Things to do list

In this 'to do' list I've tried to cover everything you might need to do when emigrating to New Zealand. I will update it as we go through the process and I gain more first hand knowledge.
Feel free to print it, and tick things off as you get them done. Good luck. It's daunting isn't it !

House Sale

• Get house valued & find an estate agent or other means of selling
• Prepare house for sale
• If self-built house get CML approved architects certificates & professional indemnity insurance certificates
• Organise the keys for the new people
• Write a user manual for the house (where the stop cocks are, boiler things etc)
• Check every cupboard, loft & secret hiding place !
• Sell House
• Note final meter readings
• Leave a forwarding address

Furniture

• Arrange packing & shipping. Get at least 3x quotes. Don't forget local companies.
• Arrange storage
• Arrange possible air freight
• Get packing materials (bubble wrap ?)
• Clean bicycles, garden tools etc
• Sell unwanted things
• Dispose of rubbish
• Make a total inventory of all of your stuff. Keep receipts. Take pictures of everything in case you can't remember what it all is.
• Return borrowed things to whom they belong !
• Dismantle furniture
• Clean & dry everything that may otherwise suffer from mildew during shipping (fridge/freezer/washing machine)
• Drain the oil out of lawn mowers and petrol strimmers etc
• Get silica gel for absorbing unwanted moisture on journey
• Find out which things won't work in NZ (washing machines ?)
• Check containers for leaks etc (close, and from inside, look for light through roof)
• Be prepared to pay GST/bond if you haven't got residency status

Accommodation in UK

• Sort out where to stay until flight

Stop Bills

• Council Tax & get rebate
• House Insurance & get rebate
• Electricity, Gas, Water, Phone
• Cable/satellite
• Car Insurance & get rebate
• Mobile phone contract
• ISP
• Cancel or transfer subscriptions
• Get refund on TV licence (only complete 3-month unexpired periods)

Pay off debts

• Credit cards
• Car

Car

• Sell car or organise somewhere to store it & sell it later

Health

• Smear test
• Dental check-up
• If you're with an NHS dentist, book an appointment for a years time to stay registered, and don't forget to cancel it if you stay in NZ
• Eye test
• Get any immunisations for NZ
• Make sure children's jabs are up to date

UK Tax etc

• Contact DWAP about Tax credits, Child benefit, Income tax
• Find out your tax/benefits position if you return to the UK
• Find out about the implications for your pension

Endowment Policies

• Check whether travelling to NZ affects them
• Notify of change of address
• Get surrender value
• Close before travelling or after or not at all

Paperwork

• Get passport style photos (how many all together ?)
• Get Passports
• Birth certificates (long versions with parents names for visas)
• Get certified copies
• References from banks (you will need proof that you are good payers)
• References from employers
• Proof of employment experience
• Proof of no claims bonus on car & claims history on house
• Certificates of qualifications
• Driving License
• Medical records
• Dental records ?
• Air travel tickets
• Make 2x copies & leave 1x with family/friends
• Arrange for police checks, so you can get them from NZ
• Get a will written when you get to NZ, to apply under NZ law. Use the lawyer conveyancing your property purchase.
• CV
  • Get a book on CV writing
  • Write a CV for electronic media & paper
  • What about a CV website ?
• Accommodation details for NZ
• Bank account details
• List of NZ contacts
• Get a diary to note when you must do things etc

Pets

• Get dogs & cats micro-chipped at least 6 months before flying
• Get immunisations
• Arrange for someone to look after pets until settled in NZ
• Get paperwork - MAF dog import permit (this is no longer required)
• Get travel box
• Arrange things with vet
• Register dog within 14 days of entering NZ with local government authority

Travel

• Sort shipping company
• Book Flights
  • Find out what you can put in the hold for nothing
  • Ask for special migrant allowance
  • Book a bassinet seat for <2 year olds
  • Check availability of baby food/reheating
• Travel insurance
• Sort out how to get to airport
   

Things to take with you by air

• Clothes
• Paperwork
• Money (NZ dollars & credit cards)
• Food & drink
• Car seats & booster seats (need to check whether they conform to NZ regulations)
• Computer disks
• Children's toys
• Toiletries
• Entertainment for you and the kids on the plane
• DVT socks (look on ebay. http://www.wbrewin.co.uk/ did a great deal when I looked)
• Medicines (including for children/babies)
• How about a few pieces of rope to tie two trolleys together, so one person can push two ?

Things to take

• 3 & 5 amp fuses - they are difficult to get in NZ because the plugs don't have them.

Mobile Phones

• Make sure mobile works in NZ

Money

• Open an account with a foreign exchange company (like HiFX or xeTrade). You can also use banks like ASB.
• Sort out where to invest the proceeds of the house sale (onshore or offshore). You must open accounts while still in the UK.
• Bank Accounts
  • Change address with bank
  • Close all UK bank accounts or leave enough money to pay any direct debits you want to keep (endowment policies etc)
• Open NZ bank account
• Credit Cards
  • Make sure you can pay off bills on-line
  • Change address
  • Tell them you are going to NZ and will be spending there, otherwise they might put a stop on your card.

Communications

• Buy a laptop in the UK and set it up.
• Get ISP independent email account such as gmail, hotmail, msn, yahoo
• Get email addresses for everyone you can
• Arrange for mail to be forwarded (your local post office has a form)
• Give your details to family & friends
• Organise a web cam for aged parents !
• Have a leaving party (or a going on holiday party if you end up coming back !)

Choose your preferred NZ region

• Study weather
• Crime rates
• Employment types and statistics
• Schools
• House prices

Jobs in NZ

• Register with recruitment agencies
• Get a list of possible companies (using directories)
• Get sources of job adverts (newspapers & on-line)
• Get IRD number for everyone (get this while still in the UK)

Accommodation in NZ

• Hotels, B&B, Long term motel, Home stays, Rentals, Purchase
• Study 'To let' sections of local papers

Car in NZ

• Car rental for first few weeks
• Car purchase & check credit history
• Car insurance
• Driving test within 12 months for NZ driving license
• Get separate personal injury/accident insurance

Living in NZ

• Arranging for your phone to be re-connected
• How to choose an electricity supplier and get connected.
• Contents insurance for when your stuff arrives
• Registering your car, you need your passport or you'll have to do it at the post office!
• How to get the kids into school once you've chosen one.
• Setting up a family trust
• Bank fees - how to avoid them
• MAF fees - how not to pay too much
   

Health in NZ

• Health insurance for NZ
• Register with doctor ?
• Locate hospitals
• Enrol kids at the local School Dental Clinic for regular checkups

Computers in NZ

• Sort out what & where to buy
• Sort out internet access

Return to UK

• Research schools etc & decide to where in the UK you would reluctantly return