Housing differences New Zealand vs USA! Thinking of a move to New Zealand? Watch this!
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- Опубліковано 22 тра 2024
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- Housing in New Zealand can be very different from the USA. In this video, I highlight the differences that I have noticed living in New Zealand as an American!
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Most heatpumps are also airconditioners here
Did not know that - obviously I have never lived in a house that had one!
Absolutely! I couldn't live without my heatpump to cool in the summer!
I didn't realize clothes lines weren't common in the USA do they use a dryer all the time. What a waste of power on a sunny day when sunshine and heat are free renewable resources
It’s seen more as what happens when you can’t afford a dryer. To each their own, I like my blankets and towels nice and fluffy, not like cardboard like when they dry on the line 😂
I’ll also add a clothes line is not useful at all when you live in a state where it snows 8 months of the year
Well it does depend on where you live. Yeah the USA is generally does not care as much about how they use energy as the kiwi culture.
I have a clothing rack that I dry all our clothes on - I refuse to spend money on running the dryer for no reason (must be the Kiwi coming out in me! LOL)
Certain Americans just don't care about wasting energy. Probably over 95% of American homes have and use a clothes dryer (electric or gas). Of course with the weather that much of America gets during the winter, an outdoors clothesline isn't practical but for most Americans, it's all about convenience. 😐
It’s a “Hot water bottle” and it’s heritage goes back 500 years and originally comes from British houses
Some of the roofing that looks to be clay tile is steel formed to look like tile, but is much lighter. Clay tiles and chimneys proved not to be a good mix in earthquake zones.
The Tiles are usually Clay coloured concrete.
Most of us have dryers, but we normally only use them when raining
A couple of things that I'd expand upon...
People hang out their clothes on a clothesline for a number of reasons. To begin we have the space for them, its free and the clothes smell better. Another major factor is running a dryer costs money and money can be hard to get in NZ. There are other things in NZ based upon the cost factor too... switches on power sockets are one. It's all to do with keeping the money in your own pocket and not someone elses.
Next older houses did not have insulation in the walls making houses quite cold. Villas from the 1900s are incredibly drafty for this reason. Even my house built in the 1980s doesn't have it. That said, new regulations have come into force mandating insulation, double (triple?) glazing and heat pumps. Further, there are a number of govt & local govt initiatives to retrofit older buildings (I had my own done).
Insect screens aren't common in NZ although Climate Change seems to be becoming an issue insect wise. Flies seem to be more numerous, and we also appear to be getting the Australian flies which are more aggressive. So, insect screens are becoming more desirable. Also Heat Pumps are becoming more common probably due to Climate Change again.
heat pumps are also air conditioners.
we have a log burner but also installed the heat pump to use the air conditioner in the summer if required.
the cookie cutter new builds really depend on the developer and at time the local councils requirement. When we built ours we were not allowed to build double storey, the actual house build is a bit wider away from the fenceline than normal. The developer had to sign off on the design of the houses where they can void designs because of the type of materials, paint, and no cookie cutters😊
Oh really - did not know that about the heat pump! Love learning new things.
@@Kiwiamericans yes , Reverse cycle heat pumps heat in the winter & cool in the summer, I grew up in the bay of islands lots more bugs a lot of houses in Northland have bug screens too
We have the air conditioning in our heat pump but would only use it once or twice a year. It is fascinating the differences that u mention that for us kiwis are normal.
Good post!
Yup as a Canadian living in NZ the lack of bug screens is very different. I do think They are needed as there are flies and spiders here. But nowhere to the extent as North America. Thankfully.
I think the placement of stoves is odd. They are often in a corner. Personally I think it is super helpful to have counterspace on both sides of a stove. And why separate the stovetop from the oven? My pet peeve.
NZ real estate is diverse, but expensive for sure. Like Canada the easy borrowing of money at low interest rates has had a huge affect on the market here... Ballooning it and creating an atmosphere of greedy expectation by investors and people who want to continue to flip real estate. Hopefully the bubble is about to burst with the rising of interest rates. Then maybe it will help those in need of homes. Let the downward spiral begin!
The government has helped improve heating standards here for rentals recently. Heat pumps heat and cool homes.
I would point out that the biggest issue as many have stated is condensation on glass windows and doors here in winter.
Mainly due to zero or little insulation or glazing. It is a huge problem. Again new rules are changing that. But beware when buying, ask the right questions.
And remember you want a North facing home preferably if possible. Opposite of North America, whether renting or buying.
If buying ask the local council about upcoming roadways and developments, as there are many.
Beware of creeks, gullies, rivers. Flooding is an issue here. Same goes for large reserves of trees near houses, lovely but shade means cold and damp here.
