November11

We have never set foot on Australian soil (plenty of internet/reading research) and have an open mind as to where to settle - near Sydney or near Melbourne are level favourites.... at present!
We are hoping to rent out house in UK.

Question: If we are lucky enough to get visa, do we make a validation trip before the final move? Could find money for validation trip (just!) but obviously could do with money saved from not make trip

scissors

hi
we thought about doing a reccie trip before we arrived here in brisbane,but decided not to,as you said,the money it would have cost us has paid for our rental for the past 6 months,and the way we looked at it was that things are always different when your on holiday,and what would be see from a hotel room for 2 or 3 weeks we decided to take the plunge and just go for it,so we arrived in a new country half way around the world not really knowing what to expect,but we took our time and had a really good look round once we got here,and found out alot more than we could have done in just a few weeks holiday,it worked for us,thats all i can say,but otheres have had reccie trips and its worked for them,i guess it dpends on how much money you have to spare
hope this helps,tracey

November11]We have never set foot on Australian soil (plenty of internet/reading research) and have an open mind as to where to settle - near Sydney or near Melbourne are level favourites.... at present!
We are hoping to rent out house in UK.

Question: If we are lucky enough to get visa, do we make a validation trip before the final move? Could find money for validation trip (just!) but obviously could do with money saved from not make trip[/QUOTE]

moneypenny20

I got a spouse visa (hubby and girls have Aussie citizenship) and we hadn't sold the house and were running out of time for me to get here so I did a quick validation trip on my own. Only did a week and stayed with some very nice but quite strange people but because of the short time treated it as a holiday . So really as a family we just came out blind. As Tracey said, it's hard to get a proper feel of living when you only here for a few weeks.

Depends on how YOU feel, if you think it would settle any doubts, do it, if you would rather save the money, don't.

November11

Thanks Scissors

Since we decided to rent UK house instead of selling I have been tempted to miss out the validation trip

As you say, in effect we are 'saving' around £1500.

Only worry is that belongings and cat will have been shipped over. If we suddenly realised it wasn't for us then there would be hassle/cost of 're-shippnig'

I have done loads of reading and research and I don't think I am wearing rose-tinted glasses. In your opinion, can you get an idea of what it will be like from internet/tv/reading?

Sue

November11

Thanks Moneypen

I think there does come a time when you just have to take a leap of faith!

Sue

robos

hiya

we have decided not to do a reccie as the money will be better spent when we go to set up home there.
we also have not been before just done hours/days/weeks/months of research on net and friends

good luck with your application

jan xx

MrsDagboy

Not as strange as the witch we had staying in the basement .

moneypenny20

PMSL