# Moving to NZ (Received visas)... Question regarding long term stay, bringing funds...



## jb22

My wife and I received our resident visa and are moving over in October. 

I was wondering if anyone had any good resources for long term stay accommodations in Auckland for 2 to 3 months while we look for a place to rent. We'd like to avoid an extended period stay in a hotel, mainly to save money but also to have amenities like a kitchen. We also want to avoid the pressure of trying to find a place in a hurry.

How have others brought over their savings? I'm going to look into seeing if I can open an account in NZ or maybe switch over to an international bank such as HSBC. I have yet to speak to my bank here so I may have not clued into an obvious options. 

A question regarding shipping items over. We don't plan to ship over our furniture and such, rather sell them off and purchase new/used items once in NZ. Any suggestions for shipping a few boxes of items, most likely clothing and nick-nacks. I know we could go with FedEx or maybe even regular post but curious what other options are available. Can we avoid customs fees when importing personal items?

At the moment we believe we will end up in Auckland from initial job research but Wellington is also an option. Suggestions on areas for a young couple - we spent a year in Melbourne living around St. Kilda and we really enjoyed that area.

Lastly, looking for links to stores in NZ to research costs of everything from furniture to electronics to household items. Any good merchants people would recommend. I don't believe Ikea has a presence in NZ so there goes our contingency plan!

Thanks.


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## kiwigser

jb22 said:


> My wife and I received our resident visa and are moving over in October.
> 
> I was wondering if anyone had any good resources for long term stay accommodations in Auckland for 2 to 3 months while we look for a place to rent. We'd like to avoid an extended period stay in a hotel, mainly to save money but also to have amenities like a kitchen. We also want to avoid the pressure of trying to find a place in a hurry.
> 
> How have others brought over their savings? I'm going to look into seeing if I can open an account in NZ or maybe switch over to an international bank such as HSBC. I have yet to speak to my bank here so I may have not clued into an obvious options.
> 
> A question regarding shipping items over. We don't plan to ship over our furniture and such, rather sell them off and purchase new/used items once in NZ. Any suggestions for shipping a few boxes of items, most likely clothing and nick-nacks. I know we could go with FedEx or maybe even regular post but curious what other options are available. Can we avoid customs fees when importing personal items?
> 
> At the moment we believe we will end up in Auckland from initial job research but Wellington is also an option. Suggestions on areas for a young couple - we spent a year in Melbourne living around St. Kilda and we really enjoyed that area.
> 
> Lastly, looking for links to stores in NZ to research costs of everything from furniture to electronics to household items. Any good merchants people would recommend. I don't believe Ikea has a presence in NZ so there goes our contingency plan!
> 
> Thanks.


I will not try to answer all your questions but regards money transfer, we used the bank initially, but have since used currency online in Christchurch, friends recommended them.

Currency Online - Foreign Currency Exchange, Money Transfers, International Payments

Its worth contacting them and they will guide you through the process, the main thing being you watch the exchange rate (dire at the moment) and choose when to jump, you then have a couple of days to transfer the money held at that contract price. No I do not get a kickback.

For electricals try:
The Good Guys New Zealand

Noel Leeming - New Zealand's leading appliance, computer, gaming and whiteware store

There are several more

General DIY :

Bunnings Warehouse - Lowest prices are just the beginning - Bunnings Warehouse

Furniture:

Furniture City

Food:

Online Supermarket: Online Grocery Shopping & Free Recipes at countdown.co.nz

All food has 15% GST

Accommodation will depend on whether the world cup has finished or not, do not even try central Auckland whilst that's on.

Do not use HSBC, they charge $15 per account per month in NZ, they are not interested in Joe Bloggs only business accounts.

Try Kiwibank, NZonline banking based in the Post Office

Kiwibank - Banking New Zealand

I must emphasis I have no shares in any of the above companies, I just use them myself.


