Hi, I am a 33 year old electrician, I have my own business here in northern ireland, small company, just three of us. I am married and have a 7 seven year old and a new unborn baby one on the way well two weeks away.
My question which I kind off need advice and help with is that we are in the process in moving too Oz, Perth.
I have been looking up cost of living etc.. and am confused that we as a four person family can we cope on one wage??
I would be earning $34 an hour approx, working probably say 40 hours a week which is $1360 take tax off say $1000 a week take home pay.
Is $4000 dollars a month managable as I am getting mixed views that it might not be and we could be struggling.
Back home I do make good money, but its not everything, as I would be aiming to start up in OZ at some stage down the line. But my main concern is for the first few years would we be getting it tight to live.
I have good profit sitting on my own house but we are not selling as everything as most know, prices has tumbled, and we'd rather hold our own house for a year or so before fully settling in OZ.
So we would be renting, Id be working only as an electricain, and hopefully living a sunny, relaxed, joyful life!
Any views I would be most grateful

How much you need depends a lot on your lifestyle. But as a rough guide, I would say, $1000 a week is absolute minimum for a family of three. Good electricians earn nearly double that if not time and half. So If you have plenty of experience and a good business of your own, I would suggest think twice before moving to $34 an hour job in Perth. But, seriously, I know of electricians working in mining industries, taking easily $60 to $80 per hour. Try not locking into any contracts before you come here, and explore a wide range of employers, I am sure you can do better.

Joe

Thanks for your views, it can be a bit daunting sometimes!
I have been just looking careers on the internet for average hourly rates!
I am confident I will be able to start another company over there but things like that take time, and I am just concerned on starting on an income that wont provide for my family, but $60- $80 dollars would be ideal! If I could get that!

TBH its not cheap living here.

Where you live makes a difference to how much rent you pay (if you aren't liquidating the uk house). Have you taken into account start up costs? Second hand cars are HUGELY expensive... and no matter if you think you've brought EVRYTHING with you there will be additionals ... lifestyle is different...
We would NEVER have spent $600 on a barbie at home... here it's essential kit...

costs include...

Health/ambo cover
utilities/excess water usage
new mobiles
car reggo
insurances
food
etc etc etc... $25 a summer on a huge pump dispenser of sunscreen!
School costs/uniforms/optional fees... the list is endless..

Depends on your lifestyle aspirations too... and your ability to cut your coat according to your cloth... would you feel financially bonzaied if you couldn;t afford the finer things in life and have to make do with mis shapen veggies from the spudshed?


if you've owned your own business and are "used to" money you might find it hard going back to basics... and as for the enjoying a sunny lifestyle... Forget it mate... its flippin freezin here at the moment...

Flippin freezing lol: try back here its coming into our summer mate and am loaded with the cold coughing and sneezing the bit out lol.

Seriously, I do think we would have to knock things on the head, I do like to have money, but I wouldnt think I will have to be proverty strictened for life as I would try and start a company up in OZ through time!

Can anyone say they coming from the UK has been better financially off with a good lifestlye or just a better lifestyle??

Average costs per month for a small family???

When I would sell my own house here I expect to be mortagage free in OZ with a 4x2, was looking towards rockingham direction, any views on that location!

Hi. We're in Perth and my OH is an Electrician too. It can work out to be very expensive here, but we're only renting at the moment so we're doing ok on one wage. There will be a time when you first get here that you won't be qualified to work. You'll have to obtain your licence first. The big bucks are in the mines but if you don't want to live away from your family I think $30-$40 an hour is more like your average wage. Unless you work for yourself as a contractor (but that's another licence) where you may get approx $60. Am sure others may have more info for you in time, but that's just my view.

Other than that, we love it here. The standard of living is great and our quality of life is brill. We had a good life in the Uk too but we spend much more time here as a family.

Good luck with everything.

Hi i an electrician living and working in brisbane which is supposed to be cheaper than perth. I take home on average just over 1000 per week and have got two young kids. My wife does not work at the moment and just to survive there are weeks i have had to change money over from the uk. think very carefully about what you are giving up!

The biggest cost to living in Perth is 'living in Perth'! I really recommend you look at the other major cities as well.
Good luck.

Don't laugh at the "flippin freezing". Single digit tempuratures in single glazed, uninsulated houses is flippin freezing. Bear in mind that houses here are not central heated, so 7 degrees in your cozy insulated heated house is a whole lot different to 7 degrees in Perth.

Also, $1000 per week in Perth is not a lot. Consider that your rent is going to be at least 1/3 of that for a 4x2. Then you have the cost of food, utilities, school fees, entertainment and you're pretty much broke by the end of the week. And that's if you can get work straight away. Coming to WA you will need to become licensed before you can work and that takes a few weeks at least. Then you have to find a job.

