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I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

Old Aug 17th 2006, 12:21 am
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Default I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

I've spent the evening surfing the net, reading all comments on various forums and am in a state of shock!

We particularly wanted to live in the south of south island, but I'm staggered at the house prices - Queenstown, Wanaka, Dunedin and general cost of living. We won't even have a mortgage and I don't see how we can eke out a living. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't looking to come over to be a millionaire, but I don't want to just scrape by each month. Wages seem so low, how do kiwis ever afford their own houses? Our three kids, 22, 21 and 19 will want to buy their own houses soon but I feel they will just be in the same position as they are here in Essex.

Can anyone shed any rays of light for me please?
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Old Aug 17th 2006, 1:12 am
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Default Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

Originally Posted by 650
I've spent the evening surfing the net, reading all comments on various forums and am in a state of shock!

We particularly wanted to live in the south of south island, but I'm staggered at the house prices - Queenstown, Wanaka, Dunedin and general cost of living. We won't even have a mortgage and I don't see how we can eke out a living. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't looking to come over to be a millionaire, but I don't want to just scrape by each month. Wages seem so low, how do kiwis ever afford their own houses? Our three kids, 22, 21 and 19 will want to buy their own houses soon but I feel they will just be in the same position as they are here in Essex.

Can anyone shed any rays of light for me please?
Queenstown & Wanaka are probably the two most expensive areas in NZ. Both are holiday playgrounds for the rich. Dunedin is nowhere near as expensive. If you have no mortgage and have sufficient professional qualifications to gain PR, I doubt you'd find it much of a financial struggle in Dunners!

However, I drive a 12 year old car, live in a 2 bedroom wooden villa in town and my idea of a good time is a spot of pub grub and a couple of pints or maybe a weekend wander in the mountains! I have no probs living off a part time lecturers salary on that basis. If I wanted a swanky 5 bed house in the country, posh meals out and a flash new motor every couple of years I think I'd be struggling. Thankfully I have no such desires

I guess you can only look at your current lifestyle in the UK, cost it out in NZ and see how much you're likely to earn. Lots of people come here and have a great time (me for one!) and lots come over and have their hopes dashed. I think that is mostly due to how well matched their expectations are to reality. It sounds like you've done your research and found that the reality you're seeking may not be in NZ. Do more research and if it still doesn't stack up, don't come! You'll save yourself a lot of grief and hassle.
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Old Aug 17th 2006, 1:53 am
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Default Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

Originally Posted by 650
I've spent the evening surfing the net, reading all comments on various forums and am in a state of shock!

We particularly wanted to live in the south of south island, but I'm staggered at the house prices - Queenstown, Wanaka, Dunedin and general cost of living. We won't even have a mortgage and I don't see how we can eke out a living. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't looking to come over to be a millionaire, but I don't want to just scrape by each month. Wages seem so low, how do kiwis ever afford their own houses? Our three kids, 22, 21 and 19 will want to buy their own houses soon but I feel they will just be in the same position as they are here in Essex.

Can anyone shed any rays of light for me please?
Queenstown and Wanaka are out of the reach of most kiwis, there is a real issue for the people who work there and need affordable housing - think of ski resorts in Europe, the US or Canada to get some idea of the reality. It is of course stunningly beautiful.

In the South Island the biggest cities are Christchurch and Dunedin, and both have excellent access to the outdoor activities that bring many people south. You don't say what it is you do, so it is hard to comment on low wages. Invercargill is a town that is doing very well - a few years ago the polytech brought in a policy of zero fees, and since then the town has just boomed.

Check out the West Coast - Hokitika, Greymouth, Westport for much lower cost housing, and a completely different way of life. Of course it depends on how you earn a living, these are small towns so you might have to wait for suitable employment. That said, the milk factory, polytech, hospital and schools are always after skilled people.

If you want to give more specific information on what sort of work you after, then we will be able to help more as this may dictate what size of town you will be needing to settle in. Any pounds that you are able to bring over will go much further here in the South Island.

Last edited by Apple12; Aug 17th 2006 at 2:00 am.
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Old Aug 17th 2006, 4:56 am
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Smile Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Apple12
Check out the West Coast - Hokitika, Greymouth, Westport for much lower cost housing, and a completely different way of life. Of course it depends on how you earn a living, these are small towns so you might have to wait for suitable employment.
Having lived in Hokitika for 2 years I can say with some experience that the only way to get work there is through personal contacts - no matter how good you are.

Even then you can be turned down for a job for reasons we in the UK would think were illegal. My SIL (a Kiwi) was turned down for one job and told it was because she was female!!! We found out later that it was actually because she wasnt a Catholic!!! I'm not sure which is worse!