It is fabulously beautiful here. As you said year round blooms. Flowering trees.
Just terrific and lush. A very peaceful place most of the time.
No matter where you live here there will be parks, benches to sit on, water , lovely views, and great coffee!
NZ has hundreds of nature reserves, parks, beaches . In fact a huge % of nz is completely undeveloped. It is what makes it awesome. I appreciate it dearly, everyday.
Hope it stays that way!
Many NZ homes will use a dehumidifier appliance in their bedrooms to help with condensation. Heat pump/fire place in the lounge/living room.
We do have dryers, but because our electricity costs are so highly expensive, we only use it on wet rainy days or during storms in Winter time.
I Have friends in Washington State. He told me he always knows when he has Kiwis a guest. The first thing we do in the USA is open the windows even in mid-winter. Why its healthy, and you sleep better. I found my mates in the USA “soft”. I think it is because up until recent we generally come for a farming background and we don’t generally like stuffy closed areas
We live in Auckland and always have at least two windows open,all year round,(kitchen and bathroom, minimum).
Closing the curtains in the late afternoon keeps the warmth in ,in Winter and the heat out,in the middle of Summer.
But we still want the fresh air (I'm that person who opens the window at every chance!🤣)
Also because of humidity in NZ. We need to open the windows to let moisture out, due to the way we historically built houses.
Ok, firstly those "rubber things" are hot water bottles. They are lovely to use during the winter months if you don't have an electric blanket in the bed (which I do). Pretty much all of the new builds here have air conditioners that double up as heat pumps during the winter. I live in Tauranga where it gets very hot, so I get a lot of use out of my aircon. When it gets colder during the winter months I set my air conditioner to winter mode and it gives out warm air as a heat pump. It's a lovely appliance to have for sure. I hope this helps.
The heating and quality of the builds is probably the biggest drawback in comparison to cost. You pay a lot of money for substandard quality and living conditions and the worst part is people aren't horrified and rioting about it, they just accept it. Only when you go away and come back to NZ does it really sink in that we're a lovely country but the housing stock is awful.
Yes that is true - I think many just accept that this is how it is. I walked through a house a few weeks ago and the downstairs bedrooms were so musty - I immediately got a mold headache. That would NEVER fly where I am from.
They are getting much better in New built homes
@@alliswell3372 We will see, give it 10 or so years to actually see if they have improved. Leaky homes wasn't that long ago and they are still fixing that era of homes.
@@Kiwiamericans the current american market is insane, people buy sight unseen, wave inspections, offer huge amounts in cash above appraisal in order to beat the competition... I've heard it's getting a bit better since interest rates increased, but I've had friends moving back to the US (we are overseas temporarily with government jobs) and being burned badly by that market :/
As a kiwi I learnt a lot about houseing in America ....thank you
Also an American in New Zealand here, been here 5 years. Great video. Housing is such an important topic. We bought our house 4 years ago and it was a major fixer upper, but we've been able to make it suited to us with the renovations. New uPVC double glazed windows and insulation made a huge difference in Wellington. We're also getting a heat pump soon that has air conditioning.
I'm also planning on getting retractable window screens for some of our windows, but I expect they'll only be pulled down when needed. But I'm 100% the oddball in my street!
Another thing is permissions - foreigners mistakenly think they can move here and buy a place, but most can't (except for some nationals like Aussies and Singaporeans, or if your Partner is Kiwi). Most will need to have a residence class visa and be here for a year, or seek permission from the OIO. And once you buy, you need to get Council Consent for soooo many things that you may want to change in your house, that wouldn't require a building permit or inspection in the US.
oh shoot i DID NOT know this! wait can you go into more detail with that whole "can't come in and buy a house" thing?
Don't worry about being the "oddball" in your street.
Welcome. Is the so called heat pumps here not in U.S?. I thought they here were air conditioning but on heat mode.
Welcome everyone!
Hello
Its entirely situation, our Christchurch NZ house is built in 2005, its double glazed, well insulated and two heat pumps (they also do aircon) one for each end of the house. We tend to leave the main living area heat pump on 24/7 over the 3 coldest months of the year which keeps the house at 21C. It adds about NZ$150 onto the power bill each of those months which seems pretty reasonable. In summer yes we do occasionally use the reverse cycle heatpumps for aircon , its not uncommon for CHCH temps to hit the mid to late 30's C in summer, in fact I have lived through several 40C days here, but its rare to have weeks of high heat in a row.
The lack of basements is due to high water tables in most of New Zealand.
