This New Zealand Life

A nation of pyromaniacs

Comment: Few activities give a red-blooded male more pleasure than lighting a fire. But when your fingers are blue from cold you begin to wonder if there isn't a better way of keeping warm.

Property prices hold steady

House prices remain same as twelve months ago but winter depression fails to materialise.

Building a dream New Zealand lifestyle

JULIE Treanor and her husband Martin arrived in New Zealand three and a half years ago leaving behind family, friends and the opportunities a heavily populated country like the UK can provide.

"I miss what a bigger market offers in terms of choice and value, as I find NZ limited and the quality sometimes really poor," says Julie.

But, "I came to get away from a life driven by material things," she adds.

Finding rental property in New Zealand while abroad

ORGANISING somewhere to live in New Zealand when you are 14,000 miles away on the other side of the globe is like trying to eat peas with ten-foot chopsticks while blindfolded.

I expect, like me, you'd think it would be easy in this modern age of internet and wind turbines, to browse through a few property pages held usefully online, ring the agent or landlord and put your deposit down ready for your triumphant arrival in a few weeks time.

You can imagine the advantages. Landing at Auckland International Airport with tired-out, screaming kids, six oversize suitcases that have just been rifled through by bio-secucurity officials from the misery.. (er sorry typo) ministry of agriculture and forestry (MAF), you would have somewhere to go, a home, somewhere to take the pressure off while you evaluate your new life, start work, save the cost of hotels, and begin the search for more permanent lodgings.

House prices hit the bottom (maybe)

AFTER falling by only 9.2% in the past 12 months, QV (Quotable Value) said the market maybe near the bottom.

Prices being paid for property in most provincial centres have been flat for the past few months leading to improvements in the year on year change in many areas.

Added to the slightly-better-than-last-month figures is an improvement in activity. "We are starting to see a shortage of listings, particularly at the lower value end of the market,” said Blue Hancock, QV spokesperson.

Kiwi houses exposed as health risk

ARRIVALS in New Zealand are often surprised at the poor quality of New Zealand houses, particularly if they come from the central-heated, double-glazed homes of the UK. You are left with the impression that Kiwis exist in cold and draughty prefabs stuck on the side of exposed hills with nothing but a pallet-fence and a piece of cracked glass between them and the elements.

New Zealand house prices plummet

THE average Kiwi house lost nearly $40,000 last year as the recession and gloomy economic outlook continues to bite.

"Property values have dropped 9.3% over the last year, worse than last month. However, this further decline is being driven by falls across the Auckland region, particularly in Auckland City and Manukau. Many other areas of the country are beginning to see property values flattening, particularly in provincial cities and across parts of the Wellington area," said Blue Hancock of Quotable Value New Zealand Ltd, the Wellington-based government valuation agency.

Falling house prices feels like good news to house-less immigrants or if you're considering buying, but the lack of confidence in the economy makes calling the bottom of the market a difficult task.

As in the UK, many buyers are sitting on their hands, which will only causes prices to fall further.

"Despite signs of stability in property values across some areas of the country, there remains widespread uncertainty over what the coming months may bring. The number of sales traditionally drops during autumn and winter, but how interest rates impact market activity and the extent to which broader economic factors, in particular declining job security, will affect the property market remains unclear," said Hancock.

Central bank Governor Alan Bollard is expected to cut interest rates again this month.

Kiwi electrical sockets lack safety features

GIVEN that New Zealand electricity is supplied at 240 volts, just as in the UK, you'd think it would be an inexpensive matter to get all your newly shipped appliances and electrical goods working when you arrive. It is, but only if you think ahead.

Ordinary living allows us to ignore those essential items that smooth the rough edges of daily routine and make our lives a little more pleasurable.

Yet when packing to emigrate, or for long term stays, it's easy to think those small packages of joy will not be needed, or even useless.

One such item is the four-plug block for UK plugs. "What possible use can that be in New Zealand," you might say as you toss it into storage or into the wheelie bin. But the four-block holds a secret, it is the most essential item you'll need for getting all your electrical goods working.

For a start, Kiwi plugs do not come with a fuse and rental properties are not required to have electrical checks by the landlord. You can never be sure just what sort of system you are plugging into, how old, or how safe.

So it's advisable to keep your UK fused plugs on your appliances, particularly sensitive electrical items like computers, DVD players and stereos.

Secondly, plugs, NZ-UK conversion plugs and power leads are hideously expensive, once you are here. One, un-fused, plastic plug that feels so cheap it should be condemned costs nearly £2 ($5 at current rates). Imagine you have to buy and change all the plugs on all your goods; it's not just the expense, it's the time, and these plugs are fiddly and difficult to change compared to UK plugs.

Converter plugs are worse. These can cost £6 a pop ($15) or more.

But if you take your UK four block and change just the single plug on that, you can carry on using all the good quality, fused plugs from Britain.

At considerably less expense, so don't forget to put a couple in your suitcases and shipping boxes even though it seems counter-intuitive.