North Shore Times (New Zealand)
UK yo-pros’ empty flat shock
Three young professionals, recently arrived from England, have kitted out their Auckland rental with help from their new neighbours.
Friends Chris Mysko, Jessica Birks and Pedram Modarres moved to Hauraki after months of travelling around India and Indonesia, and found they had a limited budget to completely fit-out their rental property.
‘‘In the UK, rental properties normally come fully furnished, so it came as a shock we had no option but to move into an empty house,’’ Mysko said.
So they appealed on Neighbourly.co.nz in the hope of quickly picking up a range of preloved items to make their new place feel like home.
The trio were overwhelmed with around 30 offers from their new neighbours of both secondhand goods for sale and some
‘‘Now that we have found our feet, we hope to give back to the lovely neighbourhood we are glad to be part of.’’
Chris Mysko
giveaways. They included a microwave, couch, beanbag, coffee table and heater.
‘‘We have been touched by all generous freebies,’’ Mysko said.
‘‘We were definitely surprised to receive such a warm open-handed response.
‘‘In general, we have found Kiwis to be wonderfully friendly, always having time for a chat and willing to help without expecting anything in return.
‘‘Now that we have found our feet, we hope to give back to the lovely neighbourhood we are glad to be part of.’’
Mysko and Modarres are doctors working in general medicine at North Shore Hospital and emergency medicine at Auckland City Hospital respectively, while Birks is a yoga teacher and is starting a online wellness venture supporting small New Zealand businesses.
‘‘Neighbourly was a new discovery for us, which seemed to be a well-used platform for the cycling of possessions, as well as socialising and supporting each other.
‘‘We secretly think everyone loves trawling online for second-hand goods in New Zealand,’’ Mysko said.
Among the items they sought for the their three bedroom place, the friends, who first met in Newcastle Upon Tyne, asked for indoor and outdoor furniture, artworks, heaters and house plants.
Another advantage of the location of their New Zealand home is the driveway is big enough for their newly acquired and muchloved camper van.