xxElainexx

Ok please do someone tell me, l've read so much on the forum of late that it is very cold and damp in NZ, ermmmm so is that in the day and/or evening~?.It's an important issue for us as l have to keep my friend arthur itus happy Hubby and and l want to thoroughly investigate about NZ as much as is possible.. So any help appreciated, you're all so amazing with your experiences being shared tis a truly fabulous site to have joined...

Thank you in advance
kind regards
xxElainexx

lapsed kiwi

There has been so much written about his I hesitate to start another one but...
NZ for the most part is noticeably warmer than UK, especially if you live north of Taupo and especially in the winter. However, a good proportion of the houses, especially older ones, have little insulation and little/no heating. This is easily solved (assuming you will be buying a house) by buying new to your spec, or budgeting to get the insulation and heating installed that is required for the house you buy. It needn't cost much - you can get ducted air heating for around $12k and heat pumps for about $2500 each fully installed. I'm not sure about the cost of insulation, depends on how much is needed. If you get a post 2000 house it will have a degree of insulation anyway, so maybe just a few $k to boost the loft insulation.
As for damp, well I'm not convinced it's any damper. It seems damper sometimes because windows aren't DG, so if it's cold outside you will get condensation inside (and on walls if you're in an uninsulated house). But I have a hygrometer inside and its readings seem very similar to those we had in SW UK.

TeamEmbo

I don't think the weather itself is colder or damper than UK, I think its mainly the housing people complain is colder and damper, as has been said many times, poor insulation and heating issues, and yes it can actually be warmer outside than inside your house in winter if you have a home with no/little insulation and little to heat your home. But that said the climate is very different in different regions. It is warmer and more humid in Auckland, although Auckland has higher rainfall. Wellington is referred to as windy. Christchurch is generally thought to be colder in winter than Auckland and Wellington. But there are a multitude of places in between those that enjoy microclimates where the weather can be considerably different to just 1/2 hour down the road.

We live in North Canterbury and find it warmer and drier than UK and we have very little rainfall (apart from the annual hundred year floods ) We have no heating in the bedrooms and the kids don't complain of being cold. We don't use electric blankets but they do have flannelette sheets and duvets and occasionally use hot water bottles. The winter mornings were we are you can get a heavy ground frost, following by a bright, clear, warm day but as soon as the sun goes down it can drop off really cold by I don't find the air damp, if you know what I mean. Blenheim and Nelson are warmer still and I think they have milder winters.

Perhaps the best thing, if money allows, would be to come and holiday in NZ in the winter months and see for yourself whether it suits.

xxElainexx

Lapsedkiwi andTeamEmbo hi to you,

Many thanks for your replies, very helpful, we are currently planning a trip over in April 2010 visiting Hamilton, Napier,Rotorua to name but a few, hoping to make it a month - six week visit in order to look at as much as possible.
Thank you again
xxElainexx

Genesis

I am lead to believe that NZ does have a much damper climate than the UK. Our differing latitude and proximity to the south pole etc...being near no large land mass etc is bound to bring a different type of weather. I do find the weather generally far more clement than in the UK (here is the lower north isle) and fortunately I am not at a point where the damp conditions affect my life. However I have gone to great lengths to ensure the interior of my house is not damp.

The best sealed house can be damp..in fact the better sealed it is the more condensation builds up, this is because there is limited airflow.....I have such a house..newer, with aluminium D/Glazing and I have to run lots of dehumidifiers just to deal with all the moisture that a family of 5 build up irrespective of what the weather is doing outside as the house is totally draught free, hence the moisture from general life (cooking, washing, breathing etc gets trapped in the house).

Houses can be made very comfortable if you have the tenacity to deal with the average kiwi artisan and some $$ to throw at the problem. Our house was terrible when we moved in. Single glazing, no CH, no wood burner and it had not be dehumidified for yonks.

It is all sorted now. Where there's a will there's always a way...a relative too apparently.

CarolineSwan

can i just add not only north of taupo warm in the summer, we were in mid 30's all through summer and still warm now in the winter

our house isnt damp but then its a new build and its brick so could be better insulated

southerner

I live in Dunedin which often gets a poor press for its weather. The weather here is drier than the UK, has more sunshine hours, is definitely warmer in the winter and possibly slightly cooler than SE England in the summer.

Anywhere on the east coast of NZ tends to be drier, particularly the South Island from Dunedin north and in the Hawkes Bay/East Coast regions of the North Island. Damp weather tends to be more a west coast, Southland and northern (sub tropical) issue. Weather in any part of NZ is changeable - and drive a half hour and you can be in a completely different climate. For example inland from Dunedin is the Central Otago area, which is even drier than here and has the records for both hottest and coldest temperatures.

I agree with others that a lot of the housing stock will not be up to the standard you are used to, but there are no actual barriers to getting the house that meets your requirements.

bananalana

napier has fantastic weather and is a lovely town.

Hot in summer. Gets a bit cold in winter but nothing as major as say wellington.

Yotty

What about that lazy easterly wind in the winter than goes straight through you Blair?

mickey_d

Using Auckland & London as comparison, London is slightly damper on average, far less wet though.
Hardly ever feels damp in Hawkes Bay (apart from this week) & hardly ever rains (since we've been here anyway). This week has seen the most rain here since last July.

http://http://www.rydges.com/Lonely-...nd/weather.htm

http://www.rydges.com/Lonely-Planet-...on/weather.htm

luvwelly

I agree with Genesis..it does seem much damper/more humid...(a sort of cold version of Singapore!) even in summer a beanbag left on the wooden floor in the part of my house where the warm air heating does not get through will go mouldy/get mildewed unless you run a dehumidifier.
NZ also has some of the highest rates of asthma etc etc although my family has not had an issue with this but our heating bills are astronomical because I refuse to be cold.
When I was in temporary modern accommodation with just a fan heater for heat, I could not believe the condensation on the windows inside during winter...my house now does not have 'crying windows' at all but that is because the windows are draughty and I pay what it takes to keep the place warm.

southerner

Yep, the easterly coming up the harbour can be chilling. Just as a norwester can feel like a fan oven. The weather is the weather. Its easy enough imo to live with. And we are at the colder end of the country.

xxElainexx

hi to you,
just a question, you stated your house is brick, given that there are earthquakes/tremors(sp) is brick now becoming a popular material to build new, as l'm sure l read somewhere that it was safer to build with other than brick...l ask as if we do like NZ when we visit and we can achieve the points needed to get in we may well look into building new
thanks for your help

kind regards
xxElainexx

xxElainexx

A big thank you to you all for your help, we are very much looking forward to visiting in April next year, soooooo all info is very very welcome...

many thanks
kind regards
xxElainexx

TeamEmbo

It's just brick facing. Houses are wooden frames with lining paper and gib board inside and hopefully some pinkbats inbetween.