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## Darla.R

jb22 said:


> My wife and I received our resident visa and are moving over in October.
> 
> I was wondering if anyone had any good resources for long term stay accommodations in Auckland for 2 to 3 months while we look for a place to rent. We'd like to avoid an extended period stay in a hotel, mainly to save money but also to have amenities like a kitchen. We also want to avoid the pressure of trying to find a place in a hurry.
> 
> How have others brought over their savings? I'm going to look into seeing if I can open an account in NZ or maybe switch over to an international bank such as HSBC. I have yet to speak to my bank here so I may have not clued into an obvious options.
> 
> A question regarding shipping items over. We don't plan to ship over our furniture and such, rather sell them off and purchase new/used items once in NZ. Any suggestions for shipping a few boxes of items, most likely clothing and nick-nacks. I know we could go with FedEx or maybe even regular post but curious what other options are available. Can we avoid customs fees when importing personal items?
> 
> At the moment we believe we will end up in Auckland from initial job research but Wellington is also an option. Suggestions on areas for a young couple - we spent a year in Melbourne living around St. Kilda and we really enjoyed that area.
> 
> Lastly, looking for links to stores in NZ to research costs of everything from furniture to electronics to household items. Any good merchants people would recommend. I don't believe Ikea has a presence in NZ so there goes our contingency plan!
> 
> Thanks.


The chances of NZ getting an Ikea are somewhere between zero and nill but there are other ways of getting their products. I believe there are companies that will ship over a consignment for you but I have heard varying accounts of how reliable they are. You can travel over here and bring things back with you or you can shop around on Trade Me (a NZ auction site) and in the classifieds for Ikea branded items.

I advise you to buy most, if not all, of your items second hand. There is always a high turnover of people entering and leaving the country and there are some very good bargains to be had, far cheaper and sometimes of a superior quality than what can be bought new.


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## jb22

Thanks for the links. My comment regarding Ikea was more of a joke although they can be a good solution or at the very least a one stop shop for various items. Although I've had enough experience putting Ikea furniture together for one lifetime!

I think our biggest concern is accommodations for a month or two once we arrive. Do most people just stay in hotels?

We are going to look into second hand furniture. I know of sites such as Craigslist, Gumtree and Sella. Any others worth looking at?


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## kiwigser

jb22 said:


> Thanks for the links. My comment regarding Ikea was more of a joke although they can be a good solution or at the very least a one stop shop for various items. Although I've had enough experience putting Ikea furniture together for one lifetime!
> 
> I think our biggest concern is accommodations for a month or two once we arrive. Do most people just stay in hotels?
> 
> We are going to look into second hand furniture. I know of sites such as Craigslist, Gumtree and Sella. Any others worth looking at?


Buy online and sell with NZ's #1 auction & classifieds site | Trade Me


Ikea have tried several times to get here, but potential traffic problems have caused planning issues


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## kiwigser

I am sure you will getter better advice from other contributors, but self contained apartments are one way, but something totally different if you have transport are holiday parks. October is still early in the season and you should be able to negotiate a deal.

Find a Park | Top 10 Holiday Parks New Zealand

Avondale Motor Park : Kiwi Holiday Parks

Good luck


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## jb22

kiwigser said:


> I am sure you will getter better advice from other contributors, but self contained apartments are one way, but something totally different if you have transport are holiday parks. October is still early in the season and you should be able to negotiate a deal.
> 
> Find a Park | Top 10 Holiday Parks New Zealand
> 
> Avondale Motor Park : Kiwi Holiday Parks
> 
> Good luck


Thanks for the idea but I think we would like something more like a furnished apartment while we look for an apartment to rent, ideally in the city or close to public transportation to we can easily access various parts of the city to get a good sense of where we'd like to settle long term.


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## topcat83

jb22 said:


> Thanks for the idea but I think we would like something more like a furnished apartment while we look for an apartment to rent, ideally in the city or close to public transportation to we can easily access various parts of the city to get a good sense of where we'd like to settle long term.


Try looking at Waldorf Apartments, Heritage Apartments & Oaks on Hobson - they'll all do short, medium or long term rentals.


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## Darla.R

jb22 said:


> Thanks for the links. My comment regarding Ikea was more of a joke although they can be a good solution or at the very least a one stop shop for various items. Although I've had enough experience putting Ikea furniture together for one lifetime!
> 
> I think our biggest concern is accommodations for a month or two once we arrive. Do most people just stay in hotels?
> 
> We are going to look into second hand furniture. I know of sites such as Craigslist, Gumtree and Sella. Any others worth looking at?


We have gumtree over here and I think there's a NZ version too. I prefer it to the auction sites because you can just phone up, make an appointment to view, buy and be home all within an hour or two.

Hotels are expensive, some rental agencies may have some sort term furnished lets on their books, or you could get a bach (holiday home) out of season. Next step down is a motel or a mobile home or camper van. Your October arrival may overlap with the end of the rugby world cup so there could be a shortage for the first few weeks but after that it should free-up quite well. 

