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-   -   birmingham uk v New Zealand (https://britishexpats.com/forum/new-zealand-83/birmingham-uk-v-new-zealand-378922/)

FM1 Jun 12th 2006 10:34 am

birmingham uk v New Zealand
 
Hi to anyone who comes across this.

Let me first start by explaining my situation. I'm a 32 year old Product designer who lives with his finance in Birmingham Uk. My current job looks like it is coming to an end with redundancy likely in the next 9 months. In order to get a new job as a Product designer the odds are that I have to relocate to London. Both house prices and the hussle and bussle put me off this entirely because for the last six years I have commuted 1hr 15mins each way by car and enough is enough.

Basically if we are to relocate, we want to relocate where we feel relaxed and have a better quality of living. We have no children either so now seems like an appropriate time. My partner works as a store manager and also commutes. We have picked New Zealand and Canada as the two locations we would like to visit in order to evaluate what it would be like to live there. These has been selected on the merits of the scenery and the house prices particularly New Zealand.

We plan to visit New Zealand this March so I need to cram as much in my 3 week visit as possible. I would appreciate if anyone could answer the following questions in order to help us with our plans and work related questions.

1) I believe that most product design agencies are focused in Auckland, if required are the outskirts of Auckland good to live in and is it possible to commute in each day? If anyone knows this not ot be true please tell me.

2) We would have £90,000 from our house sale, would this be enough to purchase a property or get a good start?

3) Would the quality of life be superior in Auckland to Birmingham?

4) Are there any design job opportunity sites I can look out for?

5) In order to get a good insight/ perspective of New Zealand where should I visit?

6) What property sites should I be looking at?

Finally I understand that my job requirements might be too sspecificto obtain answers on but please feel free to answer any of the other points.

Thanks

Jude J Jun 13th 2006 2:40 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 
Hi,

I can help a bit with a couple of questions.

Yes, you can easily commute from the suburbs to Auckland CBD but it can take some time. I live on the North Shore and have a couple of friends who commute. One leaves really early and avoids the jams on the bridge, one takes the park and ride bus.

Have a look at www.realenz.co.nz for house prices to buy and rent. Your 90,000 pound would either buy somewhere or be a good deposit!
I'm sure you already know that wages here are not great so the bigger the deposit the better off you will be.

In response to question number 3, that is a hard one to answer! There would be no contest for me as I love the life I have here but many don't like it.
You're not really going to get much of an idea in 3 weeks if it is the kind of place you want to live in. Well, having said that I knew in the first week of coming here that it was for me but the feeling of homesickness and isolation comes after the first few months when the initial rush has died down.

I'm sure others will be along with some answers to your employment questions, they seem very helpful here :)

lapsed kiwi Jun 13th 2006 9:56 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by FM1
Hi to anyone who comes across this.

Let me first start by explaining my situation. I'm a 32 year old Product designer who lives with his finance in Birmingham Uk. My current job looks like it is coming to an end with redundancy likely in the next 9 months. In order to get a new job as a Product designer the odds are that I have to relocate to London. Both house prices and the hussle and bussle put me off this entirely because for the last six years I have commuted 1hr 15mins each way by car and enough is enough.

Basically if we are to relocate, we want to relocate where we feel relaxed and have a better quality of living. We have no children either so now seems like an appropriate time. My partner works as a store manager and also commutes. We have picked New Zealand and Canada as the two locations we would like to visit in order to evaluate what it would be like to live there. These has been selected on the merits of the scenery and the house prices particularly New Zealand.

We plan to visit New Zealand this March so I need to cram as much in my 3 week visit as possible. I would appreciate if anyone could answer the following questions in order to help us with our plans and work related questions.

1) I believe that most product design agencies are focused in Auckland, if required are the outskirts of Auckland good to live in and is it possible to commute in each day? If anyone knows this not ot be true please tell me.

2) We would have £90,000 from our house sale, would this be enough to purchase a property or get a good start?

3) Would the quality of life be superior in Auckland to Birmingham?

4) Are there any design job opportunity sites I can look out for?

5) In order to get a good insight/ perspective of New Zealand where should I visit?

6) What property sites should I be looking at?

Finally I understand that my job requirements might be too sspecificto obtain answers on but please feel free to answer any of the other points.

