Information about New Zealand

  



Introduction
Regional Locations
The buying Process
Legal Issues to Consider
Financing a property purchase
Investment Potential
Visa and Residency
Economy
Education
Health




Introduction:

Located in the South Pacific Ocean just over 2000 Kilometres from Australia, home of the Kiwi's is New Zealand. There are two main islands in New Zealand, the North Island and South Island.

 

New Zealand is approximately 270,000 square kilometres in size. Of its population, about three quarters live on the North Island.

 

Situated in the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand's seasons are the same as countries like Australia and South Africa with summer months falling between December and February and winter months falling between June and August. Overall, New Zealand's temperatures will range from around 20-30°C (68-86°F) in summer and from around 5-15 ° C (41-59 ° F) in the winter.

 

Even though it takes more than 24 hours to travel to New Zealand from the United Kingdom, it hasn't stopped frequent travellers from arriving in their drones to experience some of New Zealand's native forests, deserted beaches and deep clear lakes. 

Regional Locations:

Whangarei

 

Located on the northern tip of the North Island, Whangarei offers a subtropical climate with moderate to warm temperatures and plenty of rain.

 

 

Auckland

 

Auckland is New Zealand's biggest city and is well known throughout the world. Auckland is home to a number of cultures including South Pacific, Asian and Maori heritage. Approximately 1.4 million people live in Auckland.

 

Auckland offers a warm climate with humid summers and mild winters. Immigration to New Zealand is heavily focused towards Auckland. To offset increasing numbers, the immigration services have now decided to award extra points towards immigration visa requirements for people who intend to settle in other parts of New Zealand.

 

 

Tauranga

 

Tauranga is the largest city of the Bay of Plenty. Located on the North West coast of the North Island, Tauranga is the ninth largest city in New Zealand. Tauranga is situated 105 Kilometres East of Hamilton and 85 Kilometres North of Rotorua and has one of the fastest growing populations in New Zealand.

 

Tauranga has a moderate climate with average summer temperatures of approximately 24 °C and winter temperatures that average around 15 °C.

 

 

Hamilton

 

Hamilton is based in the Waikato region of the North Island and is New Zealand's seventh largest city. Originally a settlement of Maori villages, Hamilton was found on the arrival of British settlers and named after Captain John Charles Fane Hamilton. Approximately 150,000 people live in the city of Hamilton with around 2.5 million people living within a 250 kilometre radius. Hamilton also has an international airport which services both domestic and international flights.

 

 

Rotorua

 

Rotorua is located on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty. The city has a population of approximately 65,000 people and is situated 60 kilometres south of Tauranga, 100 kilometres south east of Hamilton and 80 kilometres north east of Taupo.

 

Rotorua is well known for it's Geysers and hot mud pools which owe their presence to the Rotorua Caldera. Nicknamed the sulphur city because of its thermal activity, Rotorua also has 17 lakes which are popular among water sport enthusiasts.

 

 

Gisborne

 

Referred to as the City of Rivers, Gisborne is named after William Gisborne; Gisborne is located on the north eastern corner of the North Island at the north end of Poverty Bay. Gisborne is sparsely inhabited with a mere population of approximately 45,000 people.

 

 

New Plymouth

 

Located on west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, New Plymouth is home to around 49,000 people and is well known for its black sand surfing beaches. New Plymouth is a popular tourist destination as it offers unique locations, were visitors can snowboard, ski, water ski and surf all in the same day. The climate here is good with average summer temperatures of around 21-22ºC.

 

 

Napier

 

With a population of 57,000 people, Napier is an important port city in Hawke's Bay. Napier's twin city Hastings is located just 10 kilometres to the south and as a result the two are often referred to as The Twin Cities. Napier has a large retirement community and is popular with tourists. The town has some of the highest sunshine hours in New Zealand and offers comfortable climate conditions with warm weather. Average summer temperatures are around 23 ºC.

 

 

Palmerston North

 

Palmerston North is an inland city located 140 kilometres north of Wellington, towards the south of New Zealand's North Island. It has a population of around 80,000 people and is the main city of the Manawatu - Wanganui region. Palmerston North offers around 200 rain free days a year with an average summer temperature of around 24 ºC.

 

 

Wellington

 

Wellington is the Capital of New Zealand. Located on the Southern tip of the North Island, Wellington is New Zealand's political centre and the home of Parliament and the head offices of all government ministries and departments. Wellington is a large city with a good nightlife and loads of culture. According to statistics, Wellington has the 12^th best quality of living in the world. Wellington is well known for its Museums, Food, Festivals, Music, Performing Arts and its Sport.

