scrubbedexpat094

And next we'll be talking sausages.

garethwm

Are you aware that those are not the average lows for Kerikeri, but the absolute lows for each month (the lowest temp recorded for the whole month)? It can get cold there at night midwinter but usually 6 or 7 degrees at least. Thats why its a fruit growing area.

Kotare

Have I mentioned the banana palms in my last garden (Golden Bay).

Parnell

LOL
Built as cheap as chips is the bottom line
Insulation? How much? Tell them they are dreaming.
Northland is the area where property depreciates

BEVS

How did you shield those please?

I would like to grow them but have been advised only under glass.

Kotare

We had two in the orchard when we bought the place. No protection other than being in a corner, shielded on two sides by hedges. Blasted cows ate one right down but it regrew. Golden Bay is a good climate, though I would have thought where I am now would be better (more humid).

Peter

Moses2013

Well aware, but I sent you the absolute lows so you know what to expect.A fruit tree isn't bothered about averages, because what can kill it is just one night of frost. It's always best to cover the trees during winter, even in KeriKeri (depending how sheltered the trees are) and the climate is changing everywhere. No doubt that the climate is better to grow certain things, but people should not expect constant sunshine. People who don't want to see the facts, will always talk a place down, but even in Dunedin you can grow food and not the whole of Scotland is covered in snow. As mentioned, a polytunnel is a great option and even in a very cold climate, you can actually redistribute heat from your home etc. There are no limits.

j19fmm

Yes we do! Depending on where you are. We are at the bottom of a hill, near a river, so sometimes we get a light frost. I was so surprised the first time it happened and I had to scrape the car windows! We also have a banana plant...it didn't like the frost....thought it was dead, but it's now thriving again and a new shoot has grown up next to it. I will be wrapping it up in horticultural fleece this winter.As for house prices, well they range massively across the town and to the outskirts. Some places have got themselves a bit of a bad name, like any town I guess. Some places command ridiculously high prices (in relation to income).But, we love it and plan to stay a long time.

gingerninga

I've been pleasantly surprised by the cost of housing in NZ compared to the UK.

We're looking at the Wellington area. We did live in London 6 years ago, and then St Albans (wildy expensive) before moving to Somerset. We had big mortgages in London and would never be able to afford London now but we can afford NZ's capital and most likely be mortgage free. We've always wanted to build our own home, so after getting lots of quotes and looking at section prices, we reckon we can afford to build a good sized family home, with insulation and double glazing. The building company we like best are happy for us to bring kitchen, bathrooms and possibly even windows with us in the Shipping Container from the UK along with our house contents, so if that's possible then the costs will be even lower. The costs of good quality windows, kitchens and bathrooms in NZ brought tears to my eyes.

Kotare

Bring household appliances and furniture too or you will be a sodden mess :-)

gingerninga

Oh yes! We are bringing everything conceivable. Maybe even clothes for the kids for the next few years. Those prices had me teary eyed too.

simonsi

Check for any NZ building code requirements/implications on the windows, it would be a shame to bring them and not have them usable...

BEVS

Just ensure they match & will be certified to pass the ANZ standards and codes of compliance .

Which house and land build company do you prefer ?

MrsFychan

And also import tax

Justcol

Wow, lots of nonsense floating around in this thread.
Lots of expert comments from people about areas of nz they have never even visited
and reasons given why house prices in other areas they have never even visited
are what that are.

Reading through the thread I've come across " you can't compare countries " about 6 times
yet it seams the people who keep saying it are those who are doing it and are also those with the least knowledge .

I could scrape the seeds of a MacDonalds bun, plant them in my garden and they would grow.
I'm nowhere near northland, I would never live up there, its not for me for so many reasons.
I have fruit trees, a vine, fejoa, tomato's. Strawberries all growing vigorously in my garden
and I am possibly the worst, most uninterested gardener on the planet.

Point is, some are making assumptions based on zero knowledge of the country