[foolsgold99]

Well todays the day. I'm just finishing the last minute packing details, then heading off to the Airport. I'm going out myself, with the wife and collie out in 37 days time (yes I am counting :laugh ). Flying via LAX with ANZ, the extra baggage allowance was the key factor.

Start work next monday in Auckland. I've sorted out a rental over the internet I'm going to be living "out west" near Henderson. Went for unfurnished and am renting some stuff frm DTR ubtil our stuff gets here.

Will let you know how it goes when I get there.

Scotland -> :exit -> New Zealand

[Moorf]

Have a safe trip and see you on the "other side" !!!

:nice1

Moorf & Woz

[Marie P]

Best wishes for your new life ! :smile

Marie x

[Hannah-NL]

Take care Foolsgold! I bet the 37 days will be over before you know it!
I was having visions of this happening to us too, well maybe it still will ;)
"Just" me and the kids and the dogs and cat back here, left to pack it all, eeeekkkk!! :eek :exit

[Diny]

Good luck and keep us posted.

Diny

[kiwidollie]

Lots of luck to you.

Enjoy all the new experiences coming your way. The time will fly and you'll soon be reunited with your loved ones.

I'm feeling very envious!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Sock it to em!!! :nice1

[bbq]

safe trip and all the best for all your future

cheers

alex :clap :clap

[NW2NZ]

Safe journey and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! :nice1

[Timbo]

Have a good and safe trip Foolsgold.
37 days to get to know mr Red and mr Speight....I am jealous. ;)

[sarahw]

Yay - looking forward to hearing your posts when you get here!

[Singel]

BON VOYAGE :clap

BEST OF LUCK & SUCCESS WITH WHATEVER YOU DO :nice1

[AliJax]

Good Luck Foolsgold99, you might rethink your strategy for getting to work coming from Henderson though.

Keep in touch - I've sent you our phone number.

[xanctus]

Good luck and have a nice trip foolsgold....

[jocalla]

Best of Luck :nice1 and safe journey

Joanne

[Kim39]

Here's wishing you all the best and hope you have a safe journey. Those 37 days will fly, you know they will.

Kim

[foolsgold99]

Well I'm in Auckland this morning. Flight over was ok, but long. It was a very quiet flight, so plenty of space to streach out and get some sleep, wouldn't have liked to do a busy flight.

I've got an hour to kill at the airport until I pick up my car from Rent a dent, then it's the bank to open the account, and a house to get.

I've "arranged" 2 rentals, and will look at both and see what one to take.

Options are Mt Roskill and Henderson. not sure which one to take


Alan

[jan]

Good luck :nice1 :nice1

Happy house hunting http://tcwozere.co.uk/smileys/versch050.gif

Jan xx

[captainxmas]

Glad you have 'passed over to the other side' safely, :nice1

What was the changeover in LAX like? We have vowed not to go that way, but like you say the luggage allowance is hefty and I'll get the chance to buy a cheap PSP!

[foolsgold99]

Lax was ok to be honest, it's quite spartan but plenty of cold drinks and snacks.

A tip, if you're travelling this way with a laptop, you'll most likely run out of power, there are 2 places in the transit lounge to power it up.

Either hang left as you enter, and there is a power point on the wall at the end, or take a right, and go to the very end, near the duty free shop and the telephones, you can also plug in there

[Babette & Andy]

36 days to go ;) Good to see you've made it across safely. Hope one of the rentals is ok. Looking forward to reading about your first experiences of your new life in NZ.

Best of luck :nice1
Babette

[kiwidollie]

Nice to hear everything's going to plan.

Looking forward to hearing about those rentals.

Best of luck x :yes

[Soon2baKiwi]

Good Luck Foolsgold99, you might rethink your strategy for getting to work coming from Henderson though.

Hey Ali - can you expand on that a little please? Henderson is one area we've been looking at but that doesn't sound good somehow :?

Thanks.

[jubjub]

Well, he has arrived, got keys for rental and rented furniture arrives today, just needs to go buy himself some food and a quilt to sleep under now!

Also managed to pick up hire car, new sim card and bank cards, and that was all before he hit his hotel bed at 4pm yesterday afternoon.