I've lived my life in NZ. As a child I use to wake up to unheated bedrooms with ice on the inside of the windows. No heating in the bedrooms. Didn't snow but we had heavy frosts. Mum would get up and light the fire. When the lounge was warm enough she would collect all our school clothes and warm them by the fire. Then she would call us for breakfast. We would run to the lounge to huddle by the fire. Now I have a ducted heat pump from HRV operating along side the HRV moisture control system. With both operating in the coldest week of winter it cost me about 1/2 what it use to with individual heating.
Just had fire place removed waiting on heat pump to be installed 👏 👏 👏
I love fire place for some reason
We have 2 heat pump/air conditioners. One down our hallway to cool the bedrooms and one in the lounge. THANK GOD!!! I can't go back to living in a house without them. I've been spoilt lol. Hawkes Bay is fairly temperate but our summers... Pwhoar, it can get hot! I still hang the washing on the line, but we have a dryer which is great in the winter, but it's more more cost efficient to hang up clothes on the line when the weather's good.
A lot of heatpumps double up as an air conditioning system. In fact both heat pumps in my house are primarily used for a/c and the undertile heating is used to warm the house.
Yeah, the heatpump just reverses its operation and then functions like an air conditioner. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for air conditioners, which cannot be reversed to provide heat. It's why heatpumps are amazing and the US should really get into them; much more environmentally friendly (at least once you have enough renewable energy) and much more space efficient given that increasingly polarised temperatures are making both heat and cooling a necessity in more and more parts of the world.
@@michaelheliotis5279 indeed, my parents in the UK were sweltering this summer without a/c.
I am fortunate to have a PV system installed to help reduce energy costs and charging costs for the car.
"Hot rubber things". Lol. It's "hot water bottle". Lol. I use one all the time!!!
I wouldn’t say it’s normal to have a boarder or a sleep out to rent. That’s definitely unusual.
Yeah, only someone who owns the main house would have that and only 1 in 1000 homes probably have a granny flat. If you were renting, they'd rent it separately to someone else.
Good tips. Heat pumps work as air conditioning too. They are reverse cycle )both heating and cooling)
The highest temperature of 2021 was recorded on 26 January at Ashburton. The maximum temperature there reached 39.4°C that's 103°f that's 3°c off the national high recorded in Rangiora.
I’m in Montana, more homes here are using metal roofing, I have it over my kitchen. It is expensive though. None of my windows have screens😂😂 a couple years ago, someone reported their python missing, I was freaking out because I left the bathroom window open. We don’t know what happened to the python. 😬😬 I also use a clothes line, only for shirts and pants….I love the the feeling of when the clothes dry on the line.
it gets cold here in winter but it just doesn't get cold enough for long enough to worry about heating too much. we just handle it and before you know it it's starting to get warmer. if we were getting snow for days and temperatures below zero for days it would probably different.
As far as air conditioning goes we just open the window.
Even in the newer suburbs with nominally cookie-cutter housing, they're still quite different from each other because many developers operate with a set of templates or stylings that buyers can mix and match with. A friend of mine got a house built in a new Christchurch development, and he could choose from a selection of different fences, different sizes and carpets for several rooms, different interior and exterior paint colours, different window and door fittings/sizes, and one of a few different floorplans. Most of the houses all share the same broad character, but are still distinct.
Same to US.
Heating and no double glazing mean our older houses are colder than in Europe and America. Central heating is very uncommon. We open our windows and put on a fan . Or turn the heat pump to cooling function. Not as many bugs and no snakes so no screens. I grew up in Kawerau, Bay of plenty and had a concrete tile roof, lost a few tiles in the big edgecombe earthquake but it actually held up well. Colour steel is the cheaper modern alternative. Earthquakes and soil types probably led to no basements, we also don't generally have usable attic space either. We haven't owned a dryer for over 12 years and have no issue getting washing dry on outside line. Smaller fridge, freezer etc...wonder how Costco will work with that???
I know right - how are people going to buy in bulk at Costco!
I live in North Canterbury and the area used to be marsh land, and had a thriving flax industry, until the land was drained and turned into agricultural pasture. I suspect that if basements were built they would suffer from damp which would make the houses even harder to get warm.
Another Great video again 🎉👍
In nz it’s pretty hot in nz in summer in the far north Kaitaia and up even whangarei and up, South Island believe it or not in Blenheim and Nelson city and Motueka is bloody hot like Kaitaia (where I’m from) in the summer like burning heat, but yeah we don’t get American heat but Aussie is very hot in summer aswell
I'm from Hawkes bay on the east coast of the North Island where the summers are hot, we bought an air conditioner/heat pump 4 years ago, makes summers bearable, we also have retractable flyscreens. We use our heat pump in the winter when we can't be bothered having the fire going. When we looked for a house to live in we made sure our house was well situated for sun in winter. We have a house built in the 1950s the builders really put thought to positioning of the house for warmth in winter. Just really check your house out, be thorough before you buy.
