How to Stay Without Going Over Budget?

If they are suitable for a few weeks' stay, hotels and Beds & Breakfasts are to be avoided for a one-year trip. Of course, they can occasionally serve as a reward after a very intense period of work, but their prices usually exceed what you can earn in a day with small jobs like fruit-picking.

However, you do not have to spend all your nights under the stars, or on the uncomfortable back seat of a used car.

Because if this type of Spartan accommodation can be acceptable during the holiday part of a Working Holiday Visa, it is incompatible with physical jobs that require a good night's sleep to recover. Traveling with a reduced budget may impose to tighten your belt from time to time, but sacrificing the minimum comfort just to save money would be a major mistake.

The quality of rest and sleep are not negotiable if you hope to hold a full year abroad.

I will present you the various accommodations adapted to the budget of a Working Holiday Visa. It is likely that you will have to juggle from one to another according to your adventures. If some accommodation is to pay, others are free of charge, but anyway, they will all leave you unforgettable memories.

The question of share accommodation is a subject in itself, and I will discuss it in detail a little further on this guide. But I'll present first the search for a single room, often delicate if you only stay for a few months in the same city.

If advertisements in local newspapers are still alive and can be used, the bulk of the real estate market has moved on the Internet for many years.

The various portals of the profession (see the tips of Ben the Kiwi at the end of the article) gather thousands of rental offers and are equivalent to the real estate websites you already know your own country.

To speak the truth, e-mail exchanges are unlikely to succeed during your search for an apartment to rent. Intimidating for some people, phone calls are the preferred way to get the possibility visit some flats to rent.

As usual, one must avoid rushing on the first offer, unless you are urged by time or money, because you need to understand the prices of the market and what you can get according to your budget.

The furnished apartment market is the one that offers the most opportunity for travelers in Working Holiday Visa, but you can also look for an empty apartment and equip it with the strict minimum if you intend to stay during less than a year.

You could start by exploring the different areas of the city to locate shops and public transport.

If you have already found work, finding an apartment at proximity is highly recommended, especially in major cities like Auckland.

Whether displayed on the Internet, on a campus wall or at a youth hostel, the real estate ads are often written in the same way.

The owners are often reluctant to rent their property to a young traveler, especially if he is foreign to the country and without real financial guarantees. To increase your chances, you must be aware of all the steps and know the legal formalities.

The minimum documents required are an ID card (passport for example) and a New Zealand Bank account identification. To open a bank account, I invite you to consult our special bank guide on Kiwipal.

The number of apartments to rent fluctuates from one city to another and from one neighborhood to another. Giving a correct estimate of the rental market for travelers in New Zealand is virtually impossible.

One can consider $200 for a single room in Auckland, but the price can increase in the Central Business District (CBD) or close to a nice garden, for example.

The minimum term for a rental is usually six months (which is called periodic term) and both parties can break the contract by notifying one another other three weeks in advance.

But to the extent that you plan to rent for a maximum of one year, the owner may offer a fixed-term lease that commits you up to a fixed date.

Be careful, the choice between a “periodic term” or a “fixed term” is of considerable importance and can impact your entire Working Holiday Visa experience in New Zealand.

A commitment too firm can sacrifice your mobility and make you lose job offers. Do not commit yourself lightly, especially if you have not yet found a good job.

The deposit (between two and four weeks of rent) is recorded in the “Bond Lodgement Form” signed by the tenant (yourself) and the landlord.

This deposit will be returned to you in full at the end of the rental, if the apartment is restituted in its original state and if your “Bond Refund Form” is correctly filled. Of course, if you don't make a deal directly with a particular, you may also have to pay a rental agency fee!

The amount claimed is calculated on the basis of one week's rent, plus a few additional application fees.

The two-week rent-in-advance payment is added to the guarantee deposit, bringing the initial sum to approximately one month's rent.

Thereafter, you will pay the rent every two weeks (or sometimes every week) by check or automated bank wire.

The Tenancy Agreement Form is, of course, mandatory.

There is nothing special to mention about the inventory, the only rule is to write down every detail, and keep a copy of the “Property Inspection Report” signed by both parties.

The advantages of shared accommodation do not deserve more than a few lines. You'll pay less than expected for a larger room, at an ideal location and with a good atmosphere says it all... If you have questions about the budget, you can hope to find Flatshares between $100 and $200 per week.

The profile of other tenants must also be suitable for you, and you must always require a signed contract that stipulates the rules and the division of household duties.

Like everywhere in New Zealand, the rent is set weekly.

Flatshare or not, the Act applies and you may have to pay a two-week security deposit in advance, but you'll also get the right to review the rent price every six months.

The search for a roommate is difficult and you won't be the only candidate waiting in line!

To get every roommate voting for you after the interview, it is necessary to show a positive image of yourself.

Having already found work is recommended if you want to prove that you are not going to slam the door at any moment without having paid your rent.

The shared accommodation won't allow you to impose the presence of your girl friend at the beginning of your stay and even after a few weeks.

If you are traveling as a couple, it's better to look for an apartment or a room for two to rent.

