Let’s face it, you wouldn’t consider establishing a base in a country that you have never visited before. So, I’m going to assume you have visited for at least a holiday.
You no doubt experienced a very long flight to get here, and after the jet lag wore off you started to really enjoy it, you saw some pretty outstanding landscapes, you felt safe, there weren’t too many people when you got away from the main hubs.
Is New Zealand a Good Fit for You?
Let’s face it, you probably wouldn’t consider establishing a home in a country you’ve never visited. So I’m going to assume you’ve spent at least a holiday here. You endured the long flight, eventually got over the jet lag, and then it all started to make sense. You saw some spectacular scenery. You noticed there weren’t many people once you left the main centres. You felt safe. People smiled at you for no apparent reason. They even said hello as you passed them on the footpath. Before long, you slowed down, relaxed, and started wondering what life might be like if you had a place here. But could you, or even should you, establish a base in New Zealand? That’s the million-dollar question. Or, more accurately these days, the minimum NZ$5 million investment question if your route into New Zealand is the Active Investor Plus Visa, or sometimes referred to as New Zealand’s Golden Visa.
I’ve been lucky enough to travel extensively. In my twenties I spent several years backpacking around the world, and one thing I learned is that New Zealand doesn’t have a monopoly on beautiful scenery or good people. Most countries have both. Every country has a compromise. Twenty-five years ago I left a really good business in central London and moved to what was then a sleepy backwater called the Bay of Islands. There was literally tumbleweed rolling down the middle of the High Street in winter. The pubs closed when the last customer finished dinner, which could easily be 8pm. It was a bit of an adjustment. Actually… it was a massive adjustment. If I’m completely honest, I wasn’t chasing some romantic dream of moving to New Zealand. I really liked the country, I saw some exciting business opportunities, and I rather liked the idea of living by the sea while sailing or diving whenever I felt like it. Yes, the weather was a big drawcard, but this is going to sound weird, the colours were more vibrant, clearer, the greens were greens, and the blues, blue. It’s hard to explain, but a lot of the time living in London there was this depressing grey, especially in winter. But that grey doesn’t seem to exist here in winter either. Maybe I’m imagining it.
Well… fast forward 25 years and I’m still here. Do I miss Europe? Well… some of it. I miss the history. The architecture. The cultural variety. The ability to jump on a plane after breakfast and be in another country for lunch. New Zealand can’t compete with that. But I could also argue that Europe can’t compete with New Zealand on some of the things that matter most to me either. So the real question is whether you should establish a base here, whether it’s for a few weeks each year, a holiday home, or a permanent move. Only you can answer that, but here are a few things I’d be thinking about before writing any cheques for visas etc.
New Zealand makes an excellent Plan B
It’s about as far away from most of the world’s problems as you can get without falling off the map. For many families, that’s becoming an increasingly attractive proposition.
It’s generally a safe place to own a home
No country is crime-free, but New Zealand remains one of the safer places I’ve lived. Many overseas owners leave their homes empty for months at a time without too much concern. Just make sure someone keeps an eye on it while you’re away. An unattended house has a funny way of finding its own maintenance problems.
You’re buying a lifestyle first, property second, and there’s a fair bit to navigate in between
Property markets go up, down and sideways. Buy wisely, take a long-term view and history suggests you’ll probably do just fine. Try to make a quick dollar and property can be an expensive teacher. Now, here’s where I’ll get a little more opinionated. For a reasonably developed country, we have an odd habit of building expensive homes that aren’t particularly warm, efficient or healthy. If you’re arriving from Germany, Scandinavia or much of Europe, some of our mainstream building practices will feel like stepping back in time. We still cling to construction methods that much of Europe moved beyond generations ago. Sometimes I genuinely wonder whether we mistake tradition for innovation. The good news is we have some outstanding designers, engineers and builders, so building an exceptional home is absolutely possible. It just requires making conscious decisions from the very beginning, because the default outcome isn’t always the best outcome. And if you do decide to build, you’ll meet the council. I’m sorry to say I’m not a big fan of ours, especially Auckland Council. In my experience they’re incredibly slow, inefficient, and charge like a wounded bull. They always have their hand out for another new fee for something, but, to their credit, they will eventually get whatever you’re after processed. The word here is eventually.