Appliances in general are really expensive here so you just buy the smallest version you can get away with, plus the larger models aren't readily available even if you can afford them. One of the downsides of being a small island nation in the middle or nowhere :)
Also - we don't do bulk buying here in NZ because there are no grocery shops that provide affordable items in bulk to the general public (only 1 or 2 that you need a business account to shop at). Costco just opened in Auckland a few weeks ago and I hear there are plans for more stores in other cities, so fingers crossed this will bring much needed change.
Hi there.. we're moving to NZ this December, and I'm doing a marathon watch of your videos cause they're so informative. It's kinda prepare us on what to expect and not be surprised when we arrived in 2 months time...Fred from New York
Fred so lovely to meet you! I am here to help! Reach out to me anytime and my training hub is perfect for anyone moving here! www.kiwiamericans.com/services
Heat pumps are ‘two way’, sorry don’t know how to say this correctly, but they heat as well as cool. They literally run in reverse to cool, so if you have a heat pump you have an air conditioner, you just have to select the cooling mode!
Something to keep in mind is the Wellington/Dunedin region, are the worst areas in the entire country for housing stock. A lot of the houses are very old with no insulation, water leakage, mould and asbestos problems. Basements arent a thing here as well due to Earthquakes
I only rent here in NZ, but in the homes I've lived in and in most (if not all) of the homes I've been in, most of the rooms are carpeted except for bathrooms and kitchens. I really noticed it the last time I went back to Canada to see my family and everyone has hardwood or fake hardwood floors. Carpet is definitely a little more annoying for the cleaning aspect, but I have to say I like it for the comfort. I wonder if it's in more houses here in NZ because it helps keep the houses a little warmer and and more cozy feeling.
a heat pump is alo an air conditioner - hot in winter and cold in summer - I spray my house so don't need screens. mostly for flies and spiders. Temperate climate so we don't really get cold. and we also get used to putting on an extra blanket or layer of clothes etc. put a ventilation unit HRV into my house and double glazed the windows. Warm, heat from roof, and heat stays in, not damp. We mostly have carpeted floors which warms the house as well. basements are not good for earthquake prone houses or swampy land. we have concrete floors and often a floating floor so it floats. basements are normally in a house built on the side of a hill. main floor upstairs and street level, and down hill at the back is a downstairs garage and a basement section with extra rooms.
Great informative video!
Thanks for watching!
We definitely have bugs and creepy-crawlies here in Australia and in the north they are dire! I had to replace my wire screens not long ago. Thank you for the video.
You are very welcome - thanks for watching Daniel!
Hi, I live in Wellington, and all the people I know have air conditioning. They call it a heatpump, but it is also used to cool in summer :) I def use it in Upper Hutt, I can't sleep at night otherwise, too hot
Leaving SA on Saturday. Will land in Wellington on the 24th. Really like watching your videos.
Most heatpumps also do air con 😊
Just want to point out that what we call heat pumps in Nz are also air cons
Have a look at the settings - there are settings for heating for winter and cooling for summer time
Love your video. As a European who lived in the US and currently living in NZ, I’d add the following. Buying a house is reaaaaaaally difficult in NZ. Firstly, you need the residency. You cannot buy a house without having the residency. I arrived in 2019 and applied for a skilled migrant resident visa. I had already lived and worked in NZ before so I thought it would be easier. I was told that the processing times were about 3 months. It took almost 2 years for me to get the residency and Covid happened and the prices skyrocketed. I’m glad that I bought my house but of course it cost me a fortune.
Another thing is the humidity. I live in Auckland and it’s quite humid here. When you wake up in the morning, especially in winter, you see condensation on the windows. This causes mold. Mold and leaky houses are a big problem in NZ. I clean my window frames and sills with special products quite often so the mould doesn’t set in. It was quite interesting to hear you say the houses are smaller here. I guess that’s true compared to the US. Me coming from 20 - 30 m2 European apartments, I find the houses quite big 😂
Yeah there's a funny contradiction here in NZ!
You need to open your windows to air out your house and avoid dampness and mold, but you need your windows closed to head your house... No winning really lol
I would recommend a dehumidifier though
Those rubber hot water bottles that you fill with boiling water are funny enough nick named hotties , my grand mother and I used to use all the time growing up in the seventies
Heat pumps are also AC coolers for the summer. Not some of the older ones but you get what you pay for. Basically they are a (twofer) you get two functions for one unit. Heats in the winter, cools in the summer.
great video I live in taranaki and have a wood burner and a heat pump that also works as a air conditioner , im sure houses differ thought out NZ because of the temp and climate but here its has a even amount of rain and sunshine
Heat pumps are also air conditioners 😊
Nice video 👏👏👏
I moved here in 2018. To Hamilton East in a one bedroom flat that had slat windows in the kitchen. In the Winter it would have massive amounts of condensation. And coincidentally, I was diagnosed with blood cancer 8 months after arrival (thankfully I’m in remission now). It definitely contributed to my bodily stress. I’m waiting to share my story but it’s not been an easy journey here for me. Housing was definitely an issue. Single pane windows and drafty cold, damp living conditions seem to be a major health hazard. “Double Glazed” windows seem like a “luxury” here in NZ.
