Stormer999

Davros...

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.

If these are your priorities in life then what the hell brought you to NZ

Either ways I wish you luck where ever you end up!

davros1984

Thanks!

They were not our priorities when we got here, however I have to admit I was somewhat "sucked in" on life in NZ, especially around the IT opportunities (now lack of) and some other sources probably had an impact. Additionally, when I got here - we were looking at houses that cost substantially less than they do today. (i.e. at the time - a huge choice of 3-bed places in Albany, Milford and the likes in the 350-400K NZD region).

Regardless - I was set on coming here, I'm glad I did. I've had a great time here (and still love it) and I wouldn't rule out a return in time.

Woodlea

It was Slip End though, wasn't it? It may be 20 miles from central London but it would still be a long and expensive commute even by TRAIN. One of the places you posted on page 7 of this thread was a 3 bedroom house in HH that was 64 sq metres, I bet the Orewa one is twice the size?

Anyway, I'm with Stormer, good luck back in Blighty, I hope you find what you are wanting

Chippy Giles

Sorry mate you read the Daily Mail online don't you? Its not like that in real world UK - the country is to put it bluntly screwed, more and more real people are out of work - the figures are lies nobody actually believes them since Maggies day. The only people being helped are those who can already afford it, obviously the more you earn the more you can pay fancy accountants and the less tax you have to pay, there's a flood of people who will work for bugger all and be happy living 12 to a room then there are all the illegals who will work for less. When interest rates go up house prices will free fall as the reason repossesions are down is that repayments are at a low, as soon as they go up expect mega problems...
Anyway - never let the truth get in the way of a good story...

Gas / electric went up 10% this week as well

not2old

after almost 2 years in NZ have you been back to the UK for a visit?

If not, I would suggest you do so & get the $3k fix (flight cost) + extras.

Yes, I lived in NZ in my 30's & it was bloody expensive back then in comparison to OZ & Canada.....

Tom1983

Davros...
Sorry but this is the first time I'm disagreeing with you on here, especially about car costs.

Car insurance in particular is an absolute joke back in Blighty! If anyone tells me it's getting better, I dismiss it like I dismiss anything Diane Abbott has come out with during this past week. Utter rubbish! I did a comparison on a few areas in Blighty on how much my insurance would be for my car with 2 years no claims - cheapest was 1584.85 and that was with Admiral in the quiet suburbian town of Perranporth. Most expensive where I actually lived - 3,180.61 in Barking. The problem is only going to get worse with car insurance until the ambulance chasing industry and the scams are removed but that'll never happen thanks to the previous and current governments desperation for the UK to be USA II.
Here, fully comp = $416.83 for my car.

Even getting my car fixed I find is a lot cheaper. 4 new tyres over here cost me $440 and a comparison done there would make the tyres I selected for my car in the $700 area. Labour costs are cheaper here, especially at the garages I go to. WOFs every 6 months for old cars is spot on instead of an MOT every 12 months (god knows how some cars pass them mind).

Motoring is much cheaper over here than back home

I'll give you food but clothing again i'm 50/50 over. If your an Asda/Tesco/Primark shopper (yes I was one of those), then clothing is quite expensive unless you go to the K-Marts and Warehouses of this world. Quality is better as well back home. Ones that shop at your River Islands, Fenwicks etc - then it's similar prices. Only time I buy from Farmers is when they have the offers on which you can get some excellent bargains

Just remember the problems you wanted to get away from will still remain back in Blighty. We've decided to stick it out here after a long long chat about it. I just hope that when you go back that you won't think it'll be a relief. The issues you left will still be there. The reasons we left England was the number one factor in us staying here. Do you read the Telegraph online and the Guardian online? I seriously recommend you read up on what they say as they often provide a good inside knowledge on all.

davros1984

I do read the Telegraph daily, I subscribe to it on my Kindle and I read it every day on the bus to work. I often check out the DM website as well as the Independent. I know things are not rosy at all and I remember why I left, it also does cast some doubts on the decision to return. When I weigh things out though, right now NZ does not seem like the correct place to be. If I had a substantial amount of cash, thus I'd have a cushion to change jobs and money for a deposit - it'd probably be a different story. At the same time, we want to start a family soon and my partner feels the need to be somewhat closer to family.

House prices there are far more affordable than where I currently live. I have given plenty of examples of this as well as what the banks are willing to let me borrow here. You talk about interest rates rising, well I hope it does. I really wish interest rates would at least double here so that the idiots who have paid crazy money for houses here get their fingers burned and it restores some sort of sense back into the NZ market.

I know energy prices have gone up, not surprised at all. Hopefully after living here for over 2 years and not had any form of insulation or heating, there will be less of a need to put the heating on when home.

I completely take your points and I am glad others take the time (including yourself) to challenge me. I feel though that wherever I am, I will make the best of it. Today we get our PR, so we always have the option of coming back!

Yes - we went back in September 2012 for 3-4 weeks, it was a great trip. We were glad to get back to NZ afterwards. Our frame of mind has changed somewhat since then, mainly due to the crazy price of houses here and a willingness from both of us to get on living rather than putting everything off.

How much more expensive did you find it compared to Oz and Canada? Where do you live now?

Hi Tom - thanks for your feedback. No issues at all with you disagreeing with me, I try to take it!

