best place for young family in nz

[Battleneter]

so many houses damaged from quake its prob hard to find somewhere to live there for now, seems to be chaos if you need a rental by what family have told us!

Just a quick reply CHCH only has aobut 1% of houses badly unlivable damaged and I think 4% moderate damage. There is near the usual amount of houses on the market, but perhaps rentals are definately harder to find until that 1% have new rebuilt housing.

[kmthor]

Hi there,
I have lived in Whangaparaoa, north of Auckland for 8 years. In answer to your question, the salaries are very low and totally out of line with the cost of living here. Unless you are coming with some serious cash (i.e. no mortgage) you will struggle here. I don't know any poms who aren't struggling, with the exception of the ones who came with lots of cash. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it is the truth - we have never been so poor or had to live such a frugal existence. We're off to Oz!

I lived in Auckland for 10 years. we stayed in Torbay north shore, Waimauku rural west and Henderson while waiting to move to Aus. I would agree 100% with the post above a few years ago.
I would also add that i found Aucklanders unfriendly and hard to make friends with, (i dont mean ex pats here) on the other hand there is a big difference if you move rural i found people far more friendly and easy to make friends.

I work as a draftsman and my wife works as an occupational therapist and we eraned quite good wages, evan with the above average salaries we found it very hard to get on, i often wondered how people survived.
The house prices are out of control and cost of living is running close behind it.

The weather is by far worse than the UK and the houses far less equipped for the weather, damp is a major problem. so much so they made up a "leaky house syndrome" to cover plain crap design and condtruction of houses.

Gangs are a major problem. all over really some areas being worse than others

the police are more worried about there quotas than actually policing crime. I saw more crime with my own eyes in NZ than i did staying in South Africa for 10 years. this included bag snatching, violance, stealing cars. and these were ment to be "good" areas

my advise would be to pick were you Live very carefully, go and visit it first and then go back and see it again


but on saying that

We moved to Brisbane 4 years ago and yes the salaries were 30 to 50% more and the price of living was far cheaper but the truth is Brisbane has gone down fast in the last 4 years. the cost of living is now on par with NZ, and salaries are just about the same there may be a 2 to 3% difference if that.

the same would go in Brisbane as the original post Unless you are coming with some serious cash you will struggle on the average wage.

hope this helps

km

[Battleneter]

Little surprised by the above post, I work in IT and my family have been on a single wage for some time. Paid off our mortgage thanks to owning property since 2001 when property prices went thought the roof in Aus and NZ (like much of the developed world). We are able to save a bit each week and live fairly comfortably as long as we aren't stupid with money. Wife is returning to work soon and our desposable income will be pretty good to say the least.

Not sure if the cost of living has ever been cheaper in Brisbane, been and stayed there a number of times in the last 20 yhears always thought it as more exspensive in some ways cheaper in others.

I work with 3 or 4 poms here in NZ and they seem happy enough. I guess its all about personel experience and perspective. My firends all pushing 40 seem to be doing ok excpet one who is a lasy bas**** :P .

[lennylash]

Hi is this any where near Thames??

[Darla R]

I lived in Auckland for 10 years. we stayed in Torbay north shore, Waimauku rural west and Henderson while waiting to move to Aus. I would agree 100% with the post above a few years ago.
I would also add that i found Aucklanders unfriendly and hard to make friends with, (i dont mean ex pats here) on the other hand there is a big difference if you move rural i found people far more friendly and easy to make friends.

I work as a draftsman and my wife works as an occupational therapist and we eraned quite good wages, evan with the above average salaries we found it very hard to get on, i often wondered how people survived.
The house prices are out of control and cost of living is running close behind it.

The weather is by far worse than the UK and the houses far less equipped for the weather, damp is a major problem. so much so they made up a "leaky house syndrome" to cover plain crap design and condtruction of houses.

Gangs are a major problem. all over really some areas being worse than others

the police are more worried about there quotas than actually policing crime. I saw more crime with my own eyes in NZ than i did staying in South Africa for 10 years. this included bag snatching, violance, stealing cars. and these were ment to be "good" areas

my advise would be to pick were you Live very carefully, go and visit it first and then go back and see it again


but on saying that

We moved to Brisbane 4 years ago and yes the salaries were 30 to 50% more and the price of living was far cheaper but the truth is Brisbane has gone down fast in the last 4 years. the cost of living is now on par with NZ, and salaries are just about the same there may be a 2 to 3% difference if that.

the same would go in Brisbane as the original post Unless you are coming with some serious cash you will struggle on the average wage.

hope this helps

km

We did the same as you, moved from Auckland when we grew disillusioned with the place for the same reasons and headed for Brisbane for work. Now we're down on the Gold Coast for work and for the lifestyle.

We think we've got the balance about right now but I still have to pinch myself when I look around and see how good it is. Of course YMMV but it's pretty good and I honestly can't think of anywhere else better

[ozziepozzie]

Hi I have just had a look at house rentals in Howick. Is it expensive there? My OH is a Social Worker and we have 4 kids. Would a Social worker's salary allow for reasonable living in that area? We are from Manchester. Martin

[ozziepozzie]

If you're looking for somewhere quaint to live Howick in Auckland is really it! I'm from Gloucestershire but have lived in Howick which has a bustling village with a beach. The place reminded me of a Gloucestershire village in a way and the schools are amongst the best in Auckland. Very easy to walk around and push a pram if you have to. Has every kind of shop you would need as well as dentists, doctors, hairdressers etc. The kids would love it as well as grown ups as it has a few English type pubs. Nice houses, some really expensive some not. No council housing and a good class of people.

Hope that this helps?

Hi. We are a family of 6. 4 Brats and my OH is a social worker. We have had a look at rentals in Howick. Seems pricey, or it could be we dont really know the market. Will we be able to have a reasonable standard of living on a social worker's salary in Howick? We are from Manchester and hoping to migrate early 2012.

[Zack]

Hi. We are a family of 6. 4 Brats and my OH is a social worker. We have had a look at rentals in Howick. Seems pricey, or it could be we dont really know the market. Will we be able to have a reasonable standard of living on a social worker's salary in Howick? We are from Manchester and hoping to migrate early 2012.

We lived at Bucklands Beach for 12 years, before moveing to Australia.Depending what you call cheap,you would pay well over $400,000 for a glorified shed,old 1970 type place,awful chamfer board and very damp in winter.There's plenty of State houses (Council) in Howick/Pakaranga.English type pubs in Howick,there isn't any.Just one pub in Howick,The Prospect. Most Brits like myself spent all their social life in the Returned Services Ass. in Wellington Street.You have to be x service to get membership.No trouble in there.But saying that if i had to live in Auckland it would be in that Area as long as it's East of Pakaranga.Lots of Black power gangs in Panmure and arround that area.

[hedgehog]

Living in oz 4 years now, suprised that so many kiwis live here. After meeting so many kiwis or people who lived in nz most of them don't rate the place.