Kelly Family Wanted Down Under

The Kelly family want a new life in New Zealand.

We really do need to think about doing it now

before everything becomes just a bit too much,

I think, to take on.

Taking life a little bit slower and having a little bit more fun.

And they've got the money to afford it.

-Look at the view, Josh!

-I can really see ourselves living here.

I wouldn't buy this house. I'm not taken by it.

-You've got your dishwasher!

-HE LAUGHS

You're my dishwasher, that's fine!

But with a loving family back home willing them to stay...

I can't lie to them and say I'm happy.

I don't want them to go, you know?

That's it... That's the way it is and it's just...

You've just got to live with it, haven't you?

To let them go and have their own lives and be happy.

This could be a battle of heart versus head.

If we moved over here and I started a business,

it certainly looks promising.

Really disappointing, yeah.

Voted one of the best places in the world to bring up a family,

it's not hard to understand why almost 9,000 UK residents

make the move to New Zealand every year.

Add to that its outstanding natural beauty and temperate climate

and it's no wonder it's such a desirable destination

for those seeking a better life.

The Kelly family from Aberdeen love the outdoor life

they have in the Scottish Granite City

and now wonder whether New Zealand could offer such

a lifestyle all year round.

Across one week, they'll get to see the sort of life they could lead

and afford if they relocated down under,

before voting on whether to make the move.

The Kellys' journey to New Zealand has taken three flights

and almost as many days in the air.

We left on Sunday. It's now Tuesday?

-Tuesday.

-We've somehow lost 30-something hours,

but the kids were brilliant.

It's never easy travelling that far, but...

Long, but happy to be here.

Both Hollie and Gilan have made the trip before,

but this time it's very different.

The last time we were in New Zealand it was just the two of us,

no children, no baggage.

I think there was probably a bit of nerves as we flew in,

seeing all these houses and looking at them very differently to the last

few times we've flown into New Zealand, as well.

We both see ourselves living here

and I suppose it's nerve-racking because

if we really like it, it might mean uprooting,

which is the nerve-racking part, the scary part,

but it's also very exciting.

Yeah, just really excited to see what the week holds.

The family set off on a journey which could decide on which side of

the world their future lies.

Meet the Kellys.

They are dad Gilan, mum Hollie and children Harris,

Joshua and much-loved family pet Honey.

On the face of it, they want for nothing at all -

a nice big house, a successful outdoor adventure business

-and an especially loving extended family.

-We do have a good life.

100%. We've a great life.

Fantastic kids, great house, nice area, really successful businesses.

Now in their late 20s, however,

they're asking themselves whether they're living to work or working to live.

We've both thought about New Zealand considerably

for a number of years.

It's not something that's just crept up suddenly.

It's always been in the back of our minds that maybe one day

we would have a better work-life balance so we can spend a little

more time with each other and the kids.

I think we're probably victims of our own success a bit

in that we've just, over the last five years,

taken more and more and more on and, before we know it,

we're now at this point where it's completely unsustainable

if we want to actually spend time with the children

and grow the businesses. That can't happen.

Taking life a little bit slower and having a little bit more fun.

Together, they've decided that New Zealand could be the answer.

We do lots of things with the kids.

99% of the time it's outside.

Being able to kind of have the flexibility to be spontaneous

and go out and go to the beach when it's nice weather

and have that flexibility, that's a really big draw, isn't it?

Yeah, huge. With New Zealand, well, with the climate the way it is,

you get seasons, which is fantastic.

We love the idea of having a harsh winter along with a lovely summer,

whereas you never know in Scotland what you're going to get, you know?

It could be just rain every day of the week for six months.

-12 months of grey.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Yeah.

But with the children reaching a crucial age

and baby three on the way, time is of the essence.

Now is the right time I think for us, because you know,

the kids are starting to grow up.

I'd be really concerned about leaving it ten years and then having

children who are really embedded in the community

and have lots of friends and play in the teams

and whatever else they get up to.

I think with baby number three, as well,

it's only going to get more difficult,

so we really do need to think about doing it now before everything

becomes just a bit too much, I think, to take on.

So what is holding them back?

Well, family of course.

In particular, Gilan's dad, who he has recently got back in touch with.

In the last couple of years I've just recently got back in touch

with my dad, so, no, it's been really nice rekindling

that relationship that was never really there from a younger age.

