The Stages of Moving - How Did You Do It?

[Keefy]

Hey Guys

We've started to think about physically moving, and we have a number of options open to us. I wondered how you guys made the move, and the positive and negatives you found?

We will be a family of five, kids will be about 4 months, 2 years and 4 years.

Options open to us are;
1. We attempt to sort a job from the UK and all fly out when my wife has a job offer.
2. My wife flies out with our youngest to sort work and living. Me and my older two would then follow once she has work.
3. We sell everything, all jump on a plane, and deal with jobs and accommodation once we land.

Thanks for your input and feedback

Keefy

[Familyofmonkeys]

We moved over in 2007 with very similar aged kids....4, 2 and 3 months at the time.

I would never consider moving halfway around the world without a firm job offer arranged, as well as a months temporary acommodation and a hire vehicle large enough to take car seats for all 3 kids. This is especially the case with the economy having taken a serious downturn since we arrived 6 years ago.

Logistically speaking it was actually pretty straighforward arranging the move, once we'd got the above in place. We arranged the cheapest flights we could with a decent airline, had a minibus taxi waiting for us at the airport when we arrived....don't underestimate how much room 3 kids, carseats, pushchairs and 5 x suitcases will take up. We had a bank account set up with funds transferred before we left the UK, so it was simply a case of popping into the bank to pick up and sign cards on our first day in NZ. We bought a car within the first 2 weeks and our main priority during the first couple of weeks was to arrange more permanent accommodation...so either don't arrange to start work immediately or alternatively make sure your new employer allows you to work flexibly in order to view prospective rental houses and rental agents. Once we'd sorted a rental we arranged to hire furniture and white goods for a few weeks from DTR ( http://www.dtr.co.nz/ ) until the container arrived with our stuff. On that note, I would bring everything. The cost of replacing items here is far more than it would be in the UK....even little things like tea towels, kitchen utensils etc add up, not to mention the actual time you would waste going from one shop to another trying to find everything you need. It's not like the UK where you can pick up a lot of basics household goods in a supermarket.

[Mamee & Co]

We did no3. We were in possession of skilled migrant visas, in the days before you needed quite as many points as now. We sold the house, stuck our possessions and a car in a container, dog and cat to the pet shippers and caught a plane with our twin 8 year olds the day our house settled!

Pre landing we had booked a motel for 4 nights in town and furnished accomodation for a month outside town. We bought a car on day 3 and sorted out long term accomodation/school etc. in the first month. Got a job about 2 months in, during a quiet period for my profession...never looked back!

I would say it depends upon how much capital you have, job availability in your wife's profession(eg taking your youngest and finding childcare for b interviews may be hard, unless you already have friends and family out there), and your attitude to risk.

We knew we had financial security for a number of years (though our house would grow smaller as our capital drained) but this made it an OK risk for us to take. It is different for everyone....

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[kiwihusker]

It totally depends on how what you are comfortable with. I needed to have some sort of job lined up. I had the opportunity to work contract with my US company for 3 months when I moved here so that was enough for me to get us here and then I found a job. I had 3 weeks between jobs which was a nice break. Prior to kids my husband and I would have sold everything and moved and just winged it. But once we had kids our attitudes changed...but that is just us. Best of luck to you and keep us posted. Hope it all works out.