# Furniture in NZ



## Vmorris22

This question is for everyone living in NZ already 

So, my husband and I do not have a whole lot of nice furniture. In fact, we plan on holding on to this "hand-me-down" furniture until we move. But I have read that furniture is quite expensive in NZ compared to the US. Some people advise to bring your furniture over, which would mean we would have to purchase new sturdy furniture. We also like to DIY our furniture, *so my question is*, how are the prices of timber/lumber in NZ? Is it going to cost way more than it's worth? Is it easily accessible to the public? 

Here's what I'm comparing it to: In my location, I could get a 2 x 6 x 12 for $8 USD ($10.25 NZD). Is that what it's like there? (ps. I tried looking online but it wouldn't show prices)

We could save so much money on shipping costs, if we could just build our own furniture there (not everything, but a lot).

I know its strange to ask, but I'm looking for alternatives here.


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## escapedtonz

Vmorris22 said:


> This question is for everyone living in NZ already
> 
> So, my husband and I do not have a whole lot of nice furniture. In fact, we plan on holding on to this "hand-me-down" furniture until we move. But I have read that furniture is quite expensive in NZ compared to the US. Some people advise to bring your furniture over, which would mean we would have to purchase new sturdy furniture. We also like to DIY our furniture, so my question is, how are the prices of timber/lumber in NZ? Is it going to cost way more than it's worth? Is it easily accessible to the public?
> 
> Here's what I'm comparing it to: In my location, I could get a 2 x 6 x 12 for $8 USD ($10.25 NZD). Is that what it's like there? (ps. I tried looking online but it wouldn't show prices)
> 
> We could save so much money on shipping costs, if we could just build our own furniture there (not everything, but a lot).
> 
> I know its strange to ask, but I'm looking for alternatives here.


Have a look on www.mitre10mega.co.nz and www.bunnings.co.nz. They should show prices on their websites for timber and sheets of mdf etc. These would be your high street stores for diy stuff.
You also don't state any units in your measurements. All metric here so mm/cm/Metre. Unfortunately don't do feet & inches ?


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## Vmorris22

Oh sorry, I completely forgot about units. Yes it's inches. I'm not sure how lumber is measured elsewhere. America sure likes to go against the grain. Anyways, I think the websites will suffice. Thank you!


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## Kimbella

Vmorris22 said:


> This question is for everyone living in NZ already
> 
> So, my husband and I do not have a whole lot of nice furniture. In fact, we plan on holding on to this "hand-me-down" furniture until we move. But I have read that furniture is quite expensive in NZ compared to the US. Some people advise to bring your furniture over, which would mean we would have to purchase new sturdy furniture. We also like to DIY our furniture, *so my question is*, how are the prices of timber/lumber in NZ? Is it going to cost way more than it's worth? Is it easily accessible to the public?
> 
> Here's what I'm comparing it to: In my location, I could get a 2 x 6 x 12 for $8 USD ($10.25 NZD). Is that what it's like there? (ps. I tried looking online but it wouldn't show prices)
> 
> We could save so much money on shipping costs, if we could just build our own furniture there (not everything, but a lot).
> 
> I know its strange to ask, but I'm looking for alternatives here.


If you are having trouble with NZ websites loading for you, you can download a HOLA, a browser plug in which will "hide" the region you're in, and provide your IP address from a country of your choosing (ie, you can choose to have your IP showing as a NZ IP, which should allow for full viewing of just about any NZ website).


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## Vmorris22

Kimbella said:


> If you are having trouble with NZ websites loading for you, you can download a HOLA, a browser plug in which will "hide" the region you're in, and provide your IP address from a country of your choosing (ie, you can choose to have your IP showing as a NZ IP, which should allow for full viewing of just about any NZ website).


Score! I had no idea that was a thing! Thank you. And yes I was having trouble. It kept wanting to use my location... which is not in NZ, ha.


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## Kimbella

Vmorris22 said:


> Score! I had no idea that was a thing! Thank you. And yes I was having trouble. It kept wanting to use my location... which is not in NZ, ha.


