Moving to New Zealand!

Make sure to do research on what taxes you may have to pay to import house hold goods, I've heard some stories. We were residents when we brought all of our things in and that helped. I find the cost of everything to be higher than in the states and the comment about Trade me is true buyer beware we got a cheap fridge that ended up as anything but!! Oh Well

HI,
Firstly, good luck with all your planning! You will enjoy your time in NZ, it sounds like you have the right mindset. You will love NZ, its beautiful and diverse, and the people are awesome. I have found everyone so friendly since we got back here.
I am sure you will be able to teach yoga! And yes, there are some awesome photography opportunities.

H and I moved back here from the UK last year and we wish we had brought more stuff back with us, as it was very expensive to kit our our house here, even taking transport costs into account.
And yes, it is a major hassle to have to buy everything again especially when you aren't familiar with the stores.
It is possible to do some of it on the cheap, and TradeMe is good, although sometimes its less hassle to just go to a cheap shop like the Warehouse!
AnnaK is right- there is less competition, so there aren't as many good quality, mid-range products.

We have also found it ALOT more expensive living here than we did in the UK, and the UK is expensive to live.
We were both on good salaries there and are on very good salaries here, but we still find it expensive.
There may be reasons for that, such as we didn't have a car in the UK and we lived in a cheapish flat, but we have found food and petrol to be particularly expensive here, and bills aren't that cheap either.
I find decent clothes and shoes to be more expensive here than in the UK. Books are horrifically expensive here!

NZ immigration is a funny one. Sometimes they seem to let any old person in, and other times they are really tough.
Having skills doesn't automatically help you qualify, particularly if you aren't planning on using those skills, although a degree helps, as does being under a certain age.

Also, if you are earning a US salary while you are living here, I would look into the legitimacy of that, because technically you will still be working and earning an income, and if there is one thing you don't want its to get on the wrong side of NZ Immigration.
You mentioned that you would have a visitor visa, I think there is a limit of 90 days on a visitor visa, and anything else you would have to apply for- I think you can extend them, but you can't work on a visitor visa, even to teach yoga.
Although having said that, if your H is on a student visa I think you can get a spousal visa on that basis alone. Not 100% sure, but its worth checking it out.
Hiring an immigration consultant is an excellent idea, as they would be able to advise you on that sort of thing.

It sounds like you have decided where you want to live, I lived in Christchurch and have some friends with young children there and they love it- I found it beautiful and great for outdoor activities, but Auckland is pretty good too, it just takes longer to get anywhere!


Sorry if this post sounds negative, i just know how frustrating it can be moving to another country if you skim over the small print and legalities.

Edited by Lady Lizard

Hi again everyone,

Sorry I disappeared for awhile. We have been busy and putting off the real plans on moving. But, we are sure now that we are moving to Auckland and have a few more questions if anyone has time to help.

We are looking at houses. We are going to rent for a few months to make sure we know what section we want to live in. But we are looking at houses for sale to get an idea of prices/quality. It seems most houses are for auction or negotiation.

In the US, every house has a listing price, but the house never sells for that amount. Usually the owner and buyer go back and forth, and you can get the house for quite a bit less than the listing price.

If a house here is auctioned, it is bc the owners can't afford it anymore, and then you can usually get a great deal on it.

Is it similar in NZ?

We are thinking about the North Shore. Does anyone have a preference on the best place to raise kids?

Thank you! I think we are coming out in May, I will be 6 months pregnant! I am excited though.

Thanks for your help!

We live on the North Shore and love it Depending on your price range, I would definintely be looking either in the Milford/Takapuna area or around the east coast bays. Devonport area is also really nice. All these areas have good schools and are close to heaps of beaches/playgrounds.

I live on the northshore and can definately recommend it! I agree with all the places mum2ella suggested. There are really good schools in those areas and you're nice and close to lots of shops, beaches and parks.