Beoz

I would live in Perth for the right offer. But it would have to be the right offer. I don't find Perth offensive at all, its just a little bit quiet and un-interesting for my liking. ...... I am sure that suits many though.

denzil73

After being back in the UK July 2017 I can say that many aspects of UK shopping are still much cheaper than Oz and taking into account wage differences and COL.

Housing is becoming far more of a problem anywhere within 70 miles of London but there are still reasonably priced, good areas of the UK to buy a house. Can't really say the same for anywhere in Oz. Supply and demand is a lovely get out free clause for the banks, property developers and real estate. It's nothing more than the greedy getting richer. People really need to stand back and objectively look at just how bad the housing market has become and it's ridiculous pricing. No median wage couple can afford a house in Oz. It is only those earning close or over $100k that can stretch, and I mean stretch, their incomes to afford a cheaply made expensive POS townhouse in the burbs.
Hey, let's live in an expensive box with no garden. Wake in teh morning to exit my super expensive box to get into another box to get me to my work box. Upon finishing work I do the opposite to return to my super expensive domicile box to watch utter crud on the stupid box. Yup, what a way to live :P

the troubadour

I can only say a shame. Your presence would only enhance our feelings of certainty into the correctness of our own decision making into place of present abode.


You sure you won't reconsider? Your validation would make all the difference.
What you save on mortgage payments should maintain you in crushed avocado on slightly toasted mixed grain bread.


There's a few 'bargains' to be had in Perth at the moment for 'savvy' buyers. The REIWA constantly informs us of this, no one more 'expert' than those bod's to pass on insiders tips.


Don't worry too much with concerns about being not 'cool' enough to fit in.
It will only be the initial stages of uncertainty. Perth 'cool' being all embracing and all. Incomers get into the 'groove' rather quicker than initially expecting.


Besides a Little England already in place waiting and welcoming, I expect , newcomers, if on the off chance, Perth cool, did prove to be too over bearing.

the troubadour

You are correct. The financial institutions are milking it in Oz. push on to allow superannuation to be used towards a house purchase. Desperation certainly creeping in.

ozzieeagle

There are plenty of sub 300K (175,000-pound houses within an hours commute of Melbourne) There are also sub 150K GBP houses. If you go 2 hours from Melbourne you get down to less than 100K or 180 Aud.

I couldn't afford to buy a house in the same area my parents raised me and that was back in 1980. I would have been in a flat or way-way out in the burbs and beyond I'm cant for the life of me understand why people in this generation en masse apparently are complaining about the exact same thing.

Do what 10,000's of people before you did back in the UK in the late 70's move to the Aussie Equivalent of Milton Keynes or Crawley from South London like all my Cousins had to. In fact, one of our workmates was commuting from Nottingham to London each day back in 1975..... This is a Telex Operator I'm talking about..... so just above the average UK income at the time. Still, he was forced out from London to Nottingham to buy a house he felt met his needs.


I can give you a full list of likely affordable houses of a similar kind in your 90-minute commute zone if you like.

The thing I see that's changed the most is peoples expectations of having it all now.


Not wanting to live with second-hand furniture, not wanting to have drive a 20-year-old car, not wanting to do two jobs to get a house.... or four in our case. Almost never eating out, Not accepting ones financial limitations. It happened to us as well. Not sure why people today cannot accept this..

I'm getting sick of the bleating, to be honest. We (the late baby boomers) had it tough as well and did it tough for close to two decades, the early mortgage then the child rearing years.. If anything it's easier to get a part-time job to boost income now.

When self-driving cars come to the fore, those that make the move now will make an absolute frigging killing..... Am I the only one that can see this, or do I have to shove this almost certain fact right down younger peoples throats?

Can you guys explain to me, why I don't see people in today's generation, working as cleaners at 4 am in the Morning before they start their main job, or working in a retail shop on weekends, or key punch operator in the evenings, whilst their wife is off work raising kids? I'm genuinely curious about that one..... That was the accepted norm back when our generation worked and toiled in order to buy our urban houses.

denzil73

The point you're missing is the elitist BS this country has become. I've done the hard yards. People just don't seem to realise how bad the situation has become they just bleat on about how it is what it is and get on with it.

Not really the point of the matter.

