moliere

I am new to the forum and noticed that a lot of people seem to be saying that the reason for their move from Europe to NZ was better weather and more space. Surely this depends on where you come from in the first place. Did anyone consider moving to the UK countryside or any other places in Europe for better weather and more space? It seems a long way to go just for these reasons.

concretepump

uk is cold even if you move to the country, Europe has a language barrier most people cant speak it ,

nz usually , has warm weather from late oct until may so have a short winter, in uk we have more winter than summer , plus its more laided back in nz, that's why people go to nz or oz

moonie2011

Ditto, plus this country is slowly sinking and doesn't look after itself in many aspects including immigration, with Europe following

GoingIn2011

I was advised against France or Germany by several people. I would have gone there in all honesty, but was cautioned that "foreigners" find it very hard to be accepted in the workplace there. (Let alone the language barrier, which may contribute of course). In the end, we felt that we wanted to go somewhere that at least was not such a massive departure: shared language, common heritage/culture. Re the question of ostracization in the workplace: as it happens, I've ended up in academia, and that seems less prone to it to me. Perhaps that would have also been the case in France/Germany. I don't know. I used to work for HP and was advised that I would "not get on" if I relocated to France or Germany with said company...

kodachrome

I think your question or reasoning is wrong. People dont move to the other side of the planet for more sun / space. If they did, they likely could find many places better suited and far closer than Nz anyhow.

I dont live in (and not from) the UK but despite whats said above, my current company could place me anywhere in Europe (including UK) and I think career wise I would be fine/better off. However I dont see a significant difference in the lifestyle offered across Europe (again including UK) at the moment (outside of changing career completely too).. and considering its a tightly interconnected economic block, thats to be expected.

Language as mentioned is a barrier, though I suspect only short to mid term.

jmh

The thing that struck me when I read the OP is that I have three cousins born and raised in France. One lives in Auckland, one in Melbourne and the other in Montreal. Since many Brits think France would be a great place to live, I must ask them why they all left.

moliere

I was not particularly saying that france was a great place to live, although I do live in france and love it here. The language barrier is only a problem if you do nothing about it. I knew very basic french when I came over and now speak fairly well.

The reason for my question was that I was just curious as to why people go so far? the NZ housing market is worse than most of Europe, prices for consumables are sky high and you are so far from family and friends. Do you think NZ life is really worth it?

jmh

I think you need to bear in mind that many people here came a few years back when the issues you mentioned weren't a factor. I have a 2 bed terrace house in UK. I could sell it for GBP300,000. Five years ago, with house prices and exchange rate, I could have bought a mansion in quite a nice area. Some were able to pay off their mortgage and still buy a reasonable place, offering them a better quality of life. Wages were low but so was the cost of living. Cashed up Brits could do pretty well. Throw in less culture shock and no language worries, and it's a no brainer.

In recent years this picture has changed dramatically, but I think people back in blighty haven't caught up (unless they visit this forum) and still think it's the land of milk and honey. I have had Brits say to me that they heard that NZ is like the UK was before the war. Maybe in the 1950's it was, but that news hasn't been updated!

I'm actually a kiwi so I have come back to family, but I understand how hard it is to only see family on facebook. Maybe it's the human condition. Human history is full of migration stories. People in search of a better life or trying to leave their problems behind. NZ is full of migrants from many countries. It's not just the Brits coming here. In 2011:

Sherlock Holmes

I think this sums up things very nicely. As well as all of the above, some peeps even had some cash left over which helped to smooth the bumps (if any) of the first few months / couple of years.

I moved to Oz seven years ago and financially it was a no-brainer. I'm fairly certain that under today's conditions, I couldn't afford to do it, such has been the swing in the exchange rate and price increases.

I remember telling some acquaintances that electricity was dirt cheap here, which it was. By the time they got here two years later it was higher than the UK.

jmh

It's funny that I didn't notice this but, at the current exchange rate, I could buy a house for $NZ600,000. That would buy me something in Auckland twice the size as the house I have in the UK, so although the market has shot up I would still be better off in terms of space. Of course if I bought outside of Auckland I could buy that mansion. My expectations change depending on where I am looking. Interesting.

GoingIn2011

Culture/Cultural Heritage similar but wanted to move out of the shi!t pit of the uk...

TommyLuck

+1

Exactly the scenario my OH and I find ourselves in.

In terms of disposible income, it's very unlikely I'll have as much cash burning a hole in my pocket than I do in the UK (London). But NZ (Auckland) opens up a vast array of other things I value that are simply not possible in my current situation in London; the top of that list relates to property, space and weather conducive to my favourite hobbies all year round.

Cycling through Londons 6 month winter was brutal. I did it, but it was very trying at times.

Wealth isn't just about a bank balance and worrying about the cash I can't move from GBP's to NZD's because the exchange rate is so low.

Assanah

Yes, I agree. It is a very long way to go. It is a very remote existence in NZ but some people like it that way. They want to be isolated. I don't. That is why I will be returning to Europe (which I shouldn't have left in the first place).

AndyEvs

Jmh makes exactly the point that I would make to people. We moved in 2004 and although we couldn't quite manage to be mortgage free ours is nothing like it was in the UK (although the house is not so good!)
Back then all the talk from mainstream media made NZ sound like a paradise, living was easy and cheap. Even then it was not really true but it certainly isn't now. Flat screen tv's have got cheaper but not much else.
The view of NZ as a cheap, easy, English speaking alternative to the UK really does need to be disabused.
Right now if I had a 'safe' job in the UK, and was not in debt (apart from the mortgage) I'm not 100% sure that I would make the move. But that view does rely quite heavily on hindsight.
Having said that, unlike another poster here I can't quite find it in myself to regret the decision we made. It was done for the 'right' reasons and has been just one chapter in a (hopefully) long and varied story. We can draw positives, not just negatives from the experience.

Assanah

I assume the other poster is me. If that is so I need to say that I don't regret my move to NZ because it has taught me a lot about myself (which is always of the greatest value). So in terms of experience I can draw many positives in terms of NZ as a place to live I can only draw the conclusion that leaving is the best option.