 

 

Blenheim

 

A city of Marlborough, Blenheim is located on the north east corner of the South Island of New Zealand. Well known to the wine industries of the world it has some of New Zealand's best weather where summers are hot and relatively dry. The population breakdown of Blenheim is quite unique and can best be described as relatively young with approximately 22% of the 35,000 residents being under the age of 15 years old.

 

 

Nelson

 

On the shore of Tasman Bay at the north end of New Zealand's South Island we find Nelson. As expected many of the street names and public areas are names after people and ships associated with the battle of Trafalgar. Good beaches and a protected coastline make it popular. It has also been said that Nelson has the best climate in New Zealand.

 

 

Greymouth

 

Located on the west coast of the South Island this coastal town has a tiny population of around 14,000 people. Regardless of its size the town operates comfortably and competitively among some major industries including fishing, mining, forestry and ecotourism.

 

 

Christchurch

 

Christchurch is the regional capital of Canterbury. It is the second largest city on the South Island of New Zealand and is situated north of Banks Peninsula on the east coast.  A moderate climate with Pacific sea breezes, make living in Christchurch comfortable with average summer temperatures to match of around 22 ºC.

 

 

Queenstown

 

Queenstown is an inland town situated in Otago towards the south west of New Zealand's South Island. Popular among Kiwi's and international tourists, it is well known for adventure and skiing activities as well as its mountain biking and bungy jumping. Queenstown has hot summers and clear winters.

 

 

Dunedin

 

With New Zealand's fifth largest population Dunedin is the second largest city on the South Island. The city is surrounded by the hills and valleys of Otago Harbour. Dunedin's international airport receives a high number of domestic flights but also caters for a number of overseas flights originating from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

 

Dunedin is approximately 3,300 square kilometres in size; its topographical layout means that although overall climate conditions are temperate the area is often subject to microclimatic changes among its suburbs.

 

 

Invercargill

 

Situated right on the south coast of the South Island makes Invercargill one of the southernmost places in the world. Strangely enough, many of Invercargill street names are named after rivers in the United Kingdom. Located on the coast, Invercargill has an oceanic climate with lots of cloud cover all year round.

The buying Process:

 

Non-residents are usually allowed to purchase property in New Zealand, however, purchase of property does not automatically give the buyer the right to live permanently in New Zealand.

 

There is no stamp duty when buying property in New Zealand, and the buying process is in fact very straightforward and simple. Once you have found a property that you would like to purchase, made an offer and the offer has been accepted the legal process begins.

 

You will be required to pay a 10% deposit of the total purchase price initially. Your deposit will usually be paid to the solicitor of the estate agent who is handling the property sale. Your deposit will be held by the solicitor until the conditions for the sale have all been met; this should take no longer than 10 days.

 

A contract is then signed which includes all of the details and conditions of the sale, a completion date will set between 4 - 6 weeks later. It is important to remember that once all conditions for the sale have been covered and the title deeds have been checked for accuracy and legitimacy by the investor's solicitor, the offer to purchase becomes unconditional and legally binding. Financial penalties will apply if either party withdraws once the contracts have been signed.

 

The seller must obtain a Land Information Memorandum (LIM) from the local authorities.

 

The seller must register the title through Land Information New Zealand.

 

The conveyancer must then double-check all the documents before registering the property, the conveyancer will also sign the transfer of the property.

Legal Issues to Consider:

Fees and Taxes

 

It is often worth seeking the advice and assistance of an independent legal adviser when undertaking any large financial transactions to ensure your best interests are looked after.

 

Getting your lawyer to look after all the property searches and contractual issues rather than having the estate agent do it, should save you valuable time and money. Generally lawyers will charge a fixed fee of around NZD $ 600.00 whereas the estate agent will charge a percentage of the purchase price which could run into thousands.

 

As a point of reference solicitors fees will usually range from NZ$ 600 - NZ$2000, the estate agent's commission is negotiable and can range from 3.5% to 4% and will usually be paid by the seller.

Financing a property purchase:

Financing an overseas property purchase is easy when you deal with professionals...

 

If you are thinking about buying an overseas property, then you also need to be thinking about the best way to finance your purchase. At Sublime Location we work closely with a number of specialised lenders who have all been carefully selected based on trust, experience and reputation.

