new to this forum.. would like to chat

[jonnyp]

hi.. would like to chat with others that have done or are doing what i am about to do in order to gather as much information as possible.. have many questions so look forward to hearing from you soon..

[kaz101]

Hi Jonnyp,

Welcome to the forum.

Just ask your questions on the forum and we'll do our best to answer them

Regards,
Karen

[jonnyp]

Hi Karen.. thanks for answering my post.. am currently in the process of gathering all the paperwork to submit my residence application but would like to know more about NZ.. so far i guess i have just been having my brothers biased opinions but would like to know other peoples views.. basically i would like to know the general costs of living for a 2xadult-2xchild family - utility bills, council taxes, shopping bills etc etc.. also i would like to hear what downsides there are.. there must be some bad things i need to know about NZ.. this will not put me off from going, it would just be nice to know.

look forward to hearing from you soon.

Jon

[kaz101]

Hi Jon,

I'll let other members of the forum answer those since I'm in Oz

Regards,
Karen

[albacridhe]

Hi Jonny

Just new to this forum too, but have been in Wellington for 1 yr now with wife and 3 kids so hopefully can help.

With regards to cost of living don't let anyone tell you its less than the UK - its not, for the most basics its probably more. Anyway...

In terms of property you're probably best to check out trademe.co.nz for both rent or buying. Note that like the UK NZ is currently experiencing a bit of property downturn - and some are prediciting a full on recession so beware.

Council taxes - if you rent its already covered. We rent so don't know what it is if you buy.
Utilities - generally not many have mains gas so most things are electric or bottled gas. Our electric bills are around $150/month in summer but up to $300/ month in winter as we try to keep our poorly built Kiwi home warm (a common british gripe!)
Shopping - on groceries/ essentials for us as a family we spend between $500-600 every two weeks, a lot more than we did in the UK for the same things. Shopping has taken a price hike in the last few months and most kiwis are feeling the pinch.
Shopping - generally worth noting that selections are a lot less and anything that you are used to from the UK will most likely be imported and thus more expensive. Particular gripes for my wife are childrens clothes - or lack of, especially good quality shoes, which is most important for wee feet.
Petrol - still cheaper than UK, about $2.10/l however this is more than 50% more than the $1.30/l we were paying this time last year!
Taxes are prety high - check out ird.govt.nz, about 30% income tax
Schooling is free, but check out the decile of your schools (1 to 10 gives a good indication of the school and area) Also watch out for the annual "donation" of a few hundred dollars per child
Health - depending on what visa option you take. If you are UK citizen and on permit of 2yrs + then you are covered by the national health service, but this is limited. You will still have to pay for GP visits, elective surgery, dental etc., - basically everything unless its an emergency. You can probably cover your family for around $100/month but we've never bothered.
Other things like phones and internet and cars I have found to be pretty much the same as in the UK, just note that for phones, mobiles and internet there is not much competition here - just 2 or 3 providers

Like I said - we've been here for a year, it has been great but we are now moving on so will try and give you our honest view:

Ups:
NZ is without doubt the most diverse and beautiful country i have experienced
Kiwis are generally friendly, good natured, outspoken and straight talking (easily mistaken for rudeness but you get used to it).
Outdoor pursuits and childrens activities/ sports are everywhere and generally affordable
Most settlements are close to a beach!

Downs:
Wages in NZ are generally lower than in most other western countries and taxes generally higher - hence 40,000 kiwis moved to Oz in last year!
NZ is a small place and so people tend to get to know each others business quite quickly - this can be nice if you like tht sort of thing.
Work/ careerwise its very about who you know over here than what you know - this basically means you can often end with a load of idiots in charge looking after themselves.
Don't expect anything to happen quickly over here
Kiwis can drive legally from the age of 15 and having taken the test myself recently - its a wonder anyone ever fails.
Kiwi houses are very badly built and cannot cope with weather such as cold or rain. 1 in 3 Kiwi houses have damp problems and can cause respiratory disorders.

As with anywhere its not perfect, hey if it was then everyone would be here! I would recommend it to anyone even just to try, just keep your eyes open

[jonnyp]

thanks for your time in responding to my post.. the information you have given is exactly what i was looking for.. i take on board your comments and hopefully use them to my advantage when the time comes... cheers.