Fellow tronner here, worked 10 years still cant afford a house lol.
I have found double Glazing windows a complete waste of time. TO HAVE FRESH AIR is a big thing trouble is we are making house that will fail because they are airtight. Having timber famed homes this will cause issues our H3 which is water resistance frames are no longer used mark my words a lot of homes will fail in the next 30 year. My home was built in 1953 and is strong which will stand for another 100 years
I would love to live in a home that didn't have condensation. You walk around neighborhoods and many homes have wet windows here in NZ, very poorly made homes and a while back we had leaky homes, which are still being fixed today. I do believe our homes are being made slightly better these days.
@@JohnFNagle because of that in Germany they tell you to simply air out every room for about 10 minutes a day, since houses are not really air tight obviously, that's enough. and newer houses are nice and warm even in winter there. we now live in England, houses are terrible here, and thermal insulation of houses is a joke. our windows are supposed to have double panels but in the morning we already have a lot of condensation on them... I guess the inability of building decent houses in New Zealand comes from their British roots LOL I'm Italian, I've live in the US, Germany and the UK, and British houses are so far the worse ones
Where the hell are you living? All rental homes must have double glaze installed and me living in papamoa every single house has double glaze it’s not a “luxury” lol.
Every second house in hawkes bay has a heat pump for air conditioning.
I really enjoyed this video. Housing in NZ is generally a bit cheaper in the South Island than the North Island
but some prices have risen to ridiculous amounts. I would hate to be buying one now. I do worry about my children ever being able to afford a house of their own.
I think a lot of kiwis own driers but generally only use them when we have to. I prefer my clothes hanging outside in the sun to dry.
Our house is old and isn't the warmest but I guess we are just used to it as we don't have anything to compare it with. We have a log burner as our main heat source in winter and a heater when the fire isn't lit.
Thanks for watching Susan!
@@Kiwiamericans I always wonder why they call it a heat pump. So easily think it is only for heating🤔
@@mattieclan8957 yes exactly... why would I think it includes A/C is beyond me
@@mattieclan8957 they main use is heating but cooling is used but not anywhere near as much.
I grew up in the UK during the 50’s/60’s. The only heat in the winter was a coal fire in the living room. The rest of the house was freezing! In winter there was ice on the inside of my bedroom window. When I left the UK we had gas fired central heating so arriving in New Zealand in June was akin to my growing up years. We rented a house near Auckland and it was very cold apart from in the living room which had a heat pump. When we built a new house here, near Auckland, it included insulation and double glazing as well as heat pumps in most rooms. It’s rare we need the heat pumps on “heat” They’re mainly used for A/c. The house is brick so the absorb the strong NZ sun in the winter keeping it warm.
Logburners are best. Heatpumps also do air con. Just switch to cool mode in summer. South Island homes are way cheaper to buy than Auckland or Wellington. But public transport can be an issue if you aren't in the cities.
Thank you!
Yes screens are not standard here. I live in rural Northland NZ and there are a lot of bugs. We had a screen specially made for our ranch slider (sliding door). I wish we had them on all our windows especially when it’s hot. Flies will descend when you’re cooking and I have fly tape hanging to catch those varmits. We have mosquitoes and other bugs they go bump in the night. We are used to temperature controlled rooms in USA. Here you can sit in a very stifling room until the sun goes down and then the room cools.
Kia ora, I love your channel. I have spent 9 months wandering the US and love your country. I do see the differences and have a couple of pearls of interest for you. As already stated, the wall mounted units for heating and cooling are air conditioners, more stylised versions of the "window rattlers" that are seen in older US buildings and apartments. We adopted the term "heat pump" mainly because they are mostly used to heat a home, in the summer we can mostly just get by through opening doors and windows... yeah, not too many bugs to worry about.