He went to the one at Ranui (just by Henderson) as it was a nicer house, and the landlord had agreed that we can rent it month to month, no three month tie in, so if its too bad commuting we can get out quickly.

Hes up and about ready to start his first full day in NZ, and has not got much left to do prior to starting work on Monday.

He just has to get a phone line now, so he can come and tell you all about it himself!

[Diny]

Sounds great. He must be feeling on top of the world. He's been lucky with the rental .... month to month basis is really good for folks in our situations.

Keep us posted.

Diny

[foolsgold99]

Some early thoughts on New Zealand

Rental is ok, I've had furniture delivered this morning, starting to look like a house. Can't believe all the little things you need though (I now understand what you did at home Sal).

Traffic in Auckland doesn't seem that bad, perhaps this is because it's a school holiday week, and people have time off with the kids, but from what I can tell, no worse than Glasgow.

Went Pak n Save in Lincoln this morning, the girl on the checkout packed it for me. Didn't think they did this, oh well. Seemed cheap enough, prices look perhaps 40% less than the uk as my first guess on most items, some "out of season" stuff looked a bit more. I'd say it was like a large Asda. I bought some Bacon and Rolls and cooked my first meal in NZ.

Just been for a look at a car, there's a used car place Roly's Cars in Henderson that seems ok. Prices are reasonable enough I guess, a bit more than the UK, but not enough to justify shipping most cars.

The mall in Henderson seems nice, quite large with a good range of shops.
Burger King in NZ, does a sandwich called a "big bloke triple stack", not had one yet, but the day is young.

Mobile phones are simple enough, get your phone unlocked before you go (pm the wife jubjub for details on how to do it), then buy a sim card from any phone or electrical store. Tops are easy, go to a ATM, select other service, enter your phone number, then select amount. Seconds later you get a txt confirming top up.

More random thoughts as I experience life here.....

[Babette & Andy]

More random thoughts as I experience life here.....
Thanks for sharing, and taking time out to post so quickly. Makes for a really good read :nice1
Babette

[Paul and Linda]

Enjoy your weekend mate, best wishes for work on monday.

Paul

[lindajax]

fools,
Goodluck for Monday!
Jubjub, I bet your dead excited too!
you know where we are at for anything
Love
Linda
x

[jonSE]

Alan

Good places for buying secondhand cars are

Turners Auctions
Saturday Car market at the Car Park on Quay Street i the CBD
Ellserslie Car market - Sunday Mornings at the race course.

Probably not advisable to buy if you are not car knowledgeable although Ellerslie has a a Car Check service - Mechanical and separate equivalent of the UK's HPI check to make sure it is not stolen still on Hre Purchase etc. All done on site.

Well worthwhile geting an idea for what particular cars sell for - buy Trade and Exchange - new one out today.

If I had oneword of advice probably buy a Nissan Sunny - All the car rental firms use them and they keep them for a long time not 6 onths like in the UK. I guess you'ld buy a 97 or 98 for around $5-6k and sell it a year later for $4.5-5.5k

Jon


PS Good luck on monday

[Glenda]

Hi jubjub and foolsgold,

This is such a good thread. :yes Reading it makes one feel almost like part of the family. :smile Keep it coming as I am sure there are a lot of us here that would worry if we don't hear how things are going.

:cheers

[xanctus]

hey foolsgold, thank's for sharing "the daily first days of new life in NZ".
Good luck on the rest of the things you have to do.

[foolsgold99]

More seemingly random thoughts from the front line of life in west auckland....

I've spent this morning test driving cars, and have just made a purchase, I've bought a blue 1.8 '96 Mazda 323 (zoom zoom), it was stickered at 7995, but I got him down to 7150. It's just like anywhere else, 10% minimum off.

The bank system seems very efficent. ASB have been very good. I got here on Wednesday morning, and picked up eftpos cards first morning, credit cards ready this morning. I went to the bank, to get a bank chque rasied to pay for the car, just pop in the eftpos card, and sign. They already have a jpeg of my signature on screen, checks it off, prints bank chq. Whole thing took 2 mins, cost $5. I shudder to think how long any of this would have taken in the uk.

What in the name of god is "butter chicken" ? Seems to be the main curry here. I have a system that I employ in France when I order a steak. If I want rare I order medium, If I want medium I order well done etc. In New Zealand when ordering a curry, if you want what would be a mild curry in the uk, order a medium one here, if you want a medium uk style curry, order hot etc etc.

