RedDragon2008

I thought she was a girl ie Colleen

whitesand

I must agree with the above. Sterile is also the word I would use to describe Orewa, Silverdale and those areas up there. They lack that buzz which gives a place interest. They are the places you go for a coffee on a Sunday then say, 'Thank God, I'm not living here! It all depends what your own expectations and experiences are.

not2old

And God forbid

In the $500k price range & over a $million, is it it value for money to live there even if you are old?

http://www.realestate.co.nz/resident...d/rodney/orewa

whitesand

Yes, it's unbelievable what they can charge, even up there. I think it is because they know that oldies are selling their houses and moving there and that they will have the cash available. In Milford they have those horrible retirement flats on the main road next to the bus station with all the traffic pollution and they are still around the 600-700K mark.

The greed of the property prices here in Auckland reflects how disconnected the city has become in relation to the rest of the world. The housing market here is absurdly out of balance.

shocked kiwi

It is, even if I won some money I would not buy in Auckland until there is a correction as houses are way overvalued - this 1-brm damp thing in ponsonby cv 220k sold the other day for $470k .

scrubbedexpat094

So not only have I got no soul, I'm sterile too . It just goes from bad to worse for me

Engel

It is very hard to compare UK and NZ unless you compare similar places. Auckland maybe expensive, but so is London. You can get a 1 bedroom flat in Auckland for under $300000 but you would struggle to get that in London.
I rent out my 4 bedroom town house in the UK and can only afford a room in a student-like shared house in Albany.
However, if I where to move 30 minutes further out I could get a two berdoom house with garage for the same price. You just have to put a value on your travel time.

Assanah

You can't compare Auckland and London.

RedDragon2008

I distinctly remember Orewa being very buzzing for us on the way to Waiwera.

not2old

on affordable & on the basis one is retired, does anyone know of any decent & safe places to live in NZ that have the lowest prices for houses, apartments, beach huts ... anyone?

westie1234

Not sure of budget but would look at Nelson first if that is to expensive some where in Marlborough.

davros1984

Have to disagree with the above. Can buy a 1-bed flat for less than 300K NZD in London within a 30 minute commute of central London. Know a handful of people who have done this as well.

davros1984

Woodlea - I watched that as well. The young couple (first time buyers) were able to buy a 3-bed house for 230K GBP. They bought it in a place that is within 20 miles or 30K of central London. To give you an idea, that is the SAME distance as Orewa.

The cheapest 3-bed house in Orewa is 489,000 NZD:
http://www.realestate.co.nz/2109494

That's still 30K NZD OVER the price they paid on the place in the UK. Also there they can get a TRAIN (yes a train) into the city.

Alternatively, for the same money you could buy this 3-bed apartment, but again without a garden, zero double glazing and probably little insulation (if any). http://www.realestate.co.nz/2102892

I expect London to be expensive, there are over 8 million people there, 20+ million people commute into London as well. At the same time, the job choice is massive, there are so many things going on in London - so you would expect to pay a premium. If and when Auckland ever gets those above stats, then I can understand the price of houses in Auckland.

Whitesand - I laugh at those places in Milford by the hospital every single time I drive past them. The advertising they do for them (how its perfect and luxury).. cringe-worthy. Completely agree with you and your disconnection.

The decision has been made and we are going home next year to be able to buy a house in an area where there are a good number of job opportunities that I can gain employment.
Put simply, we are getting over holiday mode and wish to "get on" with our lives and make something for ourselves. We are tired of the hopelessness we feel when it comes to trying to do any of that normal stuff here in NZ. As the phrase is coined - "You can't eat scenery". I will still post from time to time in the NZ forum, but regardless, disagree or agree with me now or in the past - thank you for aiding me with making a decision and working out what's next.

With regard to lilacorange's post, I thank you for your comments. They are valid and seem very well thought out. Your words resonate with me a lot. When I write down lists on paper though, once I get over the weather and avoid some of the crime rates in certain parts of the UK, it really is a no-brainer, here's a few reasons as to why:

* More job opportunities
* Cheaper cost of living, be it cars, houses, food, clothing, broadband and so on
* Cheaper holidays, great places in the UK to visit as well as Europe on your doorstep (how about a 7-night ski holiday in Austria at a luxury ski lodge + flights for 299 GBP inclusive!!!)
* Closer to family
* Choice of food, events, gigs, festivals, sporting occasions
* More time off work
* Infrastructure, particularly public transport and options.

marblep

Really sorry to hear you're leaving Davros, but fully understand the need to do what's right for you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time here. I enjoy your input to this forum. As a bonus - you'll have 2 summers in a row. Always a good thing.

carpman

I recently read this interesting article about Nelson house prices...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/n...es-cost-a-bomb

Houses seem to be selling really quickly around here too even at prices that make me go

Mrs C