To be or not to be, that is the big question.
Sep 21st 2011, 3:24 pm
#1
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 19
To be or not to be, that is the big question.
Hi all, first time poster hear.
Im British married to a kiwi and living in the midlands with our 2 boys and a daughter from a previous r'ship. We have always said we will go to N.Z eventually but money always stops us.We have finally decided enough is enough and we need to bite the bullet as one of the big reasons we want to go is for the kids to grow up the kiwi way and enjoy the great outdoors. However I am really worried abouit the financial implications as we have quite an easy life over here at the minute,hubby gets a retainer and works from home so picks up any childcare duties and I work p/t and get paid well for what I do.
Im worried that as we rent here and don't have a house to sell for collaterel we will end up paying extortionate rental prices for a small flat just to be in a decent school zone and both end up working f/t in jobs we might not like but which may be necessary to survive.
Hubby hasn't lived there for 10yrs but his brother and family migrated back a couple of months ago and his sister and mum also live there.
It is such a dilema whether we should do it and give up the easy life we have here to be nearer to family and for the kids to live a different way of life or to stay put and accept only seeing them once every couple of years. We just can't decide.
We are off for a reccie in Nov so might help but just don't know if it will be a big mistake to give up what we have, especially as there is little hope of getting anything equivalent in N.Z as neither is a skilled job and we have little by way of collateral. Sorry for long post just sooooo confused.
Im British married to a kiwi and living in the midlands with our 2 boys and a daughter from a previous r'ship. We have always said we will go to N.Z eventually but money always stops us.We have finally decided enough is enough and we need to bite the bullet as one of the big reasons we want to go is for the kids to grow up the kiwi way and enjoy the great outdoors. However I am really worried abouit the financial implications as we have quite an easy life over here at the minute,hubby gets a retainer and works from home so picks up any childcare duties and I work p/t and get paid well for what I do.
Im worried that as we rent here and don't have a house to sell for collaterel we will end up paying extortionate rental prices for a small flat just to be in a decent school zone and both end up working f/t in jobs we might not like but which may be necessary to survive.
Hubby hasn't lived there for 10yrs but his brother and family migrated back a couple of months ago and his sister and mum also live there.
It is such a dilema whether we should do it and give up the easy life we have here to be nearer to family and for the kids to live a different way of life or to stay put and accept only seeing them once every couple of years. We just can't decide.
We are off for a reccie in Nov so might help but just don't know if it will be a big mistake to give up what we have, especially as there is little hope of getting anything equivalent in N.Z as neither is a skilled job and we have little by way of collateral. Sorry for long post just sooooo confused.
Sep 21st 2011, 8:51 pm
#2
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,208
Re: To be or not to be, that is the big question.
I feel your pain!
I was married to a Kiwi and like you we felt it would be better to bring our four kids up in NZ.
We took a 3+ week campervan holiday, mainly of the North Island, having done heaps of research for what places we wanted to explore prior. We had a fantastic time, it really was the happiest of days.
A year after returning from the holiday we'd sold up and shipped 4 kids, 2 adults, 2 dogs and the contents of 2 houses to our chosen area in NZ.
I went straight in to work, unskilled and flexible and the OH ... did nothing!
Fortunately the exchange rate at that time (2007) was really in our favour, unlike now. Plus we had collateral, unlike you.
Despite separating and a few teething problems with the kids, I would say it has all worked out very well. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Would I do it with no job to come to in this financial market? Not sure. Would I do it with no real money behind me ... no. Too hard, too stressful.
My advice, for what it's worth, would be come on holiday and see if you like it first, if you can afford to. Then see what you might be able to afford in terms of salary vs cost of living in your preferred area. Then pray to the Gods that the exchange rate improve and bide your time.
I was married to a Kiwi and like you we felt it would be better to bring our four kids up in NZ.
We took a 3+ week campervan holiday, mainly of the North Island, having done heaps of research for what places we wanted to explore prior. We had a fantastic time, it really was the happiest of days.
A year after returning from the holiday we'd sold up and shipped 4 kids, 2 adults, 2 dogs and the contents of 2 houses to our chosen area in NZ.
I went straight in to work, unskilled and flexible and the OH ... did nothing!
Fortunately the exchange rate at that time (2007) was really in our favour, unlike now. Plus we had collateral, unlike you.
Despite separating and a few teething problems with the kids, I would say it has all worked out very well. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Would I do it with no job to come to in this financial market? Not sure. Would I do it with no real money behind me ... no. Too hard, too stressful.
My advice, for what it's worth, would be come on holiday and see if you like it first, if you can afford to. Then see what you might be able to afford in terms of salary vs cost of living in your preferred area. Then pray to the Gods that the exchange rate improve and bide your time.
Sep 21st 2011, 9:15 pm
#3
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 19
Re: To be or not to be, that is the big question.
Silly really we have been debating it for so long, really we should have gone when the exchange rate was $3 to the £, we did have a lovely 3 week holiday over there and couldn't get over the price of things at that time but there just wasn't any urgency at that point.