Totally welcome! I'd suggest using Hola to make a TradeMe account so you can log on and check out the prices of stuff to get an idea of what used things go for here. Also, I'd make arrangements with a family member or close friend to allow you to have a Netflix profile on their account so you have decent TV to watch. SkyTV, the equivalent to cable/satellite, is quite expensive. Hola allows us to watch free Netflix (through a family account), to which we added Hulu, and a free Channel4 (UK station), so that we can view things at the same time as most of the rest of the world (lots of stuff gets broadcast last down here, if at all). I would also make arrangements with a family member or friend, to designate them as you "care package" person -- someone willing to have you ship Walmart, Amazon, Gap, Old Navy, High Sierra, etc., items to their address, and they in turn pack it up and ship it to you in NZ! My mother, and my best friend both do this. I have had clothes, electronics, spices, hair care items, boxed foods, jewelry, candy, shoes, etc., all shipped to me over the last 3+ years. Sometimes because their just isn't much selection here (clothes/shoes/spices), sometimes simply because the price difference is huge, even taking into account the exchange rate, and card fees. I pay people back for the shipping by transferring funds via PayPal -- my NZ PayPal account is attached to my NZ bank card, their US account is attached to their bank accounts, so once I've sent funds (and you can send in either NZD or USD), they just "withdraw" it to their bank account directly. A decently large box is about $70USD to ship via standard mail (don't do the standard flat rate international shipping w/free boxes, it's a TOTAL rip-off!) Have your people use a box of their own choosing -- mine usually use one of the boxes the stuff I've ordered has come in-- and use standard First Class international shipping. If they have a postal scale at home, they can weight it there, pay for the postage there -- and get a 10% discount -- print postage out there, AND arrange for it to be picked up right from their home for free ... check out the USPS website for more details. 

Ok, I've gone off on a tangent, sorry! Hopefully this information will be useful as well!


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## Vmorris22

Wonderful advice! I was curious how I would get over my Amazon addiction--looks like I don't have to! One more question. How do you keep in contact with family at home? Do you have a special phone plan, or do you use something free like Skype, Facebook Message, or Viber? Did you switch to a NZ number almost immediately?


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## Kimbella

Vmorris22 said:


> Wonderful advice! I was curious how I would get over my Amazon addiction--looks like I don't have to! One more question. How do you keep in contact with family at home? Do you have a special phone plan, or do you use something free like Skype, Facebook Message, or Viber? Did you switch to a NZ number almost immediately?


I use Skype, Facebook, and Messenger, and always seem to be able to make quick contact. Skype will work for just regular phone calls (outgoing) if you simply add some credit to your account. 
I did switch to a NZ mobile phone straight away, my husband (boyfriend at the time), prepurchased a SIM card with an NZ number before I moved here, then we went out the first week and bought a budget Samsung smart-phone and popped the SIM card in! I kept my MetroPCS phone for when I visit the states, which is VERY handy--I can reactivate it with unlimited international calling for an extra $10 a month--that's hard to beat when you want to call your kiwi family/friends on the go! 

Just an FYI, I went through online shopping withdrawals because of the dearth of vendors here that operate that way, so prepare yourself... it is truly nothing like the US here, so throw out everything you know and prepare yourself for a complete change in thinking and doing.  I think you mentioned before your boyfriend or husband has been here....unless he has LIVED here, there's simply no way to imagine what it will be like. 

