ponyo

A 'how long is a piece of string question' I guess. I am very grateful to this forum and those who participate in it as I have discovered so much.
Thank you all............

I will be coming to Wellington soon to have a recce before the move, but it would be great to have some experienced views from those who know.
I would be renting somewhere that is a compromise between:

1. Being within a 15-20min cycle of CBD. I cycle further to work in London. Should I be cycling ? What is the traffic like ?
2. Good school zone for two children.
3. A budget of $500 a week rent (till we settle on an area we like).

Could/should I (bearing in mind my budget) be prioritising a house that has 'heat pumps' over a lot of sun during the day. I have read about damp,moisture and all kinds of water problems since joining the Forum. Does it matter about parking, is all kerbside parking regulated ? Hillside property or a roadside flat ?
It may sound like overkill, but I want to make sure that my family is as relaxed as possible with the relocation, bearing in mind new schools, routines etc.

Does anyone have any recommendations on areas that kind of fit my wish list ?

Any help is much appreciated.

MrsFychan

can't help you on area's as we live 40mins drive outside Welly. As for cycling again not something we do and personally wouldn't but then again I wouldn't in the UK. Radio reported to accidents within 20 meters of each other within 15mins in central Wellington two days ago so think it depends how defensively you can cycle.

Housing, we are coming into the winter months so I would say make sure you have some form of heating in the house, it isn't too bad in the summer as the sun is much hotter over here but the winter does get cold and Wellington is very windy. I would also get yourself and family some thermals. Hills again that's something only you can answer, I personally wouldn't do hills and refused to look at places that were on them and also ones with steep driveways. Finding a section that is flat can be a bit like pulling teeth but I insisted on it for the kids and luckily both our rental and now our bought house has a flat section.

It is going to depend on what is available at the time of need and what you are prepared to take. Turn over here is quite quick so I would get to speak to some rental agents whilst you are over and keep in touch with them so they have you in their minds when something comes on their books. also keep an eye on places like Trademe and Open2view for rentals to get idea's of costs

ponyo

Thanks for the MrsFychan

I used to commute all the time by cycling so I'm as 'prepared' as you can be against traffic. I'm sure that I will use a bus or drive, but I prefer the bike.

Warm clothing isn't an issue as we spend most of our holidays in the Lake District. Cold and rain we are used to...... I don't think that we can imagine how windy Wellington is.

I only asked about hills and steep drives, as I lived in the mountains and only when it snowed 3 feet in one night did I realise why the rental was so cheap.

I have been concerned re: Heat Pumps and dampness. These two points seem to crop up quite often on this forum, and I'm guessing for good reason.

Thanks again. all and any help is appreciated.

MrsFychan

No I don't think you can. let me just say that when I said I might buy an umbrella for when it rains all the Kiwi's just laughed at me and said "yeh that'll work" chuckle chuckle.

We had a couple over the other week who were here on a reccie and sitting in the garden having a few drinks and they commented on the wind. I looked at my husband and our friend and said "what wind?" which sort of shocked them as they considered it windy and we knew it wasn't

simonsi

From http://roaringfourties-nzl727.blogsp...t-city-in.html

Wellington wind summary:
• Wellington is located in a River of Wind - a wind corridor between the South Island and the North Island.
• Wellington is the windiest main centre in New Zealand with a mean annual wind speed of 22 km/h.
• Wellington also has an average of 22 days per year with mean wind speeds over 63 km/h (40 knots).
• Wellington averages 173 days a year with wind gusts greater than about 60 km/h or 32 knots.
• October is generally the windiest month of the year with a mean of 27 days with wind speeds over 15 knots, 19 of those days are over 20 knots.
• North is by far the most common wind direction, blowing from this direction (0 degrees) a massive 37.6% of the time.
• Wellington is one of the windiest cities in the world (possibly the windiest) and is windier than other southern windy cities including Cape Town, Perth, and Geraldton.
• The strongest wind speeds where recorded at Hawkins Hill of 248km/h (134 knots) on the 6 November 1959 and 4 July 1962.

ponyo

Many thanks are in order. The name of Windy Welly is not purely romantic then
But if I had a choice between wind..........and crappy London ?? No brainer.

Do homes within Wellington differ that much due to their positioning with relation to the Roaring Forties and the sun, or is all much the much ?

I'm happy either way. It seems a rather nice subject to discuss (positioning of homes and their possible lack of insulation) rather than a rant and rave.

I won't be packing any umbrella's in the container then

Heat Pump or no Heat Pump, that is the question.........