Now it seems like the £ just keeps dropping v's the $ and that the family we had on hubbies side over here have all gone back and left us to it.
His family are all in Cockle bay but we would no way be able to afford there. Here in the UK the kids are in great schools with great friends and we have cosy jobs, but there is still that pull to NZ and the kids are growing so fast that before we know it they will have grown and left us too lol.
It is just such a gamble to give up good jobs and good schools with little to fall back on but the goodwill of family. How have you all made the decision and what sort of collateral do you think would be realistic to live a reasonable standard of life for a while if we struggle to get jobs immediately? oh and we would be renting.
Now it seems like the £ just keeps dropping v's the $ and that the family we had on hubbies side over here have all gone back and left us to it.
His family are all in Cockle bay but we would no way be able to afford there. Here in the UK the kids are in great schools with great friends and we have cosy jobs, but there is still that pull to NZ and the kids are growing so fast that before we know it they will have grown and left us too lol.
It is just such a gamble to give up good jobs and good schools with little to fall back on but the goodwill of family. How have you all made the decision and what sort of collateral do you think would be realistic to live a reasonable standard of life for a while if we struggle to get jobs immediately? oh and we would be renting.
Sep 22nd 2011, 8:22 am
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2011
Location: S.Wales for now
Posts: 66
Re: To be or not to be, that is the big question.
Hi and welcome!
The tussles of making such a big decision is extremely hard especially with children!
I too am in very similar situation we are flying out to NZ in November to have a Recce (without children...too young) however we have only a week as OH company is flying us out so I imagine it'll be a whisltle stop tour!
It'll be easier as you have family already out there for support!
We don't have massive funds behind us but are very fortunate OH work is paying all relocation costs, but living in wales our living costs are relatively low compared to other parts of the UK so I do believe we will find NZ very expensive in comparison.
Anyway love to hear how you get on!
Helsx
The tussles of making such a big decision is extremely hard especially with children!
I too am in very similar situation we are flying out to NZ in November to have a Recce (without children...too young) however we have only a week as OH company is flying us out so I imagine it'll be a whisltle stop tour!
It'll be easier as you have family already out there for support!
We don't have massive funds behind us but are very fortunate OH work is paying all relocation costs, but living in wales our living costs are relatively low compared to other parts of the UK so I do believe we will find NZ very expensive in comparison.
Anyway love to hear how you get on!
Helsx
Sep 22nd 2011, 9:49 am
#5
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 19
Re: To be or not to be, that is the big question.
Where abouts in NZ are you headed too? we are going to be in Auckland, get over on the 12th Nov and back on the 2nd Dec. Thats great that OH's company are paying relocation costs as that's a massive chunck of cash in itself, probably saving you £10,000+.
I have been looking at the reccommended areas in Auckland so that we can have a few to look at when we get there. My SIL said it is sooo easy to get a mortgage over there, so we are looking at what we might be able to afford in those areas. She said it is a bit like it was in the UK when they were giving out 95% mortgages as the norm.
Im wondering about buying now and paying the mortgage from over here till we get enough saved to make the move, that way we could also rent it out to cover costs and feel better knowing that we actually have somewhere to go to
. Rental prices over there just seem crazy so would hate to throw away 12 months rent money when we could be paying our own mortgage.
I hope your reccie goes well, just go armed with loads of questions and a rough plan of where to look.
I have been looking at the reccommended areas in Auckland so that we can have a few to look at when we get there. My SIL said it is sooo easy to get a mortgage over there, so we are looking at what we might be able to afford in those areas. She said it is a bit like it was in the UK when they were giving out 95% mortgages as the norm.
Im wondering about buying now and paying the mortgage from over here till we get enough saved to make the move, that way we could also rent it out to cover costs and feel better knowing that we actually have somewhere to go to
. Rental prices over there just seem crazy so would hate to throw away 12 months rent money when we could be paying our own mortgage.I hope your reccie goes well, just go armed with loads of questions and a rough plan of where to look.
Sep 23rd 2011, 10:07 am
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2011
Location: S.Wales for now
Posts: 66
Re: To be or not to be, that is the big question.
We don't know where we are going yet we find out next week he is looking at 3 job positions 1 in Oz and 2 in North Island NZ. (Thats all in one week!!!
)
This forum has been soooo helpful trying to grasp whether NZ is for us as I'm really not sure if you can chose where to live in just a 2 day visit to each place!
I had heard it is far easier to buy out there which is a good thing as rentals seem ridiculously high compared to here!
Cant wait to find out where we will be visitng might be in Auckland around the same time! I hope I like it as I am kinda worried I've built up my expectations now! Good luck with your planning! Helsx
) This forum has been soooo helpful trying to grasp whether NZ is for us as I'm really not sure if you can chose where to live in just a 2 day visit to each place!
I had heard it is far easier to buy out there which is a good thing as rentals seem ridiculously high compared to here!
Cant wait to find out where we will be visitng might be in Auckland around the same time! I hope I like it as I am kinda worried I've built up my expectations now! Good luck with your planning! Helsx
