Winter in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch

[Jsquare]

Having lived in Christchurch and Wellington I would say that Christchurch is more bearable. It's probably very slightly colder than Wellington on average, but it's more consistent - Wellington is all over the place weather-wise.

Thank you Karoro. I am liking what I am hearing about Christchurch and it has just gone up my list

[jawnbc]

Seven Auckland winters from Vancouver Canada. Frost on the car windscreen maybe 3 or 4 times across those years. Often down to around 5C in winter, but it's a damp cold and very chilling.

[JandM]

Seven... My goodness, how time flies!

[Jsquare]

Seven Auckland winters from Vancouver Canada. Frost on the car windscreen maybe 3 or 4 times across those years. Often down to around 5C in winter, but it's a damp cold and very chilling.

Gosh! If Auckland is already like this, I cannot imagine Christchurch or any place in the South!

[newarrival]

Gosh! If Auckland is already like this, I cannot imagine Christchurch or any place in the South!

The difference might just be in the 'feel' of the cold- Auckland has a lot more humidity than places in the South like Central Otago, or the Marlborough/ Tasman area. So it might be colder from a pure number, but feels less chilly still.

[Jsquare]

That's a good point, newarrival

[JandM]

The difference might just be in the 'feel' of the cold- Auckland has a lot more humidity than places in the South like Central Otago, or the Marlborough/ Tasman area. So it might be colder from a pure number, but feels less chilly still.

That's right. And you learn to dress, and live, for the cold/damp and how you're feeling it. People use several, thinner, layers of clothing, so they can put them on and off in response to the surrounding conditions - the sun in or out, the room you're in having been heated or not, etc.. And here is an old post from me about sleeping in an unheated house. https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread...674#post429674 And posts 42 and 44 here about taking baths. https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=26195&page=5

But of course, best of all, have a house WITH insulation. Those hints just show that there are ways of managing.

[Jsquare]

That's right. And you learn to dress, and live, for the cold/damp and how you're feeling it. People use several, thinner, layers of clothing, so they can put them on and off in response to the surrounding conditions - the sun in or out, the room you're in having been heated or not, etc.. And here is an old post from me about sleeping in an unheated house. https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread...674#post429674 And posts 42 and 44 here about taking baths. https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=26195&page=5

But of course, best of all, have a house WITH insulation. Those hints just show that there are ways of managing.

Hi JandM, thank you for your advice. Any idea what is the price range to expect for renting a house with good insulation?

And if we are unsure of how to check a house for insulation, can we trust the landlord for what he/she claims? Or is there someone we should hire to do an independent check for us?

[JandM]

I'll let someone who is in NZ right now answer this. We never got there to live, as INZ changed the requirements so we would never have matched them.

[newarrival]

Hi JandM, thank you for your advice. Any idea what is the price range to expect for renting a house with good insulation?

And if we are unsure of how to check a house for insulation, can we trust the landlord for what he/she claims? Or is there someone we should hire to do an independent check for us?

The price range will vary widely due to where you are looking for a place, so probably the best idea would be to have a look at Trademe real estate, search for rentals and the amount of bedrooms you're looking for, that should give you an indication. The newer the house/ apartment (in the case of Auckland or Wellington there might be apartments, depending on the location), the greater the chance of it being insulated.