I am fully expecting petrol to be higher and I do get your point on insurance. I was really (yes really) expecting the insurance for the car we have here to be higher at home. I was completely surprised. We have a Holden Barina 2004 1.4 16V (Vauxhall Corsa to us Brits). Here we pay $600 for fully comp insurance and road cover. When I did a quote at home, the same car/spec fully comp came up with quotes in the region of 220-230 GBP. I couldn't believe my eyes, but there we are.

It will be more expensive anyway, because we will probably need to have 2 cars. Here we have survived on one, and if we had a second car here... we probably wouldn't have saved anything yet due to the actual value of cars here. Our plan is to buy a cheapie Corsa again and then I'll look at getting some sort of cheap diesel, i.e. Rover 75 or Mazda 3.

As for tyres, again I find that is really hit and miss. When I was home, I had a 2005 Civic Type-R. That car was cheaper to service and MOT than our current Barina is (and thats with it having specialist oil and various other sports-components). I was able to get low-profile Toyo Proxy tyres at less than 70quid each. Here, to get 2 tyres on our Barina cost over $350.

I am not saying either place is cheaper or more expensive, I am expecting the costs to be similar overall or there to be a slight difference. For me, the buying price of the cars in the UK is just cheaper than NZ.

As for clothing, I went home to the UK last September and for 400 quid, I bought about 6 pairs of shoes, lots of underwear and socks, and near enough a brand new wardrobe (jeans, jumpers, t-shirts, shorts) from the likes of Burton, river Island, Next. I can get the odd bargain in NZ at Just Jeans and the other shops that are somewhat similar, i.e. Hallensteins, but as you say - the quality is nowhere near. Its ok though, I am not big on clothes shopping, its a necessity. I can see it being an issue though when KIDS are on the scene!

The problems are there, the busyness, the lack of sunshine and for me.. mainly the amount of people on the road - I can't stand lots of people. So I'll have to live somewhere rural and try to find somewhere with a reasonable commute. If work wasn't the issue, I'd move back to Cornwall (Where I'm from) in a flash.

My priorities are as follows though:
a) Sort out my financial life.
By this - stop renting and get on the ladder. Rather than getting paid, paying rent and trying to save for a deposit... instead get paid, pay off a mortgage and have more money to put towards things I actually want to do, i.e. funds for a business or idea.
b) Get out of IT - get a new career where I am less restricted on where I can live and work. Or look at starting a "proper" business.
c) Get married and start a family

Sure there are more than this, but right now - those are the top 3.

not2old

I'm in Toronto, retired.

it was the mid 80's when we lived in OZ & NZ, so its probably not really a fair comparison to today. The FX was crazy back then as was the 17-19% interest rates.

In 1983 my gross salary was $35k (was that good or bad back the, I really don't know now). Cost of living in NZ back then was 2:1 higher than it was in Perth. A house in Perth back then for $20k, in Wellington it was $60k. House rentals also 2:1 in Wellington compared to Perth. The UK early 80's a good posh house in the NW was 19kGBP - I remember we put an offer on a house in Liverpool at that time before going to OZ... it never materialized.

From what I've seen today, NZ is not somewhere I would emigrate to, the pound is increasing - house prices in OZ similar to NZ. In the UK for an apples for apples house in a major comparable city house prices are higher in the UK - but are the wages & disposable income?.

I don't know which UK city compares to Auckland or Sydney - is it London, or whether there is a town or city in NZ that compares to Leeds, Hull, Birmingham, Manchester - because they are old, densely populated & high social welfare cases & scroungers which is typical in the UK , although its not the majority & it gets worse every day with the EU migrants & even worse come 2014..

Canada is huge like OZ (each of those are not like the US). I think Toronto is comparable to Sydney & Ottawa to Auckland. Some parts of Canada like the NE coast the prices for the same type of property are about half of what they are in Toronto.

For a $500,000 house in Toronto (core population close to 3 million) the council property tax is around $6000/yr. The minimum wage is only $10.25/hr. A decent one bedroom unfurnished apartment will set you back $1200-$1500/mth. If you are at that level its not uncommon for both adults to work long hours, sometimes at two jobs each.

From what I've seen as far as cost of living - NZ is probably better than middle England, OZ being comparable to Canada.

Its the NZ thing - 4 million people, 40 million sheep, everything has to be imported, high cost of infrastructure. Makes you wonder why 30 years after us living in NZ the population hasn't grown to 5, 7, 10 million .... and the reason is?

If you believe that NZ is the pits - then go back to the UK & see if you can settle in is my suggestion. Problem is the world has gone bonkers, any day anything could go for a shitbasket.

Its the damned if you do, damned if you don't. That's why folks emigrate because they want a better life elsewhere or believe the grass is greener... not always the case....

Bellasmum

Davros if I may I would like to give you some advice......

Forget all the comparisons and angst about NZ house prices etc. and use all that energy to focus on you and your partner wanting to start a family and her need to be around family when you do.

I wish you both all the best wherever your future takes you.

lilacOrange

For davros1984:

Your logical reasons for moving make sense. But as well as logic and lists if your heart is telling you to go, that you will have a better future in the UK, close to family (which is all that really matters in life) then you should make the move. I guess once the front door is closed you can be living anywhere in the world.

I too will be moving back shortly, but my reasons are more personal.

Good luck with your plans and future happiness.

pippalonghorn

Justcol

I migrated to OZ in 1991, lasted a year and buggered off back to blighty where I was very happy for the next 16 years before coming to NZ

Charismatic

Interesting bit on interest.co.nz again suggesting the German model make supply more elastic: http://www.interest.co.nz/property/6...-would-help-so

Caryatid

Caryatid

GREED is the word