Thanks

1 - depends where you're working. I work in Devonport and live out of the city to the north; about 40min drive at rush hour but wouldn't want to be crossing the bridge. If you can work out of the CBD and live that side of the city, then escapingthe city is very realistic
2 - depends what you need. Prob not purchase outright, but will get you 50% of a nice, big family place with a decent garden, or proportiionally more of a flat/townhouse/yuppie pad
3 - Is the pope catholic? Do one-legged ducks swim in circles? Do bears cr@p in the woods? A matter of opinion, I suppose!
4 - Don't know I'm afraid
5 - In the time you have available, and if you think you'd end up in AKL, I'd concentrate on the city and the surrounding areas, maybe as far as the Coromandel and the Bay of Islands. It won't give you an overall view of NZ, but will give you a good idea of Auckland. There are some fabulous areas within day-trip distance of the city. You can always do the rest of NZ when you're living here
6 - realenz.co.uk, open2view.co.nz, harcourts, bayleys, homesell, greendoor, trademe, barfoot & thompson, ray white, lj hooker

Good luck!

IainW Jun 13th 2006 12:41 pm

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by FM1
1) I believe that most product design agencies are focused in Auckland, if required are the outskirts of Auckland good to live in and is it possible to commute in each day? If anyone knows this not ot be true please tell me.

Worst case scenario you'd have a similar commute to your Brummie one. Auckland has bad congestion, probably on a par with Birmingham.


Originally Posted by FM1
2) We would have £90,000 from our house sale, would this be enough to purchase a property or get a good start?

Around 50-60% deposit in Auckland on a nice place in a decent area.


Originally Posted by FM1
3) Would the quality of life be superior in Auckland to Birmingham?

Depends on what you like. The cities are pretty similar size & entertainment wise. Brum has a canal, Auckland has the South Pacific & the Tasman. :) Beaches are good, but IMO Auckland isn't the nicest place in NZ. Not by a long chalk. Plenty of people think it's great though, and 1.2 million JAFAs can't be wrong.


Originally Posted by FM1
4) Are there any design job opportunity sites I can look out for?

Dunno, sorry.


Originally Posted by FM1
5) In order to get a good insight/ perspective of New Zealand where should I visit?

I'd at least take in Wellington and Christchurch as well as Auckland as that's where the jobs are likely to be in your field. In 3 weeks I'd spend 1 week in each to get a true feel for the place, and leave the touristy stuff for another time.


Originally Posted by FM1
6) What property sites should I be looking at?

Real nz
Trade Me property

tam21 Jul 10th 2006 2:52 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by IainW
Worst case scenario you'd have a similar commute to your Brummie one. Auckland has bad congestion, probably on a par with Birmingham.


Around 50-60% deposit in Auckland on a nice place in a decent area.


Depends on what you like. The cities are pretty similar size & entertainment wise. Brum has a canal, Auckland has the South Pacific & the Tasman. :) Beaches are good, but IMO Auckland isn't the nicest place in NZ. Not by a long chalk. Plenty of people think it's great though, and 1.2 million JAFAs can't be wrong.


Dunno, sorry.


I'd at least take in Wellington and Christchurch as well as Auckland as that's where the jobs are likely to be in your field. In 3 weeks I'd spend 1 week in each to get a true feel for the place, and leave the touristy stuff for another time.



Real nz
Trade Me property

Try seek.com for jobs it will give you a vague idea of whats around in your field and salaries also may help you decide which area you live and visit

ukkiwi Jul 10th 2006 8:27 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by FM1
3) Would the quality of life be superior in Auckland to Birmingham?

It rains less in Birmingham

thebears Jul 10th 2006 8:56 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by FM1
I have commuted 1hr 15mins each way by car and enough is enough.

We plan to visit New Zealand this March

1) I believe that most product design agencies are focused in Auckland, if required are the outskirts of Auckland good to live in and is it possible to commute in each day? If anyone knows this not ot be true please tell me.

Have a look at New Zealand Herald for jobs and/or contact agents for potential work opportunities in your field. Don't discount Wellington or Christchurch, but do your research.


Originally Posted by FM1
2) We would have £90,000 from our house sale, would this be enough to purchase a property or get a good start?