MrsFychan

not sure in central Wellington but most of the rentals we looked at didn't have them but there are some around I believe.
If you can get one with then I would say it would be better than the stand alone gas/electric heaters you would need.
Rule of thumb from our experience if you have a view you get more wind, if you are surrounded by other homes, in a dip/sheltered so no views you get less wind

moonie2011

Gee thanks for that simonsi

Ianm41

It is so 'how long is a piece of string' question, but one I can well understand you asking....but there are so many variables and of course we have all been there with exactly the same worries and questions that are going through your mind right now. A couple of question for you...how old are the children ie what schools will they be needing? where in the CBD will you be working? as already stated the rental market is pretty fluid....when are you looking on actually moving over here? Keep checking tradme ect for an idea of the rentals about. We live in Miramar if you want any info about the eastern suburbs just ask.

Charismatic

Earthquake resistance. HTH and good luck.

ponyo

Cheers Ianm41

It is actually Miramar and not the CBD that I would be commuting to. So any info on the Eastern Suburbs would be appreciated, as we know no-one in NZ or anyone who has relocated there. I feel I can read as many books and websites as I want, but to have the boots on the ground view is invaluable. My children are 12 years old and 3.5 years old.
I have been looking at TradeMe and have a rough idea of rental prices, I simply have no idea re: MrsFychan's point of having a view brings more wind. And this heating issue, no double glazing ??. Not that I'm a fan of ghastly white Uvpc windows, but when needs must........

Simonsi

When reading your post my wife lost the colour from her face

Thanks again for your help

MrsFychan

Yeh when we say double glazing, unless its a new build, the double glazing over here is basically just two panes of glass rather than one.

luvwelly

Damp is the NO 1 thing you do not want but is very common in houses in Wellington.

Full sun is a massive bonus and worth putting up with wind for (full sun also counteracts damp). For instance my first rented villa was set into the hillside and therefore despite having heating had damp issues in the lower portion of the house, the rent was NZ$750per week 6 years ago.

My second villa in Khandallah was slightly more expensive, much better, it got full sun and was on top of a hill(windy) rather than set into it and it had fantastic views. It also had a heat pump which worked pretty well. There was insulation in the roof space and the bills were much lower than in the first house.

On your budget(depending on how many bedrooms you need), it might not be so easy to get heating, so plan to buy free-standing radiators and try to get a house which is not too set into the hillside and not surrounded by vegetation. At the end of the day you can only rent what is available.

If you lived in Central Wellington rather than in Miramar(or other Eastern suburbs: Lyall Bay, Island Bay, Kilbirnie, Hataitai, Seatoun), there are 3 routes through/around Mount Victoria but as a cyclist you would probably favour cycling along Oriental Bay(7km) to Miramar which would be the fastest of the 3 routes anyway(one of which is the Mount Victoria Tunnel which is very congested for cars in rush hour but not bikes).

There are no trains on the Eastern side but plenty of buses. I wouldn't personally cycle in Wellington but many people do and in the flat areas such as Oriental Bay, it is a better option than in the hilly areas.

You need to be more careful in eastern suburbs about the decile of the school Hataitai, Roseneath, Seatoun, Island Bay are decile 10 but the rental prices may reflect this. There are no decile 10 senior schools in Eastern suburbs and very little choice, just one or two.

Wellington Girls and Wellington College are supposed to be the best state schools in Wellington but their catchments are not the same so be careful depending on the sex of your kids.
Wellington Girls East(girls) is probably a better option than Rongotai(boys) which are the main Eastern suburb senior schools. There is also a Catholic option for boys St Pats in Kilbirnie(not to be confused with the one in the Hutt Valley).

So familiarise yourself with the suburbs layout on google maps and streetview, see what rentals are available, check school zones and go from there. If it won't be your forever rental then you can afford to be less fussy anyway.
Many people who live outside the school zone for Wellington College(Boys) opt for private schools in the area. The only mixed private school in Wellington itself( and it only goes up to Y8) is St Mark's Church School on the Basin Reserve.

My comments only relate to Wellington City. All your options change as you go out through Petone into the Hutt Valley but you are then looking at commuting into Miramar which is quite a way further on than Wellington CBD itself.

If you do end up in Miramar working, try out Cafe Polo for food and coffee - one of the ones we miss.

Going in the Porirua direction, Johnsonville (a bit further on from Khandallah - Onslow College Senior School has good rep) and Churton Park are also worth looking into. Churton Park has mainly newbuild housing but it is very spacious and I had friends who lived there.
Parking is not usually an issue in residential areas of Wellington unless very central.

luvwelly

Just searched for 3 beds:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Cate...ch_suggested=0

It seems rents have come down a bit from 3 years ago when I moved across town.
This is Churton Park - a 15 min drive out of rush hour to Central Wellington, probably 25-30 mins to Miramar.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Cate...ch_suggested=0

luvwelly

Heat pump and full sun would be the best you could hope for. Double glazing is rare. Many properties are on hillsides in Wellington City but there are flatter areas. Miramar has a mix of hilly and flat. I think with young kids flat access is better but main issue is adequate heating and lack of dampness/grottiness. I refused to look at anything which didn't have some form of heating. You get some weird and wonderful combinations as well.