Your new house

This page contains useful information about living in a Dunedin home.

Cost of living

Independent site Emigrate New Zealand offers a cost-of-living calculator for newcomers that shows how much money you need to live the life you want.

Furnishing your home

If you are waiting for furniture to arrive from overseas, or you want a cheaper option, there are many good second-hand shops around Dunedin where you can buy quality used furniture and whiteware. Most of these shops will deliver your purchases for a small fee. Buying used (often called ‘second-hand’) goods, including clothing, is a common practice in New Zealand.

Another option is to rent whiteware and other appliances from rental agencies in the city.

Security for your home

The New Zealand Police offers advice on how to keep your home safe (link to external website, new window).

Insuring your home

Buying insurance for your home is not compulsory but is highly recommended. There are a number of suppliers of insurance for your house, home contents, car, boat, etc. It pays to research which insurance company offers the best deal for you.

Local plants for your garden

There are a number of excellent nurseries and gardening shops in Dunedin, all of which will offer free advice on gardening in our cooler climate. Information on a wide range of New Zealand native plants can be found on the New Zealand Gardens Trust website (link to external website, new window). If you wish to learn about and recognise New Zealand weeds Massey University has a website that provides useful tips for identifying weeds and other plants (link to external website, new window).

Keeping pets

Dogs need to be registered with the Dunedin City Council and prevented from roaming. We advise that you research general information about keeping dogs before getting one. Cats and birds do not need to be registered. If you already own a pet, and wish to bring it to New Zealand, the Ministry for Primary Industries has some information on the procedures and regulations. The DCC offers information about keeping other animals, too.

Pest animals around your home

Common Dunedin pests include wild mice and rats, wasps and flies. Larger pests, such as possums, rabbits and stoats may be encountered in semi-rural or rural areas, or if you live near Dunedin’s Town Belt or parks. Except for flies and some wasps, all of these pests are not native to New Zealand. They are harmful to the environment and can be disease carriers. There are several businesses offering pest control services (link to external website, new window), the DCC offers general advice about animals and aims to reduce the number of pest mammals.

Recycling and rubbish kerbside collection

If you are on a Dunedin City Council (DCC) kerbside recycling and rubbish collection route your household will most likely receive kerbside collections for food scraps and garden waste, rubbish, mixed recycling and glass bottle and jars.

Visit the recycling and rubbish section of the DCC website to find out everything you need to know about your kerbside collection day and what items you can and can't put into your DCC kerbside bins.

Mail deliveries to your home

Stamps for sending mail within New Zealand and overseas are available at your local post shop. To find your nearest post shop visit the New Zealand Post website (link to external website, new window).

Almost all New Zealand homes have a separate mailbox, generally at the entrance on the street. New Zealand Post delivers mail 3 days a week. Visit the New Zealand Post address and postcode finder (link to external website, new window), add in your address and find the days mail will be delivered to your home. DX Mail delivers mail 5 days a week. If your new home is in a rural location, you will have a rapid number as well as a street address. This allows postal workers (and emergency services) to locate you more accurately.

Keeping your house warm

Dunedin winter temperatures average between 10 and 6degC and at night often drops below zero. Many of our homes are older and not well insulated, so can be cold and damp in winter. It's important for your health to keep warm through our colder months.

When searching for a home to buy or rent, you should try and choose a house that has good sun all year round, ventilation to remove condensation in winter and insulation to keep the heat in.

Keeping your home dry

A dry house is much easier and cheaper to heat and healthier to live in. Here are some tips for keeping your home dry and free of mould:

Air your home each day by turning your heating off and opening all windows and doors for around 5 - 10 minutes.
When cooking or bathing, open windows and/or turn on air extractor fans, to remove the steam.
Open curtains when the sun rises in the morning and close them when the sun goes down.
Keep lids on pots when cooking.
Wipe condensation off walls and windows when you see it and dry the cloth outside.
Hang washing outside to dry.
Open windows when using a clothes dryer so moisture can escape.
Dry clothes and shoes before putting them away.
Leave wardrobe doors slightly open for ventilation.
Keep the shower curtain hanging inside the shower/bath so water doesn't drip on the floor, and wash the curtain every few weeks.
Keep beds and furniture away from the walls so air can move around them.
Avoid having pot plants inside.
If you see mould, scrub with warm soapy water, then wipe clean and then dry. Please wear a mask, glasses and gloves as many moulds are bad for your health.