In both NZ and Australia I stayed at motel type accommodation until a permanent solution came up, one benefit was that they got cleaned and changed out plus there were no utility bills to pay which meant I could use heat / air conditioning to my heart's content.


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## Addicted to NZ

I do not know what your plans are. How long term is long term?When you ask about savings....are you referring to RRSP's?

I can at least tell you what we did...

We shipped almost all our household items over to NZ (currently in storage in Auckland..approx $475 NZ/Month). We used Crown to ship our 40ft container from NB to NZ house at of cost of approx 19.5k Cnd (includes the 3k for insurance). This is door to door....with no surprise fees or charges. This doesn't cover any possible MAF fees (we only had 2 items....and told em..go ahead throw em out).

Why? We figured if we sold all our household items, we might get 1/4 what we paid for them...and then add the cost of buying in NZ. Then add the pressure of having to get rid of things (basically giving things away for free), as the leaving day gets closer. Even though we shipped almost our entire house...I was literally begging people to take stuff....or I would be throwing it out. Shipping your entire house over to NZ does create a little stress, cause there is huge check list of items you can and cannot bring into NZ (MAF concerns mostly).

For the electronics we have - Plasma TV, kitchen appliances, treadmill, shop power tools and other Home Theater devices. We picked up five 2000 Watt step down transformers (240/220V to 120/110V). These should ensure that the Canadian devices work. The problem we might run into is the 50Hz they use in NZ vs 60Hz in Canada...no one is sure if this will or will not cause the TV or Home Theater amps to not work quite right 

In regards to RRSP's, we collapsed ours and they deducted 15% for tax purposes (normally it is 25%, Tax Treaty with NZ). The cheque had to be sent to us in NZ (out of Canada in order to get 15%). You also have to be considered a non resident of Canada to get the lower deduction (supposedly in order to be able to get it, oddly we didn't have to produce any proof..other then getting cheque mailed to us here in NZ). It was a pleasant surprise when the company entered the country (that we lived in) the deduction on the employees screen automatically went to 15%...they couldn't deduct more even if they wanted to (system wouldn't let them). We stressed a little that they may insist taking 25%.

I should mention our accountant and financial adviser did not know about the 15%. But then again...they hadn't dealt with our situation. 

Revenue Canada has a Non Resident Tax Calculator

Hope this helps...these are the only things I can help with. Please note...I am no RRSP tax expert, but can only tell you our experience.


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## Darla.R

kiwigser said:


> Buy online and sell with NZ's #1 auction & classifieds site | Trade Me
> 
> Ikea have tried several times to get here, but potential traffic problems have caused planning issues


There's more to it than the traffic issues though isn't there. That's just the excuse that being used to keep them out, even though there's a Kea in the title. They've been trying for decades to get an Ikea into New Zealand, the whole country can't have traffic issues. I'm not sure that it would translate well to New Zealand anyway, with all that timber around why buy flat pack when you can buy solid wood well built furniture that will last for decades?


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## dawnclaremaddox

jb22 said:


> Thanks for the idea but I think we would like something more like a furnished apartment while we look for an apartment to rent, ideally in the city or close to public transportation to we can easily access various parts of the city to get a good sense of where we'd like to settle long term.


What about trying Backpackers? You would be meeting different people and getting different ideas and advice and it would be easier to swop if you didn't like your first choice. I don't know if it is the same with everyone of them, but usually long stays tend to be a different rate. Also, you would only have your food to pay for. Some places you can use washing machines free, otherwise it's about $4.00 ago and these are mainly the big toploaders.

We met all different ages (pensioners included) and nationalities when we were there last year and it's a good way to help find your feet. We stayed at all sorts of BP ranging from a huge Art Deco in the city, Scouts hut in 27 acres, house on the beach. We enjoyed them all and it gave us a good idea where and what sort of place we wanted to stay in when we get our final paperwork.

Hope this helps.


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## lisamct

Darla.R said:


> I'm not sure that it would translate well to New Zealand anyway, with all that timber around why buy flat pack when you can buy solid wood well built furniture that will last for decades?


Because some people dont want furniture that lasts for decades. I'll happily agree that Ikea isnt the best quality but it does mean that you can change the design of your rooms quickly and easily without being stuck with the same old, all be it solid timber 'quality' furniture' for years on end.


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## Darla.R

This is true and I do have a good mix of solid 'quality' and Ikea furniture in my present house. All have their place depending on where and how they are used.