That worries me a little bit,

that maybe he doesn't realise quite what he could be missing out on

because he hasn't had it, so he doesn't necessarily attach the same

-value to it, so...

-The realisation now that, you know,

it's potentially going to happen could just be hitting home.

With Hollie, meanwhile, with her only brother already emigrated,

it's Mum who'd be left behind.

She brought the both of us up as a single parent,

so I have a really close relationship to her

and so do our kids, as well.

So it would be really, really difficult

leaving her and feeling like we'd both kind of abandoned her

to the other side of the world.

It's causing us to, I think,

maybe pause a bit more than we had ever thought we would, actually.

What's certain is that in the trial week ahead,

they'll both have to like what they see to make the move.

-Maybe.

-I can't see either one of us forcing the other to go for it.

Do you know, that's really funny?

-I was going to say the opposite!

-You were going to say the opposite?

I was going to say, but for the same reasons,

-I was going to say we are really supportive of each other.

-Yeah.

And, actually, like, if you really wanted to do it and I was

on the fence, I would do it anyway.

Like, what's the worst that can happen?

We're just going to go there and actually decide that I was right all

-along and come home.

-Yeah, the worst thing that could

happen is that I was wrong and then that's bad.

The Kellys are spending their week in Karori.

It may be one of Wellington's oldest suburbs.

And, as they unpack, they get the chance to talk about their first

impressions of the area they'll be spending their week.

The drive up here was really pretty, really breathtaking.

The house itself probably isn't very practical,

it's not what we would look for in a family home.

Different levels, I think that would be a problem for us with the kids,

but, again, the views and where it's located are just gorgeous.

Really, really nice.

And it seems they've come prepared.

We've done our research, obviously,

and had a look around the area around Wellington,

know where all the schools are and all the good suburbs, so, yeah,

it will be really interesting to see if we view anything

relevant to what I think we should be looking at.

-I'm looking forward to it.

-Yeah.

Yeah, I'm really looking forward, yeah.

I don't think we're hard to please. We don't have a massive list.

It's just that there are some non-negotiables,

which are outside space and a family

friendly inner suburb that has a good school. That's it.

The week ahead will have to deliver if the couple's dream

of a fresh start down under is to become a reality.

Back in the UK, the Kellys currently have the best of both worlds.

So we live in a small, kind of rural village just now,

not too far from the city and that's

definitely something that's important

if we made the move to New Zealand.

Having recently sold their family home, they are currently,

and very happily, renting.

The house that we're in is absolutely fantastic.

-Yeah, it's really nice.

-Lots of space, just exactly what we need.

I like the rural feel.

We like having the space.

Yeah, a great family home, so that's something that we

definitely would look to emulate when we're

out in New Zealand. We need a decent number of rooms as well, actually,

because, obviously, moving away, we need the ability

to have family come and stay.

And while size definitely matters for them, they're not too fussy.

Really neither of us get the big fuss about, "Oh, my goodness,

"look at the decor or look at those floors."

We're not bothered at all by

-the walk-in wardrobes or...

-His and her sinks.

-..his and hers sinks

or any of that kind of rubbish.

But one thing is essential - for Gilan at least.

Yeah, oh!

-Yeah.

-Absolutely, yeah.

A garage, yeah, that's it.

And their budget for all this?

A budget of round about £400,000, but you never know,

we could go above if we find our dream home.

-Yeah.

-And just change the way, juggle the way that we do things.

Hm-hm.

To find out what this might get them on the Wellington property market,

we'll show them three houses -

two on budget and a third which could be their dream home.

The search begins in the suburb of Whitby,

just a 20-minute drive north of Wellington.

With great schools and a strong community spirit,

it's got that family-friendly feel they're after.

But will this three-bedroom family home be fit for purpose?

It's got a big driveway.

Oh, this is perfect.

Well, it's a thumbs up on first impressions.

Lots of big family houses so that's nice.

And really nice quiet street so that's really positive too.

Definitely, the house looks really nice.

Really big from the outside, so excited.

Inside, meanwhile, continues to impress.

Wow, look at this.

Wow. This looks really big.

Yes. Nice new carpets, quite like neutral.

And the main family dining area seems to have the wow factor, too.