The things I've found most difficult is how incredibly poor the housing here is (seriously, unless you are coming here super wealthy and can afford a new/newish home) --nothing is going to prepare you for what the "average" kiwi is willing to accept as a 'home." We are considered upper middle class by NZ standards, and we live in a better than average character home (many houses in NZ are old, simply because there's limited land to build on since it's an island). The house has insulation in the ceilings, and the average temp inside in winter is 10 to 12C (50 to 53F). In rooms that remain mostly closed off, it is about 8C (46F). Even in a better than average home, I still have to scrub the walls twice a year to get rid of the mould (very common in most parts of the country), AND you will need to periodically open windows and closet doors to minimize the overall mouldiness in the home--clothes will still mould, leather especially; and kitchens are extremely small with very limited cupboard space (for the most part--again, there are always exceptions, but this IS the average I'm speaking of). Central heating is a non-concept here, despite the rest of the modern world embracing it. Kiwis have a bit of a strange mentality when it comes to upgrading to modernity, it is often mocked or viewed as though someone isn't "hard enough" to handle the elements. Personally, I think it's bat**** nuts to not welcome modern conveniences, but for whatever reason, a lot of the kiwi culture seems to find "nobility" in that sort of stoicism. Oddly, nearly every house will have a freaking heated towel bar, but not whole house heating...
So, I'd say 90% (or more) of homes won't have central heating, so you'll have either a heat pump (imagine a giant space heater mounted on the wall) that will heat a large communal room (like a living room and maybe attached dining room depending on the heat pump size); smaller space heaters for individual bedrooms, bathrooms, and perhaps a gas-fire (I don't recommend since they really throw off a ton of moisture, and sometimes fumes); or a fireplace, or maybe ceramic panel heaters on a wall or two.... whatever your heating is, you will find it grossly inadequate compared to US standards. And, I mean that seriously. I finally bought an electric blanket (it would be considered a heated mattress pad in the US as it goes on the mattress, under the bottom sheet), and it's been a god-send for me this last winter. I switch it on an hour before bed, and melt right into the sheets at night!
The other huge thing that drives me nuts is they don't have window screens here, especially in the rental market, and they have giant bottle flies here that love to fly right in and say hi! I honestly thought this wasn't going to be a big deal until I moved here and now chase about 20 flies a day outside during different parts of the year (some times are worse than others). It's a real pain in the ass when it's hot outside, and your windows are open, and you've got food you'd like to leave on the counter.... ugh.

Anyway, another tangent. Perhaps all this will lead to other unasked questions, I guess!


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## Vmorris22

Haha, no this is good! I NEED to hear all this to prepare my mentality somewhat. I can't stand it when people (Americans mainly) move/go to other countries and expect it to be exactly like home. No, I know better than that. I'm not going to force another culture to convert to what I'm used to. But I totally understand getting bummed out about not having insulation or central heating, that sounds just silly. And no, we aren't wealthy so most likely I will have to deal with these issues in the future! You're right, you have developed new questions! (By the way, thank you SO much for taking the time to answer these silly questions--they really help)
If you could move all over again (I can hear you shutter, ha) what would you bring with you? I'm assuming extra blankets, clothes, books...what else would benefit us to adjusting better and more cost effectively? Also, did you sell all your American appliances and buy new ones in NZ, or did you keep your appliances and try to hook them up to a converter box? I have a really nice kitchen aid mixer and food processor and dyson vacuum that I would be sad to let go (although friends and family would be more than happy to take those items ;-) )


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## Kimbella

Vmorris22 said:


