a few questions

[BraindG]

what are the average house prices in NZ?
do you know any decent links to sites regarding houses?

what's the IT job market like? do you know what the average wage is?
again any agency websites you know of?

do you know anything about the immigration requirements for NZ?
any links?

ill have a look myself, but thought i would ask first hand.

just checking out my options :)

[KiwiTT]

Houses:
In Auckland, expect to pay upwards of NZ$300,000 for a house. Outside Auckland, some really nice places can be had for NZ$200,000 still.

Jobs:
Auckland Job market is probably as diverse as London for job types, I believe Christchurch had some development. Seek IT (http://it.seek.co.nz/index.asp) is probably the best of the lot. Expect to earn in the region of NZ$50-60,000 for most experienced (5+ years) IT work, with another $10,000+ for senior positions and another $10,000 for management positions. Be aware that outside Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch salaries can be almost a 30-40% lower.

Immigration:
See Immigration (http://www.immigration.govt.nz/) for all details.

I tend to see "Lifestyle" as the biggest factor in staying in NZ. If you equate this as half your salary you can accept the lower salaries here than in the rest of the world (e.g. UK, US, etc.)

[Freddy]

My wife is in real estate Auckland area. Send me a pm if you need help in looking for a place.

[Pete M]

As everyone else has replied from Auckland, I thought I'd put in my two cents' worth about Christchurch. I lived in Auckland from 1983 to 1997 (and grew up there), was in the UK for 5 years (Derby) and then moved down to Christchurch when I came back from the UK.

House prices are lower here, but are rising steadily. It's still possible to get a reasonable house here under NZD200,000. Fairly flexible loan arrangements (partial fixed/floating rates, revolving credit etc) help too.

Auckland traffic has got very much worse over the last few years. The cities that make up Auckland are clustered around two harbours on opposite sides of the island. This means all the roads etc have to thread their way in and out of the land and sea. The northern suburbs are separated by two harbour bridges, one large and one small. Both of these routes are crowded now, not only during rush hour, but during the day too. There are southern, northern, north-western and eastern motorways, and all are stop-start for most of the early morning and late afternoon. The traffic problems are one reason for people moving away. There has been a population explosion, both in terms of people and vehicles over the last few years. It will only get worse. A new eastern motorway is being planned, but the southern, northern, north-western routes are pretty much stuck. I have a friend who is a very high placed road engineer up there, and he said that the main harbour bridge will need major rework within 5 years.

Christchurch, on the other hand is on a plain at the edge of the east coast of the South Island, at the northern edge of Banks Peninsula. There are no constraints for the expansion of the city to the West or North. The city roads are mostly on a grid pattern, so there are a number of routes between any two points. There are a number of companies in the IT field that have operations and headquarters in Christchurch. Jade software and Allied Telesyn are just two. There is a thriving car scene, with large numbers of modified and high performance cars that gather in the city during weekends.

There is easy road access to some of the most striking scenery in the world and any number of adventure and adrenaline activities. Most of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy was filmed in the South Island. If you're wanting a change from the UK, I recommend Christchurch.

Hope this helps,

Regards

Pete M

[KiwiTT]

Agree !!! and I am a long term Auckland Resident

[freaksnzl]

try netcheck(click here) (http://www.netcheck.co.nz) for IT jobs

[tunes]

My better half works for a recruitment agency in the Auckland CBD and recommends you check out www.seek.co.nz as they tend to have the most solid business listings.

[Kyoshu]

I'm an I.T. contractor and I find candle.co.nz are always good at getting roles, both perm and contract.

[Pescha]

I live in North Waikato, it's 60 mins south of Auckland central business area. We brought a house here, it cost $70,000. 3brm character home, as it was built in 1914. Flash homes that are worth $300,000 in Auckland are worth about $150,000 up here. You have the rural life but work in the urban area. Lots of people commute daily from here to Auckland. Just a thought. Your also 30 minutes to Hamilton City too which is a bonus.

Hope this helps.
Pescha! :D

[BraindG]

thanks guys.. :)