Wow, this is nice, isn't it?

Oh, wow. Look at the views, Josh.

-Huge room, this is.

-Time to check out the kitchen.

Let's have a look at this.

Ooh, all integrated appliances as well, that's quite good.

-Got your dishwasher.

-HE LAUGHS

-You're my dishwasher!

-SHE LAUGHS

What a cheek!

There might even be room for a new addition to the family.

-Who would use that door, Joshy?

-A pussycat.

Yeah. Ooh.

Well, so far so good seems to be the verdict.

Until...

What's here, Joshy?

It's a bedroom.

Master bedroom.

Oh, with an en-suite.

-Decoration is a bit interesting.

-THEY LAUGH

Salmon pink.

A bit dated, you'd want to change that I think.

-Definitely.

-It's OK, I wouldn't buy this house.

I'm not taken by it, it's not really doing anything for me.

It's not for us. I don't think I'd buy it.

Well, that went downhill quickly.

Time to leave the children with a child-minder

so Gilan and Hollie can take a closer look.

But the bathroom doesn't improve things.

-That's gone.

-THEY LAUGH

-I couldn't agree more.

-It's pink.

-I'm sure somebody would like a pink tiled bath but...

-Not us.

-..not me.

-No.

-THEY LAUGH

And the lack of space for visitors makes matters worse.

I think it's a non-negotiable, isn't it?

Having space for relatives to come and stay.

If we're moving out here we need space for family and friends

-to come and stay.

-At least there's

something to put a smile on Gilan's face.

-Good-sized garage.

-I'm not going to argue with the garage space,

this is really good. This is exactly what a man needs.

-I would never see you again.

-No, not at all. Absolutely.

The garage space is perfect.

But outside, well, it's just not what the Kellys want.

Oh, it's not very private at all, look.

-True.

-Yeah, really overlooked.

-And not as big as it looks.

-No.

I'd want something a bit bigger

for the boys to run around and roll about on.

Yeah, a little bit more privacy as well.

This garden's a bit overlooked.

Despite some pleasing elements, overall,

this property has failed to live up to the Kellys' hopes for a Kiwi home.

But if the asking price is under their £400,000 budget,

will it make a difference?

I definitely think it's at the lower end of our budget or just below.

I think this house is probably on

the market for about £375,000.

£395,000.

-OK, let's have a look. You can do it.

-OK.

-£370,000.

-I think that's right where we thought it would be.

It's definitely a good sign, given

that it's less than our lower end of the budget, which is good.

And way below the top end of the budget.

And way below the top end of the budget.

-On to property number two, I think.

-Cool.

Not exactly the best of starts.

Let's hope property number two can get things back on track.

It's in Aotea, also just a short commute to Wellington.

This suburb on the Kapiti Coast is fast becoming a place

where work and home life balance come hand-in-hand.

Boasting five bedrooms and three bathrooms,

this modern family home should offer all the space the couple need.

And even on the drive up, it is positive vibes.

Big driveway. Room for a couple of cars.

I'm really excited about this one.

Much more positive feel about this one.

-Yeah.

-Time to get inside.

-This is much nicer.

At least it's not that pink, thank goodness!

-I like this.

-It's nice open-plan.

-Oh, yes.

This is exactly the type of space we're looking for.

Yeah, much better. And modern, isn't it?

Really clean.

Yeah, really nice. Nice kitchen, really nice, light and airy.

Really well decorated as well. Can really see ourselves living here.

-You could just move straight in, couldn't you?

-Yeah.

Looks like quite nice views as well. I think the views are going to be really nice upstairs.

Absolutely, can't wait to see up there.

On to the downstairs bedroom and Hollie is already thinking about

converting it into something this

business-minded pair definitely need.

Oh, a nice, light room.

-Really nice.

-It's screaming out to me, office, actually.

Because it is tucked out of the way,

but not so out of the way you couldn't hear the kids playing.

That's true. Without seeing the rest of the house, actually,

it kind of makes sense. You've got a nice view at the side there as well.

As with best laid plans, however...

-THEY LAUGH

-OK, no.

Maybe this will be the office.

Maybe this'll be the office, actually, yeah.

Upstairs and the main bedroom seems to have exactly what a girl wants.

Let's see. I'm guessing this is the master bedroom.

-Yeah, definitely.

