AndyEvs

It's understandable that you would ask that question but again, almost impossible for anyone to answer. We think our kids have had a better childhood because we lived in a rough part of gosport where we would not have been happy with them going around the corner to get milk on their own.
However, we have friends who live in a lovely house in Cornwall, close to the beach and their kids have grown up surfing, surrounded by countryside and go to a small, but very good comprehensive.
It depends what you are coming from and going to.

Snap Shot

+1 (Although, don't make remarks like that, the site will implode !) No point and counter point again and again and again.........

siefish

Can anyone recommend a good school in chch , she will be 10 year when we arrive ? Also did anyone's wife find it hard to find work / full or part time ?? Thanks

Snap Shot

Don't know about schools as I don't have children. However, I got admin work through an agency within 3 weeks of arrival in Christchurch in March 2011. It was supposed to be for 12 weeks but ended up being four weeks as they got a previous employee to do the work and therefore save the agency fees. Yeah, that old chestnut.

However, we left Christchurch in June 2011 for Wanganui on the North Island as my husband accepted a job offer. It then took me a year to get even an offer of a temporary job which has now finished and I'm back on the looking for work treadmill.

In fact, I've got my most recent turn down for an admin job with a government department this morning in the post.

scottishstacey

Hope you find a job soon, i know how crap it is to be unemployed. It can make life feel really awful

Tom1983

Read about the controversial shake up of the schooling system! Then take a look and see what there is to offer. Also, look at where your considering moving to in Christchurch as well?

Plus would you want an all girls school or would you want a mixed school?

Regarding part-time work, depends what she wants to do? There's availability for work full and part time around Christchurch. Look at seek.co.nz, indeed.co.nz and then perhaps she might want to register with recruitment agencies. Personally I wouldn't go with an agency (snapshot gives a very good example why). She'll be able to get something but it might not tie in with lifestyle. The wife has a job over here at the hospital but is struggling with the lifestyle, especially with the arrival of the young one

Snap Shot

Thanks Stacey - Karma coming your way.

Tom1983

I earn just short of that and we struggle! The main problem is because we're stil having to send money over to our UK account as we've got a loan to pay off that we took to get over here.

Once all the bills, food and youngster costs are taken away - it worked out we have about $300 a month to spend on luxuries. That doesn't include when things like the car insurance, the vehicle license, WOF etc costs come in

You'll also see that rents are increasing alot over here because of the demand for properties. The place in Linwood we rented in has gone up by $70 a week. It may be cheaper to rent outside of Christchurch but around the city etc, it's expensive! We're paying a lot more rent wise for our 2 bedroom place than we did when living in Wanstead, London. Plus the property in Wanstead was a lot nicer (bar the bathroom). Are you coming on a resident visa as that'll give you an option to buy if you want. We have to wait because we're on a WTR visa

I've seen your young one is not a new born so you'll avoid the rip off prices that companies charge for baby products over here. It's an absolute joke that they rip people off who decide to bottle feed their young ones than breast feed. They don't understand choice over here, if you decide to bottle feed - then $22.99 minimum is what you'll pay for the formula up to 6 months. It goes down considerably once they're away from new born - which is laughable. It's something to consider if you decide to have another young one, Christchurch and Canterbury in particular like to penalise mothers that bottle feed. I suppose I could post this in the rant thread. I know Otago don't penalise mothers.

Your food bill - we pay on average $220 a week on food. GST is added on all products in the supermarkets - where as I think VAT back home is only applied to non food items. It is more expensive, stand out items in particular are cereals, bread and milk. I used to enjoy paying 3.99 for a 1kg box of Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes, you pay $6.99 for a 380g box of Special K. I only purchase countdowns own corn flakes - taste ok and cheap. I'm not paying $7 for a box not even 500g - cannot justify it

If you do decide to come over, I recommend you go to Fresh Choice and in particular look at the use by dates in their international section. The amount of wagon wheels i've seen on sale past the use by date is incredible.

siefish

Thanks tom1983 , this is very helpful . I would be coming over on a skilled migrant visa but if we were to buy is this poss to do straight away ? How would you get a mortage if you no credit history there ? See the thought of struggling along for money is putting me off , I'm hoping if we go and rent first off that once my with wife finds work her wage would pay rent and the rest out of mine ! But I'm reading more that other people wife's have found it hard to find work ??? Would this be the same with the rebuild on the go thanks

Tom1983

Right to answer some of the questions

1: Mortgage
If you have a decent sized deposit, then banks will love you! Over here, it's about 5% deposit but the bigger you have, the better. I don't think they're too bothered about credit ratings over here. I certainly had no issues getting a 9K car loan when arriving.

2: Jobs
What does your wife do? I can only point to the sites mentioned there. My wife managed to eventually get a position at the hospital but her problem was that she's too qualified. Unfortunately the jobs she's skilled to do, nurses do here so a lot of plaes rejected her because she's too qualified (wtf!) and wouldn't be able to afford to pay the salary she deserves.

3: Wage
I wouldn't rely too much on her wage paying rent etc. As mentioned above, rents are going up big time! There's a chance you'll be paying a lot of rent on a house/unit etc that's totally not worth it. I'd take a look on the real estate section of trademe.co.nz to give you an idea of rents across Christchurch. Plus rents are paid weekly and some wages aren't. Your wife might be able to get a job that contributes but I'd be surprised if it fully pays the rent

ellenarosemary

I have been here 3 months and am finding the same, either i'm overqualified for jobs, or in a couple of cases, they didnt like it as we have children.

Some jobs have had replies, bulk standard emails, others havent even bothered, waiting to hear from the second only interview i've had to date - not holding out much hope.

Going to try and see if temporary work is any better - never had a problem in the UK, went from one job to another (so to speak) without any problems. Will keep plodding on and applying, hopefully something will come up soon.

If I cant get a job, my husband is looking to get something that pays better (only option), although I hope to get something soon, its sole destroying when you are used to working (even part time).

Unfortunately our house didnt sell in the UK and we are having to rent it out (and make up the difference between rent and mortgage). Hopefully once spring arrives (in the UK) we can put it back on the market, as this would be a great headache gone and also allow us to get out of rented.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

BEVS

We've heard this from a fair few Christchurch folk & from those with interests in that area.

Some interesting comments below the article.

Love it. So very true. I might nick it for me signature.

Genesis

Cost of living here is mental. $645 for this term's, books, donation and camp...for one 11 year old child, the 2 others go to another school with higher costs, $250 spent recently on some items of school uniform for Felix.....which is another huge rip off (school clothes no Felix).

With the dollar growing in strength every day I am amazed any one wants to come here!!! How can they afford to do forex at $1.86 ish, pay huge amounts for a house comparatively for what they earn (unless they earn huge amounts) AND pay massive interest rates in relation to most of the rest of the world???????? Is it any wonder we lose about 50,000 people to Oz every year. I think NZ is becoming a way less attractive place to be. The best thing NZ has going for it now is simply low population density. Oh and a decent national pension right after you have been a resident for 10 yrs.

AndyEvs

Here's another example for you. Today the Rebel Sport flyer arrived.
Men's Nike Air Pegasus 29 $189.99 (£100.39 based on today's rates)
I bought the same pair 2 weeks ago in Sports Direct for £50
Yeah, yeah,yeah the cost of sub-standard housing is better in NZ, but the everyday stuff?

simonsi

Sports direct probably take more Nike than the whole of NZ...add shipping and import duties and there you go...

Is the same pair even cheaper in the US (further bulk buying/economies of scale compared to the UK...