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Finding a home in Dunedin is kind of like
playing the lottery. Your odds of success, however, are
greatly enhanced depending on what you’re looking for. In
Jeannine and I’s case, we were looking for a fully
furnished, modern, two bedroom home for under $250 per week. A
rather tall order, but we were determined to find something
comfortable. Your searching will be easier if “full
furnished” isn’t part of your requirements.
We weren’t sure how difficult house
hunting would be until we started looking at some of the
properties in and around the area. Dunedin has a lot of
student housing, so as you would expect, a lot of the places
have been run into the ground. Even places that advertise
fully furnished apartments/homes can sometimes only contain a
few nasty old couches and a coffee table. Be careful about
expectations and always inquire about the place you’re
looking into. The following tips were lessons we learned
within a couple days.
- Before
moving to New Zealand, check out the local newspapers
online. They will generally have a “To Let” section in
their classifieds section. This will give you a general
idea of prices in the area. Prices are generally
advertised on a per week basis. Expect higher costs in the
North Island with decreasing prices as you move southward.
Generally, in Dunedin, renting per week was between $150
(student housing) to $350 (House on beach). Once again,
depends on what your needs are.
- Find
a map of the city and it's surroundings. These are
available at any gas station. Although the basic layout of
Dunedin is really quite simple, the twists and turns
throughout the steep hills make a good map invaluable.
- Buy
a cell phone. Telecom and Vodafone are the two main
providers and have several stores setup throughout the
major city centers. It’s not much of a hassle. (although
it is rather expensive for the hardware. If possible,
bring your cell phone from home. All cell phones from the
U.S. are usually accepted here.) That phone will come in
handy for when prospective properties require you to leave
a message for an appointment. Most likely, you’ll be out
house hunting at the same time they call back. A cell
phone will only help you find a place sooner.
- Once
you arrive, get a paper and start calling. You probably
won’t have much luck if you arrive on any day other than
Wednesday or Saturday. (That’s when classifieds are
updated) Even then, you need to start early. Properties
disappear just as quickly as they arrive in the paper. The
best bet is to take advantage of your jet-lag, get up at
6AM, grab a paper, and start calling. For some reason,
7:30AM is an acceptable time. Wednesday and Saturday
morning are your best days to call.
- Two
weeks rent is an acceptable amount of money to put down as
a deposit. Interestingly, security deposits are not
required.
- Try
and get a place that has appliances included. Even if the
fridge is a little old, it will be a lot better than
throwing money down on expensive replacements.
Electronics, like other products, are hit with a heavy
importation charge. You won’t believe the price on these
items. .Also, the more sun your place gets the better. In
the southern part of NZ, it can be quite cold and any
extra bit of free heat is quite welcome and needed.
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