-A big wardrobe. There you go, that's you happy.

Somewhere to hang up all your clothes.

-Cool.

-This is nice, though.

-Good to have an en-suite.

-Yeah, always good to have an en-suite.

So, how are the rest of the family going to keep clean?

Oh, this is nice.

It's a family bathroom.

Nice space. No bath, though.

Well, it's big enough to be able to have a bath.

Even if you have a bath with an over-shower, that will be fine.

Everything you can ask for in a bathroom.

-Apart from a bath.

-Apart from a bath.

-THEY LAUGH

-Cool.

With an ever-expanding family,

this five bedroom property seems to have the sort of space

the Kellys are looking for.

But a quick detour into what they hope might be a spare bedroom,

instead unveils a very disappointing view.

Outside. I think, maybe, the neighbours look onto the garden.

That could be a bit of an issue.

The garden doesn't seem to be very big.

-It's tiny.

-Not as much as we'd expect.

So disappointing, though, isn't it?

Because the house is absolutely gorgeous.

-It's perfect.

-So it's got the indoor space they wanted, but falling short

on outdoor space for the children

has left the couple feeling disenchanted.

Really disappointing. Yeah.

Is it somewhere they could afford to live anyway?

Their budget is £400,000.

So compared to the first house, this one's got to be

substantially more expensive.

It's got to be a lot more expensive, definitely.

So I think this one's going to be more like 480, 490.

£490,000.

I think this house will be around about £470,000.

OK, let's find out.

Oh. So £420,000.

-Wow.

-I'm really shocked.

I'm quite surprised, absolutely.

-Much cheaper than both of us thought.

-Yeah.

Despite some positive reactions to this house,

the couple still haven't found what they're looking for

and there's just one property to go.

The final stop of the day is the coastal suburb of Parramatta -

an established neighbourhood with outstanding views alongside great

transport links and excellent schools,

it could prove the ideal location.

But will this four-bedroom family home

have the space both inside and out

the couple are desperate for?

-Steep driveway.

-HE LAUGHS

It might just be an uphill struggle

if Hollie's initial reactions are anything to go by.

I feel really bad. I'm not feeling this.

Really? I wanted, like, country space.

Let's hope things improve indoors.

-JOSH MUMBLES

-Look at the view.

Joshua, look at the view.

That's an incredibly nice view from a living room, isn't it, Josh?

I love the view.

Encouraging, but appearances can be deceptive.

If I'm being totally honest, I'm really disappointed.

I wanted to be out, I don't know,

out in the country a bit more, I think.

Gilan, on the other hand, seems more positive.

It's a nice view of the front and

there is a really nice view at the back.

You wouldn't mind washing the dishes at this sink.

THEY LAUGH

The main bedroom, meanwhile,

provides more of those incredible views.

It's really nice and big. I thought the views were good downstairs.

-HE LAUGHS

-Gorgeous. You can see right along the coast.

And a little balcony, look.

Wow.

Could Hollie be starting to come round?

This room alone is really gorgeous.

I think it's going to have a big price tag with it.

Mm, maybe.

The bathroom is...cosy.

It's quite a small bathroom for such a big house, isn't it?

There's not a lot of room to get them in and out of the bath and dry.

But it does have a bath. It's more than the last house had.

So, does this house have the sort of outside space the Kellys want?

-Look at the view, Josh.

-Can you see that?

It's not a small garden, it's not like a teeny, tiny garden.

It's just that...some of the properties we've seen online

before have had a lot more space than this.

All of which is producing seriously mixed feelings.

I think I'm feeling really torn after this house.

-Torn?

-Yes.

-It seems a bit of a waste having such a beautiful house

in a beautiful spot with, you know,

everybody looking in your kitchen window.

I'm pretty sure it's going to be top of our budget...if not above.

So, should we turn it over?

-Yeah, let's do it.

-The couple are

torn on this house, but if the price falls

on the right side of their £400,000 budget, could they be swayed?

Price is, £470,000.

-Oh.

-Oh.

-Still don't want to buy it.

I think, if anything, it just shows us that the house with the view and

the size of a house that's here is

sometimes a little bit cheaper than even back home.

-We know what we're looking for is definitely going to be attainable.

-Definitely.

Even though the price didn't put them off,

the couple are still holding out for the perfect outdoor space.

