Thanks to a “go early, go hard” strategy to combat the spread of Covid-19, New Zealand is arguably the safest place to be right now – and expat Kiwis know it.
While New Zealand enjoys its first weekend under alert level 2, the rest of the world is struggling to contain the virus, with many countries facing fast-rising death tolls and harsh lockdown conditions.
Real estate agents around New Zealand have noted over the last month huge spikes in property enquiries from Kiwis living overseas. Expats, they say, don’t feel safe where they are right now and desperate to return home with their families.
Bayleys Gisborne agent Kerry Low says her son has been working in United States for seven years and is now eager to return to New Zealand with his wife and daughter.
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“They just want to get the hell out of there because of what’s happening in America. With thousands of people dying my son just wants to fast track his plans and move back to New Zealand with his family by 2021,” she says.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Pene Milne says it’s not just expats who are looking for homes in New Zealand. Overseas internationals with New Zealand residency and non-residents have also been exploring their options.
A cottage in Tolaga Bay, Gisborne - the kind of home and liefstyle expats stuck overseas are looking for. Photo / Getty Images
“All three groups have been actively looking. There are those who don’t have residency that are just doing their homework, but there are also those who seem to have a range of visas [for New Zealand],” Milne says.
She says expats who were always planning to come home are now fast-forwarding their plans, with expats living in the United States and Australia the most active.
“The number of enquiries from the US at the moment would indicate that maybe they are frustrated, and Covid-19 is the tipping point for them. New Zealand has always been desirable but when an event like this happens, it makes us even more attractive,” Milne adds.
Ray White agent Ross Hawkins has also seen increased enquiries from Kiwis living in the US, as well as Kiwis living in England and Hong Kong.
“In the States they are all going back to work but the number of cases is still increasing, which is just unbelievable. We are doing better than most countries and expats see that,” he says.
Kiwis overseas tend to be looking for lifestyle properties right now.
“People who have experienced a lockdown realise that you can do business no matter where you are, and you don’t need to be in the middle of the city to run a business.”
