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Thread: Trademe house rentals

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Christchurch
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    384

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    Using Trademe as our primary source - after we arrived - we looked at many homes before we found one suitable to rent. They all looked great in the pictures but most were completely unliveable by our standards. I must vote with the "no way I would rent without seeing in person" crowd.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Wellington > Scotland
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    156

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bozeman View Post
    I must vote with the "no way I would rent without seeing in person" crowd.
    I second this... and everyone else who has given advice to this effect. My hubby and I just went rental hunting in Dunedin as we're thinking of moving there. I thought I had picked out some 'good uns' to view from Trade Me, but UGH! Hopeless...

    The rental we're in at the moment in Wellington also suffers from winter damp plaugue syndrome. When we saw it last Sept it was a fairly warm pleasant day (and the landlords had picked an open home time at the best/maximum sun time of day)... so we didn't think twice about the lack of a central source of heating. It's a fantastic place in the summer. But after trying to heat using two small oil fin heaters (and a dehumidifier in the bedroom) for the last couple of months... I will be outta here well before next winter!

    Get yourself set up with at least 2/3 weeks of temp accommodation when you arrive, and then get out and about to view rentals. And make sure a heatpump or woodburner is high on the list of essentials (preferably both!)... It won't matter in summer, but boy will you thank yourself come winter.

    Good luck.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Wellington
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    1,870

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    Wooly_Cow is spot on. Stay in a motel / holiday home first, and look around when you get here.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Palmy- from US
    Posts
    2,516

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    I agree- stay in a motel/hotel then find a rental. It only took us one week to find a rental once we got here (we were searching in the middle of winter though, so that helped).

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Lancaster, UK
    Posts
    36

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    Thanks so much for all the advice - it's seems pretty unanimous

    We have booked a motel for the first week, but unfortunately that was all they had available - we had wanted to stay there for at least a fortnight but that isn't possible. I guess our first week will be a busy house hunting time. It sounds like we'll be able to register with Trademe (and other sites) once we're in NZ with the email addresses we have - thanks for the explanation Duncan

    So I'll just have to put up with the uncertainty of arriving with nowhere to live after a week. I had wanted to prepare my children a bit more by letting them know what school they'll go to - but won't know that until we know where we'll be living. I don't want to risk living in a hell hole though - I think that would be even worse than the uncertainty of not knowing where we're going to live. A small, damp, cramped home doesn't quite fit with my plans

    I'll also look at the relocation agents' websites - anyone got any experience of using one of these? I'm thinking expensive ???

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Edinburgh-London-Auckland
    Posts
    225

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    My personal experience of relocation agents is snotty so and so's who think you should be their number one priority! But then I have been on the receiving end of them with them demanding appointments to suit them. What it's like from a user perspective I'm not sure. I guess they can weed out the bad stuff for you but unless they are very good at what they and therefore really get a feel for you and what you want, I'm not sure if they are value for money as they are not cheap as far as I know!

    Most agents, myself included, use Trademe and realeatsate.co.nz. Agents have a nasty habit of ignoring your enquiries, don't be afraid to pester politely.

    You could always check out what's on realestate.co.nz and make enquiries from there, no NZ email address required. At the worst you can just find agency details from there and email directly.

    Most of all, good luck!

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Lancaster, UK
    Posts
    36

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    Thanks 925dancer - good to hear your perspective on this as a property manager. Perhaps when I move to Auckland you'll be one of the agents I come into contact with . I've already contacted a couple of agents who are sending me rental lists so that at least gives me an idea of the market, prices, house sizes etc. They don't seem to have a lot of 'detail' about each property though, even for houses that are for sale. As a buyer (I'll be renting to start with but then we plan to buy) I'll want measurements of rooms, even plans of the house - not just photos. Do estate agents only provide this to interested buyers or do they not provide them at all? Surely competition means that estate agents are competing for work? And the good ones will provide as much detail as they can??? Am I missing something?

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Edinburgh-London-Auckland
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    225

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    Can't speak for sales, I have no experience of that here.

    As for rentals and this is true in the UK too, turnover is generally so high that it would be a waste of time and resources to be providing plans and room sizes etc. Be prepared for agents to tell you to do a drive-by before making an appointment to show you through properly here, most adverts will have full addresses on them for precisely this purpose.

    It is unlikely I'll have anything for you, my portfolio is a shameful pile of poo that I am desperately trying to improve, get what I'm given and like it or lump it unfortunately. You could well deal with one of my colleagues though and without sounding too biased, we are one of the better agents in Auckland from both a landlord and tenant perspective. The other bonus with us is we are that rare agency that prefers periodic tenancies from the off, making it super flexible if you are looking to buy.

    Anyway, anything you want to know, give me a shout!

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Wellington
    Posts
    918

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    Quote Originally Posted by MandC View Post
    I'll also look at the relocation agents' websites - anyone got any experience of using one of these? I'm thinking expensive ???
    My new employer paid for my relocation agent who was excellent. Very helpful - showed me all the right houses (OK the first 4 were not to my taste but she found a perfect hosue for me on my first day out with her)....and now my wife is here they showed her round - all as part of the deal.

    If you are coming to Wellington I ca give you her name and contact details 9the company is Relocations International).

  10. #20
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Celaya, Mexico
    Posts
    368

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    Hi, I found the amount we paid for 10 days in a Motel galling when I compared it to how much a rent would cost, and the "uncertainty" of everything was incredibly hard. However, we stayed in the motel, camped out at the local library where I checked areas on the Internet, looked up schools then hopped on a bus to check them out. We decided to choose the school first (within reason, eg- commutable distance to OH's work) then the house. It took 10 days and my husband felt that was all too slow, but we found a great school the girls loved and no matter where else I went, I liked our area best of all. The house was not perfect, but fitted our budget and we lived happily for the year we were there.
    All I meant to say was:- don't try to do too much before you get to NZ, it's better to take things slower and "get them right" on the ground. Hope this helps....

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