It's been a mixed bag of a day on the property friend.

House one was positively pink

and didn't have the visitors space Gilan and Hollie need.

And while the garage was generous, the garden was not what they wanted.

Modern styling in the spacious second home impressed

and although there was no bath

and the closeness of neighbours was a concern,

would a lower-than-expected price give pause for thought?

Thee views and garden of property three won Gilan over and the indoor

space impressed Hollie.

But were they won over by the location?

So based on everything they've seen, how will the couple vote

when it comes to choosing between property

in New Zealand and the UK?

Despite seeing the three houses,

I don't think any of them were really suitable for us today.

I do think the right property is out there for us

within our budget with the extra outside space.

We just haven't found it yet.

So based on that I guess we'll vote.

-BOTH:

-New Zealand.

I think we can definitely get a property we are looking for here.

-Yes. Within budget.

-Yeah, within budget.

We just need to look a little bit further out.

Still convinced they could eventually get their dream home

in New Zealand within budget,

the week has got off to a positive start.

But for a permanent move to become a reality,

securing well-paid work down under will be key.

Back in the UK, Gilan and Hollie run a paintball adventure business.

It's something Gilan is very proud of as he's built it from scratch.

We run a few different businesses, actually, just now in the UK.

One of those is an outdoor adventure activity site and over the last

couple of years we've also gotten into escape games.

So, essentially, locking people in a room filled with

puzzles and challenging them to try to and escape

with 60 minutes on the clock.

I think if we move to New Zealand we would look to leave our adventure

activity business here with a manager.

That would free up a lot of our time, allow us to spend more

time with the family.

And if we decided to open more businesses in New Zealand

then we could choose what we decided to do.

While Hollie has, in recent years,

taken a hands-on role with the business,

her training as an environmental consultant

is something she might like to pursue further.

Plan B would definitely focus on me going back into my career path and

probably supporting the family until we found a niche kind of business

model Gilan was comfortable starting.

Both feel, however, that New Zealand is the perfect place to follow their

-career dreams.

-Exciting, really exciting time and an interesting

potential change for us.

Completely different change for us.

Today, the couple set out to discover what opportunities might

exist for them in New Zealand.

First, Hollie meets Doctor Julie Hall from one of New Zealand's

leading natural resources companies.

So it's a pretty broad job market for environmental scientists.

We are very open and we have brought in a significant number of people

from overseas. So we have a very multinational workforce.

So far so good, but what about the money?

We'd be looking at somewhere,

65,000 to 70,000 New Zealand dollars.

So £36,000 to £40,000 a year for a full-time position.

That's really interesting to know, actually,

because that pretty much matches identically

to what I would expect to earn in the UK.

And now - the key question.

One thing that staff really appreciate here is flexibility.

So being able to start early, finish early,

balancing off dropping kids off, picking them up.

I think that's really important to people.

All sounds promising. But what about Gilan?

We've arranged for him to meet Rob Lawson who runs

a busy freight and warehousing business

covering the lower North Island.

Not only did he start the business from scratch,

but he did it after moving here from Scotland many years ago.

I wanted to start up myself and I thought,

I'll start up this scheme I'm doing now, the furniture removal.

I thought I'd do that for a few weeks, just part-time,

driving a bit in the van with me and a young lad helping me out.

And now I employ 23 people and have seven vehicles

and a warehouse, do a bit of storage and stuff like that.

It's just grown.

I didn't intend doing it more than six months and it's 26 years now.

A role model indeed, but what advice

can he give Gilan about acclimatising?

When you initially get here, it seems like it's just the same as the

UK, but there's a lot of subtle differences

that kind of creep up on you.

Even the mannerisms of the people,

the Kiwi outlook tends to be a bit more relaxed.

You kind of soak it up the longer you are here.

They're a pretty decent bunch of people.

And a nice society to work in.

If Gilan does make the move, he'd want to continue his adventure

business empire. So he's keen to know more about what sort of market

-he'll be entering.

-The Maori have a lot of say

in how you run things here, which is quite right, too.

-They were the indigenous people, they were first here.

-Of course.

It's of great interest to people who come from Europe or the States

or anywhere like that. It's a wonderful selling point,

it's certainly something you should embrace.

And can you get the staff?

