Pollster

As plans go, Mrs B, that is a heck of a one!!

Holy Moly!

Personally, I would have found to very hard to come out here without hubby, or stay behind without hubby if he came out first (which was an option at one time for the same reasons as JayKay)

Would it make that much difference to Little B's education to be mixed up a bit? At nearly 7 I wouldn't have thought it would have been that much of deal (I missed two whole terms at 12 years old cos my family were travelling about the place and it didn't do me any harm except that I still don't understand Algebra and frankly it hasn't hindered me in any way!)

Could I venture to say that it would be better for her if the family were all together instead of all apart just so she could learn how to spell hippo in full or do long division (if they still do that these days) - also, don't kids from the UK generally find themselves a bit ahead of the Aussie kids when they get there anyway?

If she has to have schooling, can't you do it at home if you are not working? (which would negate the need for the car) You don't HAVE to be rigid to the National Curriculum.

Sorry to 'diss' your idea a bit but it seems like such a major plan that calls for a great deal of hardship and sacrifice for you all at a time when things are bloody stressful as it is - I wish you the very best of luck whatever you decide, sincerely.

Go Banana's !!

Thanks ever so much for all the help and advice from everyone.
I was reading another thread and someone said that the forum had become boring, full of people with unrealistic expectations.

I just wanted to say I have found you all invaluable in the last few days and all your experiences have really helped.

In response to a few questions

1. Yes we do need the equity in the house for us all to move to Oz. It is only because Mr B is earning in the UK that daughter and I can go to Oz.

2. Daughter really wants to go and it's not just the education side of it that is the factor, but it just feel right to do this plan.

3.It's also to do with living expenses and we are just waiting around in the Uk after 2nd July, when we could be out there kicking everything off. Mr B works away in the week anyway and is only home for a day and a half at weekends.

At the risk of repeating myself, it is down to how I approach this. If I approach it with dread it won't help. Daughter thinks it's a great adventure and for her sake as much as mine I'll have to make it as fun for her as possible. If I start to crumble that'll unerve her.

I'm very touched that you have all bothered to give your advice and everyone has been 'listened' to.

I remember reading at the time all about Jayray and will pm with questions- thankyou.

So, if there are no firm offers on the house this week (we've told the agents the score), we'll be booking the flights on 13th July. I've been to travel agents today to get the ball rolling and she's coming back to me by Friday with our travel options.

Hope I haven't bored you all too much

Thanks again

Jill

tiredwithtwins

I was wondering about this.....surely for the sake of a couple of months...? she will be starting her school term in Jan in Oz anyway.......have you been in touch with the Education Dept and asked for advice? I will ring for you if you dont want to giv em your details??? (hehe...I have my gloves on with them at the mo...having to appeal against school allocation for lucy for september!!)

sue

loose

Wish I could give you some good advice, but I'll wish you the kind of luck I've had recently.

Just keep focused on a few months down the line when everyones had time to adjust and emotions aren't as raw.

Hope it all works out.

Go Banana's !!

Yes I have thought about it and it's about the social aspect too.
You see she goes to a private school at the mo and if we were to stay a bit longer we start having to pay for next term soon. So to avoid that we would have to put her in a state school for a while or teach her at home. I think going to yet another school would just be too much and teaching her at home is to isolated. Added to this we may have to move her in OZ too, 'cos the house we have to live in may not be in the area we plan to build - poor mite

But tell us more about your fun and games !!!

Cheers Jill

tiredwithtwins

jill,
do a search around the internet for curriculum ideas....you will be amazed at how UN-isolating teaching her at home would be!!! With the abundance of museums, galleries etc it would probably be less unsettling than not having her dad around for a couple of months???? There are still another 12 weeks before the start of the autumn term anyway....plus if you go before september, will she be changing schools in oz in jan?? (cant remember how their school juniors work!)
But, of course, you know your daughter better than anyone else....thats the main thing - you know how she will adapt!
but good luck in whatever you decide....

As for my fun and games.....had to appeal cos lucy didnt get into the school i wanted (we're out of catchment area)....our appeal hearing is on 30th june. luckily the schools headmistress is very into getting appeal children in.....and i have a long speech prepared!!!!! will let you know the outcome!

sue

nikkers

Jill

I would do the same as you Our house may not sell as next doors has been on the market for a month with no viewers and we have victorian semi's.


We have decided to go regardless in Jan and hubbie will come back here until house sells

You never know all it takes is one person to walk in and want your house!

Keep posting and we will cross our fingers that the house sells!


