EdT

I haven't purchased a house in NZ.... not been able to afford anything that I would consider a house (i.e. not damp and built to a reasonable standard). We have been renting since arriving.... so we are effectively portable.

Maybe I should have bought a house.... or should buy one if we stay.... have felt very transient for the past 3 years, and not felt like I have been able to lay down roots.

Just been discussing with a mate, and I think another big issue to me (which may be a personal issue) is the worry of if work here drys up.... there are very little options, and that would effectively force me back to UK / EU. Whereas if I was in UK / EU I would most probably have more options.

Stormer999

Work in the UK/EU won't dry up......it already has........

EdT

Work may have dried up in many sectors.... I totally agree.... but this is somewhat a sweeping statement and I think it is very much dependant on spcific employment sectors.

RichP

EdT, what did you end up doing in the end?

whitesand

Edt, you're not the only one who has doubts about the wisdom of staying on here. Like you, we decided to rent when we first came as the houses we felt were ot worth the price. So we have always rented. We were also w aiting for the exchange rate to get better and perhaps bring our money over. However, we have now decided thaat we don't want to buy anything here as they are not worth the money. Also, we are fed up with the general cost of things here and don't want to spend years always watching the prices and shopping at Throw n' Go.

tweetweet

weigh it up:
UK: Good job offer. parents are ill - you can be near them to offer support and comfort.
NZ: beaches, sunshine, great place to bring up children, but as you stated - lack of future for your career, being far away from family.

chief.brody

Don't go back!!!!!!!!

You probably don't realise how rubbish things are getting in the UK... We're trying to get out of here at the moment cos I honestly don't see any future for my little one in this country (UK)

You can get a good job but you can change the situation GB is in at the moment.. and it's not good.

My advice - STAY!!

BEVS

I know. So many feel that way don't they. But so many don't feel that way either. Many of our family and friends are perfectly fine with where they are and where they live. It's not perfect according to them but they love it , enjoy it and have no plans to leave....


...although they don't mind a visit down under

Perry Groves

Job is important in life. Without it life is not so good. So I would probably go

mickey_d

What future do you see for your little one in NZ?

chief.brody

Whatever it is, it must be better than what he'll have here in the UK.

Why do you ask?

mickey_d

Just interested, we know many families here who are saying the same thing about NZ. One British family we knew flew back to Blighty last Monday after 7 years here with the same reasons.
Youth unemployment is very high here, in fact one of the highest in the world (higher than the UK)
Must say we hardly ever hear much doom & gloom from family & friends in the UK in fact most seem to be doing well.

luvwelly

Youth suicide is also shockingly high here. Does geographic isolation have anything to do with it? It tends to mainly be the better-off kids who go off on their 'overseas experience'. Some take years to find their way back or indeed never permanently return.

Don't make the mistake of coming here at great expense if moving to a 'better area' within the UK could fix your issues.

Even the NZ PM and the Labour Leader of the Opposition (till 13 Dec) have 3 kids between them currently living overseas.

One thing many of us have learnt being expatriated is that there is no Press/media in the world which revels in painting its own country in such a bad light as the UK's because it sells papers. An instant way to feel better about the UK is to stop reading the knocking press especially the Daily Mail etc . Get your news from the BBC website instead - much more balanced and less sensational.

chief.brody

I don't read Daily Mail and sorry but BBC news is rubbish. Very biased in my opinion, government funded - no wonder.

Ok so a few families in UK are doing well, but can you not see the general situation?

I live in a very good area in the UK, probably one of the best, but I just can't stand people's mentality, the benefit culture, the chav culture (if you can call it culture) , there's too many people here - I'd be gutted if my little one had to go to school with all these kids who swear and think that all there is to life is football. (bit of generalisation here)

There is no way in the world we will ever be able to buy land here in the Uk (not in the good areas we are talking about) and our friends in NZ have and are now building their own house.

I'm not actually English myself, my partner is, but I have lived in the UK for the last 10 years or so and frankly speaking I have had enough.

The whole world seems to think that the UK is a growing, prospering, rich, privileged country when in fact it's going down every day. And it's not just news scaremongering stories.

Uk had its peak and sorry to say but it looks like the only way now is down.

There's about 60 million people in this country - isn't that a reason good enough to leave?

Why are you so pessimistic about people wanting to come to NZ, haven't you done it yourself?

I know that NZ has its own problems, I'm not stupid. But I'm afraid it's looking like in the UK things are only going to get worse.

luvwelly

No I haven't done it myself. I agreed to be posted here for my OH's job for 4 years. I still have a house in the UK and rent here. I would not like to think I was here forever even though I have a million dollar view from my rented house's balcony.

All the welfare dependency/high unemployment stuff exists here too among a smaller population.
Although certain areas are very safe, overall crime in NZ is pretty much the same as in UK which is surprising but look at www.stuff.co.nz and see what went down in NZ today....yes most major incidents get reported but still a lot of horrible things happen and if it were so perfect here, it wouldn't be on a par with UK but I am afraid it is. The NZ media doesn't 'play it up' in the same negative way though. They are in on the Godzone thing too lol.
I agree in UK that state education can be a challenge. But it can here too (look for decile 10 rather than decile 1).
I also don't relish living in an earthquake zone especially after feeling a tremor yesterday and after Christchurch and Japan bringing home the reality.

The only thing which is truly better is the weather, the scenery, the Electoral system and the cafe culture in Wellington. Everything else is the same/similar or worse.

If a large plot with a big house on it in a remote location floats your boat forever then you may very well really enjoy it. It will likely be a slower pace of life but it is very expensive to travel anywhere else from here (even Australia) and until you get here you just don't get how remote it is and how this impacts your life. Even when cost is not really an issue but for most on the lower NZ wages, cost is a very real factor in why people cannot afford to escape to Oz on holiday, let alone go back to UK/Europe.
Also pension, maternity, holiday entitlements and sick leave entitlements tend to be much worse here. You pay tax on every dollar with no tax free allowance at all. Financially I doubt it stacks up favourably for many people with the exchange rate as it is.

Just come with open eyes though...it is a big deal...because it is a long way away and the only reason you are really considering it is weather and the fact they speak English. The property is not cheap when based on NZ salaries, it only seems cheap to you as a 'cashed up Pom' . The quality can be horrendous as well although if you build your own you will have more control.