Bigice

Hi Everyone,

My DH and I have been reading your posts avidly for weeks but crunch time to post came this morning when a friend of his over in NZ wants to know for certain if we are interested in going over there... (He will be interviwing him for the job)

A potted history... My DH's friend moved over about a yr ago with a job working for NZ post and my DH said if anything comes up for him to drop an email - and yes about 2 months ago we were told that a position had come up for him to apply for
We have spent the last 2 months (maybe more) sole searching and researching

OK the dilema...
The job with NZ post (doing exactly what my DH does here) is approx £10K less in NZ than he gets paid here - everything we have read says you dont go over for the money its the lifestyle, but we still have to know we can afford to live over there... At the minute we dont have a massive mortgage, run 2 cars and I dont work - could we afford to do it?? We are told there is most likely a relocation package for him but at the minute dont know the exact amounts and what they would be for, but we roughly think the move out there would be paid for..

The other part of the prob is at the minute the base for him would be right in the centre of Auckland with a possible move in the next 12 months further south to Manauaka - which means our 6 yr old would have to integrate twice into school and obviously we will all have to integrate twice into the community...and my DH would have to commute (he travels 7 miles each way at mo)

We keep looking at rental prices which appear to be around $350 a wk and some of the house prices (to still keep a small mortgage we would be looking at around $250K) seem to be astronomical..

Any help would be greatly appreciated.. We have read 'A New Life in NZ' and also 'Going to Live in NZ' both of which seem to confirm that financially we may be better staying put - But somewhere in my heart I still feel the need to try it

Thanks in advance
Claire & DH Pete

Joshlin

Hi Claire & Pete
welcome welcome

it is the biggest decision you will ever make and we have all agonised over whether we can afford to do it - the acceptance is that the wages will belower and the cost of living will be about the same - however lots of people do it, IMHO - it depends on your approach to life - if you adaptable and willing to give it your best shot then I htink it's doable (and I say that with 2 young children to think of.)

Our final decider was would we regret it if we didn't try it and the resounding answer was yes - nothing is ever set in stone but if you don't try you never know!

HTH
Vicki

bookemjano

I would say that if you're going to do it, do it now, while your child is that age, we're moving with teenagers who are having to leave loads of friends and it's harder for them. I really wish we could have done it sooner.

Re the money - I think you make it happen when you're there, that's the philosophy we're going in with, we know we're going to be worse off financially but we want the safety and the scenery and the chance to bring our kids up somewhere better than here.

Good luck with your decisions!

uk+kiwi

I think you have your answer.

It sounds like you don't want to wonder 'what if'.

Re:school changes, that is a toughie. Is there not a school midway that would suffice and not result in a change, or are the distances too great? Sorry if this is a completely stupid suggestion. If this isn't possible, I would imagine it will be fine give the age, although obviously not ideal.

Re: money, unless you are on the bread line, I think it will work out fine. Obviously a £10k reduction on a salary of £20k is much more worrying than a 10k reduction on a salary of £40k.

Best of luck....

scottish

I can help with one piece of the jigsaw and that is the area. You wouldnt have to move your kid from school to school if you choose an area like either Bucklands Beach (ex school catchment), Half Moon Bay or Howick... the later being the cheaper of the areas.

From Bucklands Beach or Half Moon Bay you can get the ferry over to CBD or take the car (about an hour in rush hour) and once you move to Manukua you are about a 15/25 min drive in rush hour.

A nice rental in Bucklands Beach or Howick for 3 bed unfurnished is about $400pw or less, and a house could set you from anything from $350k upwards.

What kind of money are they offering him and how much money would you have to put toward a house.

Try this website for an idea for rentals/part time work (if you want it) www.times.co.nz ( or if this isnt it try searching under google howick and Pakuranga Times.

We lived in Bucklands Beach about a block in from the water. Lovely area, very quiet but hubby had a bad experience with an Auckland employer plus we wanted more of a beach life so moved to the Bay of Plenty.

Anything else just shout.

xx

scottish

Just reread the thread again sorry... if you only have $250k for a mortgage you will struggle anywhere in NZ Im afraid.... also with Auckland commuting is the name of the game...... but once you move to Manukua its only about 7km from Bucklands Beach.

TBH if you are having doubts, which is normal, you have to seriously think is this the right move and talk it over.

We moved to NZ with £7k, sold the house in the Uk and hubby got a job earning $21ph for a 45hr week. We dropped wages drastically and even though we gained the lifestyle we were so stressed about money it was horrible.

NZ is a wonderful, beautiful country but when you are skint and worried about bills no view will ever compensate.

We are home now and thought seriously about giving it another go... but we have now decided to stay put in Scotland. However, we are off next year to NZ for a Holiday, will be nice having some money to spend in the country and not be too frightened with the prices.

Last thing I would say is dont let the books, mags or this forum influence your decision. Everyone has different standards and what may suit them may not suit you. Also some folk are loaded and will have the beauty of being mortgage free.

Auckland is the most expensive place to live Im afraid.

Good luck.

Dave and Lyns

$250k for a mortgage - a struggle to find a place anywhere in NZ? Surely there must be a place you can find out there for that? It may not be a palace but it really depends what you are prepared to put up with?

Has anyone else got any advice on this?