If the accommodation is insured by the owner of the apartment in New Zealand, the security of your own stuff in a shared accommodation remains at your expense.

You should contact the insurance that covers your trip to ask if it's possible to include an additional insurance for the shared accommodation.

To close the subject, I'd like to say a word about a special kind of shared accommodation that makes the happiness of many vacationers.

The famous “Bachelors” nicknamed “Bachs” or “Crib” are isolated cottages in the nature or close to the seaside, sometimes even on the beach.

The price of such rentals turns around $100 per night (which is affordable) and allows to party with the brand new friends you just met in New Zealand.

The term “backpacker”, refers to young people traveling on the roads in search of work as well as youth hostels. These cheap establishments accommodate travelers of all nationalities in dormitories or in private rooms (single or double).

Access to the common areas, such as dining room, kitchen, laundry or bathroom allows the traveler to enjoy acceptable comfort at a reasonable price.

The weekly rate depends on the tourist attractiveness of the area and ranges from $90 and $180 (sometimes less in remote areas of the map).

The cheapest offer is the dormitory, and it is necessary to pay an extra to enjoy a room with a private bathroom.

If you are broke, you may also pay to get the right to plant your tent on a nearby camping ground.

But if the opportunity arises, your best chance to save money is to work to help the maintenance staff against a free accommodation.

If there are independent backpackers, the two main competitors own 90% of the market.

BBH is a franchise that gathers different Backpackers established throughout the country with a variable quality. YHA has fewer establishments but offers a superior service. Because of the competition, the two companies are often installed close one another.

Keep in mind that booking a backpacker far in advance is essential during the high season.

You'll need a credit card to book a room, which can be a problem if you did not follow our tutorial about how to open a New Zealand bank account.

YHA and BBH both reward loyalty through discounts.

The membership card is quite expensive ($40) and the $4 discount per night will only be profitable after ten nights.

This offer is especially appealing to travelers with a Working Holiday Visa who found a job in the region or for tourists with a tiny budget.

Finally, it is important to distinguish backpackers and Working Hostels. The Working Hostels deliver the same service, but they aim to facilitate the meeting of young workers with the entrepreneurs in the region.

It would be tempting to believe the staff of the Working Hostels when they pretend that contractors will come to offer jobs... But their real goal is often to attract customers, and if there is no deception about the quality of the hotel service, there is absolutely no guarantees to get a job at the same occasion ...

This formula meets a growing success, and if the prospect of working in an organic farm, or participating in the life of a young company motivates you, you have found the ideal solution. The only downside is that you will not earn any money and that you will still need to pay for transports to get around the country.

Apart from Wwoofing or HelpX offers, some employers also rent rooms to the workers they recruit. These rental offers at $150 per week are finally as expensive as hotels, but the comfort is often far superior.

Even less expensive, the places for camper vans and tents are crowded during the high season. The camping ground belongs to employers as well as to Kiwis who want to improve their incomes.

If the showers are sometimes offered, you'll often end up washing yourself with cold water. In these conditions, one must opt for a fully equipped campground with hot showers!

The New Zealand government still allows the Freedom camping, despite a growing hostility from the locals (too many trash or bad behaviors from a minority, alas!).

However, the most tourist regions such as Rotorua have banned the Freedom camping once and for all, which is pretty bad news for the young travelers with a Working Holiday Visa.

Even allowed campsites (notably the ones managed by the Department of Conservation) are not necessarily equipped with showers.

If the fruit-picking sector don't care about the presentation of their workers, a waiter that is not clean or badly shaved won't keep a job for long!

People who can resist a succession of nights on the grass are not a majority, and camping can be very unpleasant after the amusement of the first days.

Because working too many days without a cozy mattress to sleep by night can lead straight to exhaustion and even to the premature end of the stay in New Zealand!

For this reason, acquiring a tent just to save money is a risky calculation. And if you're still not convinced by my arguments, do not forget that a year in New Zealand also involves a few winter months...

To visit New Zealand and enjoy its wonders, you must be able to travel often and therefore vary the accommodations.

Otherwise, you will have to restrict your choice to a big city and put money aside to pay for your holidays and some nice activities from time to time.

To be able to succeed, you must choose jobs and accommodations adapted to your physical abilities and your very own personality.

In other words, nobody will decide for you whether you should buy a car or a minivan, sleep in a dormitory or in a tent ...

If the budget issue is often a priority, there are people who are made to live alone and others in shared accommodation.

You will sometimes have to force your nature, hence the importance of knowing your limits, physically and emotionally.

For all these reasons, the first few months in Working Holiday Visa can be very stressful if you are not prepared enough or without experience.

Fortunately, the warm welcome from the Kiwis and few successful experiences in Wwoofing or HelpX should reassure everyone.

New Zealand is one of the best countries to visit with a Working Holiday Visa. The trip was always too short when one listens to the elders.

The question of transport being intimately linked to the accommodation; I advise you to study our guide about the means of transports in New Zealand.

Do not hesitate to come and testify on Kiwipal! And if you have some questions, you can contact Ben the Kiwi who knows everything about accommodation for a Working Holiday Visa.