nickandbev

Hi everybody can anybody help .. we are hopeing to move to Auckland and we need to know what are the good areas to live in with good schools and a train or bus routes into the city and maybe by the beach ...
Also is the cost of living more expensive or cheaper than the UK.
cheers Nick and bev

newkiwi

House prices in good shool zones are very high in NZ standards. Cost of living depends where in NZ you compare with where in the UK. Generally Auckland is expensive, comparted to your salary. Westlake, Takapuna Grammar and Auckland Grammar are shools that come to mind as being at / near the top. look them up on the web, they will indicate their catchment zones. Then you will be able to see which areas fall in their zones for more research into housing etc. Prepare for high house prices there though.

There are other good schools and good areas to live in too, this is just a start. if you look up decile ratings for new zealand schools on google you should be able to find a link with rankings of schools all over new zealand, that may give yu more indication of other good schools.

annaerb

Hi live in East Auckland (Maraetai) which is at the Beach and surrounded by Countryside also. 20 min drive to nearest Supermarket plus we do have local shops. Ferry service into CBD.
Primary Schools in the area are decile 10 with nearest High Schools with the same decile rating and lots to choose from.
Howick College
pakuranga College
St Kents
Strathallen
Botany Downs
Edgewater
Elim
http://www.times.co.nz/welcomeguide.shtml
http://www.maraetai.co.nz/index.html

ukkiwi

If you've got the cash ($500k+) have a look at some of these North Shore areas.

Devonport
Takapuna
Milford
Campbells Bay
Castor Bay
Murrays Bay
Mairangi Bay

SarahB

Hiya...we live in Beachlands which is the next village to Maraetai. Its nice and quiet here with several beaches to walk to. The atmosphere here is lovely and people stop to say Hi to you ....its really friendly...we like it anyway.

scottish

Bucklands beach is lovely but becuase of the good school zone you will pay a premium for housing. Approx $400k upwards and about $350pw for a 2/3 bed rental.

uk+kiwi

Agreed, lovely areas. But 500k and the rest for Devonport/Takapuna/Milford. I would say 650k would be more realistic, up to around 800-900 for a nice place with decent size garden. Now I'm not saying that one-off 'bargains' don't exist here, but I would have to see them as I suspect there is a major downside. Have been researching Devonport and Takapuna for almost a year and concluded 500k is not realistic, but IMHO only. Having said that I did find 1 house in Takapuna on for $489k I think very recently, which needs a refurb.

The other bays mentioned are more affordable.

nickandbev

hi Sarah thanks for your info can you tell me how far is it into the centre of auckland and is there public transport ,how long does it take .Do you know if the
primary schools are ok .Speak to you soon .
regards Bev

nickandbev

[QUOTE=nickandbev]
hi Sarah thanks for your info can you tell me how far is it into the centre of auckland and is there public transport ,how long does it take .Do you know if the
primary schools are ok .Speak to you soon .
regards Bev

ukkiwi

Yeah your right - $500k was the starting point, i'd agree that its 800+ for a really nice place with a sea view etc.

SarahB

Hiya.... not sure exactly how far to centre of Auckland (do you mean the CBD?)... just asked my OH and he reckons about 40K to centre....but its not the distance its the busy roads getting there. There is Pine Harbour at Beachlands and every day you can catch a ferry over to the CBD...that takes 40 minutes I think to get there and you can get discounts if you pay in advance for several trips.

My toddler isnt school age but I have been told that the schools here are good.

The beaches arnt as nice as Maraetai but dont get so busy in the summer because of just that reason.

Yozzer

Parts of West auckland are lovely. The Titirangi/Langholm/Hiua/ Waitakere areas are beautiful and not as pricy as some of the areas immediately north or south of the CBD. Browns bay and the Whangaparoa are also lovely.

lapsed kiwi

I'd recommend the book "Where to Live in Auckland" - a gold mine of information. You should be able to find it on Google.