Christchurch could be an option, as could Nelson now I think about it. I even looked at Blenheim a few years ago but I don't think the job market there in IT would be that great...

peetter:

mudguard:

peetter:

But if it is the only thing that you needed to point out from my post, I think you focus on the wrong thing. Even with minimum wage I did the math and would be able to save 5k/year. Not that I would stay on minimum wage any longer than a year...

 

And saving is something we should do. However saving $5k a year is not going to buy you a house. Even saving $30k a year will mean more than five years of saving to get into a median priced Auckland home. I realise that first home buyers aren't going to be a looking at the median, but do you want to spend $400k on a one bedroom apartment in the city? With potential ground rent increases and body corporate fees?

Obviously someone on minimum wage is not necessarily your usual homeowner, and I don't think anyone expects it to be. It is simply that wages haven't kept pace with the rising prices. 

 

It is 5-6 years for single person. That seems okay to me. Look I agree it is not cheap here, but definitely not something impossible. All it takes is work on yourself and sacrifice a little to gain a lot. This is still a first world, what is considered poor here is filthy rich in like 70% of world. When somebody is talking about starving children in NZ, they mean the child not having 3-5 meals a day, not a child having a meal one in 3 days.

quickymart:

Christchurch could be an option, as could Nelson now I think about it. I even looked at Blenheim a few years ago but I don't think the job market there in IT would be that great...

Batman: Dunedin housing is horrible. Old villas with no insulation. Christchurch house are all brand new. Same price now. (Nearly).

New houses though often don't have character. Old houses can be done up and insulated, as long as they are in good condition and haven't been neglected. But it can need work, and many people don't want to be bothered these days, plus all the complaince etc can be a nightmare. Many of the new ones are only built to the minimum spec, and may have tiny sections.

quickymart:

 

I even looked at Blenheim a few years ago but I don't think the job market there in IT would be that great...

 

Housing in Blenheim is limited at the moment, despite a lot of development over the last 10 years.

There would probably be in-house IT jobs with a few of the bigger employers - hospital, council, wineries etc.  But there isn't any semblance of an IT industry there.

quickymart: Thanks, I hadn't actually thought about Palmerston North either. Worth a look :)

Having said all that (and thanks everyone for the replies) I'm in the market for a 2-3 bedroom rental (preferably 3) around Beach Haven/Birkdale/Birkenhead on the North Shore currently. If you know of anything going (other than Tradesmen etc) please message me.

If you are looking at that type of place, Masterton house prices don't seem too bad...compared to much of the Wellington region.

mattwnz:

 

quickymart: Thanks, I hadn't actually thought about Palmerston North either. Worth a look :)

 

 

 

If you are looking at that type of place, Masterton house prices don't seem too bad...compared to much of the Wellington region.

 

Or W(h)anganui when we drove through there you could buy very nice houses, very cheap.

If one could get fibre and work remotely ...

MikeAqua:

 

mattwnz:

 

quickymart: Thanks, I hadn't actually thought about Palmerston North either. Worth a look :)

 

 

 

If you are looking at that type of place, Masterton house prices don't seem too bad...compared to much of the Wellington region.

 

 

Or W(h)anganui when we drove through there you could buy very nice houses, very cheap.

 

If one could get fibre and work remotely ...

 

Lacks a top quality golf course. How about Taupo, Napier or New Plymouth?

For me any bolt hole needs a decent golf course and a decent airport that can get you to the big smoke at least a couple of times a day. In addition it should have either decent water to fish/ski/swim or alternatively a ski field. 

Goes without saying in GZ it needs decent broadband preferably fibre.

I don't ask for much. Taupo seems to fit the bill for everything.

So with Auckland house prices (or house prices in general), are they just going to keep rising forever, or will the eventually plateau and stop, or will they even decrease much? When I look at it from the outside, all of this has really mostly happened over the last 5-10 years, yet I keep hearing talk about "this is all a bubble".'

Leads me to ask another question: will my boys ever be able to buy a house when they grow up, or is it a case of they haven't got a hope in hell, if things continue on their current path?

quickymart:

 

So with Auckland house prices (or house prices in general), are they just going to keep rising forever, or will the eventually plateau and stop, or will they even decrease much? When I look at it from the outside, all of this has really mostly happened over the last 5-10 years, yet I keep hearing talk about "this is all a bubble".'

 

Leads me to ask another question: will my boys ever be able to buy a house when they grow up, or is it a case of they haven't got a hope in hell, if things continue on their current path?

 

I think any couple with two median incomes can still make it. Problem is that when you have kids you lose one income at the same time as catching a lot of extra cost. So if you start in your early twenties and don't have kids until your late 30's you're fine. But kids are miles away from settling down in their early twenties these days. 

The demise of the Sterling has dented a lot of travelling Kiwi plans too. A few years contracting in the UK used to put a serious dent in your mortgage. When I was there in 2000 it briefly hit NZ$4. Those were the days. Nowdays the pound's half that but the hourly rates are still about the same as they were 15 years ago!

quickymart:

 

So with Auckland house prices (or house prices in general), are they just going to keep rising forever, or will the eventually plateau and stop, or will they even decrease much?

Noone can reliably predict the market. If you could, you'd be very rich indeed.

When I look at it from the outside, all of this has really mostly happened over the last 5-10 years, yet I keep hearing talk about "this is all a bubble".'

The housing crisis has become acute in the last few years, but I think the problem has been bubbling away for 20 years or more. 

Leads me to ask another question: will my boys ever be able to buy a house when they grow up, or is it a case of they haven't got a hope in hell, if things continue on their current path?

I'd say it'll be tough, but it really depends on what transpires politically and economically over the next couple of decades.

quickymart:

So with Auckland house prices (or house prices in general), are they just going to keep rising forever, or will the eventually plateau and stop, or will they even decrease much? When I look at it from the outside, all of this has really mostly happened over the last 5-10 years, yet I keep hearing talk about "this is all a bubble".'

Leads me to ask another question: will my boys ever be able to buy a house when they grow up, or is it a case of they haven't got a hope in hell, if things continue on their current path?