See these resources in English and Te Reo Māori about keeping your home warm and dry this winter.

Heating using fire

In older homes, open fires and solid fuel (wood and coal) burners are common. It is important that your firewood is dry. If it is wet or from a tree that has only just been cut down, it will not produce much heat and will smoke a lot. Do not burn wood that has been treated with chemicals, as the fumes can damage your health.

Please note, changes to air pollution rules nationally are likely to affect the use of such options in the near future. For more information visit the Otago Regional Council website (link to external website, new window). This website also has some useful tips about what materials you can and cannot burn (link to external website, new window). Fire supplies are available at a variety of places.

Fire supplies are available at a variety of places, including garages and supermarkets. Click here for a link to a number of firewood suppliers (link to external website, new window).

Electric heating

The means to connect electricity to your home will be in place in your chosen accommodation already. Contact the electricity supplier of your choice to have your supply turned on. The Consumer Power Switch website (link to external website, new window) offers you information on the different suppliers available in Dunedin and which best suits your situation.

People mostly use moveable heaters and heat pumps to warm their homes, and some people use electric blankets to warm their beds. Home heating appliances of many kinds can be found in specialty shops all over the city. There are many companies that supply and install heat pumps.

Gas in your home

Piped gas is no longer available in Dunedin. However, several companies deliver gas tanks for heating, water and cooking if your home has the appropriate appliances to use these.

Gas heaters should have a flu to create dry heat. Please do not use portable LPG gas heaters for heating - they are expensive to run, create a lot of moisture and release dangerous pollutants. They are also illegal to use in bedrooms. If you are cooking with gas, make sure you use an extractor fan or open windows to get rid of the pollutants and extra moisture.

Connecting your telephone, mobile and internet

Telephone providers

There are several telephone and mobile providers available in the city. You can choose to have your telephone and mobile phone (and internet) provided by the same or different companies, depending on your needs and budget. Some people choose not to have a home phone (often called a land line).

How to use a telephone in New Zealand

All local land line calls are free in the Dunedin area, and a variety of companies offer choices for toll calls outside the city. Calls to 0800 and 0508 numbers are also free, as are emergency calls on 111.

Most people use mobile phones. There are many mobile phone providers in the city. You can choose a pre-pay service or organise a plan for mobile phone services.

Pre-pay phone cards are available from supermarkets and dairies. These allow cheap phone calls.

To contact emergency services in New Zealand, call 111. Tell the person who answers which service you require, fire, ambulance or police, and you will be connected. You are recommended to give your name and the address you are calling from (if it is a rural address, add your rapid number).

Internet access

A variety of internet service providers are available in the city, including modem, broadband and wireless services. Compare internet service providers (link to external website, new window) to find the best internet access for your home.

Free internet access is available from all Dunedin Public Libraries (link to external website, new window) including the Central City Library on Moray Place. There are also several internet cafes around the central city area.

Television providers

There are several television providers in New Zealand:

TVNZ (link to external website, new window), which offers TVNZ +, TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2 and TVNZ DUKE
Warner Bros. Discovery (link to external website, new window), which offers Three, eden, Rush, HGTV and Bravo
Sky TV (link to external website, new window), which offers Pay TV services via satellite and UHF, and owns Sky Open, another free-for-view service
Channel 39 (link to external website, new window) Dunedin's own television station
Māori Television (link to external website, new window)

The News

The local newspaper

The local daily newspaper is the Otago Daily Times (link to external website, new window), New Zealand's oldest daily newspaper. This is available to purchase Monday to Saturday from supermarkets and dairies, or you can arrange for delivery easily on the website.

The Star is a free weekly newspaper delivered to most households. The Sunday Star Times and Sunday News are available every Sunday and delivery of these can also be arranged.

Online news sources

There are several online, national news websites. The most commonly read in New Zealand are:

Stuff (link to external website, new window)
NZ Herald (link to external website, new window)
RNZ National (link to external website, new window)
Scoop (link to external website, new window)

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