 

Selecting the right product and making the right decision when it comes to financing a large investment could save thousands.

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Investment Potential:


Information available soon.


Visa and Residency:

Much like anywhere in the world it is important to consider a number of factors before deciding to immigrate. When checking your eligibility for residence, you will need to consider some of the following:

 

Are you healthy?

 

You will need to have a doctor assess your health and complete medical and chest X-ray certificates for each member of your family planning to go to New Zealand.

 

Are you of good character?

 

With your application you'll need to include police certificates as evidence of good character for yourself and all other members of your family aged 17 years and over.

 

Do you have a high standard of English?

 

Requirements may vary slightly by category, but generally you and everyone else aged 16 or over who is accompanying you should be able to read, write, understand and speak English to a high standard.

 

 

Visa options

 

 

 You may already be eligible to apply for a visa under the following criteria.

 

 

Skilled Migrant

 

This option is for suitably qualified people, aged 55 and under, who can add value to New Zealand by contributing to an innovative workforce and in turn help the economy achieve sustainable growth.

 

 

Work to residence

 

You may be qualified in a highly specialised or in-demand field, or have an exceptional talent in sports or the arts. You can apply for a work permit under the Work to Residence category. This category allows you to work temporarily in New Zealand as the first step towards gaining permanent residence. After two years you can apply for permanent residence.

 

 

Family

 

A family member who is already a New Zealand citizen or resident can sponsor you.

 

 

Partner

 

If your partner is a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident and you have been living together for a minimum of 12 months in a genuine and stable relationship.

 

 

Parent

 

You have an adult child 17 years or older living in New Zealand as a resident/citizen for more than three years, and your family's ‘centre of gravity' is now in New Zealand.

Sibling and adult child

 

You are at least 17 years old, you have a parent, brother or sister living in New Zealand, and you have no other siblings or parents living in the country you currently reside in, AND you have an acceptable offer of employment in New Zealand.

 

 

Dependent child

 

You are the dependent child of a New Zealand citizen or resident, and you are aged 16 years or under, and you are reliant on an adult for financial support.

 

 

Business

 

If you are an enterprising person with a proven track record in business and the capacity to build or invest in new businesses and introduce new skills and technologies - you may be eligible for a business visa.

 

The most common one of these is the Long Term Business Visa (LTBV) which is detailed below:

 

You will need to have a business plan that demonstrates you.

You will need to have enough money to establish your business and make a viable contribution to the economy.

You will need to be suitably experienced.

You have not been involved with any business failures or fraud.

Economy:

Over the quarter of a century the New Zealand government has transformed the country and made it both globally competitive as well as economically dependent. Growth in the last 20 years has boosted real incomes - Per capita income has risen for eight consecutive years and reached $27,800 in 2007 in purchasing power parity terms.

 

Consumer and government spending has driven growth in recent years, and exports have also picked up in 2006 after struggling for several years. Exports were equal to about 22% of GDP in 2007, down from 33% of GDP in 2001.

 

So far the economy has proved durable, and the Labour Government promises that expenditures on education, health and pensions will increase in proportion to output. Inflationary pressures have built up in recent years and as a result the central bank has raised its interest rates 13 times since January 2004 to finish 2007 at 8.25%.

Education:

New Zealand offers a government-funded schooling system which provides a comprehensive curriculum of academic, sporting and skills-based learning options. Majority of New Zealand's schools have their own sporting facilities including, playing fields, gymnasiums and swimming pools.

 

All children in New Zealand must attend school between the ages of 5 and 16. Government-funded OR State schools provide for the individual learning styles of children and for different philosophies of education.

 

New Zealand's also offers a wide range of higher education system facilities which include universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and private training establishments. Each of these institutions provides a high level of tertiary education and internationally recognised degrees and diplomas.

 

All universities receive around 70 percent of their funding from the government. The balance is charged to students by way of course and student association fees.

Health:

New Zealand's Education and Public Health systems are good by world standards.

 

Comprehensive life-long medical care is available to everyone. All essential health care is provided free through the public health system. This means that while some routine services, such as visits to local doctors and dentists, have to be paid for, more costly services, such as hospital treatment are, with minor exceptions, available free to all residents.

 

The government also funds and subsidises health costs for visits to the local doctor and prescriptions for young children as well as for people who require frequent healthcare and those on low incomes.

 

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