> Haha, no this is good! I NEED to hear all this to prepare my mentality somewhat. I can't stand it when people (Americans mainly) move/go to other countries and expect it to be exactly like home. No, I know better than that. I'm not going to force another culture to convert to what I'm used to. But I totally understand getting bummed out about not having insulation or central heating, that sounds just silly. And no, we aren't wealthy so most likely I will have to deal with these issues in the future! You're right, you have developed new questions! (By the way, thank you SO much for taking the time to answer these silly questions--they really help)
> If you could move all over again (I can hear you shutter, ha) what would you bring with you? I'm assuming extra blankets, clothes, books...what else would benefit us to adjusting better and more cost effectively? Also, did you sell all your American appliances and buy new ones in NZ, or did you keep your appliances and try to hook them up to a converter box? I have a really nice kitchen aid mixer and food processor and dyson vacuum that I would be sad to let go (although friends and family would be more than happy to take those items ;-) )[/QUOTE
> 
> Anything I can do to help flesh things out for you more. It's a big (and potentially expensive move), and you need to have a "true" idea of what you're getting in to, before you make the final decision.
> To be honest, for me, if I had to do it all over, I wouldn't move to NZ, but would instead go to Australia. Coming from California, with a consistently warm climate, and huge arts and culture sector, NZ, after the newness has worn off, feels very small, insular, and the climate is just cold more often than not (for me)!! But, that is *just* me, and everyone's experiences are different in terms of what makes them most content in life. My life here is definitely NOT bad, far from it, in fact, but we're all human, and we miss the things we miss.
> 
> However, to answer your question w/o my own spin, if I had to do NZ all over again, I would bring everything I already did, plus more clothes and linens.
> 
> I moved from a 3 bed/2bath home, so pared my items down by about 2/3. The things I kept were my kitchen appliances (mixer, cuisinart blender/food processor); my Wii and all the games, two bed frames (one wrought iron, one cherry-wood with full headboard/footboard/side rails), a very large bombay chest, a tall-boy dresser, two large bookshelves, bar stools, an un-assembled Ikea sideboard table that has wound up being my kitchen counter-top. I also brought all of my kitchen cookwares: pots/pans, fancy plate sets, party serving platters, etc. I brought linens, feather pillow, clothes, etc. In short, I brought just about everything you would need to live comfortably, I just brought less than what I owned. I brought almost all of my "living" furniture, but left behind my awesome suede couch for fear it would put me over my CF -- I WOULD totally bring that couch if I could do it over!!!
> 
> You can definitely use your small appliances if you purchase the right voltage converter. I bought two off Amazon that were something like $20 or $30 and they haven't failed me in over three years. I don't know that the vacuum will make it through customs, you'll need to read up. I sort of recall reading something about vacuums being a tricky item, something to do with the dirt in them, probably. The vacuums here are primarily the canister type that you pull behind you, which I can't stand, just too clumsy for me. So, I went online and found an upright like I'm used to. No biggie, but some of the changes in store for you won't be known until you're in the thick of it!
> 
> I did not bring large appliances, they just take up too much space. I bought new when we upgraded from my husbands hand-me downs. Both washers and dryers here are much smaller than US sized ones, and dryers don't dry as well--period. They vent on the front-door of the dryer, so your wash-room will be extremely damp and moist when you're using it. I don't know why it isn't standard to vent outside, given how much moisture the homes here already have in them... sigh. Some things are just a mystery. Most people use wash lines to line-dry their clothes, also, dryer sheets are fairly rare, and when you do find them, they cost a good penny (I splurge since the line-drying tends to make my clothes feel stiff and scratchy).
> 
> Anywho.... hopefully I'm still helping!


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## Vmorris22

We considered Australia, and still do, but I am concerned about the spiders. I am a HUGE arachnophob. Which is kinda of funny because Oklahoma is covered in just about anything unpleasant; but I think the size and scariness of them make me want to run from the idea. Ha. I may just be acting like a baby though. But the company my husband works for (GE) is in both Au and NZ. I will look in it as well. I think we are leaning more towards NZ for the lifestyle though. We LOVE mountains, oceans, hills, hiking, biking, camping, hunting, farming, etc. You can only get so much of that in OK. Also, I'm not concerned about the weather being from OK (imagine extreme everything ALL the time...like this week it was 70F on Monday, and 31F on Tuesday--I kid you not); I can imagine the difference from Cali though! In fact, NZ is a step UP from OK haha. But seriously. 

Oh it is such a relief that I can bring my small kitchen appliances! I would cry if I had to let go of those items. We would also bring a Wii, sewing machines (I own a business), and my computer. Our tvs suck, so I don't know if I want to even bother. We don't watch tv unless it's on netflix or hulu, and even then we just watch it on the laptop. 

Wow, ok! So you're coming from a much bigger home and 2/3 of your stuff fit in 250 cf? Nice! I talked to my husband about all this last night and he agreed we should "invest" in some nice furniture before we move, maybe some small couches and new dressers. We already have a nice desk, sewing table, and crib for future babes. Other than that, we don't use much. We could probably get away with less than 250cf. You said vacuums may not be allowed...where do I find the guidelines/rules on what we can bring and what we cannot bring? I have already read about opened food and unclean outside items... 

Did you bring any pets with you? We have two cats and I got a quote from a company for $2k USD just for two small kitties! Yikes! I hope they die before then (sorry that sounds really morbid) because I couldn't bear leaving them behind. But I don't think they are worth $2k + whatever other fees! 

We could probably switch this over to email now! Ha, I don't want to be boring other people.  Thanks Kim, you rock!


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