Moving to NZ

[harris78]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-zealand-bans-sale-of-homes-to-foreign-buyers

Ahh my wife is all over this already, you apparently have to be resident in the country for a year prior to being able to purchase.

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

Yes my kids are a little nervy about earthquakes etc so we had ruled out Christchurch as they were/are nervy and that’s the big earthquake my 10 year old knows about.

Hi mate.

Congrats on the big move. For your kids, most large towns and cities won't be lacking in activities; various sports, drama, dance and after-school kid's clubs are everywhere. We like to complain about our education system in this country but from what I understand the reality is it's pretty good compared to other western countries.

For places to live, I second the opinions of @Kiwi, @deipnosophist and a few others - Tauranga is lovely, great climate and nice beaches, but real estate prices are getting a bit prohibitive there, New Plymouth is a pleasant city, Palmy and the Northland area would be at the bottom of my list. I was born and bred in Napier in Hawkes Bay, and the region around there is lovely, great laid-back lifestyle and the weather generally is great. I now live in Christchurch, and have done for the past 12 years. Lived through the quakes of 2010 and 2011, and I can reassure you that the number and size of shakes has decreased a lot in the past three years. In fact, I think I might have felt maybe only two small ones in the past two years. Of course, we are all at the whim of Mother Nature and who knows what can/will happen in the future, but equally most of the country is on a fault-line so it could happen anywhere. No point in worrying about the what-if's.

If you are considering the South Island to live in, Nelson at the top of the south is in a beautiful part of the world, great beaches and world-class National Park's to hike in. Christchurch and the Canterbury region is also brilliant, within 60 minutes it's possible to be surfing at a beach and then skiing at Mt. Hutt. As a general rule in NZ, the bigger the city the more expensive the housing, but Christchurch is quite affordable compared to other big cities, while Queenstown is grossly over-priced. Queenstown and Wanaka are both lovely, but are tourist-traps these days.

I'm not overly familiar with the legal profession here, but given that unemployment in NZL is at record lows here and the country is crying out for people in skilled professions, I'm sure she won't have a problem getting work.

Lastly, always good to have fellow Evertonians down under, and as long as you cheer for the All Blacks during rugby season, we're all a nice welcoming bunch

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

Ahh my wife is all over this already, you apparently have to be resident in the country for a year prior to being able to purchase.

Yep. Housing market is ridiculous in NZL, demand far out-stripping supply in most regions. Lack of affordable housing for Kiwi's was a major issue in last years election.

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

House we lived in has just been up for sale & sold for about nz$450,000

 

[harris78]

House we lived in has just been up for sale & sold for about nz$450,000

Where were you based?

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

Where were you based?

That's in Beckenham in Christchurch.

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

here's the sale history, it sold the day we left in 2000
Previous Sales Sale Date: Sale Price: Capital Value: Chattels:
22 Feb 2018 $453,000 $425,000 $11,000
09 Dec 2012 $360,000 $307,000 $6,000
12 May 2011 $305,000 $307,000 $8,000
20 Sep 2007 $325,000 $191,000 $8,000
04 Jun 2000 $136,800 $112,000 $3,000
26 Jun 1996 $109,000 $90,000 $5,000