Decision time....again!
 

I've been in Brisbane nearly a year but over all it looks like I have to accept a substantial drop in standard of living or return to the UK.

A comparable house to the one I had in Scotland is out of my reach here...I have 600k/700k I need 900k $

My UK house value was around 400k GBP I have yet to see a houe here at any price that comes close in quality

Its the main problem really, Ive bought my car here but the house is still missing and Im dipping into the money from the sale of my UK house each month to pay the rent:blink: which is common in my circle of friends

I just cant bring myself to pay so much for so little house here for fear of a price crash...back to Scotland is the safe option for me and my family, no doubt about that, a granite house thats been there for 100 years is going nowhere, the build quality here is non existant, laughable most of the time, stuff that B&Q stocked in the 80's would be top end here.

And Im nearly banned from driving here!..the police are the only bloody thing that works here, I was seen taking off my seat belt off to open the glove box...3 points...4mph over the speed limit 3 points...turning left into a road that you cannt turn left on during office hours:ohmy:..3 points...ACAB!

My wifes in two minds as ususal which doesnt help...shes at her wits end with the health care are here and the fact we are never away from the docs..the constant near wildlife misses..snakes/spiders/god knows what...yet when the suns out you think youd be mad to go.

BUT we are constantly broke...really broke...cant buy a bloody magazine broke...not what I was expecting at all...worse than my student days 25 years ago...and I have kids now so its not on

Re: Decision time....again!
 

Aus is not cheap anymore its swings and roundabouts and all boils down to where you settle and like best. Good luck mate :thumbup:

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I sympathise with your predicament, but I can't help wondering how you have got into such a situation in only a year. Didn't you know what Brisbane house prices were like before you came? Were you expecting to be able to earn more than you do? How much research did you do before emigrating?

I disagree that Brisbane houses are of lesser quality compared to UK ones, if you actually compare apples with apples i.e. compare a spec house built in the 1960's in each place. A stone house built in Victorian/Edwardian times just doesn't exist here - in 1910 the total population within a 10 mile radius of the GPO was only 150,000 compared with 1,100,000 today, so it stands to reason that most of the houses are post-WWII construction.

What brought you here in the first place?

Re: Decision time....again!
 

If you're having to dip into savings to pay rent when you're on $170k plus - then you have serious issues with money management.

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That is a lot of money, we could live on that happily :huh:

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I've just read some of your previous posts and it seems youre not happy in Aus and nothing is working for you even though I know there are a lot worse off than you who enjoy it here.

time to go "home" I reckon mate:nod:

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With regards to the driving, my friend was fined for being 5km over the limit but I dont think he got points on his license, I thought there was a bit of leeway on that as in if you were only a couple of kms over, it was just a fine. I forgot to put my seat belt on once when I left the house, I had got a little way out of the drive and an alarm went off in my car - I wondered what it was and then realised and managed to get the belt on, I genuinely forgot, but luckily no cops around (learned my lesson on that one :o)

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Be where your best opportunities are at the time. If you figure you will be more comfortable in Scotland then move on to Scotland. If you have a brilliant job in Qld and it's going to enhance your career then stay in Qld.

You cant live on sunshine and even that gets old after a while!

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The house price issue is a big one here in Australia and I sympathise. I live in SA and in the UK I lived in southern England, so for us the houses are cheaper and better value here - but only just - and only thanks to the higher wages in Australia. If you come from a part of the UK with cheaper housing and move to an expensive part of Australia you're really going to notice the house prices. Like in the UK, they're not doing anything to control house prices in Australia, and in fact are working diligently to keep them artificially high.

Resistance is futile, basically.

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Vogon poetry?


S

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:lol:

Trying to think of a Vogon haiku, but it's harder than it looks.

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It sounds to me like you're just not that keen on Australia.
Wildlife near misses?

If you're not happy then of course you need to do something about it.
But very few people would agree you are in financial dire straits if you are earning $170,000 and you have over $600,000 to put towards a house.

Houses are expensive here so if that is the most important thing and you can get more for your money in Scotland, then it's a no brainer.

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i completely agree with the price and quality of houses, we live in a 450 year old house that is likely to last another 450 years, our house in Brisbane will be lucky to last 45. New builds look as though they are built out of cardboard and sticky tape, its no wonder they are so bloody cold/hot. I wouldnt have such a problem with the quality if it was like it was about 12 years ago when they were cheap.

