If you’re moving to New Zealand with your pets then give some thought to accommodation before you arrive.

Your dog or cat will be in quarantine for a short time on arrival from the UK (10 days) so you have a little time to find somewhere that you and your pets can live. However, you can get a head start by making initial enquiries before you leave the UK.

You could start off by emailing your requirements to several rental agents in the area you are moving to. Tell them a bit about your pets – how many, how big, how old? Also, where do you plan to keep them? In the living room on the sofa with you? Or outside in a kennel in the garden? The correct answer, in this situation, is obviously outside in the garden.

“In my experience, agents are particularly keen to help you find pet friendly rentals but I may just have been unlucky,” says Pattie Pegler, author of NewZealandBuyingGuide.com. “It depends how tight the rental market is. Here in Christchurch, for example, there is a huge problem finding pet friendly rentals as properties are in such demand in the aftermath of the earthquakes that landlords and agents are really able to pick and choose their tenants.”

You might have more luck on sites where property owners list directly, such as www.trademe.co.nz and www.gumtree.co.nz. When Pattie moved over with her two cats she found a landlord on TradeMe who was more than happy to take moggies. The property wasn’t listed as allowing pets, but when she asked he was fine about it.

So don’t be put off if the place you are looking at doesn’t implicitly state that pets are welcome. It’s always worth asking the question. If you’re really struggling and time is running out, then you might want to consider a stopgap solution. There are a few hotels and B&Bs that will accept pets, and you can find these on sites like www.petsonthenet.co.nz. Or, if you’re really stuck board your pets somewhere whilst you continue the search.

Be prepared to find your options limited. When landlords have a choice between two tenants, all being equal they’ll go for the one without pets. It’s not always fair, but that’s the way it is. So be prepared to get knocked back. However, when you do find the right place it’ll all be worth it when you sit back with Fido by the fireplace.

For details of property for sale in New Zealand, visit the NZ listings on Rightmove Overseas. One way to save money when emigrating or NZ or buying property there is to use a currency specialist when transferring your pounds into dollars. For more information on this, contact Smart Currency Exchange.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in New Zealand, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘New Zealand Property Buying Guide’