My Wife got employment there after several months of looking because her new boss's wife was a friend of her Mum's. I never got any employment except for self-employment at all while I was there.

I would imagine the situation would be much the same in any small community anywhere - its not what you know, its who you know.



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Old Aug 17th 2006, 7:05 am
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Default Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Buzzy--Bee
Having lived in Hokitika for 2 years I can say with some experience that the only way to get work there is through personal contacts - no matter how good you are.
I would imagine the situation would be much the same in any small community anywhere - its not what you know, its who you know.
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I had the same problem living in Haverfordwest, Pembs, for a year. I guess small towns the worldwide are the same
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Old Aug 17th 2006, 8:26 am
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Default Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

Originally Posted by 650
I've spent the evening surfing the net, reading all comments on various forums and am in a state of shock!

We particularly wanted to live in the south of south island, but I'm staggered at the house prices - Queenstown, Wanaka, Dunedin and general cost of living. We won't even have a mortgage and I don't see how we can eke out a living. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't looking to come over to be a millionaire, but I don't want to just scrape by each month. Wages seem so low, how do kiwis ever afford their own houses? Our three kids, 22, 21 and 19 will want to buy their own houses soon but I feel they will just be in the same position as they are here in Essex.

Can anyone shed any rays of light for me please?

Just sent you a PM
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Old Aug 17th 2006, 8:31 am
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Default Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

[QUOTE=Apple12]Queenstown and Wanaka are out of the reach of most kiwis, there is a real issue for the people who work there and need affordable housing - think of ski resorts in Europe, the US or Canada to get some idea of the reality. It is of course stunningly beautiful.

These replies have been really helpfull, especially Apple's which put things into perspective. I didn't realise this was how Queenstown and Wanaka were percieved. Both the OM and I are in England, self employed, OM is a licenced Hackney Cab owner/driver and I am a dressmaker (but able to go back into the wide wide world to earn a living in an office if necessary :scared: We were really considering the move for the kids sake/future. Eldest boy is a salesman (cars, motorbikes anything with an engine) aged 21, other son is a glazier/kitchen fitter aged 19 and daughter is self employed at present doing the same as me but theatre trained technician. All of them can (and are prepared to) turn their hands to anything as we haven't got a professional qualification between us. But they all want to buy their own houses.

So the question remains, can we do it?

Thank you all so much for your help. This is what I need.
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Old Aug 17th 2006, 9:04 am
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Default Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

So the question remains, can we do it?

Thank you all so much for your help. This is what I need.[/QUOTE]

Hello 650
Well you are doing the right thing researching as much as you can. It might be worth you going to the online London NZIS and doing a trial form to see how many points you can create. If you don't have any qualifications you might be struggling to get a visa.
Go to this website and look down page to 'login'- sign yourself up and have a go:
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/
good luck.
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Old Aug 17th 2006, 9:15 am
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Default Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Apple12
I had the same problem living in Haverfordwest, Pembs, for a year. I guess small towns the worldwide are the same
Made me chuckle .... before I left for NZ, I did a couple of week's work just outside Haverfordwest - I felt as though I had "stranger" tattooed across my forehead - people stopped talking when I walked into shops - shades of "American Weirwolf in London" and/or "league of Gentlemen" - this is a local shop for local people..
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Old Aug 17th 2006, 10:02 am
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Default Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

I just had to share this with you all. I have just got off the phone to my friends who live in Hokitika. They had the dubious pleasure of spending last weekend with a woman who just last month emigrated from England to start a new job at Greymouth hospital. On the second day she was telling her bosses that she hated NZ, the hospital was 20 years behind, the town was too small and she couldn't see herself living there another month. She was coming across as a "rude whiny cow" within just 24 hours and it is obvious that she had done absolutely no research into what the place was like before she arrived.
Not the best way to make friends and set yourself up for a new life... and my friend has no interest in inviting her out again
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Old Aug 17th 2006, 10:07 am
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Default Re: I'm convinced we can't afford to come!!!!!!

Originally Posted by 650
We were really considering the move for the kids sake/future. Eldest boy is a salesman (cars, motorbikes anything with an engine) aged 21, other son is a glazier/kitchen fitter aged 19 and daughter is self employed at present doing the same as me but theatre trained technician. All of them can (and are prepared to) turn their hands to anything as we haven't got a professional qualification between us. But they all want to buy their own houses.
Your kids have access to the working holiday visa "whv" which allows them to come to NZ and work for up to two years (I think, the rules keep changing...). If they got a longer term job then they could apply for perm residence. Do you think they would consider coming out off their own bat, or do you want to do this as a family?

Your first step is to work out if you can legally get in the country and work, the second step is to work out if you want to do it or not.
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