Sean Purdy says his family’s £20,000 move to New Zealand has been “100 percent worth it” despite swapping a marketing career for manual labour.
Purdy, 36, his wife Tania, 40, and their two children Atticus, 8, and Aurelia, 7, touched down last month in Katikati, Bay of Plenty, after borrowing £15,000 and receiving £5,000 from relatives to fund the relocation. The Derbyshire family had spent nine months travelling South America in 2024, with Tania teaching and Sean working in marketing, but returned to Britain in May when that lifestyle became unsustainable.
Tania had applied for teaching positions in New Zealand before their return, and the day after landing back in the UK she interviewed for a secondary school role. A week later she had the job, and the Purdys spent ten days deciding whether to uproot for the other side of the world. “Things happened quick,” Sean said.
The financial breakdown reveals the scale of the move: £3,000 for straight-to-residence visas, £800 for family health checks, £300 for police checks, and £3,000 for flights. Additional costs piled up with rental deposits and a car purchase. Purdy now earns £31,942.50 annually as a labourer, while Tania makes approximately £42,590 as a teacher, with working days running slightly shorter than in Britain.
The family spends roughly £1,800 monthly on living costs, comparable to their UK expenses. “Initially the reason we wanted to move out was the cost of living, but in New Zealand it’s pretty much on par with back home,” Sean said. “For us, it’s the work life balance. We still work in New Zealand but everything is a bit more slower paced and not so much like the nine to five rat race the UK seems to have.”
What struck the Purdys most forcefully was the cultural atmosphere. Sean said the UK was lacking in “culture and connectivity with big friend groups,” whereas New Zealand “reminds me of how the UK was in the nineties” where “people just seem to want to help out complete strangers.” He elaborated: “It threw us off a bit as our experience in the UK, people are helpful but you are more into yourself and what you need to do. The Kiwis seem to be more out of their selves and happy to help random strangers at a whim.”
The contrast with their previous life emerged immediately. Sean said he’d “never been invited to anything school wise in the UK,” yet three days after arriving in Katikati, the family was welcomed with a traditional Māori greeting called mihi whakatau. “We were full on greeted and sang and got a hongi – where you put your head on their nose and do a deep breath,” he said.
Sean noted he’s met former managers and doctors who took significant career steps down after moving, all for what he called “the Kiwi experience.” The Purdys plan to complete their UK house sale to secure a New Zealand mortgage and intend to stay for life, though they acknowledge younger Kiwis often leave seeking more opportunities and would follow if their own children chose that path.
“The trade off at the moment is the first one to two years costs will be harder and things will be harder as we’re in a completely new country,” Sean said. “It’s still a trade off of having an outdoors lifestyle, community and a bit more freedom. That’s the trade off we’re happy with.”
The family’s South American journey preceded this permanent move, with Tania teaching and Sean in marketing while the children travelled with them. That experience proved unsustainable by May, prompting their brief UK return and the subsequent New Zealand opportunity.