[KiwiHopeful]

I've stayed out of this thread, but now that things appear to have cooled off a little, I'm going to weigh in.

First, I consider Nolasmom a friend, so I'm not looking for a fight here, just a little respectful discussion. There's a lot she's said that I agree with--and a lot she hasn't said that I have complained about, too!

Second, I think this thread got a bit heated because those of us who have been around this forum a while probably begin to rankle each time a post like this is posted. Again, no offense intended, but each time (and I can recall at least three threads before this one in the past year or so) the threads cover ground we've been over again and again. And in most cases, this thread being the exception, the original poster gives in to the urge to insult everyone in New Zealand and on this board. (Okay, I will mention one particular thread: the one about the price of cosmetics ... that was a howler!) Inevitably, people appear out of nowhere to pile on with their thoughts about just how bad it is here--though they've never been themselves.

And it all turns into a mess because everyone here is dealing to one degree or another with uncertainty, homesickness, discomfort, doubt, denial ... and a lot of good feelings too. From my own experiences and what others here have shared, nothing else (beside being a parent) can invoke so many different strong emotions--usually all at the same time! (Think about it: how many of us have stood amazed by the beauty of what we see and been sad at the same time because we can't share it with our family or friends?)

I'm not making excuses for anyone or attempting to minimize anyone's right to an opinion. I'm just trying to provide a little perspective.

As for the initial post, there's lots there that resonates with my experience, but there's also some stuff that I'd like to dispute, or perhaps add a little different perspective to.

For instance: shortly after moving into our rental, I was discussing repairs with our landlord and his painter. One corner in the hall was especially chewed up and I suggested they put up a corner guard. By their looks, I thought perhaps we had (another) culture chasm. I described the item and they both looked at me like I had a horn growing out of my forehead. Why would such a thing exist when you could just patch the nicks up over and over?

I haven't looked for corner guard, but Mega Mitre 10 comes within a reasonable distance of Lowes or Home Depot in terms of the range of good available. Of course, some come at a premium. I was surprised at the price of paint, for instance, which comes in at about $70 a gallon (or more) for high quality.

Landlords here seem to be like landlords I've dealt with just about everywhere else: there are the good, the bad, and the ugly. (My parents were divorced, so I grew up in rentals.) Of course, the 'laid back' Kiwi attitude can be a pain in the ass when one feels they need something done 'now!' I remember a post by SteveyC about his leaking roof in Wellington and his frustration at getting that fixed. But, at the same time, if you're looking for a more laid back lifestyle, you have to expect that everyone else is going to be just as relaxed as you want to be!

That leads me to today?s topic, houses. I'll start with a telling bit of news: a law was just passed requiring new houses have insulation. You read that right. Of course, that means existing houses have little to none.

The law about insulation was passed not to insure the comfort of people, but to make houses 'greener' and conserve energy. Considering that even here in the city you can smell wood fires as you drive down the road and see the effects of all of that smoke--there's quite a bit of smog here in Chch--it's probably an excellent idea.

Coming from the Northeast, however, I remember when insulation came into style there, too. Older houses probably had rock wool in the attic, but nothing in the exterior walls and nothing in the basement. I remember seeing insulation installers during the late 70's and early 80's (the first oil crunch), which were these trucks filled with shredded fiberglass insulation which was installed with a blower via a whole they drilled in the exterior wall!

You will see log burners, heat pumps, baseboard heaters, and space heaters (lots of space heaters), but no central heating. Why? Because this is a temperate climate, meaning it almost never freezes. But it does get damned cold in the winter. The kind of wet, low 40s cold that gets into your bones and is loathe to leave. Heating is accomplished room by room via the aforementioned heating units and a twice daily kind of dance you do with your window treatments. Yes, central heating is available but the old ways are adequate.

I, too, live in an unheated house. (I can add a story about unresponsive landlords--as can Nolasmom--and why I don't have a heatpump, but perhaps another day!) But I'm happier with the twice daily dance of moving heaters, opening and closing drapes (which you *must* do at either extreme, unless you want to bake cookies in your east- & south-facing rooms) than I would be paying $3+/gallon for heating oil. I estimate my heating bill back in the US would be about $1,500 this winter--with the thermostat never set above 68 degrees & keeping it at 63 for the 10 hours each day we were at work.

I did get a nice little heater for the boys' room with a timer and thermostat for about $70 and I'll probably pick up one for our bedroom too. Honestly, I like paying for heat only when I need it, though I wouldn't mind having a heatpump to keep the 'large' living/dining/kitchen area warm during the day and the unofficial rule in our house is that the #1 priority of whomever gets up first in the morning is to turn on the heater in the bathroom! I do admit to having described this situation as akin to having an outhouse.

A lack of central heating means a lack of ventilation, so mold is a constant problem. A window has to be cracked when showering, and curtains must be monitored for mold growth.

Our bathroom does have an exhaust fan and we haven't noticed any problems with mold. We do open the window in there on most days, though, because we can.

One thing that occurs to me is that you do need to be careful when choosing property because location, location, location is vitally important here. A cold, windy, overcast day in one part of town can be warm, sunny, and beautiful in another. There was one day when we took the boys to a park down by the beach, left after 10 minutes because it was too windy and cold, changed into warmer clothes, when to another park in the Port Hills, and were peeling off all the layers.

I?ll skim through the rest of the housing issues in no certain order. Garbage disposals are nearly non-existent, meaning they can be had but nobody has one.

Coming from New England, I don't think I've ever seen a house with a garbage disposal--and I don't think you find them in any area where people have septic tanks.