Amyzjohnson

Hello,

Hoping someone can help us out. We are a family of four (kids aged 1 and 4) moving to Nelson in November 2014 as my husband is taking a position in the hospital. We have a few questions about living in the area if anyone can help us out:

1. We are looking to buy pretty quickly after we move, which suburbs would you recommend. Things important to us are good quality housing, garden size, good schools in the region, some ammenities such as playgroups and a local shop. Don't mind commuting a little to get to schools/hospital and would be more drawn to semi rural locations...but don't want to isolate ourselves from chance of making new friends. Any suggestions welcome.

2. We will need to rent initially but only looking for at most 2 months...hopefully less. Found the holiday lets pretty expensive so would need to be basically furnished and 2 bed preferably. If you can suggest anywhere to look for a cheap rental.

3. Any advice in general about life for families and cost of living in Nelson area.

Really looking forward to arriving and exploring for ourselves.

Thanks in advance,

Amy

kshurey

We lived there for 20 months up to 2009, found it very cliquey, expensive, and remote. My suggestion is don't buy for a year, see if you can live there first, and your husband can try his job for size (work practices are different here). If you buy in haste be aware selling is expensive (agents charge 4%). Like so much of NZ it is hilly so try to get a flat section (plot) as you might find a hilly garden pretty much useless. Make sure you don't loose the sunlight early in the day as most homes rely on it for heating. It can get pretty cold in winter. Also if you buy a house and want a survey they are generally just done by builders, if they miss something important it's tough luck on the buyer.

Officially Nelson is a city, in reality it is a village, nice centre, great beach and surrounding scenery. Shopping opportunities are limited, you might find yourself going to Wellington or Christchurch for good furniture clothes etc. Be aware of the 'sunshine tax', this is an unofficial cap on wages in the area. The local employers think that as Nelson is the best place in the world people will work for peanuts.

If this all sounds a bit negative I'm sorry, the above might help you avoid some typical pitfalls that immigrants face.

Mark Smith

A good friend of mines lives in Wakefield, out on the state highway. It's a great little village we've visited a dozen or so times and seems to have a quite few amenities. Must be at least a 20 min ish drive back to Nelson though. Sorry I'm in Christchurch and can't really tell you any more other than we love visiting the area, but would find it too quiet to live there.

Amyzjohnson

Thanks for the advice. We have given a lot of thought to buying/renting and will rent initially but we are so tired of wasting our money on rent when we could have a place of our own. We are moving from Gibraltar in Southern Europe, which I gets a name for being cliquey, expensive and pays out sunshine hours too...maybe we are willing to give up a lot to follow the sun?!?! Although, we have found so much happiness here and met so many wonderful people we are sure we can do the same again.

I had been looking at atawhai area. Does anyone have any info on this area in terms of floods, good schools, community etc.

Thank you again. A dose of reality is always important and we will defiantly bear in mind the home surveying...and get our own surveyor to check it out.

pilottinker

Just been up to Nelson accompanying my son's basketball team and fell sickly and madly in love with it. Rent, rent , first , you will save yourself money in long term as isolation may not suit you and your husband. PM me if you like

Frenchy

I work for Nelson Marlborough DHB but live and work in Blenheim. The DHB are really good to work for. Nelson has lovely beaches and a real arty vibe with a little market on a Saturday morning. Nice feel to place and high sunshine hours. Good luck

BEVS

What is a attracting you to Atawhai ?

pilottinker

Now that looks nice Bevs

BEVS

Not sure what you mean TBH.

I'm wishing to ascertain what AmyzJohnson may wish/hope from an area.
She says she is looking at Atawhai.

kshurey

Atawhai, great views, busy road, no shops.

Amyzjohnson

Hi, thanks just wondered about atawhai as a friend who had gone out there on honeymoon (around 15 years ago) had suggested I might like it. We have decided to rent for the short term until we find our feet and have organised a lace close to the hospital. Still pretty set on buying but if we don't find a suitable home after a few months we are looking to find a more per enact rental. I guess we will only really know when we arrive and start getting a feel for the neighbourhoods. very very excited. Shipping our things out in 2 weeks and things are beginning to feel very real.

BEVS

Ah! I thought the area may have had something on your wish list.

I've shied away from talking about the Nelson and Bays area as often someone would come along out of the blue to have a bit of a pop as they couldn't seem to grasp that it was just my perception & experience and not written in stone.

However, I'll maybe risk it & give it another go. Just can folk remember this is my opinion.

My husband works all over the area on new builds. His opinion of Atawhai is that the view is great from the area but that it is a bit bland. There is no central hub as in shops , hall etc. It is a bit out on a limb from many family activity areas although the commute to Nelson would be reasonable.

It fronts onto the main highway.

I've re-read your opening post. Your criteria is quite wide so for you, the area will be your oyster. It will more depend on your budget & how much of a commute your OH will be happy with.

If you are thinking semi-rural, then the villages of Wakefield and Brightwater - and anywhere in between - would fit that bill. you would get more for your money . The commute would be around30/40 minutes.
Both have play groups , halls etc.

If you wish to be where many families choose to be , that would be Stoke through to Richmond approx. You would get less for your money in these areas but you would be closer to family amenities and also to the hospital.
The swimming pool is in Richmond for instance. So is the shopping mall.

Then there are those areas around Nelson City. When I say city , think very small town. Brook and Wood are to the back of Nelson . Have a peaceful feel to them but one needs to watch for shade from the sun.

Tahuna is front-side and by the sea.

For the entire area, I see Richmond as central. With Nelson and it's areas to one side & the villages of Wakefield etc to the other.

4kiwi4

Hi Amyzjohnson, just come across your thread, so I presume by now you are here and settled? just to put in a bit about Wakefield as Bevs mentioned it earlier.
I have lived in NZ for 7 years and been here in Wakefield for 5 years now and love it, it is very much like a UK village and we have found that the people here are so friendly. The village centre has a foursquare supermarket which sells just about everything, there's a surgery/vet/bakers/chemist etc. Richmond is about 20 minutes away max and Nelson central about 30-35 minutes, the hospital however is slightly nearer. I can't help with schools etc, as all my "kids' are the four legged sort
If you want any other info you can PM me good luck

Amyzjohnson

We arrived two weeks ago and really enjoying it. Renting for now in the port hills and although the views are incredible finding the garden to be really hilly. Really like the town and find the people here to be so friendly and incredibly generous and helpful. Not sure where our next step to buy is, will sensibly find our feet, as finding nelson much bigger than I expected. I have put my eldest in Montessori kindy and he adores it. Hubby managing to walk to work, although tricky navigating the hills with a pram. Thanks for all the info everyone. Really helpful to get a picture of the places around.

pilottinker

I looked at it on the net and thought it looked like a nice place. I thought you wer vouching for it