chris955

Absolutely, it would be the last place I wouod want to live and like you the weather has nothing to do with that.
Our kids were indoor types in Australia and the same here, it is perfectly possible to have a full outdoor lifestyle here, to believe otherwise is ridiculous. We have had a wonderful summer which doesnt look to be over by any means, another lovely day today.
I lost count of how many activities we cancelled in Brisbane because of rain, not just a shower but torrential flooding rain.

Beoz

There is no issue with the British summer. Its awesome. The problem with it is that its just too short. It means you get less days per year of it. A bit like Brisbane where the best weather is in winter - again too short.

chris955

The weather here starts getting good around March and is good until around October, it is usually only horrible for about 3 months of the year.

needafriend

Definitely giving it some serious consideration. No family left over here in Oz and not many single friends now hubby has died. Went back in May and loved it. Oh what a feeling!! Home! familiar accents, familiar places and I could eat fish and chips the way I have always liked them!! Wish I could afford to keep a place here in Oz and one in UK. cos I love Australia and the people. It really is a magnificent country and the people are friendly and I am only occasionally a ""Pom"". Oh dear! Decisions, decisions!!

Beoz

My intention is to float between the UK and Oz on a more regular living basis. Not quite sure how to pull it off yet but working on it. Re-inventing commercial supersonic air travel would help.

chris955

We were the opposite in that all my family are in Australia so it was harder in that respect butlike you did a trip to England and realised all the warnings I had been given about how the country had gone down the toilet were rubbish. We havent regretted it for a second. I would like a place over there that we could spend maybe 2 or 3 months in to catch up with friends and family.

needafriend

Thanks for your replies. Like you Beoz, wishing there could be a way to float between Oz and Uk. Have considered renting but cant rent for less than 6 months, whilst continuing to pay all the usual daily living expenses in Oz so that's not an option. The house and place I now live in are what my husband and I dreamed of. I hate the thought of selling up to emigrate again!! Its great to hear the quandaries and solutions of others though. Have decided to visit UK again next year for 3 months. I am saving up like mad. Just hope the washing machine, fridge etc etc don't break down and cause some expense!!!

louie

If you live somewhere other people would like to visit, have you thought of home exchanges like through HomeSwap?

spouse of scouse

That was our original intention too Beoz, but we would still have to be tax residents of one country (you don't get to choose, it's down to a fairly complex set of regs but it can only be one country), which gives rise to all sorts of complications especially when maintaining a residence and/or investments in each country.

Then there were the health insurance implications - you need to be ordinarily resident in the UK or Australia to access the NHS or Medicare respectively, and it's impossible to meet that requirement for two countries.) Yes, you can maintain private health insurance in both countries, but in both the UK and Australia, private insurance only supplements the basic public health system - which means that for the country you are deemed to be 'non-resident- you would need to maintain full private health insurance, which is not underpinned by the NHS/Medicare and therefore very expensive. You would pay the 'real' cost of every single service/treatment in your non-resident country.

Too hard for us (may be simpler for you). We'll have to settle for a couple of months in Oz each year.

ozzieeagle

Yes but correct me If I'm wrong here, If you have a chronic Illness you go to your main residence country, which should be manageable in most cases. Plus aren't emergenices freely covered in both, under reciprocal arrangements ?


Whoops misunderstood.... I thought you actually meant residing in both, but free healthcare only available in one.

needafriend

I am now thinking about the ''homes exchange' advice. I had never heard of Homeswap but its an excellent suggestion. Many thanks. My husband and I were really lucky as we bought a house overlooking Lake Macquarie. Anyone in the North of England interested in home swapping??!!

christmasoompa

We're in the South of England, and no interest at all in Australia, but did just want to say that houseswaps can be great. We use homeexchange.com.

HTH, good luck!

paulry

I've not looked into it yet, but surely it's possible to be on the road enough to not be tax resident in any country?

Morsian

Came here as a child 45+ years ago. Mainly lived in Perth. Retired to Hobart 3 years ago but it is not for me. DH of 12 years is a Scandinavian and works offshore out of Europe. Living here just does not fit with our current lifestyle. We are spending too long apart. So we are seriously comtemplating setting up home in UK. Very scarey. But some of your posts have given me confidence. I don't feel quite so crazy now. Thanks.

Beoz

I have some farmland in the sountheast of the UK. Planning laws have relaxed a little so trying to figure out a way to convert some farm buildings into habital dwellings perhaps to rent out as holiday lets. Kind of need to be on the ground in the UK to sort it all out.