[thejoz]

I've had a job offer (V.excited:raebanana) in Glendowie, Auckland.

I've been looking at rental prices (2 bed houses) in the local area as I'd much prefer to be walking distance from my job also the schools in the area seem good and I'd prefer to work nearby to my kids school. The problem is they are pretty expensive ($250+ a wk) for the income we'll be on. Should I continue searching or should I be thinking about commuting from further away? Can anyone advise me?

[dharder]

Should I continue searching or should I be thinking about commuting from further away? Can anyone advise me?


The area is fairly expensive, and the problem is that the schools are zoned around here, so you will have to live within the zone in order to have your kids in the schools (they are quite strict, too). Which schools are you looking at? I know that the newsletter our school (Glendowie Primary) sends out occasionally has a notice in the 'general notices' section of people who are looking to rent in the area.

If I had a choice, I think I'd always chose to live as close to school and work (what is your job?) as possible to minimise having to drive everywhere. But that won't be very cheap around here.

The house next door to us is for sale :), and they don't seem to be able to sell it (probably want too much for it), and it seems like a nice house. Oh, noisy neighbours, of course...

Daniela

[thejoz]

Wow that was a quick reply! And from someone who actually lives there, brill!
My job is at St.Andrews Village as a Diversional Therapist. Glendowie Primary is our first choice since it's the nearest and seems like a good school. I've found a few (just about affordable) places in Ellerslie and surrounds but nothing nearer to Glendowie (yet).

If we aren't able to find anywhere very close then where would you suggest we live, the Ellerslie area?

[dharder]

If we aren't able to find anywhere very close then where would you suggest we live, the Ellerslie area?


Ellerslie would be fine, distance wise, for work. I cycle past it on my way to work from Glendowie/Glen Innes, so it isn't very far. I don't know anything about schools in that area, though, I'm afraid.

The cheapest area around here is Glen Innes (we technically live in Glen Innes as well), but I would not have been happy to have my children in the primary schools on that side of our road (we live pretty much on the dividing road between Glen Innes and Glendowie).

It is going to be quite tricky to find affordable rental places around here. Personally, I think I would go by school. Have you looked at the ERO reports of the primary schools in the area, like Ellerslie? Not just the decile, but also their strenghts and weaknesses/most improved areas, etc? How old are your children?

Daniela

[thejoz]

Thanks Daniela,
I see, I'll do that then, where can I find out about the school zones?

Joanne

[dharder]

I see, I'll do that then, where can I find out about the school zones?

Here's a website:

http://www.schoolzones.co.nz/enrolmentzones/

It's sometimes difficult if they give you thehousenumbers, so you'd have to know the particular housenumber in some cases of the house you want to rent.

As a general rule, unfortunately (not unlike England, I think), the cheaper the rent, the less desirable the school. Also, if a primary school around here doesn't have a zone, it is usually not one that is very sought after. The Eastern suburbs are not a cheap are to live in, and the closer you get to beach and views, the more it will be.

Good luck with the househunting, I'll let you know if I hear of anything around here :)

Daniela

[thejoz]

Thank you so much!

The East Auckland area seems so nice and the job offer is an excellent opportunity for me, I simply must find somewhere! The fact that we don't know exactly when we'll be coming there will, I imagine, complicate things even more. Where there's a will there's a way (I hope)!

[Tia Maria]

Sorry no helpful info from me thejoz, but can I just say, great help Dharder - just what this forum is all about! :clap

Rep coming your way..... :D

Cheers

Tia

[JoHnH]

Longterm Kiwi Glendowie resident here. If it's any help:
1) St Andrews and Glendowie Primary are right next door to each other, so would be an ideal situation for a working Mum. It's an excellent school. (Come to that, so's St Andrews an excellent Rest Home - my father-in-law spent several years there.)
2) If you rent elsewhere - e.g. Ellerslie or St Johns (cheaper rental area near Glendowie, but not as 'working class' as Glen Innes) won't your kid be zoned for that area? I don't know whether employment nearby would qualify you for an 'out-of-zone' enrolment at Glendowie?
3) Long shot - St Andrews has various types of rental accomodation, mainly of course for pensioners, but they they just might have something suitable?
4) I think a typical slightly grotty 2-bed rental in St Johns would be maybe $280-$350 pw, Glendowie I imagine would start round the $350 mark but there's not many 2-beds in the area. Plenty of 3-bed of course, but at fairly yuppie prices.
Sorry not to be more cheerful. She'll be right.

[JoHnH]

Forgot to add:
Meadowbank or Kohimarama would be a short commute to St Andrews, (2-5 minutes by car, 10-15 by bike) and there's quite a lot rental accomodation there, middle to upper class I guess.
Meadowbank Primary seems to have a good reputation and the schools in Kohi (St Thomas's, Kohi Primary) are very good.
Don't even think about Selwyn College in Kohi, however, if you're looking that far ahead.

[JoHnH]

Sorry, keep forgetting things I should say:
Also, Glendowie borders St Heliers, very upperclass indeed. Anywhere in the zones for St Heliers Primary or Churchill Park would be like winning the lottery - and be very close to St Andrews.
My father-in-law could have done with a bit of Diverting while he was there - grumpy old @$#%
Bit late now, unfortunately.

[thejoz]

Thanks JoHnH,

I'm checking out all the schools/areas you suggest. Yes, I've just asked my employers whether they have any available accommodation that might suit us, fingers crossed!

[thejoz]

My employers say that they CAN accommodate us temporarily :nice1

It's a big relief as I'm sure the best way to find a decent house to rent is to actually be there and take a good look around.

Thanks for all the advice ;)

[dharder]

My employers say that they CAN accommodate us temporarily

That's excellent! When are you planning on getting here?

How long can they put you up for? Make sure it gives you enough time to look for something else in the area if you want to stay there, as the school will ask you to take your kids with you if you move outside the zone.

Daniela

[thejoz]

That's excellent! When are you planning on getting here?

How long can they put you up for? Make sure it gives you enough time to look for something else in the area if you want to stay there, as the school will ask you to take your kids with you if you move outside the zone.

Daniela

Yes, I assumed that would be the case, thanks for making sure I realised it though. I'll do my best to find accommodation within those zones or other local zones that also have good schools.

We're hoping to be there within 3 months (asap!) Does that sound realistic to you? I'm submitting my EOI any day now (as soon as I receive my pre-assessment results back) I should have 160 points (if bad news on pre-assessment then potentially only 100 points :uhoh ) with the job offer. We're getting our police and medical certificates now. Hope to get ITA very soon then immediately book flights, Does that sound like the correct order!?? If so then.... :exit

And into there :raebanana :laugh

[whiskythedog]

hi from glendowie!

you might see me walking the (avatar ) dog down riddell rd

greg

[JoHnH]

Congratulations.
See, there really IS a Santy Claus.
And he lives in Glendowie, naturally.

[dusk]

as long as no-one on the application has any complicated medical issues that would require the MA looking at your application you should be able to whizz through the system quite quickly, if you have all your paperwork prepared :)