Originally Posted by Seabird

This may appear twice, strange PC thing here....
That is all about perception again, so I agree. But I wonder how many kids in their mid to late 20s are still at home with parents in Oz because they can't afford to move away. I've had a quick count of my sons closest mates (he's 24). Out of those in the Ipswich, two live away from home, five are still at home. In Northampton two are independent, one because he had some inheritance.

Is it like this in Oz??

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

That's one thing which struck me when I came to the UK 20 months ago: the violence.

Britain is an extraordinarily violent place. I have been utterly gobsmacked by the level of crime over here; at times it seems all but completely lawless.

I can't speak for too many other areas, but here in the Midlands the housing situtation is dismal; all around me I see row upon row of identical, featureless terrace houses on cramped little streets, with cars parked wherever they will fit - and even a few places where they won't.

Almost everything is old, dirty, shabby and overpriced. People are crushed up against each other in tiny semi-detached houses with little or no ventilation whatsoever; the plumbing is literally Victorian, with lacklustre pipe pressure due to the omnipresent gravity-fed water system.

Government services are hopelessly inefficient, the pension system is effectively worthless, the NHS provides excellent service but is rapidly running out of money, the local councils seem to have no concept of civic planning, there's no such thing as a pre-paid envelope, and Britain has only just moved to EFTPOS - a system which we have enjoyed in Australia since 1986.

In so many ways it feels as if I have stepped back in time to the Dickensian era; I can't wait to get back home, where almost everything is clean, modern, shiny, efficient and new.

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

No.

I moved out of home when I was 21, and bought my first house at the age of 28 - which was considered quite late, since most of my peers had their own houses by the age of 24.

I still have a house of my own back home in Australia, to which I'll be returning in a couple of years.

Originally Posted by coxfamuk

There has been a plethora of negative posts about Australia recently. I used to love coming on BE but now when I log on, I wonder with trepidation what the latest slagging off of Australia will be. When you are planning a new move, you don't mind constructive and objective views, but the continual slagging-off onslaught is getting a bit much. Those of us who are making the move are going to go regardless of what others say, but it would be nice not to have the negative stuff all the time.

Originally Posted by Storini

As has been said, many of the people with the very positive attitudes to Oz are posting mainly on the other forum. Hence the balance point between positive and negative threads will appear to shift towards the latter on this forum.

sponge bob would be roasted alive if he posted his post on the other forum.

I think people like their own views reinforced, whichever way they incline...

Originally Posted by Seabird

As I had been informed... Apparently there are PhD students buying their SECOND home in Adelaide...

Originally Posted by Storini

Don't have a direct answer, but my impression is that, for an average income, renting is significantly more affordable in Oz than the UK (at least in cities), possibly there's an over-supply because of investment properties. However, to buy a property, I think the situation in some parts of Oz is the reverse, i.e. ratio of house prices to income is worse.

If this is true, there should be no real obstacle in Oz to children moving out to get jobs, and renting a place, but getting on the housing ladder remains hard.

Originally Posted by Tiawamutu

I do respect people's views....but everyone is entitled to agree or disagree...That's called having an opinion

Originally Posted by Seabird

Thanks, Storini

I guess it depends on income as well as house prices. But I gather getting a mortgage has more to do with deposits than multiples of income, am I right on this? If so it's easier to get a deposit if your rent is cheaper.

I can't afford a house in the UK on a good salary because I am on my own. Will be able to in Adelaide, a few months after I start my new job out there. This must be true of others with fairly good jobs, but at the bottom end it sounds difficult. Here at the other end it's still difficult.

