[Rabbit]

Well, the last twelve months have been interesting, the six months in our first rental was terrible, big problems with mould and damp. We shipped over our boy (a westie - male dog) and he had big problems too. He was 15 years old when we brought him, I was unsure that he would make it, and he passed on in November – he had an allergy like me to mould and damp. I spent a long time suffering from various bugs, and the weather was awful – lot’s of wind and torrential rain in Wellington.

Bringing Dog's and finding appropriate accomodation, automatically puts you at the bottom end of the barrel in terms of what is available.

Since then, we have felt very unsettled, and not prepared to make a long term commitment. We have since rented a brand-new house, that has central heating, and it is somewhere near the standard of living we had back in the UK.

We remain transient for a number of reasons, the job is not for ever and the potential of redundancy, a lot o change going on. They also expect great achievement without appropriate resource – The film - 'the worlds fastest Indian' – springs to mind (thats how they do things here).

We do not have children, which is a key motivator for others coming here, and being transient is a challenge, We remain sitting on the fence in terms of staying or going back – we know if we really wanted too, we could build a life here, but there are many dynamics – being able to provide for later life is one we struggle with, that together with being locked in.

We agreed to give it two years, and by then we will know our future sense of direction.

I remain worried about future pension’s provision and various taxation issues – especially those that will kick-in after the four year exemption.

Perhaps we will stay for IRR, go back and earn some more money, and then perhaps come back later, or go freelance here.

Decisions, decisions, anyway if we go to Bora, Bora in Tahiti, Cook Islands, Fiji and a few trips to AUS, before we return then coming this far will have been worthwhile and we have met some really nice and interesting people.

Perhaps if we move out of the transience of a rental, and get another Dog, thing’s will appear more worthwhile. Also, the first job, does not have to be the last.

Meanwhile, we continue to watch the dollar, property prices, etc, as part of deliberating the future. Our house remains rented out in the UK, so we have a choice.

There are no silver bullets, the M6 motorway, or London train journey is not something I long for.


Rabbit.

[willsken]

Seems you've had a bit of bad luck with your start here. I think it's great that you are allowing more time to make that final decision after all the problems you've had. Sad to here about your dog. Hope the next year brings you a bit more luck. :)

[speckythecky]

As nicola said, well done for not rushing into a move back and for allowing yourselves more time to settle. Sorry to hear about the dog, will having another help you to settle, tie you down or still allow you to have the feeling that you are transient and can move if and when you decide? Also, will having another dog mean that you need to move back to lower quality rental properties?
I hope the next 12 months prove more settled for you and allow you to build for the future in a positive way, in whatever direction you decide to take.

[Rabbit]

Thanks for the positive comments.

I think the motivation for sharing our experience was based on the fact that jumping through all the immigration hoops is just the first start of the challenge.

Where you land, the house you acquire during the first few months will have a big bearing on the future outcome.

In hindsight, if I was bringing animals, I would recommend shortening the commit point, e.g. rent for a maximum of six months and buy the lifestyle you want as soon as possible.

We signed a six month lease, with the option to extend on a monthly basis. Near the end of the six months we were served notice based on our experience it was probably a good thing based on that experience - we were ready to go back but are locked into an employment agreement.

Now in a new and well accomodated house, we know the builder is just waiting for the houses to be built on either side, and then he will bump us out and sell the property - so we live in continual angst as to when that will be as it will force a decision on our part as to the future.

Moving internally within NZ even if it is just a few miles introduces significant time, cost and risk - not to mention additional sress.

So, in summary, comming here and trying to keep your options open for say two years can be an expensive business.

Beware of being exploited when commiting to an employment contract and assisted relocation with an associated lock-in. They can expect you to be as flexible and pliable as a contract resource, without paying the rate. They can expect you to do anything at their will as they know they have you trapped.
They will try to get blood out of a stone.

Bringing pets with you will also constrain choices.

Rabbit.

[zardell]

Where you land, the house you acquire during the first few months will have a big bearing on the future outcome.

Moving internally within NZ even if it is just a few miles introduces significant time, cost and risk - not to mention additional sress.

So, in summary, comming here and trying to keep your options open for say two years can be an expensive business.

Beware of being exploited when commiting to an employment contract and assisted relocation with an associated lock-in. They can expect you to be as flexible and pliable as a contract resource, without paying the rate. They can expect you to do anything at their will as they know they have you trapped.
They will try to get blood out of a stone.

Bringing pets with you will also constrain choices.






You raise many worthy points in your post.

Food for thought for quite a few I would think.

I hope that whatever decision you come to regarding your future will bring you peace and happiness.

Julie

xx

[willsken]

Rabbit I think you have highlighted all the things we would have felt. We came out here with the intention of renting and leaving our options open. After just 2 weeks I couldn’t' do it and we looked for a house of our own. In all we rented for just 6 weeks and I hated every moment. We have been in our own home now for about 3 months and we haven't looked back. Best move we have every made. I feel so much more settled and life is good.

Job wise I think it's down to luck in a lot of ways. I am happy in my job but OH needs to move as he feels he is not being paid enough and the reason given is "when I first come over I was expected to..... so you should too!"

[StevieD]

Sound like you have covered your options - yes as you say your first opinion on arrival colours your overall feel. We have a nice rental, no tie in or minimum term, and I know about you saying about employment - but there are some pretty crappy contracts/firms in UK just the same. If you want the "security", stay in your UK lifestyle, but if you want to sail a bit closer to the wind, go for it :) (don't know how much safer I'd feel now Brown is in charge anyway) As Nicola says (Hi Nic ;) and gang!) there is scope to move about, and it is expected to move here, not like UK where it is frowned upon if you flit from job to job.

Good luck in your choices rabbit, it isn't easy here, but it is different.

Steve

[clg]

I think you hit on a couple of the things that can really make like difficult in the move, the job and housing. We bought within days after arriving and while terrified at the time that we had made a huge mistake, it really worked out well for us, we like our house and it has helped us be a part of the community and make friends. You can get the same thing with renting but finding a place you feel settled in really helps. We had a cat and were having a hard time getting a decent rental so that is what pushed us into buying.

As to jobs, that has been the hardest thing by far for me here. Every time I feel like moving back that is usually the reason. My first (for two more weeks) job was working in government, since they relocated us I had to stay for a year at least then with a baby on the way I needed to wait longer. We simply have too much to do and not enough capable people to do the work. This has not resulted in too much worth but rather oddly, the opposite. We can't do the things we need to do so I get bored and feel like we cannot live up to the promises that were made by my boss.

I start a new job in a couple of weeks and hopefully, that will be better but I don't know yet obviously! I will be working for an american multinational so I am hoping that they approach things realistically but at the same time I have a strong suspicion my 37.5 hour work week may be a thing of the past. Hopefully I can at least tolerate it for a while since I think I can move to a part time/consulting role in a couple years or maybe even start my own business. I think an option like that is what I really need to be happy from a work standpoint.

I have found I tend to focus on what I am not happy about and that I give it more emphasis than what I like. I much prefer living here overall but I guess I sort of expect everything to be really good and when there are things that are not, I focus on them. So, right now I need to get the work thing sorted out, it will probably be just in time for my daughter to start terrifying me about something!

Good luck on the job/housing front Rabbit!