I wouldn't be without my Billy bookcases or my NZ Rimu dining table. The childrens' rooms and the family room look like something out of an Ikea catalogue whilst mine doesn't have a single item. The kitchen however is full of all the Ikea gadgets that I can never resist buying everytime I visit.


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## lisamct

The only piece of furniture I brought with me from the Uk was a £9.99 Ikea table (was the only thing that would fit in my boxes!)

I'd give good money for some Billy bookcases rather than the crap Warehouse ones I have at the moment. I'm off to Sydney of Sunday for a few days...wonder if I could smuggle some back in my suitcase!


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## Darla.R

I used to travel over to Australia with the family and the minimum of luggage and bring back flat packs all the time, you might get a small bookcase in if you put it through the oversized/fragile baggage desk. I think the last long items I purchased were a 2 metre Tupplur blind and a rug.

Have a look on the Ikea site to get package dimensions, weights etc. and work out if you'd need to pay excess baggage and how much.


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## jb22

Thanks for the feedback guys, sorry for mentioning Ikea though, sounds like a sour subject! Kidding.

I would like some feedback as my wife and I are trying to arrange accommodations for 2-3 months when we initially arrive. I put an ad up on Craigslist and got a few responses, most seemed legit. One reply just seems to good to be true and I'd love some feedback. I'm not sure if I am witnessing some overly generous NZ hospitality and am just too jaded to believe it or if I'm walking into a scam.

It should be said that I've not committed to anything, just replied back asking for more info.

Any way, I got a response from someone offering a fully self contained apartment, fully furnished with utilities for only $450 per month...yes I confirmed they did not mean per week. The apartment is on White Street, City Center, Auckland, New Zealand 1010 (that's the address given). When I asked what they would need from us in regards to making arrangements for initial payment and bod I was answered with "All I want from you is send me your Booking Information for me to arrange on how to pick you up from Airport, to the apartment."

There were photos of the place attached and it looks like it should cost much more than $450 a month. Flags are raised on my end but I'd love some feedback before I reply.

Also, here's a tip to others looking to move to NZ - do not do it during a major rugby tournament because i can not find any places to stay in Auckland for the end of October! Seriously nothing is available. Maybe someone can recommend some nice park benches for my wife and I! Well it's not come to that yet but it really is mind blowing how nothing is available in a major city. I'm hoping that one of the long-terms options come through.


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## topcat83

jb22 said:


> Thanks for the feedback guys, sorry for mentioning Ikea though, sounds like a sour subject! Kidding.
> 
> I would like some feedback as my wife and I are trying to arrange accommodations for 2-3 months when we initially arrive. I put an ad up on Craigslist and got a few responses, most seemed legit. One reply just seems to good to be true and I'd love some feedback. I'm not sure if I am witnessing some overly generous NZ hospitality and am just too jaded to believe it or if I'm walking into a scam.
> 
> It should be said that I've not committed to anything, just replied back asking for more info.
> 
> Any way, I got a response from someone offering a fully self contained apartment, fully furnished with utilities for only $450 per month...yes I confirmed they did not mean per week. The apartment is on White Street, City Center, Auckland, New Zealand 1010 (that's the address given). When I asked what they would need from us in regards to making arrangements for initial payment and bod I was answered with "All I want from you is send me your Booking Information for me to arrange on how to pick you up from Airport, to the apartment."
> 
> There were photos of the place attached and it looks like it should cost much more than $450 a month. Flags are raised on my end but I'd love some feedback before I reply.
> 
> Also, here's a tip to others looking to move to NZ - do not do it during a major rugby tournament because i can not find any places to stay in Auckland for the end of October! Seriously nothing is available. Maybe someone can recommend some nice park benches for my wife and I! Well it's not come to that yet but it really is mind blowing how nothing is available in a major city. I'm hoping that one of the long-terms options come through.


You're right - it does seem remarkably cheap - even if it's just a studio apartment. I've not heard of any scams about. But I think I'd be nervous about signing anything without running it past a lawyer.


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## Darla.R

There are more scams about now than ever and you should be VERY careful not to part with a cent until you have the key to the apartment in your hand.

''Fake landlords trick renters in flat fraud" 

This is another warning

www.scamwarners.com • View topic - gumtree ads for rental flats - all SCAMS there are about 13 warnings on that site just for Auckland. If it sounds too good to be true, it isn't.

I advise you to go through a reputable agent and take on a short lease until you're properly settled and have sussed the place out.


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