Cost of furnishing a house in NZ?

[chickychickyparmparm]

Hello, I've scoured the internet and done some pricing but am getting a bit of a headspin, would be helpful to hear from anyone who's recently moved to NZ.

The cost of shipping our three-bedroom house to NZ is going to be about NZ$12,000. That won't include big electrical stuff (fridge, washing machine) as the voltage isn't comparable.

If we just shipped the smaller things and sold the rest, we'd save quite a lot, and would have around $9000 to furnish the house. It would also save us storage - we'll be arriving around three months after our luggage does - and I guess costs of moving stuff around the country. I would guess this will save us around $1000.

So (sorry about the level of detail!), is it possible to furnish a house in NZ for $9000, including fridge, washing machine, two double beds, two singles, dining table and chairs? We don't mind second hand, but would prefer decent quality second hand, and I know NZ resale value of everything is quite high.

Other factor is, we'll probably be moving to a very rural area in Southland, so the choice of goods won't be as high as somewhere larger/more cosmopolitan.

[Teaguzzler]

I moved here from the uk a month ago and my advice would be bring EVERYTHING! We needed a new bed and just bought one new for the 'bargain' price of $2500. I am from NZ originally but have been shocked at how expensive things are. Anything cheap is very poor quality compared to uk cheap things too. Trade me (like eBay) would be an option for second hand but I imagine it would be slim pickings in more remote areas where sellers will expect you to collect. Our shipping container is yet to arrive and I am sick to death of living out of a suitcase but I am still so glad we brought everything with us. We even bought things to bring with us and had to pretend they weren't new! We paid £4500 ish and I think it was worth every penny. That was for door to door service including packing and the packers were amazing.

[chickychickyparmparm]

'bargain' price of $2500

Whaaaat? Jeez. I'm actually from NZ too but I haven't lived there in almost 20 years - and I was a skanky student then and didn't care!

OK, thanks so much for the input, greatly appreciated. I hadn't actually thought about the whole collecting of secondhand things, either.

Would you mind telling me - how did the whole collection/customs thing go? Did you have to pay any tax on your second hand stuff? It's very cheap to get quality wooden stuff made here, I was thinking of bringing a brand new table as well as our existing table, and selling the old one in NZ. Would customs care about extras??

Thanks so much!

[JellyTipisthebest]

Voltage is the same bring everything you can fit in the container. We brought our dishwasher just fill it with the light plastic stuff don't empty water from the bottom as it protects the motor. We didn't bring washing machine as our uk one was old. Clean vacuums within a inch of its life and bring. I would get a container and fill it bring extra new ikea flat pack stuff and sell what you dont need on trade me.

[Kiwiinkits]

As a kiwi in NZ my advice would be to bring everything. You will not be able to find nice things anywhere in Southland. TradeMe has very slim pickings in that area (and pick up is a pain). No IKEA here.
A $2500 bed is a cheap one. A decent queen bed with a supportive mattress would be $4000 - $5000.

[Kiwiinkits]

yes yes bring lots of IKEA flat pack furniture and sell what you don't need. NZers are desperate for IKEA.

[Teaguzzler]

I've been away 16 years so similar to you. Brace yourself for living expenses! We haven't been through the customs palaver yet but have filled in lots of paperwork! You just need to ensure everything is really really clean and that all wood has been treated which it will have been if used in furniture. I'd fill that container to the brim if I were you! We have even brought outdoor furniture and a BBQ. When you see the service you receive for your money you might be surprised at how cheap the container seems. Most people I have told think it's quite cheap.

[Cousinit]

Yes, bring everything. We did the move several years ago and don't regret it. You can bring your electrical items too with no problems. I'm so glad we brought our washing machine - it'a so much better than anything you could buy in NZ. With the benefit of hindsight, I would also have done a big shop at IKEA and shipped all that over too. God, I miss IKEA

[chickychickyparmparm]

Wow, thanks for the advice!

Our voltage here is 110V, will that work in NZ? I thought large items wouldn't work with the 240V in NZ? We tried bringing stuff from the UK to here and even some smallish appliances didn't work.

No IKEA here - dammit!

Teaguzzler, when you say treated, do you have to have certificates etc? Or will customs spray it or something? We're in a developing country, I don't know if the wood is treated. I'd be interested to hear how you get on with the customs stuff if you wouldn't mind updating me at some point?

Man, I think moving back is going to be a shock. Here's me thinking $9000 was a lot of money and it turns out it will only buy a couple of beds.

[chickychickyparmparm]

And, Teaguzzler, if I could ask you one more thing ... you said to fill the container to the brim. I will certainly do that. But I have no idea what "to the brim" actually means - what did you ship over, was it similar to us, 3bdrm house??

[Cousinit]

I don't know anything about how voltage compares but I can tell you that every single electrical item we brought over worked fine!

[chickychickyparmparm]

Perhaps you came from the UK/Europe where the voltage is the same? I just read online that: "connecting a device that is designed for 110V to a 230V supply can be very dangerous. There is the risk of burning, fire or even explosion."

I'd be so gutted if I sent my fridge thousands of miles only to have it explode!

[ToastedOrFresh]

Which country are you shipping your stuff from OP ?

We moved from the UK to NZ and all our electrical stuff worked fine. The fridge freezer, the toaster, the kettle, my hairdryer, the Christmas tree lights, phone charger, lap top charger etc.