Do not underestimate how much it costs to start up in a new country. We easily went through $10k in the first couple of weeks between buying a shit second hand car, rental deposit, food to fill the pantry, new fridge/washer, etc for the rental, etc.

As someone else said, if you have money now think about what you are giving up coming here.

Coughs and colds? lightweight.. I had pneumonia a few weeks ago and me mates in the uk were... pneumonia? thought you went there to get away from colds/flu... truth is for the first year and a half I picked up every bug going...

Good choice, shockingham, if you want more bang for your buck (thats where we live). Though we too thought we'd be mortgage free... couldn't be fuather from the truth lol...

We are a family of 5 (were 6 but kevins moved out again) spend approx $300 on shopping a week, has council rates of $100 per month... our gasbill was $60 for the last (summer) quarter... but our leccky was $400 (airconditioning).
Car reggo $30 per month each (x 3 vehicles) + 2 motorcycles - cheaper but still a cost... insurance $200 - $300 per annum... contents insurance $300 pa
Health cover 230 per month (tho you dont NEED it... you MUST have ambulance cover... for the sake of $40 pa you can avoid HUGE ambulance bills).. GP visit $12 even after medicare rebate... prescriptions EXPENSIVE none of your one price no matter what the medication is... an infection requiring antibiotics can end up costing you $50 plus...


I don't know many "ordinary" people who have come out recently and not bbeen surprised at the high cost of everyday living and high costs of housing.. esp in WA



Food bills can vary enormously and WA is particularly subject to fluctations in prices for fresh fruit/veg... depending on disaster/weather/fuel costs/whim of supermarket... a few weeks ago we were paying $4.99 for an iceburg lettuce (NO I didn't buy one at that price).. yesterday they were 80cts... why not go to coles on line and do a weekly shop that would be usual for your family ? that would give you an idea of how much YOU guys would be spending on groceries....

Setting up a business can be REALLY tough for immigrants... no local contacts, a bit of a closed shop in some areas... mates helping mates where YOU are the one with no mates... A diiferent economy, a different culture, a ddifernt mindset, a different work ethic ... and would you have enough to live on whilst you start up? TBH I totally take my hat off to those who do it.. big risks involved.



We would have been mortgage free in the uk in a couple of years time, but with market crash, costs of immigration, crap exchange rate and house prices we will now be working til we are both 70!!!!

HOWEVER.. we have long hot summers, useable outdoor space, some great mates and most importantly our kids walk to the beach after school for a swim in the indian ocean... how much is that worrth?

Thanks so much everyone for your views, I will be researching alot more, thanks for the shop online that will be interesting.
Looks like if this all def goes ahead even tho we have paid quite abit in this process, my wife might end up having to work, problem with that is the kids which different country its not nice leaving them to be minded by someone else. Specially when we as a family will be so isolated, until we hopefully make friends!

Thanks all

You will basically take home your gross income once you factor in family allowance, deductions etc.

Most sparkies I know working for themselves are charging around $90 an hour

So many mixed comments thanks people.

Taking home gross paid would be better help after family allowance, I would be def aiming to get out on my own have been looking at the contractors license which I think Id get quite handy HOPE!

Its all about risk taking factoring in consquences.

Everyone takes risks most off all you here has and you seem quite happy. Anyone coming home

Because I would the only earner surely I we would as a family be given some sort of tax allowance. A bit like family credit in a way?? Is that what is meant by the above post!

Things can be scary in life but if one doesnt try to change it one can be stuck in a rut. Hopefully the OZ rut would be a better life for my family and myself.

Do most familys both parents work???
What about child care, its probably scary too??

I do agree that it would probably be hard to start up in a different country here is hard enough its always comes down to its not what you know its who you know, basically Id be a nobody.
But saying that there has too be Uk people that has started a electrical business in OZ!!

That things work out and I wont be writing here in a few years time sasying I am back home with my tail between my legs. As I will be cutting off building contractors contacts from here for tendering for work, and would be really hard to get backonto theyre lists, in fact near impossible!

In a way thats why I have to make it work in OZ! But need to see what real risks are involved and way up options!
I do have friends there but they are single and differenet lifestyles. I wouldnt be close to them either living that is! But they seems to think its ok living, but hence they are single, dont know about family life yet!

Funny but not totally true, in fact, Perth is a on the top of the list for immigrants from UK and Europe for last few years !

What is a managable income for a family off four, $1500 dollars a week??

I have been looking on the net and cant really fine ordinary days jobs that most of the population in perth would be earning is any higher than that, so I take it both parents work, to have a decent life or one works the other doesnt and near everyone scrips through?

I think its a matter of going and trying it out, its the only way, maybe I will venture over for a month and sample things first, then I can get a feel what could be in store, when we move!