[QUOTE=FM1]

Could be but depends on your NZ income and house prices etc. You are best to budget on renting for the first year and if buying seriously consider building your own home. A good Auckland home will be around $600K or try an apartment for $400K


Originally Posted by FM1
3) Would the quality of life be superior in Auckland to Birmingham?

This would depend on knowing more about your desired lifestyle - its outdoors and just remember you are along way from anywhere so travel is both expensive in terms of time and money.


Originally Posted by FM1
4) Are there any design job opportunity sites I can look out for?

Seek.com


Originally Posted by FM1
5) In order to get a good insight/ perspective of New Zealand where should I visit?

1 Auckland - go up to the Bay of Islands down as far as Rotorua, The Mount, Waitomo Caves, Coromandel.

Commuting would depend on your job and residence so here are a few "long" commutes - Manurewa in South Auckland to Glenfield over the shore. Or Bucklands Beach (my parents home) to CBD. Devonport (my favourite place) to CBD or Manukau. I used to work in Queen Street and commuted from Hamilton but looking at your details it looks like you dont want anything more than 40 mins. There used to be a lovely ferry from Devonport to the bottom of the CBD for commuters - nice way to start and end the day.

2 Wellington - The capital and has more culture than Auckland - Comparison with Auckland if you find Auckland too American surbubia.

3 Christchurch - Major city for evaluating South Island - would be limited by the cold and employment opportunities but well worth a look if you have time.


Originally Posted by FM1
6) What property sites should I be looking at?

Look at "seek.com.au" it covers NZ.

lapsed kiwi Jul 10th 2006 10:11 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by ukkiwi
It rains less in Birmingham

It also rains less in Mogadishu, but you haven't really answered the question, have you?

ukkiwi Jul 10th 2006 10:26 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by lapsed kiwi
It also rains less in Mogadishu, but you haven't really answered the question, have you?

Perhaps i wasnt trying to answer it, maybe??? ;)

lapsed kiwi Jul 10th 2006 7:05 pm

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by ukkiwi
Perhaps i wasnt trying to answer it, maybe??? ;)

Sorry, I didn't realise you'd meant to post in the "random and irrelevant statistics" thread.

asiatic Jul 10th 2006 10:30 pm

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 
1) -
2) yes
3) depends of your definition of 'quality of life'. IMHO yes.
4) try agencies like;
www.skafers.com
www.qidr.co.nz
www.bigidea.co.nz
5) travel from the top of the north island down to the bottom fo the south island (save the best to last - IMHO)
6) there are loads of online real estate agents;
www.open2view.com
www.realenz.com
www.real-estate-nz.com
Good luck :)
ps: being a designer like me, I think you will like living here :cool:

Andrew Cross Jul 10th 2006 10:35 pm

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 
5) travel from the top of the north island down to the bottom fo the south island (save the best to last - IMHO)


You said it.... :D

FM1 Jul 11th 2006 10:03 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 
Thank you and all the others for your useful replies.

Could you tell me please what type of designer you are?

Also having viewed the estate agent sites could you please tell me what the average interest rate for mortgages are? I can see that house prices are excellent value for money but I don't know any NZ mortgage sites.

Thank you

lapsed kiwi Jul 11th 2006 10:11 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by FM1
Thank you and all the others for your useful replies.

Could you tell me please what type of designer you are?

Also having viewed the estate agent sites could you please tell me what the average interest rate for mortgages are? I can see that house prices are excellent value for money but I don't know any NZ mortgage sites.

Thank you

Typical rates are around 8%, with some saying they'll go up soon and others that they may come down. Try westpac.co.nz, they're one of the large banks, or http://www.kiwibank.co.nz/ which is post-office run and can be competitive.

asiatic Jul 13th 2006 6:06 am

Re: birmingham uk v New Zealand
 

Originally Posted by FM1
Could you tell me please what type of designer you are?

I trained as a graphic designer and evloved into multimedia design, with a bias towards digital video FX.


Originally Posted by FM1
I can see that house prices are excellent value for money

You're probably looking at those houses which are made of bits of wood and plastic sheeting with a tin roof, aka a typical NZ property.
Brick and tile houses are not as common as traditionally built wooden framed homes with a plastic weather-proof membrane and a brick or hardi-plank exterior finish (excellent structural design for the 'shakey-isles' though.)


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