Emcol1234

Hello everyone!

So after years of working towards our dream life in England we're now considering having that life elsewhere. We've pondered over a few places but Australia seems to tick all the boxes.

My husbands an engineer and I'm currently a stay at home mum. We part own a house In somerset (uk). Our plan was to buy some land in Devon, build a house and be semi self sufficient or at least live a much more outdoors lifestyle . But the cost of land and availability means that's becoming less and less realistic.

So a few questions we have in considering oz! This is all very much a faint plan and I'm not even sure if what to ask!
We've been looking at Victoria but not the big city's.
What's the best starting point? Get a visa>job>home? Is that the right order?
How do you find recruitment consultants? Estate agents? Ect ?
We're really not too bothered about the exact location and are happy to wing it a little but how do you know about the bad parts of towns to stay away from? Sorry if that sounds horrid! I grew up in London so I don't want to end up somewhere too busy and crowded .
When we visit we probably won't have much time to scout it out.

Emcol1234

Oh and also although we're not overly bothered about location, I love woodland so where's more woody ?

verystormy

The first thing to examine is if you are eligible for visas.
If you can tell us your occupations, qualifications and age

Be aware that land / housing in Oz is expensive - it is one of the most expensive countries in the world for land and housing and while in remote areas it can be cheap, it is because there is no work in them areas. Oz is very different to the UK - a small country town isn't like the UK where it is an hour or two to a big town or city, but maybe a days drive or even a flight

Grayling

There are probably plenty of places which fit the bill.....whether there would be any work available is another matter though...that is why most people gravitate towards the cities.

Bear in mind that living 'in the country' here can be very different to the UK.

You also need to be careful of 'woody' areas as they can be subject to severe bushfires...not long ago many people were killed in Victoria by bushfires and they are on high alert with the current Hot weather.

As always....get the visa before worrying about where to live

EvannTel

Woodland eh? Makes the least densely wooded continent an interesting choice!

Buzzy--Bee

There is only one big city in Victoria unless you count Geelong. Do you need a big city for work?

Most people get visa>home>job.

The internet is very useful. Real Estate, Property & Homes For Sale - realestate.com.au for property. SEEK - Australia's no. 1 jobs, employment, career and recruitment site for jobs.

BB

Emcol1234

Yep! We are completely clueless as we've literally just started to look into things.
Other people I'd spoken to (who live there) had said what we were looking for would be possible.

I'm 27 and have worked in the special needs sector for 9 years, and also horticulture and large animal care. My husband is 29 a quality engineer and looking at the list there's quite a few things that match his skills and experience.

We're not thinking of acres and acres just a large plot. And in terms of woodland we love walking and that's the reason behind wanting to be near some trees
When I say country side I probably mean a quieter suburb?

Molly Coddle

I'm sure you are aware of this, but where there are woods, there are insects, lots of them and they are MASSiVE!

Just a thought!


Victoria is lovely, Melbourne is a beautiful city.

Buzzy--Bee

Australia doesn't really have woodland like England does, in fact I don't think I have heard the word since I have been here.

I think the Mornington Peninsula might suit your requirements. Have a look at houses in places like Dromana, Red Hill, Flinders, or further in Mount Martha, Mornington.

Other areas to consider are the Dandenong mountains, suburbs such as Monbulk, Sassafras, Belgrave, The Basin, Mount Evelyn and surrounds.

It's nice to dream and look at big properties on the internet, I strongly recommend you spend more time investigating what likelihood you have of getting a visa (which is an expensive process in itself). Why not do an initial assessment with an immigration agent, this costs about $100 and would at least tell you whether you had a good chance or not. Just make sure the agent is MARA registered.

Good luck

BB

Alfresco

You will most certainly need to see if you qualify for a visa first before anything else.

Find a visa

And feel free to ask questions on the Immi forum too.

Immigration, Visas & Citizenship (Australia) - British Expats

And Welcome to BE.

Good luck.

verystormy

Also, remember the bits of woodland there are, you can not go off the designated paths (snakes) and you can not take a dog if you are dog people as most woodland is in national parks are dogs are banned in national parks and woodland areas are also fox baited.

Also, research job opportunities - unemployment is rising in Australia and one of the areas being badly hit is engineering

the troubadour

If you have a good life in England think carefully before moving. Don't burn all boats. Allow for a return if the reality doesn't match the hope or expectation.

As has been mentioned Australia is entering a rougher trot. Unemployment is around 10% according to the latest R Morgan figures. Higher than the governments 6.3%.

The Bloke

Just as a side note, snakes don't "stay off" the designated paths, (national parks make up only a very small percentage of Australia) most bush areas don't have designated "paths".....you make your own. In fact snakes, not to mention ticks, spiders etc, can be found in urban areas (even big cities), peoples backyards, houses, pretty much anywhere, even on the paths......

verystormy

Well aware, given I am currently sat in the Great Sandy carrying out exploration and also live in an area where we see tiger and dugite snakes almost daily