WHERE'S BEST TO LIVE IN NZ AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW:PART 3!!!!(HOLY SHIT!)

[AngryBeaver]

Can you believe we've finished finished off another thread? Jeez we can talk!!
Just an update..we've found a nice double glazed,4 bed house,with nice garden. So that's one stress off the last.
Hilongwhitecloud

Mission bay very expensive - seems to me bit younger vibe and kohi nice but I won't consider there cos of the senior schools. Glendowie college is what I'd want for the boys as Selwyn college has a varied rep although kohi primary very good. Churchill park, st heliers and glendowie primary all very good. Howick seems nice from what I've seen. Bit sleepy for me but that's just me. Mount Eden nice high street.

Ah,top tip justabout!
Yep,school s important. I don't want loads of chopping and cganging. We really want to get settled somewhere before ds1 starts anywhere,as he is reeeally sensitive. Dd is pretty confident and would be ok moving again.
I don't mind sleepy as long ass there is stuff in walking distance and shops within 30 mins drive! I can totally live with sleepy.

I lived in Mt Eden for 5 years, it's lovely but v expensive. To buy decent house with garden - probably 900K+.

Mt Eden

Where would the job be AB? Maybe we can provide some house porn.

Not sure really. I don't know where most publications are based. He is a journo,but wants to get into Communications/PR, more money in that.

Dh says most of the jobs in the CBD...

House porn house porn house porn!

Hmmm...we need to know a vague budget.

AB our house is for sale, if you fancy evicting us

Commute from here (Torbay) to CBD is very do-able. So out Justabout's way I'd imagine is just as easy or easier. I definitely wouldn't go as far as Orewa personally. Just seems a bit too far, although it is really lovely up there.

This one is quite far up north....

www.trademe.co.nz/property/residential/for-sale/auction-488342111.htm

Needs work and you'd have to check the school zone....

www.trademe.co.nz/property/residential/for-sale/auction-461135189.htm

Stanmore Bay (littlestkiwi's first link) is lovely - we have friends who lived there - but it's prob as long a commute as Orewa. There is a ferry from the end of that peninsula which is a nice way to get to the CBD but I think it's a 45 min trip. By road there is one road in and out of the peninsula so it gets blocked up at rush hour.

It's a lovely area but probably an hour's commute at peak times, either by road or ferry.

Only one photo of the outside of that house too, bit hard to tell what the construction is...

Waving the pom poms for west Auckland. The CV is 490K but I expect it will go for quite a bit more. Beach at your doorstep, loads of bush walks nearby. I know this beach well, it feels like you're miles out of the city but is 2 mins to Titirangi shops and 30 mins drive to CBD off peak. Primary schools great, high schools a bit of an issue.

Well,it depends if we sell our house. It's been up for sale for about 2 months and not even had 1 viewer. We are thinking of auctioning it but we will lose a.lot. if we do that.

Hmm have heard (maybe unjustly) that the West is a bit dodgy. This is from Kiwi's btw.
I liked the 1st link.Dh liked the second as he's a keen do-er upp-er-er. I am not.
Also,I want a bit of space from next door...very nice as my neighbours are,I don't wish to wave at them everytime I go into the blimmin' kitchen

Wow, that house in Titirangi is amazing. It's almost enough to make me want to move!

This one is Howick which has a great High School.

www.trademe.co.nz/property/residential/for-sale/auction-486186899.htm

Have you seen the news coverage about the storms in the N of England? I'm a bit worried.

:) Inspired by the photos of that Titirangi house I took the dds down to that beach for 3 hours this afternoon - paddling, exploring rockpools, climbing trees and playing in the playground. It's a great little spot.

I found that house looking for ones for a friend who wants to move out this way, I nearly fell over when I saw the cv was only 490K. I expect it will go for a fair bit more at auction. Our friend has now decided to move to Avondale , well each to their own I suppose.

Wow,missed that post with the titirangi house whatshesaid! How nice is that?? Just done some sums with our house. We think we're going to have to drop the price by 20k to sell anytime this century. If we sell for that we'll only be able to go for houses in the region of $400k...gutted

How much is a heat pump? $12x26=$312 per year. Notionally if a HP is $4k it's only worth it if your mortgage is under 13 years. If you can overpay lump sums on your mortgage and know you'll have the money in say a year or two then it may be worth considering.

AB - my dad can't sell his house either. He's in best estate on area (not great area but popular with folk from there) and he is cheapest in street of 4 on Market (and his is nicer) and he's had 3 viewers in about 3 months - and that's with open viewing each Sunday!