Unemployment is very low in New Zealand at the moment.

So getting qualified staff in any particular skill

can be quite difficult.

It's very much a buyers market from an employee's perspective.

You might want to take that into account.

Here in New Zealand, people tend to spend a lot of time obviously

outdoors. Do you find there are any problems when it comes to asking

-staff to work at the weekends?

-Only in relation to sport.

A lot of these guys like to play rugby. Rugby is a huge thing here.

Yeah, the sport can sometimes,

sometimes interfere with your employment plans.

Yeah. He's a really interesting guy.

Obviously, he has a very successful business and

started himself from nothing and worked his way up.

So that in itself is quite encouraging.

Hearing from an expat has obviously helped, so time for Hollie

to meet one of her own. Jim Roberts works in the Fisheries Department.

I was just finishing up with a PhD at Imperial College in London and

someone told me there was a job going here at NIWA.

So I figured I'd be mad not to apply for it.

And it's just not environmental science they've got in common.

Jim also is about to be a parent.

I suppose what I really love about New Zealand is their connection with

the outdoors. With that connection to the nature and the environment is

really strong and it is an important part of the New Zealand identity.

But what about the practicalities?

My advice is, if you've got anything that's going to be difficult to deal

with when you're going for a residency visa

or something like that, grab as much paperwork as you can

before you go out of the door, because

-you're probably going to need it.

-SHE LAUGHS

Doesn't seem to be all that different between the UK

and New Zealand in terms of prospects for careers.

And wages are really, really similar as well.

Time now, however, for Hollie and Gilan to talk about their day.

-How was your day?

-Good, yeah.

-How was your morning?

-It was good, yeah.

Any surprises?

I'd like to say yes, but there weren't.

-That's good though.

-It's a good thing.

If we moved over here and I started a business,

it certainly looks promising.

My afternoon was pretty much the same, so no real surprises.

Prospect-wise, salary, all exactly as we'd sort of envisaged.

-That's really good.

-Yeah, no real surprises.

-Yeah. Shall we have a vote?

-Let's do it.

-Sounds great, come on.

-Let's go.

-I think I know which way this might go.

Based on what we've heard today, our vote goes to...

-New Zealand.

-Undecided.

Oh! A bit of a surprise from Hollie.

I feel quite confident in the business sector here.

So I voted undecided just because I

don't feel like I really learnt anything new today.

So after speaking to the gentleman today I strongly believe that

one of our businesses in particular would work very well here.

As they enter into the second half of their trial week,

it feels like there's some work to do if Gilan and Hollie are to be

convinced that a move to New Zealand is going to be worth it.

Will a day sampling the active outdoor lifestyle

they love so much help with their decision?

The Kellys are a self-professed outdoorsy family,

so what better way to spend the day than on a bike?

Electric style, that is.

Tour guide Ryan, leads the way.

The only way to travel.

As super dad flies along the cycle path, the family take in the sights.

Time to refuel after all that exercise.

I'm ready. Did you enjoy that? Yeah.

And there is a nice treat in store.

-Gilan's dad phones from Scotland.

-Hello. Is that Joshy?

-Is Joshy there?

-Yeah, Joshy, say hi.

-Hi.

HE MUMBLES

-You're having lunch?

-Mm-hm.

-I'm sat in front of the coal fire

crackling away just thinking about yous down there in New Zealand.

Have you learnt anything about moving over?

Yeah, it's been a good eye-opener.

We've been to see a good range of properties and the houses

we went to see weren't what we were looking for.

We'll make sure we send you lots of pictures.

I can't wake until you come back. I've missed you already.

I know, it's kind of weird like that, isn't it?

But I suppose it's the distance that does that, isn't it?

When you're just up the road you

think, "It's not a big deal, you can just nip up."

A bit further away you kind of think,

"I can't just go and nip up the road."

-Say love you lots to Grandpa George.

-Love you lots.

-Love you more! Love you more.

-No, you don't, I love you more.

I love you 100!

Aw, well that was nice.

So what are their thoughts halfway through the week?

So far, we've really enjoyed it.

The people here are really friendly, really nice.

When you are here and you are having nice family time,

we don't get much time off so any time off we do have

we do tend to try and spend it with friends and family.

So I guess it does make you reflect

that it would be nice to have them here.

