Soft Landing NZ

By Brett Colett | Soft Landing Podcast – Episode 4

Another Move, Another Lesson

Over 100,000 people immigrate to New Zealand each year, each bringing their own hopes, challenges, and dreams. For our family, the journey has been anything but linear. In this episode of the Soft Landing podcast, I share how we found ourselves moving again, just one month after settling into our first rental. Why? Because finding the right place to call home is about more than ticking boxes, it’s about fit, feel and future.

First Rental: Shelter, But Not Home

After hotel and Airbnb stays, we moved into our first rental on the North Shore. It wasn’t perfect, but post-cyclone housing was limited, and we were grateful just to have a roof over our heads. Still, as the dust settled, we began to ask, “Is this really where we want to be?”

Living on One Income

We’d planned for my wife to stay home during the first six months to help settle the family. That turned into 12 months. Living on one salary in New Zealand isn’t easy. Cost of living is high, and setting up a new life means constant spending, from groceries to school supplies to furniture.

✅ Tip: Build a strong cash buffer. You’ll need it often sooner than expected.

When You Know It’s Not the Right Fit

The rental was semi-detached, with no garden or space for our kids to play. No parks nearby. No sense of community. And while we chose the area based on school zoning, once we were living there, it just didn’t feel right.

Exploring a Better Area

With help from friends, we visited a nearby suburb 15 minutes north. It was everything we were looking for, parks, playgrounds, families, kids on bikes, and a school we fell in love with. The decision was clear: “we had to move again” despite the cost.

Breaking the Lease & Budget Impacts

Breaking our lease cost us around $700, not to mention paying a new bond and upfront rent for the next place while waiting for the old bond to be refunded. It also meant hiring a truck, asking friends for help, and moving again, just four weeks after unpacking.

✅ Tip: Always budget for some of the unexpected i.e. buffer fund.

Disasters Happen: Truck Crash & Flooded Garage

I rented a two-ton truck and crashed it on my first solo drive. Then I flooded our garage while disconnecting the washing machine. Cue panic, stress, and a few well-earned tears. Thankfully, insurance and good friends made recovery possible.

Finding the Right Fit

We found our new rental quickly thanks to a system my wife developed. We’ll share that in a future podcast and YouTube tutorial. Finally, we had a garden, a freestanding house, and the kind of neighborhood we’d dreamed about. It felt like home.

Unpacking, Schools & Settling In

We finally unpacked and began building our life, literally. Flat-pack furniture, toolkit purchases, and real routines. We chose to delay enrolling our 11-year-old son in school for three months, giving him space to adjust. It was the right choice for us.

Lessons from Move #2

• ✔️ Don’t rush your first rental, make sure it fits your long-term needs.
• ✔️ Build flexibility into your budget for emergencies, leases, and transitions.
• ✔️ Don’t be afraid to ask for help, community can be your greatest asset.
• ✔️ Take your time settling your kids, they adapt fast, but routine helps.

Final Thoughts

Immigrating isn’t just about visas and logistics, it’s about finding a place that lets you breathe, grow and belong. Even though we faced more curveballs, we never doubted our decision to move. We just had to keep adjusting the plan. And now, we’re finally starting to feel at home.

🎧 Listen to Episode 4 – “We’re on the Move Again”

➡️ Link: Soft Landing Podcast

📢 Stay Connected

I’d love your help.
The Inner Circle App is coming soon — a free space for migrants to connect, learn, and belong in New Zealand. We’d love your input! Help us shape it so it truly supports your needs.

https://forms.gle/FuTEd7cMwv7jzSK56

Follow my Soft Landing podcast and subscribe to my YouTube channel @softlandingnz for real stories, walkthroughs, and practical tips for newcomers to New Zealand. 
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