In Hindsight
 

We toyed with the idea of keeping our house in the UK and because we didn't have a big mortgage on it we were going to borrow on it and completely shut it down. Not rent it out, just shut it down and leave the furniture in it as well.
We worked out how much we would need for the increased mortgage repayments, rates and insurance and were going to use that to keep everything ticking over for two years and just get a neighbour in to check it every now and again.
Then we were going to use our wages here to pay rent and living expenses etc in NZ.
Im so kicking myself now for not doing it because the house prices have gone up in our old area in the UK to more than cover what we would have borrowed in less than two years.
Then at least we would have had the option of returning if we really hated it here ... and I think we would def be planning to return because things have not gone as we expected here :(
Im just sharing what we were thinking of doing with you because maybe it would be possible for you to do this, especially you prison officers who will be on low wages here and may want to return home.
Might sound a mad plan and I think we thought it sounded a bit mad too at the time but in hindsight it would have been a good plan.
Right I've waffled enough now, hope you understood those ramblings :p

Re: In Hindsight
 

From what I can make out, there seem to be 2 schools of thought with regard to this dilemma:
1 - keep UK property for a period of 1-2 years, as a get-out clause in case it all goes badly wrong
2 - burn the bridges and sell everything

I've heard arguments for both options. The first one sounds like a safe bet, but I'm led to believe that it can encourage you to avoid settling in your new country. The second one means that you have to make a serious go of it.

Not sure which camp I'm in at the moment...

JaneAS

Re: In Hindsight
 

We all make it a serious effort depends how much you are prepared to forgo....alot of things are out of your control.... just be cautious

Re: In Hindsight
 

Then there are those of us with houses in the UK we can't sell ... and told by agents to drop tens of thousands because the market has died. Risky.

:)

Re: In Hindsight
 

I think it must be quite difficult to decide what to do for the best , can see both sides of the coin. Sadly my ex husband left me hi and dry some years back and I have paid the price by not being able to get on the property ladder in UK, as when i finally paid off all the dept he left me in and our 3 yrs old son (the age he was at that time) prices on houses in the area we live in were way to high.

But still here and healthy not all bad!

Helen

Re: In Hindsight
 

An interesting thought there Sky. Your house and land here in NZ also gone up in value since you bought it? but is it by the same percentage as your UK house would have gone up by?

Really sad to hear that you're thinking of going back though, I know how much you've enjoyed living here but the ****ing job situation is a nightmare.

Re: In Hindsight
 

Jobs?? Lets not go there. :mad:
Just heard that a 'well known company' who stitched another unsuspecting migrant up in january, offered him a HUGE salary to get him to come to NZ, he did, twice within 4 months his HUGE salary was reduced as "he wasn't quite up to Kiwi scratch"..he had signed a 5 year contract with them too..he tried to leave, was told if he did, they would make sure he would not get other work..so..he has had to go back to the UK. They sold their house in the Uk but luckily they did NOT bring the capital here with them apart from a small amount to rent a property, so they had a lucky escape and are able to still get back on the UK property ladder.
Sky, we sold up too and had discussed renting our home out, but I didn't fancy other people being in my home..so sold. BIG mistake and Yes, we would have gone back too. Trying to make ends meet here is almost impossible for us.

Re: In Hindsight
 

I think what Sky is suggesting is that be wary, be informed and if there is a way of keeping an escape route then do it - we sold cos if we hadn't then we would have been stuck with a house that was very likely to devalue with the UK housing market as it is, but - we have left the capital in the UK at present and we also know we need to keep that money intact - either by investing it in property here (and it's not loads!!) or leaving it gathering interest. We are very determined to make it work but I have learnt from people on here that it can go wrong no matter how hard you try and I would hate to feel trapped - not sure that I'd go back to the UK though!!!!
Vicki

Re: In Hindsight
 

Thats the camp i am in!

Re: In Hindsight
 

Yes Im just saying if you have other options maybe you should leave them open and not burn bridges like we did. There was nobody more positive than me when I first started on this journey of migration.
I keep saying I like NZ it is just spoilt due to lack of money for us and I don't want to see any other poor people in our situation.
If I didn't like it here I would have gone somewhere else by now!
You get folk asking advice on here and if you say something that they or others on here don't want to hear you get attacked and labeled a doom and gloom merchant...
It's very wearing and I don't really need it right now so I think I'll take a holiday from the forums for a while.

I hope you all do wonderfully in NZ :) summer is on it's way so that will make things easier for you.

I'll go back to tending my garden, I have a wonderful new veg patch just coming on nicely and we have a nice load of homemade beer brewing. Wine making is my next project.

It's forecast 23 degrees today so I've a beach walk planned with my mate as soon as our kids are dropped off at school.

Bye x

Re: In Hindsight
 

No you can't leave, although to be honest I was thinking of doing the same myself yesterday. However I love reading other people's stories and view points.

All information is good information and although NZ isn't great for you at the moment, you have a wonderful attitude and I would definitely not say you were a 'doom and gloomer' because of the way you put things across.

But if you do take your vacation, I'll catch up with you soon.

Enjoy your walk - I would love to be able to join you! Carmen. :)

p.s. Where are Sheps, Sunshine & Pinkie these days? Moved on??

Re: In Hindsight
 

My better half and I did the first one - we've still got a house in the UK, the rent covers the mortgage (just about) and we wouldn't sell it because it's got so much equity in it that it would be a bad move to do so. It's there if we get into real financial trouble here.

And as for making a go of it, I think we have. We own a house here too and are treating it like a sdtepping stone to owning more property. We're lucky in that we got it for a song (deceased estate) and it needs doing up. We are now looking at using the equity we now have in the NZ house to borrow against and buy up another house to turn into a ski lodge. It's a big risk but we're trying to make the numbers work, if they do, we'll be doing well. If we **** it up, we could well end up having to pay a very big mortgage on the house with the equity in it.

We've settled here but the fact remains, we did the sensible thing and kept property in the UK (and will probably always keep property in the UK), just in case. I urge others to do the same.

Re: In Hindsight
 

Of all the folk who have emmigrated to NZ, on all the forums, you have done the best!!!! because you've had it soooo bad and you still say you love NZ.

Don't leave the forum Sky :(