# Rental House essentials?



## paisleypark (Mar 9, 2010)

Hi,

Are there any recommendations when looking for a house in Wellington?

Air conditioner?
Ducted heating?
Fireplace?
North, South, east, West facing?
valley or hill?

any tips in general are welcome 

thank you for everyone's great support !!


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

paisleypark said:


> Hi,
> 
> Are there any recommendations when looking for a house in Wellington?
> 
> ...


Hey guys,

Whatever you do, please make sure you go round to the house to check out the local area and immediate surroundings of the properties. Estate Agents are very good at taking the perfect photo that hides a multitude of sins!!!

We haven't got air conditioning and I doubt you'll need it so long as you have opening windows.
Its not that humid in Wellington 
Would be a nice extravagance but costly all the same. You could always just sit in the car with the air con on to cool down ha ha!

Heating is a must, but what is more important is good insulation and good windows.
We are renting a 290 sq M home with ducted heating, insulated to the new building regs. and double glazed but compared to our house in the UK it is appallingly bad.
We have wasted so much money on heating its a joke.
Ducted heated air just doesn't work that well, the double glazed windows are rubbish. Aluminium frames and regularly covered in condensation, oh and the walls are so thin the insulation is neither use nor ornament. Just timber frame with a covering of weatherboard and insulation in between the timber struts.
We try so hard not to use the heating but we generally pay $400 - $600 a month in winter to keep the open plan lounge/diner/kitchen warm.
No heating in the open hallway/landing, downstairs toilet or laundry so they are always freezing.
Under floor heating in bathrooms is a waste of time. Takes 30 mins to heat up then you only spend 5 minutes in there!!!

We don't have a fireplace but I'd recommend finding a rental that has a wood burner as they are so warm and the only cost is the logs to burn and maybe some firefighters. There's always deals to be had on trailer loads of ready split logs for the fire.

If you want all day sun I think the general rule is a South facing garden, but I must admit we've never even considered that.

We're on the side of a hill and high up. Wouldn't recommend being so high up. We do suffer from bad weather often - lashing rain and very blustery wind when the valley below is clear.
I'd keep to slightly above sea level and in a valley.
We have many friends in the Hutt Valley and the weather they experience is so much milder than what we get 10km away on the hills at Churton Park.

Also, don't sign up for too long a rental contract. 6 months max I'd say.
Always negotiate on the price (depending on where the house is located) as often you can force a discount since there's so many rentals available and not the competition.

Regards,


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## paisleypark (Mar 9, 2010)

Hi,

Thank you for the feedback, just a few questions:
- why did you mention a 6 month lease instead of the usual 12 month? doesn't 12 month guarantee a static monthly fee for those 12 months?

We are going to explore the different areas this weekend !!


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

paisleypark said:


> Hi,
> 
> Thank you for the feedback, just a few questions:
> - why did you mention a 6 month lease instead of the usual 12 month? doesn't 12 month guarantee a static monthly fee for those 12 months?
> ...


Initially I'd go for 6 months. 
If you don't know the area etc 12 months + is a long time to commit, especially if it turns out not to be the place for you after a few weeks.

As soon as you sign a rental contract you are tied in to that contract and responsible to repay the weekly rent for the time of that contract.
If you want out, legally you don't have many options.
Yes signing for 12 months will fix your rental payments but as I say you must pay for that 12 months even if you decide you don't like the house after a few months or you have a bad neighbour or you simply find somewhere better.

You could always work out an agreement with your landlord to extend your contract length subject to experiencing life in that house for a few months?
May be a bit more difficult if you rent via an agent.

Wish we had done it. 
We struggled to find somewhere in the short space of time we had to secure an unfurnished rental.
When we dropped on our current rental (2yr old new build to the new house build regs) we signed for 2 years so we had security and the knowledge the rent wouldn't rise and in hindsight wished we hadn't.
It's too big, expensive to heat, cold cold cold in many parts where is no heating, to much glass, atrocious quality.
If we'd have done 6 months initially we would have left by now to find somewhere better!!!

Our own stupid fault signing up for so long.

Let me know if you need any more advice on areas after exploring.


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## paisleypark (Mar 9, 2010)

I see your point, thank you. 

Yes, let us get a good feel for the areas this weekend, more questions will most likely follow


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## anski (Aug 17, 2008)

North/East facing is best for warmth. We are in the Southern Hemisphere so the opposite of the Northern Hemisphere applies.


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## NZCowboy (May 11, 2009)

Why have a fixed term tenancy? There is more flexibility in a Periodic tenancy

Periodic tenancies are ongoing tenancies of no fixed length that can be ended by giving notice.

In most situations, a tenant must give 21 days’ notice in writing, and a landlord must give 90 days’ notice in writing.


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

NZCowboy said:


> Why have a fixed term tenancy? There is more flexibility in a Periodic tenancy
> 
> Periodic tenancies are ongoing tenancies of no fixed length that can be ended by giving notice.
> 
> In most situations, a tenant must give 21 days’ notice in writing, and a landlord must give 90 days’ notice in writing.


This does limit your choice of properties though. As a landlord I would not agree to a periodic tenancy until a tenant had been in the property for at least a 6 month fixed tenancy. It costs me money each time a tenant moves on.


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

NZCowboy said:


> Why have a fixed term tenancy? There is more flexibility in a Periodic tenancy
> 
> Periodic tenancies are ongoing tenancies of no fixed length that can be ended by giving notice.
> 
> In most situations, a tenant must give 21 days’ notice in writing, and a landlord must give 90 days’ notice in writing.


You would really struggle or more to the point, never find a landlord offering a property for a periodic tenancy.
Usual minimum is 6 months and tenancy law states that at the end of any fixed term contract the agreement reverts to a periodic tenancy.

I am a landlord and I would not offer anyone a periodic tenancy straight off. Minimum 12 months for a new tenant then they can progress to a periodic tenancy after that period (unless I find another tenant willing to sign up for another 12 months).


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