The voltage in the UK is 240 volts. Electricity throughout New Zealand is supplied at a nominal voltage of 230 volts and 50 hertz, although most hotels and motels provide 110 volt AC sockets (rated at 20 watts) for electric razors only.

Do not make the mistake of getting rid/selling your things. They will act as a 'comfort blanket' when things seem jarringly new.

Right now the adrenaline is running and it seems easy to get rid of things. The exchange rate is pants and things in NZ are expensive. Even if you wait for the sale.

[JellyTipisthebest]

Sorry I assumed you were in the uk. Bring all non electrical stuff then

[chickychickyparmparm]

I'm shipping from a South American country - 110V. We made the mistake of bringing some electrical stuff here from the UK and none of it worked - not even my hairdryer.

Yes true, will be much easier to settle in with all our stuff around - especially for the kids.

Am expecting culture shock - we're moving from a massive city of 12 million people! But so, so looking forward to being around friendly Kiwis again.

[chickychickyparmparm]

I can't quite get my head around how expensive everything's going to be.

What about sofas? Say, a 3 seater? Ours is due an upgrade, they're fairly expensive here (the one thing you can't really get made - all our other furniture is hand made). You would probably need to spend about NZ$600 on a "just okay" sofa here.

You're going to tell me sofas are $2000 or something, aren't you?

[chickychickyparmparm]

I can't quite get my head around how expensive everything's going to be.

What about sofas? Say, a 3 seater? Ours is due an upgrade, they're fairly expensive here (the one thing you can't really get made - all our other furniture is hand made). You would probably need to spend about NZ$600 on a "just okay" sofa here.

You're going to tell me sofas are $2000 or something, aren't you?

[chickychickyparmparm]

Oh sorry, system froze up... at least the internet's better in NZ now, right?! They don't still have those deals where your internet is ... limited, do they?

[ToastedOrFresh]

Ultra Fast Fibre Broadband is what NZ has now. They broadcast in HD too.

To get an idea of the price of things in NZ Google Harvey Norman, they are a popular retailer of furniture and electrical goods. Noel Leeming is a popular store that sells electrical goods.

Also Google 'Warehouse' it's like all the non food of Tesco. It's like walking round the Argos catalogue stock room but there's prices on the shelf edges.

Google Briscoes, they sell household goods. Google Farmers, they are a department store.

There isn't an analogue signal for the t.v. anymore in NZ. There's no digital radio, just am/fm. Click and collect at the supermarket has only been introduced this year.

Friendly Kiwis ? Let me know if you find any.

[chickychickyparmparm]

Thanks Toasted, I'm actually a Kiwi (and a fairly friendly one) but have been away a long time. I don't think I've actually been into any of those stores - except the Warehouse.

Very happy to know there is fast broadband!

[thetoothfairywhoforgot]

Freedom and Nood are two other furniture shops to look at. Stuff here is expensive. We bought two Target sofa's when we arrived 7 years ago and they were about $1500.

It's the small stuff that adds up here IMO. Stuff we are used to getting for pennies in the UK or IKEA. Loo brushes, towels, duvets, pillows, kitchen gear. Bring a decent can opener. For some reason I bought about three that were pants here.

Also bring shoes. Lots of shoes.

[OttoTheOnly]

Don't bother looking at Harvey Norman - their furniture is horribly overpriced and old fashioned. As Toothfairy said, Nood and Freedom are better and more modern options. Also The Design Store, although they may only be in Auckland - would give you some ideas of prices though.
Briscoes is ok for cheap Manchester - they have a sale every week, so just wait until the item you want is 60% off to get it for a reasonable price. They have an online store.
Farmers isn't a real department store - just a tiny version of one that sells a really minimal amount of homewares. I'd not buy anything from there. Again, it's overpriced and rather naff in terms of style.

[Athrawes]

Bring everything. Bring the kitchen sink if you can, plus the whole Screwfix catalogue. House stuff is horrendously expensive which is why most people live with pretty old stuff. Lots of the stuff here is of poor quality and dark wood often not to modern European taste. Nice views though!

[poochiepants]

I was an interior designer in NZ a few years back, and high street furniture is very expensive and not great design, so there's a lot of refurbishment going on - but European fabrics are extremely expensive too so you end up getting cheaper local which is not so good. And most NZ people I dealt with felt the same. Take as much as you can, you can always sell it, and anything 'new' design-wise will get snapped up very quickly, and for a high price! We bought a 2nd hand sofa, originally M&S that had been shipped there years earlier, which was in good condition, but cost about $1000 and we wouldn't have looked twice at it in the UK. Warehouse furniture is very poor quality, and bedding is ridiculously $$$$$!

If we do end up there again, I'm furnishing it from Europe and shipping it all out.....

[missyB1]

I moved to NZ from U.K. 2 years ago. Take as much of your own stuff as possible! It's not just the outrageous prices in NZ but the lack of choice is depressing. It's struggle to find anything nice. Stay away from Farmers overpriced and naff. Food is expensive too and again I was disappointed at the lack of choice.
Superfast broadband?? Hmmmm..... certainly not superfast installation anyway!
Friendly Kiwis? As you are Kiwi you will probably be fine. We found them polite but extremely hard to make friends with.
Good luck with your move I'm sure it will feel good to go home. I'm back in UK now and happy to be home myself.

[Swirlysunshine]

Same as what everyone else has said. Bring everything. Have a big spend up on clothes too before you move here! Only the high street shops are affordable to me and the quality of the fabrics is terrible...all polyester type stuff.