[Vicked]

Hello all,

Great forum. I'm considering a move to Auckland and have been doing a lot of research.

My work would be in Ponsonby, so I need to try and work out the best place to live. I have a young family, so it needs to be a 3 or 4 bed place. What we would like is:

- Reasonable commute to work (say 30 mins or less, could live with a little over)
- Views of water
- Nice house
- Family friendly area

Rent would be up to around $800/week.

I like the look of Devonport online, but there aren't very many rentals. I've mainly looked on the North Shore, so I may be missing some great spots to the south, east and west of Auckland.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[KerryS]

Herne Bay is lovely - very close to Ponsonby, so you could walk it in less than 30 minutes (less than 10 really). The northern slopes have beautiful views of the harbour across to the North Shore. Good primary schools in the area - Ponsonby Primary or Bayfield depending on the street.
It's an expensive area, so all the housing is generally of very good quality, although you may struggle for a 4 bed for $800pw.

[Vicked]

Thanks, I'll check that area out.

Looking online, I've seen Waiheke Island - and all I can say is WOW. It looks like a fantastic place to live with some beautiful scenery. Is that a viable option if working in Ponsonby? I don't mind a bit of a longer commute if I'm coming home to a stunning place.

[Milliemoo]

Hello all,
I like the look of Devonport online, but there aren't very many rentals.

Hi,

When we 1st arrived in Devonport 2 years ago, you could count on one hand the amount of rentals available. The market is pretty much flooded at the moment and there'll only be more and more choice as people who can't sell try and rent.

That said, Devonport is a small area, so the choice will always seem a bit limited compared to some other areas.

If you see a property listed that you think you might like, give me a shout and I'll give you my 2c worth :D

Milliemoo

[Vicked]

Thanks for the offer, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Auckland, spent Sunday afternoon having a look around. I'm pretty happy with how it looked and felt and Devonport had a great feel to it.

The kind of places we'd be looking at would be something like these:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Property/Residential-Property/Houses-to-rent/auction-185249778.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Property/Residential-Property/Houses-to-rent/auction-185894939.htm

[Tia Maria]

The Narrow Neck one is a bit out of Devonport and your nearest school would be Vauxhall:

http://www.vauxhall.school.nz/

Its near a lovely beach and boat club at Narrow Neck (do a search for Narrow Neck, I've posted photos before). Its opposite a reserve/golf course and a car park - sometimes you get kids drinking and driving their car around the car park at night. Modern properties are less common in Devonport but on the whole tend to be warmer.

The second one overlooking the ferry building is right in the centre of things, 1 minute walk to all the shops, parks, library etc. The road can be a bit noisy and the navy lads drive up and down there as its the road to the navy buildings. Its a villa so I would confirm what kind of heating/insulation it has - if any as it can get very windy on the front.

You would probably be in the zone for both Devonport and Stanley Bay Schools - depending on your visa type - both will be a walk up hill.

http://www.devonport.school.nz/page/1

http://www.stanleybay.school.nz/

Did you need info on daycare or intermediate also?

Milliemoo will be better placed to comment on the value of the rentals as she is more aware of the rental market than I am.

Cheers

Tia

[Vicked]

Hi,

Yes, we have a 1 year old son - so daycare is a prime concern for us. School zones are not so much of an issue, as we'll just be renting somewhere to start with and school doesn't start for him for a while.

I guess there are babysitting services that you can hire? We won't know anyone, so when we go out, we'll need to hire a babysitter.

[Tia Maria]

Depending on where you'll be living there are a few options but the waiting lists will be long - so put his name down well in advance of when you will be arriving.

Do you mean a babysitter for the odd night out - or a Nanny for longer periods?

Cheers

Tia

[Milliemoo]

Hi,

The one on Seabreeze is a bit of a hike into the village (20mins - uphill on the way back) but is near a nice beach. It's not Devonport, but Narrowneck, as Tia said.

The one on Queen's Parade is a stones through from my place :D Yes, you will get noise from the navy kids. You will also get noise from people coming off the ferry late at night on the weekends. It's not bad, but something to consider. We live in a modern apartment and have never used the heating. I'd guess from the price that the villa has not been modernised and is unlikely to have comprehensive insulation and heating. I'd say it's worth a look, but don't expect too much.

Milliemoo

[Vicked]

Thanks again.

Those rentals were really just examples of the sort of place we'd likely go for. In reality, we won't be over for a couple of months at best (if we come), so we couldn't realistically look at places until that time.

Babysitter - I meant more for the odd night out. Daycare would be if my wife started working part time (likely).

*EDIT* What's the cost of daycare and are there any government rebates?

[Tia Maria]

There are less places that do daycare for under 2s, so that will narrow your list a bit, there are some costs on this thread:

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9683

Prices will have gone up slightly at I did the post in 2007.

Yes, there is a government scheme allowing 20hrs free childcare but you won't find many places in Devonport as they say it doesn't cover their costs.

Waiting lists can be anything between 6 months to a year but plenty of persistent people get lucky.

Cheers

Tia