Hi All

We moved to Australia 5 years ago and moved back home after a year. Have been thinking of moving back but are beginning to think other countries might be better option (NZ, Canada or staying put).
Our original reasons for moving to Oz were cheaper houses, slower lifestyle, more time for family etc. When we first went there all of these were part of oz life as well as a reasonable expectation of the same being available for our kids in the future which is important to us. I never wanted to leave and have been the main driving force for going back but even I am beginning to doubt the attractiveness of OZ now.
The main reasons are the cost of living and mainly house prices. House prices are simply crazy in OZ. If u can afford one you will have to work your nuts off to maintain your lifestyle now (bang goes quality of life), every housing market that saw a boom as in Oz has seen dramatic fall even though there were reasons why this wouldnt happen so I think Oz wll go the same way. Even if it doesnt, how will our kids buy a house. High house prices will drive up the cost of living, the need to earn more money, the reduction in family time etc.

I guess what I am saying is apart from the weather whats the difference now. The advantages before seem to be eroding fast. Last time we were there we did miss the culture,family etc of home but the slower lifestyle, quality of life and more family time made up for it. However now I dont think those advantages are there from listening to people on sites such as this one and from looking at the crazy house prices and cost of living.

Anybody thinking of moving out or recently moved outfeel the same or am I wrong. I know anybody there several years may feel different as they bought houses much cheaper etc, but I am really interested in the thoughts of those who have not emigrated yet or have recently emigrated.

No longer cheap to live here. My life is better here but is mainly due to changes I made on a personal level when I moved.
I'd look at a possible real change in your life where you are just now, because really that is what it is about. Change.
All that said, Australia is a great place to live. I love the outdoor life I have here and don't think I would ever go back. The weather is lovely up here in Brisbane and I certainly enjoy that.

It does sound like your main reason for thinking of a move is for a better life and standard of living. No guarantees that is on the cards I'm afraid, overall cost of living is very roughly the same as the UK and outdoor life or not, you still have to work and pay the bills.
Good luck!

Couldn't you find all these things if you relocated within the United Kingdom?


Were they? Or was it just that the pound was much stronger back in 2005?


As they are in the United Kingdom (still), Canada and New Zealand. I am not sure if there has ever been a time when housing was consistently "cheap" in relation to incomes, especially not in highly urban locations like London or Sydney.

How will your kids buy a house? By studying hard, then working hard, and saving up until they can afford one.



There is probably no financial/economic advantage for now.

I think you've answered your own question. Each one of those countries is going to cost you probably more money than the UK. I don't think cheap first world countries exist anymore. Maybe parts of the US

Australia is probably at the peak of a house price cycle but it has been there before in decades past even if this one is bigger. So that obviously does not help.

I think the fact that British house prices have dropped compounded severely by the value of Stirling dropping so dramatically that has made it harder. If we are comparing 2005 to now I think the change might be more to do with the UK falling than Australia rising. A big percentage of the house price boom in oz was already done by 2005.

costs of living, housing, lifetyle are all relative to what work yo do regardless of country.

its impossible to say what type of life you would have and what you could afford without you knowing what job you would have here and what your life is like on a day to day, month by month for expenses.

We came here 8 years ago and it was a UK blue collar workers paradise in Perth. We traded up our small UK home for a massive home with pool near the ocean for a relative pittance and much smaller mortgage than we had in UK. We could live a relative life of luxury on one wage.

Sadly, things have changed here, it is no longer a working man's paradise and you have to be fairly well off to afford something half decent in a half decent area.

We've sold up since and are now renting. We noticed that the new Poms are no longer affording the housing they used to buy in Perth as unsold stock is building up in the £800K + in the Northern Suburbs. My hunch is that these homes will become cheaper with time but there will still be demand in the sub $600K market.

Cost of living has exploded here over the last couple of years and if we migrated now we would be struggling.

The cost of living in Perth is definitely high. Take eating out, you can find reasonable value but it is becoming a rare thing.

No.

It takes a niche migrant to do well now.

Say a London family in Clapham with a GBP1M house, bought for 200k in the early 90s.

The best part of AUS2M will get you a great house in even Melbourne Inner East, plus loads of cash for a car or two, and establishment/school fees. Well paid job, slightly slower pace of life, maybe a bit more family-oriented.

Isnt it more ' is the oz echange rate as attractive as it was'?

If the X was suddenly 2.8 to one again migrants would suddenly be gushing about moving for the lifestyle

Oz hasnt changed that much in the last 10 years, except the cost of living and the exchange rate.
People could still come here, rent and go to the beach/park every sunday, take their chances with the sometimes overrated climate , crime, politics, health and education etc. The deal breaker seems to be the financial gain many got a few years back, with that gone the 'lifestyle' seems to hardly get a mention any more.

'Sydney Real Estate prices to double"

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/mon...-1225843254040

Wonder how many migrants just had a heart attack reading that

Know what you mean about prices though, FIL wants around that for his melb house Nice gig if you can get it

Bris courier mail also has a entire liftout on predictions of prices to double/treble in 10 years.

Depends how materialistic you are I guess. I wouldn't move back permanently to the UK even if you paid me 10 million sterling.

Sydney median was tipped to reach $1 million in 2012 these articles come out every so often, especially now as First home buyers and mortgage approvals have plunged in Jan and Feb.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/...179204746.html