Did a test of the communte to work this morning at rush hour, took 35 - 40 minutes. It's not too bad, once I get off the north western motorway and onto 1 south, I'm driving against the traffic which is easy.

Tv is dreadful, there seems to be 2 "sets" of channels, 1- 4 & 5-9, I think they somehow broadcast on different frequencies, I have perfect reception on 1 - 4 and rubbish on 5 - 9.

Does anyone know if Doctor Who has started yet in New Zealand, and when / where it shows ?? (This is very important)

People here really want to beat the British Lions at Rugby, but seem convinced that the poms will cheat them somehow, I've heard several people mention "40 Pommie lawyers on the tour" no idea what it's about, I just knod sagely. They seem happy with that.

Going to look at new build houses this weekend, going to venture over to the eastern subs. This is where we plan on living long term, if we didn't need to get a rental that would accept a collie, we'd have rented out there.

It's a lot hotter than I thought, several people have complained that's cold. It plenty warmer than in Scotland.

Think that's just about it just now, going to the warehouse now to get more stuff for the house.

[foolsgold99]

double post

[Carol]

What in the name of god is "butter chicken" ? .


Good question.

There are more versions than species of insect!


The best one I've had was made by a friend who had taken an indian cookery course at her local college.
It was lovely. And not at ALL red!
Course it should have been - cause it had enough butter and cream in it to give you an instantaneous heart attack!
You're not going to get it like that at the local Indian Takeaway!


Agree on the cuurie....yet to find one hot enough.
Have you had a chinese t/a yet?
Hope you like cauliflower and broccoli!

[xanctus]

Foolsgold,
May I ask you about purchasing a car, did you buy it cash or finance it through a bank? if yes by bank, is it hard for new comer just like all of us here to finance a car, since we do not have a credit history nor jobs ( for proof of income)?

[jubjub]

Xanctus, Ill answer that for you as I bet he has gone back to the house where there is no net access at the moment!

It was a cash purchase as we sold a couple of investments to cover our initial set up costs until the money from the house sale came through. and to pay the rent until he gets his first wages. We transfered the money via the migrant banking that ASB offer and had the money ready and waiting for him

Although he was given a credit card when he produced his contract of employment, may have been a bit of an issue otherwise.

[xanctus]

Ahh allright, thx so much for replying Jubjub...

[kiwidebs]

Hi Foolsgold - am enjoying reading your posts and feeling a bit nostalgic. I grew up in Massey - just down the road from where you're renting.

If you head through Massey (main road Don Buck Rd) right at the end is the Westgate shopping centre - my Mum and Dad always shop at the Countdown there and reckon its a better bet than Pak n Save! There's also a multiscreen cinema, numerous shops, an ASB.... I'm not sure quite why they prefer Countdown (it didn't exist eight years ago - in fact the whole of Westgate didn't exist then!) - I'll ask them when I phone this weekend if it's cos it's better value for money or better choice!

Debs

[Glenda]

Hi Foolsgold - am enjoying reading your posts and feeling a bit nostalgic. I grew up in Massey - just down the road from where you're renting.
Debs

Hi Kiwidebs,

We lived on Don Buck Road!!! 1979-81, then we moved to Warkworth. I worked in Avondale at the time (showing my age :roll: ). Didn't go to school in Massey as we lived in Henderson before that. (Have fond memories of Henderson High School - not.) Went through Massey on our reccy and I cannot believe how much it has developed.

Sorry Foolsgold/Jubjub - don't mean to hijack your thread, nostalgia is gripping me too. :P

[kiwidebs]

Hi Glenda

Small world huh. I went to Massey High (we actually lived just off Don Bucks Rd then - my parents have since moved 200 yds around the corner onto Don Bucks Rd). I was stunned at the mall in Henderson last time I went home - what a change from the old Henderson Square!! Ah, nostalgia!!

Debs

PS FG - checked with Mum and Dad - they shop at Countdown cos they don't like Pak n Save but P n S is cheaper!!