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I thought the poor building was only a Perth thing. Obviously not. I know in WA it is shocking. A slab is not how you build a house. It is how you build a garden shed. Also sympathise with the cost of housing. Total joke

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I think it best you do return - but I sense that your heart is just not in it. Anyone who uses the wildlife as an excuse has probably seen too many TV programs. Admitedlty we live in cool-climate Melbourne but I've seen 1 snake and practically no redbacks in 10 years.

It's enough to put anyone off.

Anyone who bought 12 years ago is laughing now. I don't think Aussie houses are quite as bad as people make out. I don't think they are all going to collapse overnight! I mean we have houses 100 years old in our village and they are fairly sturdy.


I built a garden office on stumps!

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I think build quality now, the world over, is appalling, and without knowing the first thing about the construction industry I'm going to attribute it to the corrupt economics that are ruining the West in general.

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It sounds like Australia is just not for you. Doesn't seem like much of a decision tbh.

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I think it's time for the OP to either decide to give Australia a fair go and stop blaming it for decisions he has made (e.g. most of his outgoing expenses could easily be far less) - or he should go back to Scotland.

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I thought a lot of the expenses looked quite reasonable tbh. Other than the car, especially when driving an old one, I don't know how that can cost over a grand and of course the summary does not add up as 5750 less 1200 leaves 4500-is not 3500-ish as stated. Possible to live more cheaply but OP has explained that they want to live the standard of living they are accustomed to.

We wouldn't dream if telling anyone they should be aspiring to a higher standard of living so why tell someone they should be lowering their standards (general comment based on prior responses not to you RM).

Still as I say, this is clearly not working for them and sounds like it is time to go.

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Constant? I've been here 30 years and worked/travelled over a large part of this wonderful country and don't suppose I've seen more than two or three snakes, a couple of dingos and a few redbacks. Plenty of roos, wallabies, wedge-tail eagles and emus, but if they worry you then you are definitely in the wrong place.

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you're as likely to cut your mouth on the edge of an opened can of Irn Bru.

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it looks like the OP has expensive accommodation costs; this and the Fx rate would be enough to scupper any budget.

I was a bit surprised to see business lunches, aren't business lunches expensed?
Also clothes cost seem high.

All this talk of farmhouses and motor sports a bit gauche, perhaps....

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It saddens me that material possessions equate in such a way with happiness

..." We aren't happy coz we can't have...."

What ever happened to.... " we haven't got that right now.... Might like it in the future... We will get on with our lives, loving each other, enjoying what we do have and being happy because we are healthy and well fed.... "

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True for Canada. New builds are generally worse than older homes. Judging from what our home inspector told us anyway.

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I'm with you on that one.

I agree with BS that it's not for us to say what people should expect standard of living wise and you are accustomed to what you are accustomed to. However, I do tire a bit of reading about people who are "struggling" when they are earning large sums of money, cut your cloth to suit your coat as the saying goes... When times are tough, cut back a bit on the frivolous stuff. A lot of what are perceived to be necessities, really are not, they are just wants not needs.

To the OP, you certainly sound like you are a bit over Australia, and if that is the case then it's only a matter of time before you return to Scotland. It would probably be a good idea to sit down with pen and paper and write out all the pros and cons of each living situation and the financial implications of a move back. Also, is a move back really feasible? would a job be easily obtained etc... Good luck with whatever you decide. My view is that uncertainty is the worst of situations, it's very draining on an ongoing basis, so better to make a decision and deal with it, sooner rather than later.

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Yes, well, you would!

I attribute it to "you get what you pay for". If you are prepared to pay skilled craftsmen to do all the work on your house you will get the same build quality you would have had 50-100 years ago - but very few people want to spend that sort of money on a house build.

My house, which is timber framed and raised like many Queensland houses, was built in 1954 and every piece of original timber in the house is hardwood - to build like that today would cost a fortune, and most people would rather pay $100,000 less for factory made pine frames.

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Very wise words there Ed.

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Firstly thanks for all the reply's...much appreciated...kind of like the voices in my head! I think I’ve gone through all the scenarios twenty times.

I’m sorry if I sound ungrateful towards Australia or that I didn’t do my homework before coming here.

I am grateful...my second child was conceived here and we have had some great days out and my son has had some of the best experiences a boy could hope for.....BUT

Let me start with the wildlife bit...people have said that’s rubbish etc...well a large brown snake was taken out of the garden next door...to me that’s a near miss of a fatal nature for my son..to me that’s a bigee..Meaning I cant relax if he’s outside in the garden playing
Also I was out on a push bike with my son sitting on one of those kiddy seats when we were attacked...and I mean attacked..by magpies...now these things were really going for it...I was bleeding from small cuts to my head (stop laughing readers) if they had gone for my son and got an eye...again serious.