Not having the rest of the family to come and enjoy days some days out,

but they'll be able to come and visit.

We'd be able to make the most of that time.

So based on today, will they vote

for lifestyle in New Zealand or the UK?

-BOTH:

-New Zealand.

So I voted for New Zealand because of days just like today,

we love getting out with the kids.

Weather-wise, we're going to have much more opportunities

to have days out like that with the kids. And that's really important.

It's nice just to be able to pick up and go. Create more opportunities

and hopefully get the boys out and

it's the things we like doing the most, so...

THEY LAUGH

With another vote for New Zealand,

a permanent move to the other side of the world

looks like it could become a reality for the Kelly family.

But only if the finances add up.

It's time to find out how the cost of living down under

-compares with the UK.

-It'll be super exciting seeing all the numbers, won't it?

I know. I'm not sure how it's going to go, but we'll see.

And they start with the weekly shop.

Anything that's in red is less expensive,

everything in black is more expensive.

-Cool.

-Porridge, onions, peas...

Basically, all the fruit.

Having a quick scan down.

There's only a few items that are less expensive.

Like, all the fresh fruit and veg and stuff -

all more expensive.

So, shall we add up all of these totals and see what it's going to be

-difference-wise?

-Do you want to do the calculations?

-Go for it.

-There you go.

-We will do this.

-556.

-Yes.

-225. 310. 254. 197.

254. 789.

-What was that for?

-Chicken breasts.

-OK.

That's quite a big difference.

So works out to be per month -

difference of about £101.40p.

Over a whole year, £1216.80p.

So bigger bills for food in New Zealand.

But what about the other costs?

Mortgage, pretty much the same.

Council tax, a pound difference.

So, negligible.

-Yes. Not much difference.

-Electricity is quite a bit cheaper.

-Quite a lot cheaper, actually.

-Half the cost.

Yep. Mobile phones are much more expensive, so, like...

-Oh, yeah, massively more expensive.

-Yeah, triple the price.

Yeah. Transport costs - a little bit cheaper here.

Car insurance and MOT, both cheaper here.

Home insurance, half the price. And children's nursery, oh, my gosh.

Children's nursery is massive, look at that!

So, £1,400 per month is what we

spend on the boys being in nursery for three days, roughly.

-And that would only be £600 here.

-That's just incredible.

-I can't believe that difference.

-We're getting ripped off!

-Yeah!

THEY LAUGH

You're not wrong!

So, total outgoings...

So, let's see what the difference is, then.

So, it's a difference of £1,419 per month

better off in New Zealand. That sounds crazy.

-I don't know how that's possible.

-It's just the childcare!

-It's the childcare!

-It actually is!

-Yeah.

-I wasn't expecting that.

-I wasn't expecting that at all.

Substantially lower childcare costs will help offset some of the higher

prices Hollie and Gilan expect to pay for the other bills.

So, how does it all add up?

So, per month, taking into account our salaries, our outgoings,

our big bills, our leisure, our food,

we would in New Zealand be better

off, to the tune of £1,298 per month.

-That's a massive figure.

-Yeah.

-And it just gets better.

Gilan would continue to draw an income from his UK businesses,

and if Hollie was to get a job, she'd be earning too.

So, where does that leave them overall?

I think it's hard not to be

satisfied with those kind of numbers. It's really, quite...

A lot more than... You know, the savings are a lot more than we

thought they would be. So, it's really reassuring.

A saving of over 12...well, £1,300 a month is massive.

That's, erm... Yeah, I don't know what we would do with that.

-Yeah, absolutely! Well, I do.

-Well, yeah, you would buy a boat.

-Yeah, probably!

-Yeah!

-THEY LAUGH

Yeah, at least we'd have plenty

of money to maybe look at a larger house that

could incorporate more grandparents visiting.

-Yeah, definitely.

-The favourable figures are opening up options.

But how will Gilan and Hollie balance their decision?

-BOTH:

-New Zealand.

I think just based on £1,300 a month,

that's such a huge amount of money to save.

Yeah, you just can't ignore the figures, really, can you?

It's an incredible amount of money.

While Joshua and Harris take a nap,

Hollie and Gilan sit down together

to watch a DVD from loved ones back home.

-So, are you ready?

-Ready as I'll ever be.