[leslie]

finally wrested butt chik recipe from v posh indi rest a few years back. its (left-over) tikka re-cooked in creamy sauce. v yum, v fattening and yes, no tomato. good one for kiddies

[Diny]

v fattening

good one for kiddies


:eek :eek :eek :eek

[foolsgold99]

Haven't posted for a while, so I thought I'd do a quick up date.

I'm going to put an offer in on a house today !

It's in Eastern Auckland, in Pakuranga seems a nice house, 3 bedrooms, double garage 170sqm plus a large full fenced garden. If it goes through I'll post some photos.

Property market is good for the buyers just now, sellers are having to be more realistic about prices now, if they want things to move.

What else is happening with us ? Hmm not much I'm waiting on Sal getting out here (261 hours till she lands). Job is ok, weather was rubbish yesterday, when I was off work. Monday morning and it's back to blue skies and sunshine :wah

More later

[foolsgold99]

And so the game of poker begins...

We started with an offer of $344K, they have counter offered with $359K.

I sounded horrifed at this (although I fully expected it)

The agent told me, they really want $350K. I told them I really want to date Angelina Jolie, and frankly there was a higher chance on me getting what I want than them.

I've left them to sweat for a while, lets see what happens. I may go back to them with an extra $500 dollars, I might not.

The house is empty and they're paying a mortgage on it, and advertsing each week, let's see how much they want to sell. :cool

[MB]

Foolsgold99... all the best with the house. By the way I'll be arriving in Auck next Sat (28th) for a week or so, and a few of us are trying to get together for a beer. PM or post if you're interested in joining us. :nice1

[sarahw]

Hi Foolsgold - just caught up with your thread.

Sounds like you're getting sorted.

Ahh the old Butter Chicken - nope haven't got a clue what it is but the Kiwis seem to go a bundle on it!

We tried the order everything extra hot (in fact we were told in one restaurant after being served something that resembled stew (nd was supposed to be an extra hot vindaloo) to ask for English hot.

We then went to another restaurant not long after & asked for English hot - of course picked the hottest curries on the menu & the food nearly blew our heads off - why I hear you ask??? :eek ..... the kitchen staff were all from Leicester, UK!!!! I don't think they had Butter Chicken on the menu either!!! :cheers

[Michelle and Richard]

I have been asked if I want Kiwi hot or Indian hot, Kiwi hot is Uk medium just dont have th guts to for Indian hot.

When you mentioned ASB did you deal with Stacey at the migrant branch in the city ? she is without doubt one of the most help people I have had the pleasure of dealing with here. She made the whole house process /money transfer so easy, if anyone wants her contact details let me know.

Hope the sale went through OK, if its accepted you could be in within 4 weeks we were.

Michelle

[Carol]

We then went to another restaurant not long after & asked for English hot - of course picked the hottest curries on the menu & the food nearly blew our heads off - why I hear you ask??? :eek ..... the kitchen staff were all from Leicester, UK!!!! I don't think they had Butter Chicken on the menu either!!! :cheers


AHA......
I love that place......

Great lads.
Great curry.
Butter Chicken is for CISSIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :exit

[foolsgold99]

yeah I met Stacey, she was nice. The other girl Tafeza was good also.

Unlikey to use asb for the mortgage though, their rates don't compare with the bankdirect (part of asb I know) or Wizard.

We are going to go back with an extra $1,000 tomorrow and see what happens, if they don't take it we'll walk away, no tears.

[clarabell]

Best of luck with the house :nice1

[Soon2baKiwi]

Hey Foolsgold - do you mind telling how much the house was orignally on the market for? I'd be really interested to see how much below the asking price your orignal offer was. thanks.

[Moorf]

$350K in Auckland - isn't that a bit of a bargain anyway? I thought it was expensive up there?

[kiwidollie]

Good luck with the house buying Foolsgold.

Hope it works out for your - nerves of steel that's what you need :laugh

I'm sure they'll glad to bargain if the house is just sitting empty costing them money.

Fingers crossed for you.

Can't wait to find out how it goes. :nice1

[jubjub]

We got stuffed by our buyers in UK, so learnt a valuable lesson from them, just hope we can pull off the same trick! No more mr/mrs nice guy! :laugh

Its on for $365, I have not even seen it yet, he has just sent me loads of photos! but kitchen looks like it could do with an upgrade, and I suspect closer inspection of the bathroom may reveal the same, so we need to take account of that too. apparently they have already rejected an offer of $330 (which was 10% under asking), so we have gone approx 7.5% under, according to that Place in the Sun recently, the prices are between 5 & 10% over what owners will accept, we shall see.