Debs70

Our house in Dunedin was $255,000 and it was a three bedroomed house on a 600sq mtr section with a spa room, double garage and in a lovely, smart area of Dunedin with sea views.. so yes, it is definatley obtainable but depends on where you wish to live.

scottish

Sorry should of worded last post better.

You may find in some of the more rural areas a house of about the $250k mark but def not in the likes of Auckland.

Where we stayed a typical nice 3 bed, nothing fancy, would set you back about $350k.. but the Bay of Plenty have seen a huge jump in prices over the last 2 years.

Some parts of the South Island ie Dunedin and rural CHCH you can probably still pick up a good deal (think Sky got one of those little gets) but the South Island was too cold for us. We prefered the North Island for climate.

Now if Kiwijetpilot hadnt been banned he could of gave you loads of info on house prices I can only go with our area and Auckland and surrounding.

Pinkie Pie

I've just done a quick search on www.Realenz.co.nz in the Auckland area, 3 beds, up to $250k and there are at least 100 properties listed - like you say, they may not be palaces but there might be at least one that would suit out of that many surely...

71 properties listed on Harcourts, Auckland, 3 beds upt to $250K http://www.harcourts.co.nz/search/pr...&submit=Search

scottish

Please believe me on this if a house is for sale in Auckland for that price do not touch it with a barge pole. Be warned and be very afraid!!!!

Edited to say had a nosey... majority are plots and the rest are not good areas. Its like comparing the east end of glasgow to the west end...... dont go out after dark and I work in the east end.

SteveNZ

Hi - interesting to read this thread. House prices in AKL are quite high - this is true - but you can certainly buy a reasonable property either 'out west' where I live - Te Atatu - or Henderson or Massey for $250-$300 - or similar further south - Manukau, Mangere etc.

These areas are not the top areas in the country - but certainly livable. You tend to get much more land than you would in the UK (which is often only a little bigger than yor house!)

Certainly - you cannot afford to live anywhere near the CBD. Commuting is fairly easy however - yes the traffic is pretty heavy - but it's heavy like a big town - it's certainly NOT heavy like somewhere like london!

You are NOT going to move over here and leave money troubles behind - but - in all honesty - and considering the current political climate in the uk etc... I would rate NZ miles above the UK.

My advice would be to look at settling towards the south - to take into accound the future move to work in manakau. HOWEVER - you would be better to rent for a few months first so you can get a feel for the areas.

Personally - we have no kids yet - but I certainly would prefer to bring up a child here than in the UK

If you don't try it, you never will. And you will regret it. NZ is NOT for everyone - some people never settle moneywise - and I don;t think thats because you are necessarily worse of or better of - it's just different....

My thoughts are that the things you buy every day or week seem to be a little cheaper (based on wage differences) - but the stuff you buy only occasionally - cars, tv's, furniture etc - seem to be a little dearer.

If you can adapt and be prepared for a little change - and embrace that change, you'll love it. If all you do is compare (esp with money) then you'll never settle and will end up finding every excuse (usually based on 'money') to give up and go home.

I've seen it before - and I've seen it go both ways! you really do hit the nail on the head when you comapre money and lifestyle! - Thought for the day - the big kiwi tradition is the OE (overseas experience) where kiwi's go to the uk etc for a few years - to get experience - and save lots of money..... then they all... with suprisingly little exception... come home.

Either way - you'll never know till you try. If you can afford to keep enough money aside to move home if you need to - then the risk is quite small.

Good luck in your decision...

Steve

Te Atatu, Auckland, ex Chorley Lancashire


Edit: Had a look at the harcourts link - some are in areas I would prefer not to live.... but a lot are absoilutely fine - in great areas... You will also find that - compared to the UK - the number of "don't go out after dark" areas are much fewer.... With respect Scottish - I can only assume you have the cash to live around Remuera or something if you can diss all of the areas on that search.

Don't compare NZ to anywhere in Glasgow - or the UK - NZ is NZ - it's all different believe me...

Pinkie Pie

Excellent Post Steve...nuff said...

lapsed kiwi

I just wanted to echo Pinkie. To compare the NZ climate with Scotland, or large areas of Auckland with Glasgow, is frankly ludicrous in my opinion. No disrespect to Scotland or its inhabitants, but I get tired of posts implying that huge swaths of most NZ cities are off limits to normal folk. NZ is not as class-based as the UK, but if you're on a low income, you can't reasonably expect to be living in the most upmarket area rubbing shoulders with all the merchant bankers. What you will find in NZ is just how much you can do for free - no-one is going to charge you to spend the day on the beach, or walk up a mountain, or launch your boat etc.

scottish

Steve, with all due respect and yes ex post but I lived in Auckland, South Auckland to be precise... so pls dont say Maukua is a nice place to stay. My friends also stayed in Henderson and would not go out at night for a walk etc and yes they come from Scotland too.

We took over with us £7k so no mortgage for us just rented all the way.

I was comparing this basis on buying a house in the east end of Glasgow to west end of Glasgow Its like comparing Manukua to Browns Bay.

Lapsed Kiwi, yes NZ may be not class based but it is very clear to anyone who lives there who is poor and who is rich.... there is def a 2 class structure.

All of comments are based on my experience of living and working in NZ, yours may be different thats life.