Five Questions We’ll Ask Before Helping You Relocate to New Zealand

Amanda Sadlier
4 min readMar 28, 2021

Potential clients often ask us for information and may be surprised that we typically turn things around and ask them probing questions. Whether a returning Kiwi or someone moving to New Zealand with less knowledge of the country, we want to understand their particular needs and circumstances. It helps us tailor our service delivery, set accurate expectations, and understand how we can add value to their international relocation experience. And our potential clients can get a feel for the care, detail, and expertise we bring to bear.

If you’re moving to New Zealand in the next year or so, we’d love to chat with you, and these are some of the things you can expect us to want to know.

Who’s in your family?

We want to know about every member of your family, including the furry ones. According to research, international relocations that fail overwhelmingly do so because of unhappy family members. We want to support everyone in the family.

Part of getting to know the whole family is understanding any unique needs or interests. Do you have a child who shows promise in a particular sport or art that they have to be able to continue pursuing? Do you have a child who needs to see a particular specialist? Is your child close to university age and firm in wanting to study a particular discipline? We can help make all of these things a reality, and it’s best for everyone if we understand this from the beginning.

What is your familiarity with the city where you’re planning to move?

We’ve had clients arrive in New Zealand having never been here before. We’ve had clients come to us when they have lots of family in town and know exactly where they want to be. Both have told us that they felt they benefited from having someone dedicated to overseeing their relocation.

We want to help you find the best place for you and your family to thrive and will adjust to your needs.

If you have some contacts in the city, it’s helpful for us to know that so that we can best compliment your existing knowledge and network. If you don’t, we can help you get established.

What’s your vision for your life in New Zealand?

Tell us about your desired lifestyle. What draws you to New Zealand? We want to set you up for success, and the more you can share about your vision, the more we can help you achieve it.

What are your housing and transportation needs? What are your career or educational plans? What hobbies or personal pursuits are important to you? Do you have any aspirations for your lifestyle? What are your priorities as you set up the next chapter of your life? What part of your current lifestyle do you want to bring with you?

What’s keeping you up at night?

Sure, there are all the big categories of things: travel plans, immigration, housing, schools, jobs, transportation, finances. But what are the worries that you can’t shake — the thing that comes to you in the shower or wakes you in the middle of the night?

Whether it’s something big or a detail, we can tailor our services to solve your biggest concerns, whether they’re typical or unique to your circumstances.

Where are you in the relocation planning process? Where do you most want help?

Do you have a reasonably certain arrival date? Have you sorted out immigration for the whole family? How are you planning to move your belongings, and have you located a shipping company? Have you begun planning the New Zealand-side of your move, like neighbourhood, school, housing? Do you have a NZ bank account or telephone number?

Are there any pieces of your relocation that you want to handle independently or where you most want help from us?

While we offer the most value when we work with clients comprehensively from early in the moving process, we always adjust to deliver what a particular client needs. We have organised freight forwarding bids, guided clients through pet relocation, scheduled in advance specialist appointments for shortly after arrival, delivered NZ sim cards to MIQ hotels, organised fibre installation, just to name a few specific requests we’ve met.

Once we understand your circumstances, we can deliver what you need, when you need it…without the overwhelm and guessing inherent in DIY relocation.

Mobile Relocation connects you with what you need to thrive in New Zealand. Contact us today to talk about how we can carry your relocation burden.

Bridget is a New Zealander who has lived and worked as a diplomat in Singapore and India. After experiencing all facets of the relocation experience, she founded Mobile to work with private individuals moving to NZ and leading local and international businesses bringing in offshore talent. bridget@mobile-relocation.com

Amanda is a former US immigration attorney who moved to NZ with her Kiwi partner and three children during COVID. She enjoys making the journey easier for those following a similar path and providing the perspective of someone who’s recently been there. amanda@mobile-relocation.com

Ready to move to New Zealand? Get our FREE Move to NZ Checklist HERE.

--

--

Amanda Sadlier

American living in Auckland. I used to represent immigrants in the US. Now I help immigrants in New Zealand get settled. Find me at www.mobile-relocation.com.