Charismatic

Population density in Ireland (NZ's median density is 16.4 by comparison):

From experience I can say the west of Ireland is very similar in population density...but it rains a lot more .

Stormer999

Yes it's called the Emerald isle for good reason....

Stormer999

Nobody said otherwise

BEVS

True. I've stated before we should have continued to look far more closely to home than we did. Much of what we couldn't do was governed by employment & property prices. Daft as that might seem.
We had the opportunity to come here because ,despite being an older couple, NZ wanted plumbers/gasfitters and there was employment waiting. There was a time limit points wise, due to our ages, so we grasped the chance rather than do the 'what if' thing.

I know. We lived that daily life of gridlock, crowds ,traffic jams, many hours of commute and all that stuff. I suppose it's all about what is the best balance for you. A compromise as to what you'll put up with to gain what makes you feel the most happy , settled, fulfilled.

I doubt we'll stay here forever.

whitesand

Interesting points you make Beb. I think lots of folks don't get to know their own country before they go overseas, and then make wide generalisations about it. I hear lots on here saying Britain is a dump or such like. and I think, well you haven't really travelled much, even in the UK.

whitesand

Bev, those typing grelims again!

Stormer999

I think you say it all in your last sentence ref the travel. We have really been giving the UK a good look before making a decision and have found some nice to live places. Dorset, North Wales, Durham, Scotland all extremely relaxing and ideal places to settle....until you want to travel and then you have to migrate out into the real UK and wait your turn, Somehow you have to negotiate the mass areas around Manchester, Birmingham and of course London where travel literally becomes a total nightmare. Listen to the National travel problems on the radio and they become longer and longer by the day. Britain is not a dump so it would be nice to get people to stop treating it so.

DC10

Maybe not a dump but, economically at least, there is no hiding the fact that it is not in the happy place it was 5-10 years ago.

whitesand

That's true, but this place has really changed in the past few years as well. Things are much harder here now and it's showing in many ways. Folks are feeling the pinch and you can see how empty the shops are during the week, and people are thinking twice before spending as much as they used to. And I simply don't believe what the papers keep telling us about house prices going up and up. I think that's all wishful thinking and playing around with figures.

DC10

It's certainly hard to see why they would go up, given that inflation is around 5% with average pay rises only 2-3%. Also the large numbers of expats (esp. British) bidding up properties must have slowed to a trickle

Incidentally, living in the Southeast I found that the recession really hit traffic volumes. Far fewer traffic jams in the last couple of years than the early ones (2003-06). Or maybe I just learnt to avoid it.

Bo-Jangles

We just had the three yearly rates revaluations come through and our Capital value has apparently gone down 10% in the past three years. House is now apparently worth just $10k more than we paid for it six years ago.

Charismatic

To be fair we have been through a property bubble market for about 10+ years.

Pinched from GMI (NZ):



But New Zealanders are earning more than ever before thanks to National thanks to John Key right? Why else would we tolerate his smug smile.


See a trend?

Heavenlyscent

We r in Lincolnshire and it is very rural, not so populated, just not as rural as NZ. All we see r green fields, the leaves falling off the trees in all colours, home is where your heart is

Stormer999

Not exactly motorcycling country... flat and straight and bloody big ditches..

Heavenlyscent

Haha yes u r less likely to crash as u can see for miles. Unfortunately my giant dogs love the ditches, to my horror!! haha