New Zealand: Both a property investment and work opportunity?
Monday, 24 October 2011 3:02 PM
By Phil Scullion Follow @PhilScullion
You cannot get much further away than New Zealand. The two main islands sit beyond Australia and perch on the edge of the South Pacific Ocean. An endless mass of blue nothingness then stretches out for thousands of miles.
A twenty-seven hour flight to Auckland may seem arduous but it is rewarded by a lively cosmopolitan city, set against a backdrop of breathtakingly diverse scenery.
For millions of years New Zealand sat, undisturbed and inaccessible, a flourishing island paradise, with its own unique wildlife, flora and fauna.
These days New Zealand is not just easy to get to, it is also throwing its doors open for a wave of overseas investment.
A skills shortage caused by widespread earthquake damage in February 2011 has opened up the jobs market as New Zealanders set about a huge billion dollar reconstruction project.
That is quite a contrast to the increasingly gloomy economic atmosphere in the UK.
Jason Diggs, Anglo Pacific's sales director and a Christchurch native, said: "There is an acknowledgement that overseas tradesmen and construction experts will have to plug the shortfall."
Estimates suggest as many as 8,000 construction workers could be needed to rebuild and repair Christchurch's 100,000 damaged homes, a number which the New Zealand employment market cannot provide on its own.
Alex Bouma, Canterbury employment and skills board deputy chairman, pointed to the "unprecedented opportunities" for skilled workers willing to relocate.
"There is going to be huge economic opportunity in Canterbury over the next three to ten years. There's been expansive coverage of the disaster and what we're trying to say now is that the business community has moved beyond that to a large degree.
"Sure we've still got a lot of things to deal with, but now there are unprecedented opportunities they can be part of," Bouma added.
It is not just those involved in the construction business being encouraged to head 'down under'.
Hiring in the IT and computer sector has become particularly difficult, along with the health sector.
Prudence Thomson, Accent Health Recruitment based in Christchurch, said that all specialist disciplines are needed and the great lifestyle should be a major draw for those seeking a "change of pace" while still advancing their careers.
So what of the property over in New Zealand?
Here is one example of the kind of home on offer:
There are also other investment opportunities for all different budgets, reflecting a lower cost of living than the UK.
New Zealand has a good chance of providing consistent growth in property values over the next decade, rendering it a solid investment choice.
A recent Economist article identified the Australian residential property market as the most overvalued in the world and the most likely beneficiary of that is sure to be New Zealand with its favourable exchange rate.
Chinese investment and reliable food-chain supply, following concerns of primary produce irradiation in Japan after the March earthquake, also make New Zealand a good bet.
David Bayley of Bayleys Real Estate in New Zealand said that the combined effect of the above factors is going to be "enormous" for the island nation.
His company are selling a range of very different properties across New Zealand, including the luxurious home above and this rather brilliant four-bedroom property with the "best view in Auckland":
Sold on New Zealand? Information on applying for a visa is available here and there are particularly favourable systems in place for those looking to make a substantial investment.
*Warning* If you are a rugby fan you are going to face at least four years of gloating over New Zealand's world cup victory...
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