I've done it hard and moved country for love and in the process of getting a career and supporting my wife whilst she was at Uni we have missed out on the window when housing in Australia was affordable. We're taking 10-15 years ago here and in that time the majority of Oz house prices has quadrupled compared to most other first/developed countries of the world increasing a bit above inflation yet excluding capital cities cos this is where the banks etc have exploited the situation. Shit, poor old NY finally lost it's battle for rent control so now the average worker can't afford to live where they work and now makes their day longer and shittier.
Work life balance that so many companies and governments bang on about only exists for the high wage earners.
Only country that has made changes to give a better work/life balance is Sweden.

Now I'm not going to get into an argument as if you believe what you believe then that's fine by me. All I know is that my asperger memory remembers more than what most people do and can see quite clearly how things have changed. Greed is at an all time high in this world and somehow we have more and more corrupt people running the world but it's all fine so long as you continue to be blinded by advertising and new shiney things to buy.

Beoz

And there lies the problem. I would take a major pay cut to come to Perth so I would not save on mortgage repayments at all. My job is to extract as money out of the corporate heavy weights. I need to be where they are and that's not Perth. The difference between what I do and what you do is I extract that money by giving something in return. I don't expect the handout.

On top of that, I can get on a plane in the morning to Melbourne, Canberra, and Brisbane, do my thing, then be home for bath time. Can't do that in Perth with the 4+ hour flight to anywhere worth mentioning.

The theory sounds amazing but property price isn't what it says on the tin. Nice try though - too black and white - you need to look a little deeper.

Beoz

You might have a little trouble getting that house in Sweden. Seems to be 3rd on the list.

IMF Global Housing Watch

Stuck in Auckland

or the husband working from home and doing the school drop off/pickup, cleaning, washing, dinner, house cleaning.

Agree with above too much whining

Quit the gym and deliver pamphlets as a walk around your area
Get the bus to work and find your stress levels drop.
Pack a lunch
Enjoy the office coffee/tea

Where do you Asians get wealthy? Education and work ethic

Beoz

Whole heartedly agree Ozzie. My parents certainly didn't have it easier and certainly didn't buy their first houses in first choice suburbs.

I think from what my father has told me, his first house was in the sticks because that's what he could afford.

Our first family house was a about 5% of the value I paid for my first house yet there wasn't much left in the early days for an overseas holiday.

Its kind of funny though. Those of us in Sydney, Melbourne and London for that matter are generally happy souls. Everywhere else seems to have the chip.

the troubadour

Well hang on not at all true. Too busy chasing your tails to realise just how crap it all is. Simple reason why, in the London context, the city I know best of three described, is why folk quit en mass, if at all possible by around fifty. Same applies to Paris. Usually these 'workaholic' cities develop a short shelf life over time. A massive mortgage may sound clever , but happiness and contentment are not ingredients I'd add to the pot.

the troubadour

I doubt if its those people with such commitments than probably complain. Well they may but it seems debt is of little concern to all too many, whom especially if young, have likely never experienced high interest rates, recession conditions, just how the financial institutions will tighten the screws in times of difficulty and the stress and utter helplessness that can induce.


People are waylaid into over committing. I think many do restrict outgoings as well. But it is far more than catching the bus, and cancelling gym membership. Why do some insist in bringing it to such a simplistic calculation? The rot goes far deeper and too many are becoming entrapped into difficult situations through not fully understanding how the system at play works.

the troubadour

Chances are your parents didn't have to endure the many times more a house costs compared to salary either. In the Australian context, many of that generation in the eighties, complained that interest rates were something like 18%, which of course was a pain, but house prices were around three times average earnings.


These days it is way out of sequence and a milestone around the neck not only of the borrower, but the economy as a whole, with so much wealth being sucked into housing.

the troubadour

Actually my sole role seems to be these days paying the taxes that the heavy weights refuse to pay and get very little in return.


I have reason suspect I support you with NG your Sydney house with my tax payments. Fine I don't agree with it but don't expect to go on your Christmas post mail.
Cool. If a hefty mortgage you feel sets you free in a 'middling' city like Sydney whom am I to argue?

Stuck in Auckland

It is actually that simple. As a process evaluating your choices. Defines whether you have positive or negative control of your life.