Whether you’re buying existing or building from scratch, talk to us before you talk to a real estate agent or architect. It’ll almost certainly save you time, money and maybe a few grey hairs.
You’ll eat well
We’re exceptionally good at producing food. Fresh seafood, meat, fruit and vegetables are abundant. In fact, New Zealand’s fertile lands mean it’s one of the cheapest countries to produce food. But I’m sorry to say that doesn’t mean it’s cheap for us consumers to buy. But good quality? Almost always.
The tax system is refreshingly uncomplicated
At the time of writing there’s no stamp duty on your primary residence. That’s not tax advice, rules change, but compared with many countries, buying property here is relatively straightforward.
Kiwis are genuinely friendly
Don’t expect your social calendar to fill itself. Making real friendships takes time, just as it does in most countries. Kiwis are welcoming, but they’re not always inviting. Once you’re in, you’re usually in for life, but getting there takes a little effort. The expat community is large and networked. This is a plus as well.
New Zealand is a small country… and sometimes it feels like it
Businesses operate on a much smaller scale than you’re probably used to. Competition isn’t fierce, customer service can be variable, and things don’t necessarily happen in a hurry. We only got our first IKEA store last year, around 50 years after our neighbours Australia got theirs. Sometimes it takes longer for a parcel to travel across Auckland than it does to get from a warehouse in Germany to Auckland. I still haven’t worked that one out. That probably tells you everything you need to know.
If Amazon Prime and same-day delivery has become a way of life, prepare for a gentle reset.
Schools are generally good
There are excellent schools here, both public and private. Whether they’re better than what you’re leaving depends entirely on where you’re coming from and what matters most to your family.
Infrastructure still has catching up to do
We still have plenty of gravel roads around the country. Some of our main highways could do with a bit more love, and public transport has never really been our strongest suit.
The lifestyle is why most people stay
Summers are usually long and warm without being unbearable. There’s plenty of time to go sailing, golfing, fishing, hiking, you name it, it’s all accessible and on your doorstep. Winters are relatively mild, although, rain has a habit of sneaking up on you, soaking you completely, then disappearing five minutes later as though nothing happened. You quickly learn to dress for four seasons in one day here, especially in winter.
So… is New Zealand right for you? That depends on what you’re looking for. If your perfect weekend involves Michelin-star restaurants, Broadway shows, luxury shopping and deciding which European city to visit next, New Zealand might feel a little too quiet. If your idea of success is having time, space, privacy, safety, and somewhere your children can disappear outside for hours without you worrying too much, you’ll probably understand the attraction. New Zealand is still a young country. It doesn’t have Europe’s history or architecture. It often feels like the last developed nation to adopt new ideas, brands, and technologies. We seem perfectly happy waiting years, even decades for things the rest of the world considered normal long ago. Sometimes that’s frustrating. Sometimes it’s refreshing. Depends on your perspective.
Politics can be entertaining for all the wrong reasons. Progress is sometimes painfully slow, almost glacial, if it happens at all. Like every country, we also have social challenges we’re still trying to navigate, and sometimes even understand. I came here expecting to stay three or four years. Twenty-five years later I’m still here. My wife and I have raised our three Kiwi kids. If they weren’t playing every sport imaginable, they were down at the beach with their friends. I’m encouraging them to see the world now they think they’re adults, and I hope they do. But I also have a feeling they’ll be back one day, perhaps to raise their own families.
I love visiting Europe and other parts of the world, and I also look forward to coming home. I suppose that’s probably the biggest compliment I can pay New Zealand.
If you’re considering New Zealand as a holiday home, a Plan B, or somewhere to build a life, I’d be delighted to have a conversation. Not to convince you it’s perfect. Just to help you decide whether it’s the right fit for you.
Related
Active Investor Plus Visa New Zealand (Invest New Zealand Website)
AIP / Golden Visa NZ: Buying Property Without Costly Mistakes
