We have been in NZ for 7 days and have had perhaps the best, perhaps the worst week of our lives.
In this period of unprecedented change for Christchurch the cracks are showing; both literally and figuratively. This week we have been at the receiving end of the very best of human nature from people experiencing some of the worst pressures of 21st century life. We've also met lots of estate agents.
Our timeline started 2 years ago when we decided on Christchurch. We had visited it before and knew that we wanted to live there. I had met with potential employers and was confident that I could find a job there. We got PR through SMC, packed up our UK lives, resigned our jobs and headed for NZ. Mid-way through this the Christchurch earthquake struck after which a few people questioned whether we should continue. My view was that as long as there was viable employment and we were bringing money and skills to the city then there was no reason to change plans.
So we arrived last weekend and I had my first job interview on Monday. It was a perfect match and within 24 hours I was offered the job. Within 48 hours the paperwork was signed and I am due to start work this coming Monday morning. My team is a great group of people and I'm really looking forward to getting started. Life never felt so good.
On Tuesday we started the search for a rental. Obviously property is in very short supply and we knew that we'd need to learn the system fast. The problem is that in post-quake Christchurch the rules have changed. After a 5 day crash course here's my take on the NZ rental system Christchurch stylee...
1. Get a mobile phone. It's not possible to participate in the Christchurch rental search without one. We bought a 2-Degree pre-pay card for $25 ($5 for the card + $20 credit). They are available in many electrical shops and supermarkets and there are also dedicated 2-Degree shops. Just buy one and pop it into an unlocked phone and it will work immediately. Don't ask for "pay as you go" as that term is not used here.
2. Get a rental car. You'll see from later rules that a car (or the ability to cycle very fast) is the only way to achieve the challenges that estate agents will set you.
3. There is probably nothing to be gained from visiting estate agents offices. It cost us 2 valuable days to learn that rule. The only place to find Christchurch rental properties is on trademe.co.nz between the hours of 08:00 - 10:00. This goes against conventional wisom, but there is little to be gained from forming a relationship with an agent and expecting them to give you properties before they are published. It no longer works like that. Everyone uses trademe and it is irrelevant which agent they are listed under. We started at 08:00 each morning when the agents and private landlords post fresh properties on trademe. We sat in the motel room and scanned the listings for our target areas and once we had a list of candidate properties we hit the phone. Here's how it works: the agent does not want to chat with you and will only want 3 things; you name, mobile number and the property you are interested in. They may then advise you of a 15 minute slot when everyone will view the property together. The slot will occur at some point in the next 48 hours and you can take it or leave it. There are no individual viewings.
4. Once you have achieved several bookings it's time to hit the road. Throughout the day calls and texts will continue to come in as agents advise you of revised viewing slots. Divide the workload of driving, map reading and call taking between you and a partner if possible. We were often faced with tactical re-routing decisions as the day progressed.
5. Accept that if you are trying to find property within a week then it is a full time job. There is no time to buy a car (see rule 2) or get a job (unless you are very, very lucky). We did find time to activate our bank account and we were fortunate to meet an utterly charming banking advisor who was genuinely interested in us. She spent time giving us her views on the different areas of our Christchurch search. She is an example of the very best of human nature referred to earlier.
6. Estate agents serve no purpose other than to marshal paperwork between clients and landlords and to obscure pertinent facts when it helps them.
7. When you arrive at the property there will be an uneasy huddle of viewers waiting for the agent to arrive. When the agent arrives they open the door and everyone has a look around. You have 15 minutes. Generally the agent knows nothing more about the property than is published on trademe. If you are interested in renting it then you take a "Tenant Information Form" from the agent. Everyone leaves and heads for the next property.
8. Each agent has their own "Tenant Information Form". Some agents require a form to be filled in for each adult who will live in the property, while others only require one form per family. You will have a do a complete form for each property you are interested in. The agents do not keep you "on file" for the next property. The form asks for name, contact details, passport number, contact details of referees, employers details, details of the property you want to rent and you also need to calculate the cost of the rent, bond, fee and GST etc for the agent. Some agents have a box which you must tick consenting that you will pay for the credit check (be mindful of this - more later).
9. At the viewing the agent will tell you when the form must be submitted by (usually within 24 hours). For some agents it must be submitted as an original (incurring more en-route detours the following day), but most now seem to accept a scan via email (you did equip yourself with a scanner in your motel room didn't you?). At the deadline the agent will paper-sift the applications and pass the qualifying ones to the landlord who will make the final decision. You are then informed within 24 hours whether you have won. You are not informed if you didn't win.
10. Remember the note about the consent to pay for the credit check? The rules of the game practically ensure that you are going to make multiple applications. In theory the agent could come back and ask you to pay for a credit check on a property that you had almost forgotten that you applied for. To be fair, I have only seen that tick-box on one agent's form.
11. During this week I have dealt with a couple of private landlords. This seems to be a more efficient process. They still do the 15 minute group viewing thing, but they actually have a vested interest in getting to know you as a prospective tenant. They also know important information about the property. There's also the matter of 1 week's rent + GST that you no longer need to pay the agent for their services.
12. A bizarre thing happens on Saturday mornings. Some agents completely change the rules and are willing to give you the keys for 1 hour to view selected properties on your own. This is a golden opportunity to get a feel for a property. You'll need to figure out which agents are willing to do this. Some will baulk at the idea while others are ok with it.
By Saturday lunchtime we had completed week one in NZ by attending our 25th viewing and by the evening had submitted 3 serious applications to be processed early next week. We have booked a second week in the motel and Mrs RR will continue scanning tradme while I get the easy option (starting the new job). If we get chosen to rent a property then we can enjoy beginning to settle down and exploring this beautiful country. If we don't get chosen then I'm going to have to politely ask my employer for some unpaid leave so that we can do the whole rental-race thing again.
Over the years Mrs RR and I have been around life's block and have seen some stuff around the world, but this first week in Christchurch has been a new one for us. Throughout this week I've been conscious that some of the people we've been "competing against" are doing it because their homes have crumbled while we've been doing it for "fun". Whether that's ok is a matter of opinion. We're here to contribute and I am comfortable with that.
It's been a crazy, exhausting, enlightening and at times frustrating week. We've learnt a new vocabulary and scratched the surface of a new culture. Mrs RR and I have proven our ability to work as a team and I now know the Christchurch street plan like the back of my hand. We have met dozens of fantastic, generous, easy-going, polite, patient and helpful people. And as I said beofre we've also met many estate agents.
Has it been the best or the worst week of our lives? Reflecting on the past week confirms just how fantastically privileged we are to have made it here to NZ and just how good it is to be alive. For that reason alone it has surely been the best week of our lives.
RR