ShakerMike

Hi folks

I was hoping someone out there might be able to offer some advice.

We're expecting to move out to Auckland before the end of the year, from the UK. Now starts the task of finding somewhere to live!

We have two kids aged 9 and 4 and schooling is really important. Currently, the eldest is at private school, purely because all of the schools nearby are poor. I'm hoping to find somewhere around the Auckland area that will save me the huge cost of private school, but still offer my kids a good education, whilst giving us a good quality of life in a nice community..

I'll be working in city centre Auckland but don't mind a reasonable commute (12 miles into Manchester currently takes me at least an hour by car, so anything around an hour is acceptable).

I'm banking on a house buying budget of up to NZ$400,000, which I'm hoping might get me at least 3 bedrooms (hopefully four?) and a sizeable garden. Ideally, I'd like to be in a community, because my wife won't work, but I want to avoid urban and would prefer suburban or semi-rural.

Any ideas gratefully received.

Cheers
Mike

the turner family

Hi Mike,

We have been here about 6 weeks and schooling was a priority for us too (Check our previous threads) We settled on Howick and it seems to fit your bill too. We got a big 3 bed with garden for under $400K and the schools nearby have decile ratings of 8 and 9 out of 10. There aren't really any bad schools near here. Commuting to the CBD should be under an hour but depends on what hours you work. There is a ferry from Half Moon Bay to the CBD which might work out.

Hope that helps, if you need any more info or advice just ask.

If you would like us to send you any property pages or check the area of any you see on-line it's no problem.

Good luck,

Matt and Andrea

ShakerMike

Matt/Andrea

Thanks, that's really helpful stuff. Howick was one of the areas we were looking at, and topped the list, but my initial searches suggested it might be beyond our budget. I looked at a few estate agents, mostly through realenz.co.nz but they don't seem to throw out many properties in Howick, and those that did come up were expensive. That said, my feeling is that it might be easier once we are out there.

Ideally, it would be great if we could rent something short term in Howick, and get the kids into a school. Any leads on lettings/estate agents would be very useful and much appreciated - I'll also check back through some of the threads on here.

Cheers
Mike

the turner family

With regards to renting, we looked at a few rentals in the area before we decided to buy. Rental lists are done weekly by the Estate agents, and private ones are listed in the local free newspapers. You would need to come and look at the property before signing up, as it is a legal requirement to view the property twice before signing up - besides, there are some really horrible places around that seem OK on paper, but in reality wouldn't be fit for squatters! For a 3 bedroom place in this area you would be looking at around $350 to $450 per week and most contracts are for a minimum of 1 year, but you may be able to get a shorter term with negotiation.

One point to mention is that places are nearly always rented unfurnished, so if you are waiting for furniture to arrive it can be a bit of a problem!

We stayed in a motel until we finalised our house purchase - it is possible to negotiate a cheaper rate if you are a long-term guest at a motel. There is one around the corner from us and I can make some enquiries for you if you would like.

I hope this helps!

Andrea

ShakerMike

Andrea

All great stuff, thanks.

The rental costs are about the same level as my current mortgage, so again, it's kind of the amounts I'd budgeted for in the short term.

There are a few uncertainties still, so I'm really not sure at this stage how things will work out initially.

Here's where we are currently

I'm hoping to be out there by Christmas, or mid-Jan at the latest. I am currently waiting for the confirmation from two interviews but I'm fairly certain one (my current UK employer) will produce an employment offer by the end of this week. At that point, we'll be having a discussion about what support (if any) the company will make available to me in terms of temporary accommodation, shipping etc. I'll also have to wait for visas etc, but again, I'm hoping for some support there.

At this stage, I'm fairly certain we will spend at least the first two/three weeks crashing in a hotel (the bit I least look forward to with 2 kids!). Thereafter, I'd like to arrange a rental fairly quickly, even if it means also renting a bit of basic furniture whilst ours is shipped.

In the meantime, I'd like to try to decide on the area, so that we can start the school registration process. Hopefully, even if we end up hotelling somehere outside our chosen area initially, we have a little bit of time to find a rental before school term starts. A 1 year rental wouldn't be the end of the world as it would give us some time to find the right place, and get settled in NZ.

One thing I am certain of is that it won't all go according to plan!!

If it's not too much trouble, the motel details might be helpful, just in case we really are on our own! I still haven't really finished looking at all the areas yet, but Howick is very high on the list.

My e-mail address is <<removed>>.

Thanks again for all your help - the books are no substitute for real experience!

livewire

Can you get your hands on a copy of the book "Where to Live in Auckland"?

ShakerMike

Yep, ordered and awaiting delivery. Seems to get rave reviews to I'm looking forward to getting it

xpat19

Hi. For your budget and travelling tme you could also look at West Auckland. We live in Swanson which is semi rural with a small village but big malls etc. near by. My commmute to the city takes 45- 50 mins.

There are are some really good junior and intermediate schools in the Titirangi/ Glen Eden area & they both have a strong community feel.

livewire

We live on the North Shore, if you've any questions about it please feel free to ask