Pyelady

Help, my head and heart are playing tennis and I don't know who's winning, my husband has been offered a job in Auckland and the plan is for him to start at the end of March on a works visa with me and our 2 young children following once we get the residency visa by the end of April. However we're both in turmoil with the cost of the move, how much that affects our savings which is our deposit for a house, plus what seems to be a higher cost of living and higher house prices, does the outdoor lifestyle really outweigh the 2-5 year struggle to recoup our money. The idea of living in beautiful New Zealand makes me want to hop on the next flight but is it really the best thing to do financially?

MrsFychan

don't think any one comes here to make money as most things do cost most because of where NZ is situated in the world. Don't think you should expect to recoup any money outlayed you need to look at it as a cost to make the move, the same as you would if you moved anywhere else.
do you sums, lots of posts on cost of living, look at why you want to move and why NZ.
make sure that you will actually uplift a permanent visa for, all very well getting an offer but it does need to meet certain criteria to actually obtain a visa which isn't temp.

Bo-Jangles

Unless you and your OH are moving here for the job of a lifetime or on super duper wages you may as well consider and cost of getting here as sunk - it has taken us nearly ten years to get back on our feet financially and still not anywhere near to the lifestyle we had in the UK in terms if disposable income for treats and holidays.

You need to do the maths and be very clear and understand what you're getting into financially. I trust you have already worked through your finances and have figured out the cost of housing in relation to the salary you are being offered?

Moses2013

It always depends what kind of life you have now and if it's a good life why risk losing it if you're not better off over there. I would say that people in Invercargill and Dunedin (similar climate to the UK) have more of an outdoor lifestyle than people in Auckland. Overall you can have a great outdoor lifestyle in the UK and also Ireland, without all the residency issues if you're living more rural. Overall New Zealand is a great country, but you'd be better off using the money for a house with garden in the UK.

Browner_

and when the visas expire what options do you have and what are the plans?

Pyelady

Thankyou for this, it put a lot into perspective, yes we've looked at finances but I was anticipating it taking a couple of years to stabilise financially, opened my eyes and helped make the decision

Thankyou all for your advice, it's really helped make our decision, we have good jobs, a nice house, a good quality of life and we have decided not to risk that with a move to nz, it means we're in a position to still afford great holidays so we'll have to visit nz soon and enjoy the life as a tourist

moving2NZ2013

I think you can spend a lot of money moving or not much atall.
I know people have spent 40k moving. It cost us incl flights around 6k including furnishing a house.guess it depends how fussy you are.we have far more money spare here than we would have had in the uk and I see my husband a lot more. It's great but I'm in the minority that it's worked out great we are very up materialistic and easily content with sacrificing all the nice to have stuff for time as a family. Since that's priceless.

I love it here and so glad I made the move

We had NOTHING in the UK. If we had all that you had we wouldn't have took the risk that's for sure


Plus I'd never ever consider Auckland I wouldn't like the crazy rush that I was trying to get away from.plus you need to earn an obscene amount of money to live there.
My husbands on a good wage for where we are but we wouldn't survive on his wages in Auckland

Justcol

you'll never make the money back. Living in Auckland costs too much and the wages aren't high enough.

If you were saying you were coming to live anywhere else but Auckland I would say yes it is worth it.......but not Auckland

There's nothing there, the traffic is horrendous, its not green and seeing as you'll be living in a city, you wont live
the "outdoor lifestyle" there

Moses2013

Going to Auckland for an outdoor life would be like going to the butcher for veg. Visa is one issue, but if you don't need to work there are plenty of cheap areas in New Zealand where you can really have that outdoor life. If you have pounds, you really get a lot of house for your money (if you're buying) and space to grow your own fruit & veg. But since most Expats will have to work and need a visa, it's not an option.

A Rush And A Push

I'm actually really surprised when people say you can't have an outdoor lifestyle in Auckland.

I genuinely think we do loads of outdoor stuff here. Some of the things we or people we know do - beaches (must be 50 or 60 in the Auckland region?). Regional parks - walking and camping. Kayaking, surfing, fishing, snorkelling, cycling, climbing the many (extinct!) volcanic cones around the city. Visiting the Hauraki Gulf islands. Loads and loads of parks/playgrounds.

Other stuff we haven't tried yet - paddle boarding, sailing, horse riding etc.

But we are also 20 mins from the CBD of a biggish city so plenty of access to cinemas, theatre, museum, zoo, festivals, shops etc

To the OP, I do really like Auckland but it has to be pointed out that buying a house here now is very expensive. Can't get round that one really. Renting is also very pricey.

scrubbedexpat094

I was thinking about this earlier today and thought what are people on about .There are loads of regional parks to visit, with places to walk, tramp, swim, kayak etc. Head to the Waitakeres for tramping, plenty of surfing to be had on the west coast of Auckland. Kite surfing at Orewa and other beaches. Skate board parks, tennis courts, and so on. There's loads of outdoor stuff to do if you're so inclined.

What I will agree on is that house prices are stupidly expensive and that traffic can be a pain in the bum.

Justcol

1st picture is of Aucklands Rural views from One Tree Hill, very pretty if you like looking at city skylines

2nd is the view from the top of Pirongia, 5 minutes from Te Awamutu
3rd is from the top of Maungakawa, 5 minutes from Cambridge
Both very pretty if you dont want to look at city skylines

4th $1.9 Million Auckland
5th $450 Cambridge

Now what could you spend the $1.5 Million you save on

If you have the option look elsewhere

TommyLuck

It's all relative. Moving to Auckland from sunny Brentford is a positive move to an outdoor lifestyle.

There certainly aren't hundreds, if not thousands of kilometres of beaches within an hour of Brentford.

Nor could a grab a fishing charter at short notice, arrange a SCUBA dive or go mountain biking that easily from Brentford.

Need I go on? I'm sure you get my point.


To the OP - I think you made the right choice in staying in the UK given what you've told us.

If you change your mind New Zealand will still be here to welcome you with open arms.

Moses2013

Don't get me wrong. I'm sure there are plenty of things to do and indeed it depends where you come from. Just think that if you're prepared to move to the other side of the world for an outdoor life, why Auckland. Outdoor life for me is also having a decent sized garden, bbq area etc. but if you can't afford it and work during the week, you only really have the weekend left. Not really an improvement, especially if you have a secure job and life back in the UK.

Pulaski

Unless you have a private jet or live in a multidimensional universe I am not sure that it is possible to live "within an hour of thousands of kilometres of beaches".