Fingers crossed.....

We are not desparate, so can afford to be cool, and if its not to be, then its not to be, our belongings dont leave here until the end of the week.

[foolsgold99]

Well, we now have a house !

We hardballed them and they've folded, we put $1,500 on our previous offer, just to throw them a bone really.

Offer is conditional to LIM and building survey, I'll gazunder them for a couple of grand after the building survey, when they've taken the house off the market and they are comitted to the sale.

Don't feel sorry for them, they've made a huge profit on the house, and they're Aussies.

[femke]

Congratulations :clap way to go feel sorry for the vendors :no

[foolsgold99]

$350K in Auckland - isn't that a bit of a bargain anyway? I thought it was expensive up there?

All depends where you go in my (short) experience.

As soon as you cross the Tamaki river at Panmure prices seem to fall 30 - 40 %, it's crazy. The new house is only 15 minutes from work at rush hour. This is a big lifestyle plus for us.

Pakuranga seems a very nice family orientated neighbourhood, certainly better than Ranui where we are just now.

[veronica]

What do you mean exactly when you use the term gazunder them. If it means (as I interpret it) that you are thinking of changing the price after you have put an offer in and it has been accepted then I think you will find that it cant be done here. That offer you have?? signed is a legal document and is the basis for the sale. once it goes unconditional thats it, the house is as good as yours.
But perhaps I am reading you wrong and thats not what you mean at all.

[Diny]

Must admit I'm confused now too. I thought that once you'd made an offer (subject to LIM etc) which had been accepted, then that was legally binding. :?

I guess if the reports came out abit dodgy then you would have a basis for reducing your offer but otherwise I would have thought it was a 'no go' area.

I have to admit, if I was the vendor and the buyer reduced their offer I would want to see every word of the reports before I shifted price.

I think so many of us have been totally shafted by the farcical UK property buying/selling rules that we think such things as gazundering is acceptable worldwide. I'd look into the small print if I were you. But like Veronica - I may have picked up the wrong end of the stick on this one.

Either way .... good luck :nice1

Diny

[foolsgold99]

I have to admit, if I was the vendor and the buyer reduced their offer I would want to see every word of the reports before I shifted price.


Until the offer goes unconditional, you can change anything. As for showing them the report, nope it's my document. I've paid for it, don't need to show them anything or tell them anything.

If they don't like it.... Well if they really want to go to the hassle of remarketing, for the sake of a few grand, when they've taken the house off the market, and stopped advertising, well that's their call.

I know this sounds nasty, esp if your selling a house just now. But we went through hell on our house sale with this kind of thing. I learned when you're buying and selling, being nice yo the other person, should be nowhere in your priority list

[GeorgeM]

If they don't like it.... Well if they really want to go to the hassle of remarketing, for the sake of a few grand, when they've taken the house off the market, and stopped advertising, well that's their call.

I think that the text associated with four aeroplanes should be changed from 'Thoroughly Good Egg'... :(

[Diny]

I know this sounds nasty, esp if your selling a house just now. But we went through hell on our house sale with this kind of thing. I learned when you're buying and selling, being nice yo the other person, should be nowhere in your priority list

I can understand your point, but can't help thinking that what you're PLANNING to do is despicable. We hear so much about how everybody can't wait to get away from the 'filthy' antics of the British ..... but this seems like you're intending to incorporate these antics in your new life in NZ.

It beats me why people just can't be honest and straightforward. We're being fooled around by our buyers at the moment too and I agree - hell it makes me mad and keen for revenge - but at the end of the day it's going to take a (morally) big person to break the vicious circle of 'shaft as thou has been shafted'.

The UK property market rules are just plain stupid - we all know that. We all have a story to tell - and usually not a good one. But now you're away from it all, and in a country where the property buying rules are so much easier, quicker and cheaper, do you really want to bring it down to a previously experienced level.

Initially I would have the same thoughts as you (believe me I would) but when push comes to shove I don't think I'd gain any feeling of victorious satisfaction if I shafted somebody just because I could.

