LittleKittyCat

Hi,

My husband currently has a business (a franchise) in the UK. However, the company that he works for is expanding into Australia and is looking for people to relocate to run the new franchises there. We are seriously thinking about giving it a go because it has been a dream for years. When my husband decided to start up his business in the UK we had to shelve any plans for Australia and now our situation is slightly different so I would like some advice or information on where I can get advice so that we can make the right decision.

We have an 18 month old daughter, and another baby due in February so we would be bringing out two small children. I have read some of the other threads and gather from those that Australia is a wonderful place to bring up children. However, are there any negatives that we should be aware of? I think that this would be the right time to move, as neither of the children would be enrolled in the schooling system in the UK and will be far too young to miss family and friends.

Could anyone advise of where we can get information about banking, healthcare, costs involved (removals, visas etc), buying or renting houses, normal everyday life etc? Are there any books or websites that were useful? I have looked at lots of the threads on here for loads of information but just wondered if there was anything else to be aware of. Was there any advice that you wished you'd been told before you moved? Any pointers for things that I might not have considered would be great!

I'm sure that most people who consider this move imagine Australia to be the perfect place to live. Does it really live up to its reputation or are there things that you wish you'd been told before you came?

I am pretty much 100% decided that I would like to move, but my husband I think is slightly more cautious. He is worried that if we sell our property in the UK that we'll find it difficult to get back onto the housing ladder should we need to come back. I think that this is the wrong way to look at it. I think that if you have a reason to come back (i.e. a house here ready and waiting) you'll be less likely to throw yourself into life and make the move a successful one.

Any pearls of wisdom would be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance for any advice or information and sorry to waffle, but I'm excited!

Debs.

RedT

hello and welcome to BE!

For me (and I'm still a long way from actually moving! ) I started off with books with titles like 'Living & Working in Australia'. They are good for details on tax, education, medical care, driving etc. For specific details on visas and what life is really like then this website is definitely your best resource. I'd probably make a list of specific questions you want answered, then search the board to see if they've been posted recently and if not, create a new thread. I think it's easier to get answers to specific questions than a general post, just my humble opinion! Definitely things like banking and removals are covered a lot in thread. Visas will be covered in detail on the 'immigration' section of the forums whereas this part is more for general Aussie questions.

Hope that helps a little and best of luck in your adventures!

Therese

crocodileseamus

Hi Debs,

We are also a long way off moving. We got our initial information from the Australia New Zealand magazine, until we discovered british expats. Almost all our queries have been answered on this site, however, it doesn't mean that you won't still have doubts. I doubt anyone is 100% about moving anywhere.

You pass this way but once.

Would your husband's franchise be Primark by any chance? Reckon Australia needs Primark.

Good Luck,


Crocodileseamus

LittleKittyCat

No it's not Primark! I don't think that I'm allowed to say who it is at the moment - apparently a bit hush hush. I just feel that it is far worse to regret not having done something because you were scared, than regret having tried something that didn't work out if you see what I mean. I am trying to get a folder together of all the relevant information so that I can "present" it to my hubby. It's not that he doesn't want to go, just that he is feeling cautious about it.

stuckinblighty

The only advice is that if you have a house that you're going to sell then put it on the market ASAP
The visa process is a cakewalk compared to trying to flog your house at the mo :curse:

Good luck

Lee

crocodileseamus

I think this is normal for one part of a couple to be more hesitant than the other.

None of us have ever been to Oz before. We contemplated going on a reccie this year, but with 4 young children we thought it would be more of a nightmare.

The internet is a great tool on gathering information. That is how we decided where we want to live, house prices etc. The web pages for houses are fantastic you can see the layout and decor in almost every room.

My husband and I have been married for 18 years and we are ready for a new challenge. Our main difficulty will be telling my husband's parents that we are going, they are in their 80's and are completely cracked on our kids. They are too old and frail for the long haul flight. We plan to tell them of our intentions after Xmas. My sister and I are very close and I will miss her dreadfully, however, the rest of my family are estranged and I have an estranged brother who is terminally ill at the moment, so it is all rather difficult from that aspect.

I feel that life is really too short and the very very very very worst that can happen, is that through time you decide to come home. So what about the property ladder, it is only money. One of our main reasons for getting away is Northern Ireland has become so materialistic. People are judged by the number of possessions they have, as opposed to the person.

Good Luck,


Lynne

LittleKittyCat

We've never been to Australia either. However, I am 6.5 months pregnant and will soon not be able to fly so couldn't contemplate visiting beforehand. We don't want to delay things too much by waiting until after the baby comes before we go and see and then deciding, because my hubby might miss out on the opportunity. I'm sure he wants to go but always tends to look on the pessimistic side rather than the optimistic. I see a great opportunity to leave this (in my opinion) failing country behind and take our children to a better life. He automatically assumes that things will go wrong and that we'll want to come back! But, as I said before, I would much rather have tried and it not worked out than regret missing out on the opportunity in the first place.

crocodileseamus

I would probably be the pessimistic one in our relationship. I do waver and say right that's it, I ain't going and 2 days later I think I would be in the local asylum if I didn't get in.

I think you are right having all the facts and figures in front of him in black and white might help.

You can ask any question on this site, people are generally so helpful. I reckon british expats will be my crutch when I get there.

We are waiting on the visa coming through, which having only applied for it can take up to a year. We also have a house to sell and an business, as well as business premesis, so the road ahead is long for us still.

LittleKittyCat

I sort of expected that it might take about a year for the application to go through. I have done a little bit of research about the process involved and have discovered that we need x-rays done for the medical forms. Obviously being pregnant I can't have these done until baby arrives, however I guess we could be getting on with other bits of paperwork. My hubby is trying to get hold of the person at head office that is dealing with the relocation today (unsuccessfully so far ) to try and get some more info about whether they will consider us to go, what is involved, what they will organise and what we will need to do etc. So hopefully I'll know a bit more by tonight. The thing is that we are about half way through renovating our cottage (which I love - but not enough to stay here!) and there are decisions that need to be made about the renovation in the next few days which will depend on whether we stay (and have better but more expensive) or go (and therefore do things more cheaply as we'll need to sell). I feel a bit like I'm hanging in limbo, not able to go one way or the other

Timber Floor Au

Hi Debs , welcome to the forum, great post !!!

1. I think the difficulty will be the franchise route. As from recollection, your old man would need to demonstrate or at least the parent company, that no australian could be found that could do the job to an equal standard as your husbands.

2. why not get the company, to sponsor him, to become a franchise manager and recruiter within australia, ie specially skilled. Im sure that would be an angle.

3. life for kids here in my opinion is awesome, the weather plays a big part in this. However, it can be solitary for adults/kids if you do not choose an area well.

4. the migration process for skilled ppl with papers i believe is about 10 mths to 2 years. So medicals are one of the last items reqd for a visa i believe ( in our case certainly )

5. its good to be cautious, as it gives grounding to what seems to be a very superficial system.

6. some ppl advocate leaving their home on a rental basis but this doesnt free up capital for your move to Oz. However leaving a uk bank acct in place has been discussed and would seem like a good idea

Get a GOOD agent !!

Good Luck

Ste