We have heard countless 1st hand red back spider stories...like a friend who lifted her kettle to find 4 or 5 of the wee buggers lurking there...again these could seriously injure a small child..although I think the last fatality was 20 years or more

I would also add Australian driving as a health hazard, here in QLD its almost a contact sport.

My wife and I agonized over selling our house in Scotland but we wanted to commit to the move and went for it...we looked at every house for sale at the time and over the internet and they looked great...in the flesh? Very different story.

I hear the 170k OMG that’s so much money…I’m sorry but no its bloody not when it’s the only wage as my wife is unable to work as shes pregnant (yes I know that’s our choice). And the cost of living etc is so mind bendingly high.

Ive previously given a run down of where my cash goes and I can assure you it all goes on essentials like food, rent and utility bills, yes we have a brand new car we are paying and yes I eat out most lunch times, would buying sandwich stuff from Coles make that much difference…maybe $150 per month but I like to get out of the office and if a sandwich is classed as a luxury then you’ve got me there.

"All this talk of farmhouses and motor sports a bit gauche, perhaps...."
Please I am a time served techician from a council estate...I worked hard and bought a farmhouse that needed alot of work...which I did. I built and raced Subarus and mini's hardly F1 again I did all the work...a man needs a hobby for god sake.


As for the police the day before I get pulled for no apparent reason and breathalyzed…no problem I pass , I wasn’t being smart I just asked “don’t you need a reason to pull me? What did I do?” This seemed to piss the copper off no end
Next day I turn into a street that is off limits during office hours…same copper…opening line from him ”Oh good we meet again”…Now I had just been told literally an hour before that one of my best lifelong friends had died in a helicopter crash, so I really couldnt give a *** or remember if I had met this copper before so I replied “do we?”
Hey presto I get a heap of “still being a smart arse etc etc” and here $400+ in fines and 6 points@! Again you could rightly say so what my fault…I thought about mentioning my friend or the fact that with a young family to lose my license would be a disaster but the copper was clearly on a roll and loving it so why give him any more pleasure.

I am still hoping against hope that this is just the bottom of the curve and things will immediately improve…but everytime I think it cant get any worse surely!...Oh yes it bloody can!

Re: Decision time....again!
 

Your license demerit points are easily avoided - obey the road rules! Losing 3 points for speeding in Queensland means you were doing 13 - 20 kilometres over the speed limit.

To be honest, it seems a bit of a waste of your time to be writing these posts. There seem to be very few pluses to you staying in Australia, and the things you perceive as being 'against' - housing quality, cost of living, road rules, drivers, health care and wildlife - aren't going to change. Only you and your wife can make the 'stay or go' decision, but based on what you've written it's a done deal.

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Yup. Time to GTFO.


S

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I think so too....Taxi!

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All good mate, some people do seem to attact problems, and its reflected in the way they write, if you think people are judging you, for example driving is not that bad, I know it isnt!

It's all down to you.

Re: Decision time....again!
 

I can relate to pretty much everything you say.

The police swing between incompetant to corrupt.

Wildlife is an issue. We do not have children but do have a very small dog and last year there were a number of dogs near us killed by snake bite. I am here because my wife loves it. But, she knows that the limit would be if my dog was bitten. I wouldnt even stop to pack. Simply flag a taxi and head for the airport for the first seat back.

Building standards are appalling.

Cost of living ridiculous.

Re: Decision time....again!
 

Where your dog would get hit by a car, forcing you to move to Sark.

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Bee stings in the UK kill more people than snakes do in Australia.

Every time you go out in a car you have a much higher risk of death (here and UK).

We see lots of snakes. Had to call in the snake catcher once to remove an injured venemous one. Free service provided by the local policeman, who took the snake away in the boot of the panda car.

Perhaps the OP should try living in a different area before giving up.

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I earned $70000 ish with 2 kids and rented and always had more money left over than in the Uk.it must be all about money management.

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Your life is a misery .... time to move on.

PS I would never live in Scotland or Brisbane. Perhaps thatt the start of your internal battles.

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Don't take this the wrong way mate but negativity breeds more negatives and it's a hard spiral to crack.

If you are still in two minds how about turning a page and tackling all those issues with a fresh perspective. See them as challenges which you will surmount with a positive attitude.

After all why would you wish to return to Scotland? It's full of Scottish people. If that's what you actually want or need you could get a cheaper taxi fare by moving to Pacific Pines. :D

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You know you love us:)

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I was made an honorary Scotsman some time ago. :thumbup: