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Thread: Auckland - Dreadful Houses. Am I the only one???

  1. #11
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    Oct 2004
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    auckland
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    Thanks for the comments...it helps a little to know that others feel the way I do. I must say that the whole housing thing has put such a dampener (pardon the pun!) on everything that I am finding it very difficult to settle now and I am feeling very depressed!! I never dreamed I would wish to be back in UK but my beautiful brick, solidly built in the 50's house just seems soooo enticing now. Trouble is, we've lost sooo much money with the move, the bad exchange rate etc. that we'd never be able to buy something like that again if we went back.....

    Sorry to be a damp squib but hopefully anyone thinking of coming out will read this and come in with their eyes a little more open than we did!!!

  2. #12
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    Nov 2004
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    Don't give up yet. There are some brick houses around, even saw a couple of them being built today on the land at Albany Basin.

    Would it be possible for you to have one built? There are quite a lot of cheap sections around Albany.

    Failing that take a look around The Oaks and Schnapper Rock.

    Or have you already done that?

    Be brave with the exchange rate, another 6 months and it will be back in our favour, plus houses will be a lot cheaper by then. Take a look at the westpac economic reports.

  3. #13
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    Oct 2004
    Location
    auckland
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    Thanks Toots...but you're only making me feel worse!!!

    We have already sunk our money into the house we've bought here in Browns Bay (some brick but a lot of plaster!!) as we couldn't find anywhere decent to rent and we had to find something fast! We paid well over the odds for it as we were so desperate, so when the house prices go down later on we will only lose more money when we go to sell!!

    We did look at Schnapper Rock but were tied to this area for my son's college, Rangitoto. I am trying to focus on the positive side of things. This house is dry, clean, elevated and has sea views, but it feels so small compared to others we've seen and I'm sure we won't get back anything like what we paid for it.

    Sorry to sound so pathetic, but I have been making myself ill with the stress and worry of it all. Anyway, I am trying to focus on the positive side of things and thinking of this as a temporary place until my son finishes college. Hopefully, by the end of next year we will have had time to look around more and look at some better alternatives. It is just very hard at the moment to feel positive......I have never felt so depressed in my life!!

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
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    christchurch (formerly essex)
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    Hiya, I know its a trite thing to say and I am not at all religious but some times it helps to stop and count your blessings and smell the flowers.

    Are yourselves and your family healthy....
    you've said yourself you're warm and dry...
    you've enough to feed yourselves...
    and Summer is coming, flowers are out and birds twittering etc...get outside.

    When all is said and done its only money that you MAY be out so just let it go, whats done is done and just go forward and banish the negative thoughts.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Chrissy Oh, no!

    I hear Rangi college is a very good school, is he enjoying it there? My daughter is going into Northcross after Christmas and counting down the days, can't wait to go.

    At least some brick is better than no brick at all. However, houses in the Rangi zone will always attract a premium and are sought after by many immigrants. (Our street is out-of-zone, so houses here don't seem to be selling well) you have "Location, location, location" plus sea views.

    When the time comes give the place the "showhome" treatment and it should be fine. :hopeso

    I think the difference in houses between here and home just distills the feelings of alienation and homesickness. It's a constant reminder of where we are not. My way of dealing with it is by thinking that plenty of Kiwis and other immigrants are happy with their homes so it can't be as bad as I perceive.

    Some of the happiest people I know have 4 kids and live in a rambling wooden house in Torbay, their doors are always seem to be open and the house is full of sunlight. Their kids are bright and warm hearted.

    Things will turn out ok, take heart.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    london - auckland 5/05
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    i have moved cont's 4 times and figure it takes a youngster 1 year to settle and at least 2 for anyone 30+. its not you... and when it feels truly crap remember you've done something brave for your family that is legacy material. houses much easier to fix than childhoods-past.

    hub had kiwi arch working for him and they went to great lengths discussing probs etc with kiwi housing stock. also looked at what nz archs/ devs are doing. it is for the most part a 7.2 disaster in waiting and from sounds of it they are only beginning to acknowledge. funny to think that the average uk house was absolutely DIRE 20 years ago - standards are so much higher now. it will get better in nz too.

    when we lived in a v basic cottage outside cambridge the only heater was a portable one - it must have been freezing sometimes but 11 years on i dont remember that. maybe a bit like childbirth...

  7. #17
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    Oct 2004
    Location
    auckland
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    Hi Leslie
    Thanks for those comments. They did actually help!! The main reason for getting out of the UK was for the sake of my kids. The 17 yr old loves it here and says he doesn't ever want to go back to UK (talking to his friends on MSN it seems all they are doing is going to the pub (as there is nothing else to do)and/or being beaten up or watching someone being beaten up on the way home!!). My 18 year old is liking it here and treating it as a gap year but as he knows he is going back next year to start at the the London College of Fashion, he isn't too fussed either way.

    We also lived in South Africa for 10 years but I never experienced the difficulties with housing that we've experienced here, or the feelings of frustration and isolation that I am currently feeling!! Maybe I am now just too old at 47 to be making such a huge change in life??? But I will cling to that thought that it is for the boys' future and hopefully things will EVENTUALLY feel better....

  8. #18
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    Aug 2004
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    christchurch (formerly essex)
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    No its not you're to old. me and Pete are both older than that its just different things get to different people. keep your chin up.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    london - auckland 5/05
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    i find big moves a good opp to try something completely new - even strange. even if that thing turns out to be of little interest something else usually progresses from it. its like planting a tree - new roots shooting off every which way (careful what you plant and where!). creative things work well for me... pottery, photography, weaving, painting etc (my work v cerebral and can be v stressful) and i highly recommend. when we lived in cambridge (deer stud) i made a veg patch - never having touched a plant in my entire life - and we had much amusement over the fallout. who knew how fast things grow in nz??? who knew one marrow plant would overrun the place? who knew picky deer will eat marrow?! who knew how fab gazpacho tastes made with fresh home-grown veg? it wasn't easy but it kept me amused... and i have happy memories even though haven't done anything similar since.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Leeds now Auckland
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    495

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    Just spent a morning house hunting on the north shore. Very disappointed every house was badly overlooked down a right of way that required a 15 point turn to get into and then the smell of damp hits you when you do finally get to the house. you certainly get more for your money the further up the north shore you can go but anywhere with spitting distance of the city or bridge is very poor. A view comes with a million $$$ price tag. We were looking in Takapuna and Milford.

    Go for the good school zones if you can though as you are always guaranteed a market but make sure it has 3 and preferably 4 good sized bedrooms. Dont buy in a dip, dont touch "harditex" exterior, and dont buy any house without eaves. This is what we have picked up from our friends. Most importantly study the Lim report and get a full building inspection.

    Michelle

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