jensteve

Well after putting in an offer on a house, the offer was accepted same day and within 2 days finance arranged, this made the UK system look like chaos. I have to say this is the first time I haven't been stressed to bits about will they exchange won't they, will it complete etc saga that seems to be a regular UK pastime.
The real estate guy was absolutely lovely, explained all the legal bits and pieces and an ex pom to boot from Lancashire. I have to say buying from a stress point of view is so much easier.
I believe from Jill (the bananas) though that building your own brings with it many other problems kitchen tiles being one major decision and all the other things new builds tend to chuck at you as the build progresses.
So overall I am most impressed with the house buying system over here.
Jenny

Dreamaway 10

Hi there Jenny great to hear that you have found buying a home fairly easy.
Who needs anymore stress.
Do you mind if I ask did you have a mortgage to arrange and if so was that easy or are you just able to buy outright.
Good Luck hope the move goes well for you.

jensteve

We had to arrange a mortgage as the bulk of our cash is still sitting in the WA bond place (we needed the points). The guy from Commonwealth bank came out to the house we are renting, he filled all the forms and a couple of days later it was given the ok. Fairly easy I had to say. I have found the entire process really easy, he even helped me to fill out the 1st time buyers grant forms. The real estate guy was really nice as well (power realty) he was a fellow pom and really did explain things well.
Jenny

stephenwhite68

JenSteve
have both of you got jobs ?

Dreamaway 10

Thanks for that we too are going to have to invest the bond money for the extra points its a pain is'nt it?.Like you we are 5 points short so we have no choice.
Perth is where we are planning.
Have your children settled into school yet?
And the big question is are they good.
The reason I ask is I am a little worried as my son is in a really good primary school he is only six but he loves it.
We have just been to his school concert this afternoon and my mum kindly pointed out to me "when you go to Oz Joe will miss all this you know."
I feel bad enough as it is just praying that we can get him into a good school.
The real estate guy was a pom then!
I bet there are loads of us out there now and like us coming along next year.Hope the Aussies do not fed up with us.

jaxowen

hi

I'm not sure as i don't live there but i'm sure that primary schools in oz will do performances too
i know your mum will miss seeing it but you can always send her the tape
jax

Jimclevs

.............yep - my grand-daughter has just done hers at school before breaking for Christmas. My grandson (aged two and a half) was good as gold for the first 15 performances - he was asleep! - then he was awake and interested for the next 10. He then saw his sister in the wings about to perform and he created merry hell so his Dad had to take him outside so not to disturb everyone else!! Dad didn't then see daughter do her stuff - but - hopefully - Mum has it all on a video recording.

Kids eh ??!!

Regards

Jim

jensteve

Have your children settled into school yet?

We have one son who was lucky enough to get a place in St Stephens, its a pay school but very good, we have seen a big difference in him since he has been going. He loves it, their teaching is very good and have already found his faults at his English level and are now working to rectify this. It would seem his high school in the UK had some very strange ideas on teaching children how to write an essay, its very structured over here, if he can't write a decent essay they are not happy letting him progress as this is a major building block to all subjects. Get in touch with them now, they may have places, the fees are about $3000 for primary and believe me well worth it, they have a website, www.ststephens.wa.edu.au give it a go, lovely place, they have 2 identical schools one in Duncraig and another in Carramar.

Leaving grandparents is awful, Jason however I have noticed rarely mentions them, he is so wound up with his life over here he is oblivious to them and the fact they may be missing him.

I have to admit there arn't a lot of Aussie Aussie's here, plenty of younger ones but I have met only 2 that are middle aged. Most people I have talked to ask where I am from then say Oh I'm from Blackpool!! or elsewhere in the UK.
Hope this helps Jenny

ABCDiamond

My daughter, who started school here Australia at age 4, has performed in school concerts every year since her first school year. That type of early social interaction is very popular in the schools here.

wombatboy

now thats a rare find

Dreamaway 10

Thanks guys for the advise I feel a little better now as I know its going to be very hard.
St Stephens does sound a good school.
Duncraig is one of the areas that we have been looking at so I will look at the wbsites you mentioned.Thankyou.

Phil-UK

Talking about school plays... we recently got a letter from our kids school banning all video cameras and still cameras due to some parents not wanting their children being filmed or having photos taken.

So now all parents have to suffer and are not allowed to film their kids in their Christmas play... Is it just me or has the world gone mad ?

Someone tell me Oz isn't like this, we plan to move there next year !

Philip

jad n rich

Its started here too, we were asked not to film sports day, after media articles where sickos had been filming up netballers skirts

Also the school has been sending home permission slips where you sign a disclaimer that your child may end up in some school activity and the photo may be published in a school mag or something. Nobody said anything about the school concert tho, probably a matter of time.

ABCDiamond

We filmed most of our daughters concerts etc, and the school also films some and sells them on DVD to the parents.

jaxowen

Hi Phil
I know this is frustrating but in my last school (i'm a teacher) we had a family of children who had been adopted and their birth family were still in the wider local area - so we weren't able to risk their photo's being taken inadvertantly (sp?) incase they were recognised!

Obviously this information couldn't be passed on to all parents - just a general ban, so maybe your school have a genuine reason that they can't share with every one.

i'm sure you'll enjoy it anyway
jax