Gemmae31

Hi
We have been looking into emigrating to Auckland, but keep hearing about how damp and cold houses are.
Is it really that bad?
Don't want to make the move, to then struggle to find a decent home for my family

escapedtonz

Yes there is lots of housing that can be cold and damp, single glazed, virtually no insulation and no decent source of heating, however there is also housing that is not and some in between. I'd like to say the younger the property the more chance you have in finding the creature comforts that you'll be used to as housing supposedly got better as the building code was developed. Look into the "Leaky home" syndrome and research all about renting and buying property. What to look out for etc.
No-one is forcing you to rent or buy a property that has issues. Just make sure you remain vigilant when looking at property. If you want a decent home to live in then don't rent or buy a crap one.
I'd also recommend not committing to any property without seeing it in person, so not a good idea to go signing a rental contract on a property just from internet pictures and a description.
Since you will be moving to Auckland though you'll have to put up with plenty of competition from other buyers/renters also wishing to rent or buy a decent home.

garethwm

No. There are plenty of decent houses. But if you are renting and not buying, you are more likely to have issues. What sort of rent or purchase price are you budgetting for?

Gemmae31

Thank you for your replies
we will initially rent looking at budget of around £1200 - £1500 max a month

garethwm

So, if my maths is correct, thats something like $700 to $800 NZ per week. You will get a decent house in a good suburb for that. If you make sure it is insulated, which it almost certainly will be, and that plenty of windows face north to take in the winter sun, you shouldnt have a problem. If you get condensation on the windows, this can be remedied by running a dehumidifier.

jmh

When you move to another country it can take a while to get used to different ways of doing things. I would say, don't expect your first year to be easy. I'm often surprised that people think they can do a smooth transition from the comfy life they've spent years establishing in Britain to the other side of the world in a completely different country.

There are some terrible houses in Auckland, but some nice ones too. I bought a family home 18 months ago. While there is no double glazing, it is warm, not drafty at all, and not damp. When people come to visit they comment on the nice location.

Accept that your first home might not be ideal, but keep focused on the home you want and you will get there in time. You've had good advice in this thread already.