where one lives is based on subjective reasoning and my exoectations may be different than yours.

We are building what we think it s a very nice house with two heat pumps, gas fire, solar water heating and lots of insulation. Including the patios and landscapping we are looking at $485,000. We will have more space, more quiet and still live in a real town close to Chch. In the city we would not be able to touch the house for under $575,000. Three bedroom houses in Halswell are now going for close on $550,000 with some listed at $570,000.

Apple12

I just want to post up a contrary opinion, cos I can!

We have a very solid three bed home which is fully insulated and extremely well heated with a very efficient log burner.

It is a 1920s villa which has been lovingly redone inside, and being fully fenced and warm and sunny it is perfect for my family. It did not cost anything like the figures mentioned above and certainly hasn't needed 100k of work doing. And best of all it is only a 20 min walk into the centre of chch and a 10 min walk up into the Port Hills.

I just wanted to post some balance, the post above seems to say the only way you can find a suitable house is to build new, and that has not been my experience.

cypherpunk

Did you mean four bedrooms maybe? There are plenty of 3brs below $500K (and even $400K) in Halswell right now, e.g. here. Most of them have two bathrooms as well (three of them have 3! ).

Hang11

That's just so not true.

We live in a lovely warm 1930's villa.

Total cost to insulate the house, with ECAN grants, was under $5,000 (admittedly, I did the floors myself, took about 4 days of easy work). A super efficient log burner was under $2500, along with heat pumps already installed, the house is super warm, and cheap to run as well, and certainly didn't cost anything like the numbers you're quoting. It's also got 3 bathrooms .