mrs_mrs M

Hi everyone, I have been reading lots of the different threads on this forum and there is sooo much information! I'd just like some advice really. My husband is a joiner and has accepted a job in New Zealand. We have a few loose ends to tie up at home before we go over, but are hoping to fly out mid-May. We're aiming to book the flights within the next couple of weeks.

We haven't arranged any accommodation in Christchurch yet, firstly because we don't yet know our arrival date, but also because we're not sure what to do. The agency who have employed my husband (One World Resourcing) have reccommended some shared accommodation, but wondered whether anyone had any advice. This will be our first ever visit to NZ and we want to meet new people, so shared accommodation would help with that. So any advice for us, not only on accommodation issues, but anything else you think would help us, will be greatly appreciated!

Persephone

Welcome!

Hmmm shared accommodation, do you know anything more about what and where? You may or may not want to be stuck with a group of 18 yo students.
The only other thing I would suggest is booking a motel for when you arrive, you can then have a look for rental properties. There is a shortage of housing in Chch so places do go fast. We rented ours out recently and had 10 couples round before it even went on the website, great for us but not so good for those looking for somewhere to live.
It's best to be here before you look as firstly, you can then get a feel for the area and see what the house actually looks like and secondly, given the shortage of housing I would expect preference to be given to those actually in Chch.
Motels are often fully booked so if you decide to stay in one then book well ahead!

All the best
P

chippy64

You could look at something like this - http://www.bookabach.co.nz/baches-an...mes/view/19518. You can often negotiate for reduced rates if you are staying longer.
Agree with Persephone re needing to be here before you commit yourself to any property/area. I sent my OH details on rentals when he moved out here because I liked the look of the property (or it seemed nice when looking on Google maps ) but as he had lived in ChCh for a while already, he knew which areas were right for us.

Chippy Giles

Hi Mrs_mrs M, i'm a carpenter, can I ask if you already had a work visa sorted when your OH got his job offer please, I'm now looking at going out to try and get a job in ChCh then try and sort a work visa with NZIS swiftly followed by my EOI however if i could get a temp work visa first i'de be a lot happier.

Can I also ask if he is taking tools, i've never done any agency work before but people I've talked to in the UK who have done it here usually just take a bag of hand tools with them?
Thanks very much

BEVS

You can't gain a temp work visa without a job offer.

If you are a young'un though, a working holiday visa is possible.

Chippy Giles

Thanks Bevs done the WHV already looks like i'll be visiting the agency's while on 'holiday'. I have really got my hopes up again now!!

mrs_mrs M

Thank you all very much for your replies. I've never used a forum before, so this is all new to me!

We don't know much about it at the moment. Once we book our flights they will confirm which firm he will work for and I suppose then we'll know where it is! It sounds like we will need to be over there before committing to anything more permenant, thanks for the advice! I have had a look online, but its impossible to know what a place is really like without seeing it in the flesh.

Thanks for the website chippy64 I shall have a look

Sign Maker Giles, we're both going out on a working holiday visa in the first instance. It seems to make more sense as we've never been before and I suppose this lets us 'try before we buy'. We attended an emmigration seminar a few weeks ago and were advised that once you have a job offer you can apply for a temporary working visa if you need to be out there quickly. And yes, my husband was advised to take hand tools which he will do. I must say that my husband got a job offer very quickly! He sent his CV into a few agencies and all of them responded.