not long left now

volusia · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 10:26 pm Post subject: not long left now

to all my fellow 'emigratenz' our house here in the uk is sold,as soon as we get a completion date we will book our flights to join you people, and we can't wait, its going to be no great wrench leaving this country,in all honesty its become poor value for money for all of us hard working brits,when we visited nz last year we were so impressed by the laid back attitude to life,and do you know, youv'e got it right.
my friend who has been in nz for the past two and a half years reckons its the best move he and his family ever made.
i know its not going to be all sweetness and light,and yes i'm not to naive to think its going to be a crime and trouble free place to be, but it most certainly cannot be any worse than here,
i feel that no matter how hard you work and try your best,there is always someone to take it off you,if not our wonderful government to help pay for some hairbrained scheme,or the little lad down the road who happens to like what you've got but doesn't want to pay for it.

i have a lot to offer,and i don't mind trading that for a safe enviroment for our children,
to all those thinking of the big move,just do it, remember you only live the once, and if it all fails what the heck,at least you tried,
i don't want to sit back in the years to come and think i should have gone,and by then its to late, i'd sooner think, well i gave it a go, and had a bloody good time doing it.

So thanks to all of you for your postings which have been of tremendous help to me and my wife,
and if i ever get the chance of meeting jcm,there'll be a pint for you my friend for setting up this great site. Nice One

take care all,and we'll see you all soon.

and all the very best for those of you thinking of going or are in the process of doing so.

cheers and good luck

wilson182 · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 5:13 am Post subject:

Thank you for your posting

You seem to have put into words EXACTLY how myself and my hubby feel.

Wishing you all the very best of luck

Wilson

karltsmith · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 12:56 pm Post subject:

Good luck, safe journey and well done! If your in AKL give me a call!

Karl Nice One

chrissie · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:00 am Post subject:

Good for you. All the very best of luck with the move.
Do you have a job to go to? We have put our house on the market and decided to 'just do it'...go out and look for a job once we are there. Very scary prospect, especially with two kids, but I think the alternative is even scarier.... Clapping

volusia · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 7:08 am Post subject: thank you

thanks for your replys guys,i'm sure we are doing right,if not i wouldn't be uprooting my family and taking them to the other side of the world.
sometimes in life its best to just throw caution to the wind and go with your desires. nothing matters in life except the ones you love, houses,cars furniture etc! are all just material things, i'm sure by going to new zealand, we as a family wil have a much better quality of life,

so don't worrie about what your doing,thing about what you could have.
remember----NO WORRIE'S--and --NO REGRETS.

PS,see you in auckland karl,we will be staying there for a few days before we haed up north to our friends in whangarei

pps-chrissie--no job as yet,but i will get one, we have two girls 5+3,
they will be ok, just the same as you and yours will be, here's wishing you well,

Tara Sage · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 7:44 am Post subject:

Good luck all!

Had good day today got buyer for house so now for the visas etc. Razz

Aiming to join you in NZ in Aug.

Its going to be a busy few months but definately worth it we can't wait Nutcase

CHCH here we come fingers crossed

martwend · Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2004 9:47 pm Post subject:

Hi Chrissie and anyone else thinking of coming out without a job,

We arrived here 7 weeks ago and it is as great as we hoped. We have bought a house and cars and replaced all the furniture and electrical stuff we sold in the UK. Kiwis have been kind and helpful and my husband is doing well in his job. However, I would say that you should think really seriously about coming out here without a job. We ahve met a few families who thought they would be ok when they got here and they have been unable to get jobs. One qualified nurse is currently fruit picking and her husband working for nothing in the hope that Immigration will accept that there is no Kiwi who could fill the post. Things do not look good for them and they think they may have to come back to the UK at a big financal loss. They also had problems with schooling of their children because they got visitors rather than student visas for them and so they had to pay very high school fees.

We are still on visas having missed the deadline under the old system by a few days and are hoping to be picked from the pool on the next selection. If not, we will have to start over with the application but will be able to claim more points because we are here and have work experience.

One other thought about just coming out here....there is almost no housing rental market. What there is , is grubby and expensive! You have to be prepared to buy a house and if you don't have residence you will pay a higher interest rate....and the interest rates are higher than the UK. Expect to pay over 8%!

Having said all that we love it here and feel that the hassle was worth while. My advice would be to deal with the hassle before you leave the UK so that you avoid the stress here....there is too much to enjoy without worrying about getting a job and whether you can afford to see your savings seep away!

Hope that helps.

Wendy

John Miller · Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2004 10:45 pm Post subject:

Hi Wendy,

It's good to hear from someone else who's made it here and that you're glad you came. Clapping

On mortgages, 8% seems a bit steep. Kiwibank's rates are......

Home Loan, Current rates p.a.

Variable, 6.95%

Revolving, 6.95%

6 month fixed, 6.55%

1 year fixed, 6.50%

2 year fixed, 6.90%

3 year fixed, 7.10%

4 year fixed, 7.20%

5 year fixed, 7.35%

For rental properties, I saw a lot of rubbish on North Shore too but, there were also plenty of good properties too, but a bit dearer. I guess the rental market will depend somewhat on location????

I guess Autumn in Hawkes Bay is like summer in Scotland? Nice One

volusia · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 8:47 am Post subject:

hi martinwend,
thanks for your posting and advice, regarding the job front- when we were on holiday last oct in nz i was offered 3 jobs,but not in the area we prefered,so if we can't find work there we will go to where the work is on offer,these people have been in touch recently to say the posts are still availiable if i require them, another nice thing about our kiwi cousins is the thoughtfulness they show.
and as for the house,we can't see the point in buying until we find the right place to settle,it might take some time for that to happen,and in the meantime we will leave the money we made on our house in the bank,

anyway once again thanks for your posting,and hope all goes well for you and the family, Nice One

karltsmith · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 9:34 am Post subject:

Hi Martwend

We opted for a furnished rental which admitedly needed a good cleaning here and there but is furnished and equiped to a high standard and decorated OK. Its certainly cheaper and provides more space than using motels/hotels while you find your dream home! We are Paying NZ$400 (~£140) week for fully furnished, 3 bed bungalow on a full section 300m from Waiake beach nea Torbay on Aucklands North Shore. Our cash investments cover the cost of rental with some to spare and it means we can take our time in finding a new home while assessing the pro's and cons of each area! Each to his/her own eh....glad you are enjoying it......great isn't it!