Pit Bull.

Perth is a fantastic place, will you forever wonder, what if? If you don't go, best of luck.

John Mc

We've recently moved to Perth, been here 3 months, and there are a multitude of things I'm finding irritating about the place. I won't list them all here but what I will say is if you are not 100% behind the decision to come here then think long and hard about it. I was thinking that the kids would be much better off here but I'm not so sure now.

The education in the public school they are in is miles behind the school they were in back in the UK. They do enjoy the parks and beach like any child would but they like my wife are really missing family and friends. I'm not having homesickness troubles but I am struggling with the major differences between the 2 countries that I see as negatives of Perth.

I'm finding Perth to be a very sleepy, large village type place with nice things to look at. I'm very used to having lots of things to see and do coming from a busy city in the UK. Rent, food, drinking/ eating out, Electricity are all very expensive.

I've only seen winter though so I'm hoping when it warms up there will be more people about and more things to do.

My wife would go back to the UK tomorrow but we've got to give it time to see what it's really like.

Cheers

John

h2oskineil

Hey John

Hang in there.....
No one will deny it's a massive thing you have done.... HUGE. It will test your marriage beyond breaking and further!

Summer is on the way and it does get a lot better. We have been here 7 years and hate the winters.... sooo cold in a Perth house with windows that wouldn't be fitted to a UK greenhouse. lol

I have seen it said on here time and time again, it takes at least two years to settle in, but in that time you will probably be renting, something I struggled with and wont feel settled until you get your own place.

There are still many things that upset me daily about living here, simple things like driving, (do they all think they are V8 drivers?) queuing, prices, lack of competition, not replying to emais and on and on and on....... etc

Get some friends, gets the kids into sport, get some bikes, get out door equipment (beach chairs, BBQ, etc etc)..... it will get better.

John Mc

Hey Neil,

Thanks for the tips, we've got a circle of friends going and we are getting into more things. I have the kids swimming and looking to get them involved in a few sports but all the ones they want to play seem to end for the summer haha. We've got most of the things for the garden, going to buy a BBQ soon, so we're set for summer. We have a pool which will be a big plus I'm sure.

I've been for a few games of golf with people, the golf courses are fantastic. I've no doubt we'll settle in but it is going to take a long time.

verystormy

I am sorry, but that is one of the silliest things i have heard all year. Nobody knows what the Oz or brit economy will be like in 5 years when children grow up. Even the experts are struggling to forecast next month.

By the time kids leave school Perth could be in a massive downturn and UK booming.

Even for those that are older, WA is about to see a huge downturn in mining. Its not unexpected but its going to have severe impacts and the prospects of leaving school and going into work are diminishing by the day

ShoreyM

Then I'm silly ! But as I don't have a crystal ball and am living in the "now", that is my opinion based on my knowledge and experience. UK booming in 5 years, how exactly?

verystormy

I dont know. Thats the point and neither do you or anybody else. So to base your childrens future on a idea that none of us knows anything about it stupid.

There is every chance at the moment that the mining boom is coming to an end. The impact on WA is likely to be massive. Have a look at the USA a few years ago. Huge household debt, overheated house prices at a ratio of 4.5x average salary, poor lending practices by banks. Now look at WA. Household debt is bigger than the USA was and the one of the biggest in the world. Banks have lent very irresponsibly. I was recently offered a mortgage with NAB which had repayments exactly the same as my net income. Then cap that with the removal of the mining boom and the fall could be huge

Pit Bull.

People just get on with their lives whichever country they live in, I never think to myself, this might happen, or that might happen, so I won't do this and I won't do that. All I look at is how things are at present and I personally wouldn't go in to so much debt that I couldn't afford the repayments, I know people borrow like crazy, but that's their look out. If the economy goes into recession in Australia, it might, it might not, but it will effect a lot of people, like it did in the UK, you just have to hope it doesn't effect yourself, it's just life.

bewoh

Having grown up in Perth, I can give you some of my advice and lived there for i guess close 20 years:

* quality of life is excellent - wide road, comfortable highways, plenty of cycle paths, nice weather with a cool oceanbreeze in the afternoon but the australian sun can be tough on your skin
* perth has sadly become much much more expensive, in fact it's one of the most expensive australian cities to live in. Apples can be $5-7 kg, which is likely 3x higher than in the UK for example. but once you are earning aussie $ and working it will be fine
* education is good and the healthcare system is superb
* it is a comfortable, safe place to bring up children, as I always say to people it's a good place to grow up and to retire and die, in between you may want to find somewhere else.

The Cairnsys

Thank you all so much for you knowledge and incite. We have a lot of thinking to do. John I admire your honesty and hope you settle soon and things get easier.