Nikki x

steve-n-jo

Try and look on the bright side Jill. The house might sell really quick and you'll all be together soon. I think you should give it a time limit like until Mr B's contract runs out and then have a re-think. All might go to plan in the meantime. Its not a decision I'd like to take. Best of luck

Jo

teach

Hiya mlbonner,
Hasn't been in auto trader but has been in adtrader. Going in again this week for another few weeks. I have looked at the various pricing guides and have put a ticket on it for around £600 less than it is worth. Not actually sure whether this was a good move or not. People might think there is something wrong with it. If it doesn't go this time, I'm going to approach Toyota since I bought it from them. I shall let you know how it goes.
Best wishes
Sarah

peppi

bloody good idea to me...not sure I agree with the empty house doesnt sell...I actually think the opposite...I prefere to look at an empty house...no clutter...and you can envisage your own things in it better...but thats just my opinion...

Gill and Rob

We were also in the situation of our house not selling quite as quickly as we hoped (also in Co. Durham), basically we thought the estate agent was not getting his finger out so we hired another estate agent to also market it. Our first estate agent was not at all happy, going on about sole agent status etc. We had the opinion that as he was not selling our house quickly (as he said he could) so we had the moral right to get another agent involved. Anyway if he wanted to sue us he would have to find us.

Result.... the original estate agent then had our house sold within a week!!! So it did the job.

Rob

scrawni

We are going to Oz on the 15th July and we haven't sold our house.

It has been on the market for about 3 months and we are really fed up with it! So, we made the decision to go anyway. Hubbie has to be out there by Sept. to start his new job.

So you see, it isn't as uncommon as people think. We are just going to go for it and the house will sell if we are here or not!

We also thought about hubbie going over alone and my son and I staying until the house was sold but decided against it, we wanted to start our new life together at the same time.

Anyway, best of luck with what you decide, it will be right for you.

Mandy

Pollster

Way back before we knew we were moving to NZ, we decided to sell our flat and Had a very similar experience, Rob - first agent didn;t sell it, didn;t sell it, no viewings, didn;t sell it - appointed another one and BINGO! buyer in a week from the first one.

There's an idea for you, Jill - get another agent involved and ramp up the competition factor - if they moan say very sweetly (as I did) that if they have as much faith in their selling ability as their blurb says they have, competition shouldn;t make any difference.

Go Banana's !!

Just to let you all know that we still haven't had an offer on the house yet, so the plan is still on so far.............

Got the travel agents all primed for our tickets and we will book on Sat. Think we have a good deal Royal Brunei one way with no stop over (as we only have week to sort everything need to get there quickly) business class £900 and daughter £700. They have seats nearly like a bed apparently, anyone flown with them? Couldn't have coped with being upright for 25 hours

Busy sorting out sooooooooooooooo much, quite daunting when you get down to it, printed off all the lists from a while back which some really nice person on here did (who's name escapes me).

Take care everyone
Jill

Trying to stay but feeling just as:scared:

Go Banana's !!

Well............. descision is made and book flights tommorrow.
The Bananas are off on the 13th July and Mr B will come back to the UK on 24th July.

We were going to try and cram it all into a week but soon realised with travelling and it being over a weekend we would only have 3 working days:scared: to get things sorted, such as buying moi a car, tax file numbers, sussing out schools (have made the initial contacts - found a good website which lists all schools called 'Oz Schools' - will pm it to anyone who wants it), so have tacked on another week.

It's Mr B's birthday while we are there and littlen's two weeks later which Mr B will miss, but I will make it as special as is humanly possible.

This wasn't in the initial plan and if I'm honest, it sort of takes the edge off it, but a girl has got to do what a girl has got to do, seem's this 'dream' is a little harder to achieve than expected - all down to the bloody house sale

Had it in my head that we would all arrive together and celebrate, but the thought of hubby having to go back makes me feel very sad for him.

Everytime I think of what we are doing my stomach does a flip, but I'm not sure if I have fully realised that I have made this 10 times more difficult for myself. Well it's going to be one hell of a character test for me, the family won't let me sit dribbling in a corner and will stay positive for daughters sake.

Warren has come home this evening looking very pale! think he's worrying about me more than I am! He said he has this vision in his head that I'll be begging him to take me back to the UK and he's waving goodbye to a tear stained little face - that made me feel heaps better! - I'll show'em all - his Mum said I'd never go, let alone stay out there on me tod.

I will make this work, I will, I will...........

Take care all

Jill