The key things to note are that electricity is much more expensive (or it was until maybe recently) in NZ, and when using a heat pump (AC unit) the kilowatt output of the heating cycle is a 1:5 ratio, so roughly for 1kW of electricity purchased you get around 5kW of heat output, making them super efficient. When used for cooling, it is 1:1 ratio. This applies to anything that cools, so when refrigerating/freezing food, or cooling your house, the cost can be significant. Therefore we tend to just cool what we need when we need it. I would say that on average, cooling via refrigeration is one of our most costly appliances. Small fridge stocked regularly is key to reduced power consumption. One other thing to note, less preservatives in food mean that things spoil faster, so you may tend to buy on demand :)
Lastly, the switches on our "outlets" or socket outlets as we call them, are not for reducing power consumption, but intended as a "load break" device. Simply put, you make sure that electricity is not being consumed or running through an appliance prior to unplugging it (or plugging it in), to negate the effects of arcing from the pins of the plug top to the contacts in the socket. Arcing increases the risk of fire, electric shock and deterioration of the "making" surfaces of the plug and socket, so it is mandatory to have switches on all socket outlets in NZ and Australia. You don't have to use them, but it is good practice to switch off prior to removing the plug, conversely it is very sensible to make sure the switch is in the off position when plugging something in that could potentially have the switch of the appliance in the "on" position. It is all about safety. Technical geek part... we have twice the voltage of the US, so the arc will travel much further, which can be kinda terrifying, and fairly destructive... That's it!
Keep up the great work, and I am so pleased that you are here and sharing all of your experiences, be they good, bad or indifferent.
Arohanui x
In the SI AC units are common but called “heat pumps”, never ACs.
Our heat pump have Aircon as well
I have a doubledoor fridge also my heat pump has air-conditioning for summer
Upon returning from the UK, I had ducted air-conditioning put into my house with retrofit double-glazing in the bathrooms and bedrooms. About $7,500 for each concept, but totally worth it. I have a log-burner/wet-back/cooker in the lounge, but I don't need to use it. It's pretty cheap to keep the house dry and the temperature between 19 and 21 degrees Celsius.
Smart move Bryan - I think it is totally worth it!! Thanks for sharing :)
In New Zealand, clothes lines are legally required for nearly all new homes. But some new subdivisions are not required to have them due to space.
Great video, we are currently living in the middle east and planning to move to NZ early next year. Housing and the quality of it is also our main concern.
Awesome how exciting!! I am here to help with your move!
As a Californian I found more similarities than differences in NZ regarding housing, gardening, those sorts of things. I was there in late fall. Basements not a thing in California either...'Not saying there aren't any, but not many.
You may need to look into the ‘outer building’ for boarding out. As they have to be compliant now. Or the boarder gets all their board back via Tenancy Tribunal. Also most roofs will become just iron roofing in the future. Due to price but mainly the homes with tiled roofs are very heavy. So homes with tiles mainly in New Brighton area of ChCh e.quake, just pancaked! Which if you look at Wellington on that huge fault line, it won’t go well if they’re home. We all practice e.quake/tsunami drills in high risk areas
You should do video on our fault line, volcanos which three are showing activate. Taupō-nui-Tia being one and Rotorua also now taking back claimed land. Which basically they just through heaps of rubble and dirt on. Tourist seem to find it amazing ppl live on and around these volcanoes. Ruapahu better not erupt again. No one was using cloth lines then as we were cover in dust for months. Planes flights had to go around that area for months. Touch wood
@@MaxSweet1 Oh that is interesting - I may have too. Yes I agree that it feels weird to live around fault lines and volcanos.
@@Kiwiamericans GeoNet NZ on YT & the app are helpful with the Pacific Ring of Fire. They didn’t know about ChCh fault until 2010, but had been told not to create a city there 1840’s by Ngāi Tahu. Why Napier/Ahuriri to Wellington/Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui infrastructure underground so deteriorated. As everyone was expecting it to hit those areas e.quake wise. Ruapehu went off in 2007, the dust made its way to Waikato to Ahuriri. 1/3 of NZ food comes from around Ruapehu area. 9/22 after the Kingdom of Tongan eruption, a new island popped up on top on the super volcano. I was raised in Napier/Ahuriri so we did drills yearly. Yet I always remember what elders said. If the seagulls or other birds fly a certain way and land animals freeze/flee go follow. Kingdom of Tongan knew this and saved them. Please get help with pronunciation Te Reo names as I’ve read some so distasteful comments towards new learners. Best way is to apologise first just in case. Don’t do this 🖕🏽but I will to them
As always a great video with insights - my penny's worth is that you need to learn to live in a Kiwi house - for example they need a lot of ventilation - even in winter - to stay warm. Learn to pull curtains a bit earlier (curtains to the floor), carpets, etc. Lots of mention so I would repeat how to live in a kiwi house. The other thing is that a lot of kiwis have bird feeders or plant for the birds, (I imagine USA people put out squirrel feeders?). I see that in some parts of the USA people encourage deer - wouldn't happen here!
Yes bird feeders are common... squirrels eat the bird food ... soo are pests. We hunt deer in Wisconsin!