I'm not looking forward to seeing anybody upset.

Definitely not.

Hi, Gilan, Hollie, Joshua and Harris.

-Hi, Hollie.

-Hi, Josh!

As a family, they're brilliant. They're brilliant to their kids,

Josh and Harris are just so blessed to have them.

I see them together sometimes and I just think,

that's the way a family should be.

They just are a wee team, even the kids.

They're so, so together, it's fantastic.

And the two wee ones, well, they're just absolutely gorgeous.

Love them to bits!

Gilan's honest, hard-working,

a really straight down the middle guy,

you kind of know where you stand with him.

I've never seen him once come in when he's sad, angry.

He's always been happy, really sort of excited for the day to happen.

So, he's just a cracking lad.

Hollie's just the sort of friend that no matter what's going on in my

life, erm, I want her there with me.

She's just so supportive, and...

And yes, she's just really good fun as well.

-How much did they pay them?!

-THEY LAUGH

Josh and, er, Harris are two...

two lively characters, we love them dearly.

Because of the nature of Hollie and Gilan's busy schedule,

we see a lot of them, and...

-which is great.

-When they first told me about

the idea of going to New Zealand, it was a bit of a shock.

Because we were still in that process of still getting to know

each other, and especially with Harris coming along, the young one,

I don't want to lose my grandkids

when I've just started to get to know them.

-We'll miss that, too.

-Yeah, we'll definitely miss that.

-Josh will miss that.

-Yeah, definitely.

Perhaps more for the grandchildren,

the fact that they wouldn't all get together again.

But that's the way it is, and it's just...

You've just got to live with it, haven't you?

To let them go and have their own lives and be happy.

Yeah, we kind of hope you'll stay.

But if you do decide to go, it'll be...

it'll be really, really fun and we will visit.

-But we'll miss you lots.

-And I'll miss you so much.

I love you immensely. And, erm...

But I trust you immensely.

And I know that you'll do what's right for you guys as a family.

If we did move away, we would make the time for the family

and make sure that it would be part of our lives,

-to make sure that they were coming to visit or vice versa.

-Oh, yeah.

At the beginning of their trial week,

the Kellys wanted to know if New Zealand could match

and even better the sort of life

they had grown accustomed to in the UK.

As they approach the final vote,

we're about to discover if the Aberdeen couple

have decided do or don't to a move.

What would you do if you were them?

-OK!

-When the Kellys started out their week,

they wanted to see that New Zealand could offer them a place where they

could grow their business,

and offer them a better life with their young family.

And it's come up trumps on that.

The one thing that we don't get right in the UK is our balance,

the time with the kids and work.

Really important that that day worked - and it definitely did.

Just being here I think with the family has been great.

Sort of highlight of this week

so far is spending the day with the kids.

It also turns out that they can afford it - and some.

Moneywise, it would all stack up.

That was a really pleasantly positive surprise.

Having the financial burden off your shoulders, you know,

helps with the decision-making.

But they've discovered that this

move will affect more than just them.

A little bit upsetting hearing friends and family upset.

Especially, I suppose, on my dad's side.

I've obviously not known that side of the family for very long,

been out of touch for a very long time.

So, yeah, that will probably be hard,

knowing that we're potentially going to be moving away from that.

Never nice to see anybody that you care about getting upset or talk

about not wanting you to leave.

But at the end of the day, we'll still visit the UK if we move,

and they will most definitely visit here.

And as the final decision approaches,

it's all starting to become clear.

Very nearly decided.

I've got strong feelings about some things.

And there are other things which

I think need a little bit more investigating as well.

I'm quite set on where I'm going to go, yep.

And what if one of them says no?

No, he's not going to!

I don't think she is...

Erm... But who knows?

Well, then, only one way to find out.

-BOTH:

-New Zealand.

New Zealand to you, Joshy? Yeah!

At least answered a lot of our questions,

which gives me a lot of confidence, so overall, really happy.

I feel the same. I think it was a

-pretty easy choice, being New Zealand.

-Definitely.

So, Gilan and Hollie have weighed up the heartbreak of saying goodbye

to loved ones against the benefits of moving to New Zealand,

and decided that a new start for a family is best for them.

Wellington is to be the new home for themselves and their boys,

and we wish all four, soon-to-be five, the very best of luck.