Here endeth the sermon.

[femke]

I think you might find that they don't take the house off the market, or stop advertising it until your offer goes unconditional. The sold sign doesn't go up until then.

[Babette & Andy]

we went through hell on our house sale with this kind of thing. I learned when you're buying and selling, being nice to the other person, should be nowhere in your priority list I totally understand your attitude after all you guys went through :? Somehow have the feeling that many forum members will be acting very similar to you once it's their turn to buy a property in NZ, again through really bad experiences in the UK :no

Keeping fingers crossed for you and JubJub that all goes through, should time in nicely with the arrival of all your stuff :nice1 can't wait to see the pictures !!

Babette

[foolsgold99]

Quite a touchy subject.

One point to note is that we're not buying someones home, or messing up someone's life. This was done to us, and I'd have reservations about doing that.

It's been sold as part of a portfolio of properties that are been liquidated by people who ran a rental business. It's simply a business transaction to them.

[GeorgeM]

I totally understand your attitude after all you guys went through :? Somehow have the feeling that many forum members will be acting very similar to you once it's their turn to buy a property in NZ, again through really bad experiences in the UK :no


... from another Thoroughly Good Egg...

Time to make a few omletes if you ask me...

[Diny]

It's been sold as part of a portfolio of properties that are been liquidated by people who ran a rental business. It's simply a business transaction to them.

Doesn't really make any difference (IMHO) ... The above comment reminds me of those shoplifters who only nick things from the big superstores because they think they're not actually hurting anybody.

A while ago I was 'going off on one' to my solicitor, ranting and raving about all the things I was going to do to 'get even' with our buyer for mucking us around. She sat and listened to me, then said something that I'm sure they didn't teach her in law school. She said:

"I wouldn't advise that if I were you .... these things have a habit of turning around and biting you in the ar*e".

Wise words ........ I wonder how much we'll get charged for them :?

Diny

[Michelle and Richard]

For what my views are worth I dont think it will work. The real estate agent will definitely know what the survey results show and the real estate agent works for the vendor. Also advertising costs etc are all built into the commission paid to the real estate agent they will just put it back on the market.

I think if you really want the house you are playing a dangerous game.


Michelle

[miep]

Do you really want to come all the way overhere to introduce the British ways around property? Where's the sense in that? :?

Aren't you (in part) leaving the UK for those sorts of reasons?

I don't think it will work anyway but the thought that you are actually PLANNING to shaft someone is beyond me.

[Moorf]

This could well backfire - we had some genuine issues that were shown up in the building inspection and went back to the vendor to try and drop the price accordingly - they decided that they would rather get the work done themselves AND get a building inspection report to certify it was done to exacting standards - which they did to our satisfaction - and so no drop in price was forthcoming. We were happy, they were happy.

But then if you are happy to walk away from the house sale for the sake of $1500 , surely you can't want it THAT much?

Plus, they aren't committed to the sale - if you change the price from what you agreed on the contract then the agreement at that point is no longer valid and if they don't accept your new price they don't have to commit to selling to you.

[veronica]

I would check the legalities if I were you, I am still under the impression that once the offer is accepted and agreed and signed by the pair of you then the conditions can't be changed and that would imply that neither can the price. That offer is a legal document. If the conditions can't be met, ie finance, unsatisfactory reports then the contract ceases.
If you didn't like the way houses are sold in the UK please try not to duplicate the same systems here, as its a very straightforward, logical and quick system.

[Moorf]

:? Isn't that what I said? :laugh

[veronica]

Yeah.... but it doesn't hurt to say it again. (I also missed page 5 somehow, must be tired)

[Moorf]

GO TO BED !! ;)

[Babette & Andy]

... from another Thoroughly Good Egg...

Time to make a few omletes if you ask me...
I feel thoroughly cooked :( :( :( If you read my comments again and take note of the emoticons I used, you should be able to see that I'm NOT in favour of this approach :no However, as I said above, I can understand that when people have had a very bad experience themselves they may react in a similar way. I too hope that the seemingly 'British way' doesn't get brought across to NZ.

George M - maybe don't be so quick to judge other forum member's entries. Constructive replies like in this case Helen's and Diny (for example) are far more useful than stabs at 'eggs' or 'planes'.

Babette