My daughter's house in NZ doesn't have screens, but what she does have is constant flies in the house, mainly concentrated in the kitchen, which is gross and disgusting. In NZ mortgages are, as a rule, only 5 years long. When rates are going up, you can get totally screwed and may end up no longer being able to afford your house.
A summary.
1. Put on a jersey.
2. Put on a t-shirt.
3. Bugs are friendly.
4. Roofs are shiny.
5. Houses have goofy shapes.
6. Man caves are above ground.
7. Flowers everywhere.
8. Clothes smell fresh.
9. No walk in fridges.
Sounds nice.
I agree with everything you said - North Canterbury NZ
Heat pumps are also air-con for cooling. one device, two jobs...
Trust me living in New Zealand is amazing I have enjoyed living in New Zealand for mg whole life
Thanks for watching!
Hey Tara.
You comment about not able to buy in bulk is changing.
With the successful opening of Costco in Auckland, it is only
a matter of time before more Costco stores will be opening
including one in the Wellington region.
This will definitely shake up the grocery and retail industry in
New Zealand.
how si the pricing? I think it was like a week out from opening when we were there. My wife recruiter was driving us around and mentioned she lived near it and was not excited about the traffic it would bring. any sign of local groceries letting up on prices?
First of all I live in Tauranga and according to wiki we have a mild subtropical climate along with most of the upper north island including Auckland and every house I’ve been in has reverse style heat pumps heats in winter cools in summer. So not sure why are you never seen one?
Hi just thinking that we haven't built basements due to the earthquake risk. Secondly ,I 've often wondered if North American homes are bigger due to their weather patterns. If it's subzero outside it makes sense to have a larger living space.NZ' overall is more temperate and outdoor spaces are living room spaces particularly in summer
Hahahaha a basement here in NZ is classified as a horror movie 😂
Yes winter is layer up and sit with a big blanket lol. Not ideal i know but alot of us are stingy well poor LOL .
I don't think I've ever had a house without a clothes dryer, and don't know anyone who doesn't have one - we just choose to hang out our laundry when we can - it smells cleaner
I can tell the difference between house in NZ and USA is our house in NZ is too small and the house in USA is very very big
when i was in uni the heater was broken in my room and in winter i remember trying to warm myself up with my hair dryer. not a un time i can tell you
Heat pumps are also air conditioners they do both.
Ugh I hate basements. The health concerns that come with having a basement are too much of a headache. They always leak and get mold.
agree with houses being expensive..we bought in 2006 a pretty basic 3 bedroom 1 bathroom (separate toilet) single carport for $249k ....our house is now "worth" around $650-$700k...we could not afford to buy this house now if we were buying for the first time. I do feel for those who are struggling to get into the housing market
yes Can't affford to buy now because successive NZ govt's brought in millions of people they couldn't house it's and ignorant country compered with e.g. Sinapore as my overseas friends remind me
One other thing to add, most NZ homes usually have a wash house/laundry room, I don't think that's the same in the states right?
US average home price is now (sept 2023) $419,000 (in US dollars).
air conditioners are heat pumps? we had one installed last year
In NZ the drivers seat is on the right side which I hate it, if you drive a stick shift you would have to use your left hand to change gears...
And I would have exactly the same problem in the US if I drove a stick shift (we call them manuals) - it is just habit - you will soon get used to it !
Healthy Homes in NZ all about improving standards to meet compliance with legislation .New and older homes must have ventilation fans in kitchens and bathrooms , and permanent wall heating ,usually a heat pump because they are both heater and cooler. Most Heat pumps seem to be imported from Japan. New and old homes must have ceiling and under floor insulation installed where possible in older homes, for example a wooden house built on wooden piles. This is to reduce moisture and mould and draughts inside all homes especially rentals. New homes have to be compliant with double glazing as well. Weather differs around NZ from upper North island subtropical temperatures we get winter for 3 months of colder temps ,rain etc in Tauranga nothing like lower North island or South island winter wind, cold, snow temps in winter.
Yes, historically NZ homes have heated the individuals in it, or just the room we are in at the time, rather than the whole house all the time.
Ok so that is how people look at it? That is so good to know June - it explains a lot and clears up expectations.
Yeah, the personal heating mentality is even reminiscent in the heating regulations for rentals that were put in recently by the government, as they only apply for the main living room and any adjoining rooms that cannot be closed off by a door. The expectation is that everyone will just huddle together in the heated lounge when it gets really cold, and if your Gen Z kids want to go and be anti-social in their bedrooms, they can just heat themselves (with a hot water bottle, electric blanket, or clothes) or else freeze.
