Stoof

Ambrosian and Hippygran - thank you so much for your fantastic posts... i posted a thread yesterday asking about peoples experiences on behalf of my mum.... we're not in NZ yet, (hpefully spring next year) but longer term hoping that my mum can come out and join us on sponsorship... this is exactly what i was looking for and if only i'd searched properly, i needn't have started my own thread!!

anyway... sounds like you're both well on the way - v chuffed for you .. and thanks for the cracking posts... i'll show them to my mum!

here's some 'brill posts thank you' karma for both of you!

Hippygran2

Hello Sue,

Thank you so much for your message. I hope you will be able to get your medical queries to a level to satisfy them, it's frustrating never the less but hope you can get it sorted out very soon. Keep in touch.

Best wishes

Joan

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WestcountryGirl

Have just read through this thread. Good news. So happy for you guys. Don't be scared - enjoy it. This is a wonderful country and you won't regret your decision. Good luck.

Hippygran2

Hello Westcountrygirl,

Thanks for your message. Just getting used to the idea that things now may be starting to move. Can't wait to get there.

Cheers

Joan
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Hippygran2

Well, here I am again.

We have now had 6 Estate Agents to view our house for valuation. We have a small cottage (about 100 years old) in a village, it's not a family house but ideal for a couple or possibly single working person. We have a loft room which I use as a studio for card-making and painting, second bedroom is very small (which we use as an office - computer, desk etc) so hope loft room may compensate. Can't be marketed as a three bedroom house as the loft room has not got a permanent staircase, only a folding one. It's quite a quaint little house to which we have done a lot but hope we have retained it's old world charm, hope a buyer sees it that way.

The valuations were very wide ranging, about £35,000 difference. We hope to make a descision at the end of the week based on HIPS fees (which seem to vary wildly), contract length, percentages etc etc then get the house on the market.

Anyone else out there still trying to sell their house - how is it going for you, would be pleased to here from you.

Haven't sent for our visas yet, have until 10/03/2009 to do that, we are waiting to see how things go with the house. Wish I could move things on quicker, my son in Auckland tells me the weather is warming up now, getting into Spring. Ahhhhhh well, hope to be there before toooooo long.

Sorry, if I've rambled on a bit.
Cheers,

Joan x

scrubbedexpat094

Hi Joan

Just wondered which Derbyshire village you are in? Used to live in Stapenhill, B-o-T, so used to go through Bretby & Repton quite often. Also based in Belper for a while & have a few mates in that area.

Certainly is warming up in Auckland, though some Kiwis were complaining that it was cold yesterday it was raining but was still warm. Out in T-shirt & shorts today.

Good Luck with the house selling business, I'd go for the middle valuations & be prepared to come down in the present market.

Hippygran2

Hi Vitalstatistix,

Thanks for your reply.

We live in Willington (been here 23 years) in the old part of the village and I was shopping in Burton today. My husbands' daughters live in Borrowash & Ockbrook and I have a son in Chellaston. I know Stapenhill, not very well, but know most of the suburbs around Derby and Burton. Have various friends around and about Derby.

As regards the hous, we have been receiving the written valuations (two more to go) but think we have pretty well made the desicion anyway more or less. Will probably go for the middle range as you say, gives you a bit of flexiblity.

It's certainly not T-shirt & shorts weather here, windy & rainy, not particularly cold YET!! My husband feels when he gets to NZ he wants to do what my son in Auckland does which is to go through the whole year wearing shorts, no long trousers. Hope he gets his wish!!!!!

Cheers

Joan
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zaras dad

Thats the capital of New Zealand

Great read. I'm reading your experiences with great interest as I am one of 3 children - meaning that 2 would have to be down here before I could even get my folks to apply to come down here. Seems such a long way off as one of my sisters really wants to move down here (making it possible for my folks to get down here). Shes 1 year into a 3 year Nursing course in the UK so is planning to apply when shes qualified. (Shes been down here once and is coming down again at christmas)

So.......I believe thats when I can get my folks to apply - correct me if Im wrong.

Only thing that worries me is getting my folks to pass a medical. Does NZIS insist on medical history from GP aswell as panel doctors findings OR can they just goto the panel doctor and ...hope for the best?

My mum is like the Dot Cotton in our family. If it exists - shes had it !!

Ambrosian

Hi Zaras Dad

As part of the application form there is a medical section to be completed by the Panel Doctor. It is pretty comprehensive, in that you have to declare any illnesses, operations, up to date medical history, hospital stays, etc. You also have an examination at the time. You have to be truthful as if found out, it negates everything.

What I would say is go on the NZI web site and find the relevant information that deals with health queries/issues. This should give you some idea on whether your Mum's health will be acceptable for residency. Better to find out in the first place, rather than after spending out money and the time and effort in applying for residency.

You will also be able to see what NZ requires in the sponsorship category re siblings, etc.

Good luck.

Hippygran2

Hello Ambrosian,

Nice to hear from you on this thread again.

I fully agree with the information you gave to 'Zara's Dad' as regards the medical, you do need to be upfront about any conditions and it is for NZIS to decide if they are within the acceptable criteria. Hope Mum will be able to make the move!!!

Have you been able to sort out your medical difficulties yet, I do hope so, let me know how things are going for you.

Our house is now on the market, been on a week, neighbours stopping me and asking where we are going to. When I tell them of our plans, they often say 'I wish I had done something like that years ago'. Just playing a waiting game now, I guess.

Cheers & good luck

Joan
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Ambrosian

Hello Joan

Things are never that straightforward, are they? You have your residency visa ready to take up, but are still waiting to sell your home, whereas we sold back in May and are still waiting for our residency, or I should say, I am still waiting to be 'certified' as having an acceptable standard of health leading to residency visa. Perhaps we can swap, but perhaps not.

I do hope that you get some viewings and a feel for whether you are marketing at the right price, whatever that might be? Isn't it a farce this HIPS thing - when we were selling, nobody was interested in any of the information, in fact still had the buyer's solicitor asking all the questions and expecting all the answers from us personally. In fact the only thing the HIPS guy came up with (after spending a total of 15 minutes in the house, including sticking his head through the loft space) was we could improve our energy rating by the use of 'long-life' efficient light bulbs throughout the property, but in our ceiling downlighters!!! Think he must have been away with the fairies. And is a potential buyer really going to worry about that? Anyway, I digress.

The latest since I last had a moan is that, 2-3 months later having gone privately to a gastroenterologist (the same one who dealt with my husband) and with the help of a 'fat buster' drug (Simvastatin) my cholesterol levels dropped from 6.7 to 4.4. Don't think I can improve on that but anyway, it is under the magic number five, which NZ MO requries. With regard to my gamma GT, the specialist has written a full report basically saying I am fit and healthy, no problems, therefore no monetary costs will be incurred by letting me in!! So hurry up and make a decision, please, Mr/Mrs Medical Assessor.

Sent in this report to my CO, who received it on 20 October and she emailed me to say she was forwarding that day. Don't know how long I must wait now but I think my husband's report was dealt with within 10 days so I am hoping for the same turn about. Will let you know.

From our experiences, it seems that if you have anything slightly not conforming to the norm, it saves time (but not money) to go straight to the specialists as NZ MO seems to take notice of what the specialist says, not necessarily the GP. Isn't hindsight a marvellous thing??

Anyway, we have had some good news in that we can stay in our rental for a couple of weeks after 26 November, if we need to. So I am now going to have a glass of wine as the weekend starts here.

Hope the week-end brings out the viewers, in droves, to your home.

Sue
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