It’s very expensive to buy a home in NZ, especially in the big cities. The average price in Auckland at the moment is over NZ$1 million. It’s easy to buy a home if you have a deposit and the money to service the mortgage.

It’s about to get much more difficult for overseas people with a new law to be introduced by Christmas making it almost impossible. One of the criteria currently is “good character”. There’s talk that Matt Lauer may have to sell his house here following the recent revelations.

I’m sure you have thought about it, but is it very difficult/expensive to buy a home in NZ?

Thanks. 🙂

Thank you. I appreciate that you remembered not to offer your prayers. (And no, I’m not being sarcastic. I mean it.)

Thanks Linda. 🙂

So far there are two looking that I know of. One would keep me on as tenant, but they haven’t made an offer, and it’s being promoted as a place to live in rather than rent out. I’m not sure where the others are, though my impression is that the husband is keener than the wife.

Hang in there, Heather.

We’re all rooting for you.

I wish I were closer than half a world away, so I could give you a hand.

L

Thanks so much Mark, and everyone else for your very kind words of support. I appreciate it, and it helps to know there are people who care.

To those who have asked about my lease, I’m on the standard lease that NZ law mandates as a minimum. Once the house is sold, I have 42 days. It’s the sort of place that will sell quickly and is at a premium in the market. Despite that, I think my landlords are asking too much for it, so hopefully that will delay the process.

I HATE shifting. It’s an absolute nightmare. I can’t do any of it myself because of the crap state of my body either, and so I’m at the mercy of movers too. This is the fourth time I’ve had a home sold out from under me, and I’ve also had to shift towns on several occasions because of work. It gets harder every time.

I’ll cope. I always do somehow. No other choice really.