There is an obvious argument that lounge huddling isn't realistic in today's world, where evenings typically aren't dominated by the whole family sitting around the television (and many young couples can't even afford to start a family so are still flatting with friends), but at the same time we Kiwis are generally adverse to the inefficient use of heat and energy wastage that comes from heating an entire house, especially historically with most houses being uninsulated and immediately losing their heat anyways.
In our flat, we don't bother using the regulation heater despite our regulation ceiling and underfloor insulation, because the uninsulated walls are super thin and the windows are single-glazed, so the heat is gone within half an hour of turning off the heater. Blasting the heater for hours on end seems absolutely silly when you could just put on more layers and get a hot water bottle, at least while we're still young (just hitting 30) and our bones don't creak in the cold. And using an electric blanket will heat up the bed amazingly before you get in, while enough blankets and duvets will keep the heat in and prevent it from escaping. (Seriously, you should not have the electric blanket on more than 1 while asleep at night, as there is a genuine risk of cooking from temperature misregulation or unexpected fire.)
All of commodities their are no pricing mentioned please quote some prices with all this
I don't entirely agree, my parents had a log burner that heated the entire house, those that relied on generic electric heaters prior to heat pumps I would certainly agree, you would need like 5 of those crappy inefficient heaters to heat an entire home. No one should be using electric heaters in 2022 however, its a heat pump or bust.
@@Battleneter Good luck getting a landlord to install a heat pump if it doesn't benefit them.
All these things apply to Tasmania as well.
Oh really - that is interesting!
Nothing better than hand washing then sun dry
I came across few people who use driers then they stink like they never wash for over a year or more 🤢. Reason is they had dried to 3/4 then it fermented. They are so use to it but don't notice it but when I'm gridlocked in supermarket isle it stinks for miles and seems to follow when person is gone.
Im brasilian and what about barbicure table and stuff? Newzeland have wondefull landscapes and gentle persons I would like to know much about . Thanks
Hot water bottle
Put more clothes on to keep warm, especially woollens.
Clothe lines save $ and resources, wind and sunshine are free and you get some exercise so no gym fee
Small frigs because we cook from scratch
Most heat pumps are air conditioners.
I think the quality of housing in Wellington is quite poor; possibly due to them being a budget build in the first place and now having aged. It can also be quite difficult to get a good quality modern home in a good area as all the land in the more desirable areas was used up long ago and is occupied by older homes built with poor levels of insulation. People can also be unwilling to cut trees to allow sun in.
I live on the Kapiti Coast, 40 minutes drive north of Wellington. I have double glazing, gas heating and air-conditioning so my home is warm and dry. I use my clothes dryer a lot. Many NZers dry their clothing inside their home on a drying rack. This blows my mind as I cannot understand why they want the wet from the clothes going into the air inside their homes. Some do not understand that this is why they have dampness and mould. It is cheaper to run a clothes dryer and get the moist air directly outside than is it too use extra heating to dry out and heat your home after drying your washing inside; and it is better for you.
Many NZ homes do not have adequate window dressings and it is common to have nothing at all on kitchen, bathroom, toilet and laundry windows. I am always surprised when I see an open-plan kitchen, dining, living space and the kitchen window is bare, letting out the heat in the winter.
At least we do not have our washing machines in our kitchen like the Brits do. I cannot think of anything worse than washing my smalls in the kitchen where food prep is happening.
Even modern NZ homes with attached garages only having hollow door panels between the garage and the house. It does not cost much more to install a solid door to keep the cold out and it is easy and cheap to insulate your garage door. NZ is not a warm tropical paradise.
Are they also have mobile home and rv? That's the kind of house I want to have there? How much is rent or monthly payments?
Hello, I love you channel, been watching all the videos. We are a family of 5 from USA hoping/planning to move to New Zealand. my husband and I are flying to Auckland November 12, 2022. We have a friend who is picking us up at the airport and we stay about 10 days, my husband and I are both in healthcare, Chris (husband) is a DMS, he is ultra sound tech (green job) and I am an SLP (speech language pathologist). We are looking at job on the North Island. I would like more information on the schools in NZ. Are public schools free there? How much does it really cost for high schools? Many Thanks, Carol and Chris Taylor
Carol and Chris - I am so glad that you reached out! How exciting!!! I am here to help you on your journey. There is alot more information in my training hub: www.kiwiamericans.com/services as it goes into depth on how to set up life here, schools and culture. Public schools are free. There are also private (not free) and state integrated which means that they are partially funded by the government and partially paid by you but are more reasonable than private schools.
a heat pump heats in winter and cools in summer, reverse cycle
Yes! Re. heating in New Zealand 😂 … whyyyy is my house colder inside than it is outside
High I have a question silent follower here. How can i dm imu? Just want to ask regarding packaging from us to nz