Originally Posted by sponge bob

Well, i know before i start that this will upset people but its the facts has i see them. We came here looking for a better life and found that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
We picked Perth and not Brisbane because we thought the housing would be cheaper and it would not be so humid in the summer .
Well when we first got here everything seemed to be great just what we had hoped for. The weather was great the poeple were nice and there were plenty of jobs advertised. We have been here some time now and our views have changed alot. Tere are lots of jobs , the poeple are nice and the weather can be very nice indeed.ITS NOT ENOUGH from day one we have been told you wlll get used to this and you will get used to that, well thats the way we do it out here etc etc.
What this has really meant is that we are forced to accept lower standards in almost everything from education to food. from work place safety to employment rights, the list seems almost endless.
I know by now there will alot of poeple typing away to rubbish what i am saying but there are a lot of poeple that know what i am saying is true, so please read on and at least be aware of what ( i think ) awaits the hopeful immigrant, if he hasn`t researched has much has he should.
First i have to mention housing , everybody out here seems totaly obsessed with the housing market , prices have been booming for a long time now land prices are high ( this in a country with unlimited land ) and building costs are the same. At first we rented a house very large with a lot of land and all brand new. We thought this was great and began to think it would be wise to build our own new house in Australia. But it soon began to dawn on us that we would have to compomise where we wanted to build because of land prices and while we pondered this we started to take a look at the quality of the house we were renting and the others of friends and those around and nearby.
They are very poorly finished off the work is not what you would accept back in the uk yet they still run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Then we come to the education of our children , IT JUST MAKES ME WANT TO CRY why o why did i ever complain about schools back in the UK.I don`t see the point of going into this any further other to say you should really look into it yourself if you think the education of your children is important.
Then there is work lots of jobs about but they are nearly all in the city area which means traveling , the road network is has busy has any major city in the world at peak times, the driving ability of most of your fellow comuters is .......... well you decide when you drive from the airport .
so why do so many people come here and why do so many people stay? ( this is going to upset a lot of people i suppose ). A lot of migrants come to perth from the Uk looking for a better life and for the most part seem to find it. They come from run down northern cities terraced housing and inner city schools , perth gives them a bit more space a newer home good weather and they accept its bad points because of this. They seem to think good food is cheap food, good houses are bigger houses etc etc.

To sum it up I would have to say that in general we have had to accept lower standards in almost everthing , if you lived in a small teerraced house in a big city in the uk then it is paradise , if you live in a detached house in the country (uk ) then it is almost the opposite, on the whole the grass is not greener on the other side . People may say well its not for everyone and this is true , but before you come over think about what you have in the uk , the truth is you may be gambleing it all onthe promise of cheaper houses and sunshine, ( Well you get what you pay for in this life and it gets very clod hear in winter and very wet . )
just think before you leap, and good look which ever way you go.

Originally Posted by lightr0d2o

I don't know where to start with this one.
As the first post asked a good few questions and others have come to light along the way.
Honestly I think it is all about perception. Even a negative post if viewed from a different angle can be positive, taking other peoples points and being aware of them can only give you an in site into another world. You can then join that world with things to be aware of. Good, bad and indifferent.

There still seems to be a perception by some people, that the streets of London are paved with gold. That south is in some way better off than the north of England. I agree that overall there is probably more money in the south, due to London being in my opinion one of the greatest cities in the world. At this point I will agree to being a London boy, cockney and very proud of it. Now we get on to the exception to prove that, that is not always the way.
My Dad is a Geordie and he got down here because his Dad walked here on the great Jarrow march and thought "bugger walking back" so the family joined him. They only ever lived in rented accommodation not even council, but private. my parents were given a maisonette on a 70's built estate in Ilford. The workmanship was of such quality they pulled it down 20 years later?. I grew up in the mist of skin heads, punks and the B.N.P. movement. I went to school where white kids were out numbered 5 to 1. some of my friends had no fathers others had drug taking prostitutes for mothers. Most of us had very little in the way of personal possessions. I was 18 years old when Mum and Dad bought there first and only home.
But you know what I wouldn't change a thing. I was lucky that I had both Mum and Dad there for me and a great little sister. What ever has gone on
in your past makes you what you are now. I now am doing well for myself nice house in a mid Essex village small business great wife and 2 great daughters. I am 42 years old and have still got some really good friends from when we moved to that estate when I was 8. you do the math friendships like that don't come along very often. the negative racist environment only sparked an interest in other cultures and religions leaving me with friends all over the world.
Relate that all to Me and My family moving to Aus. It is a gut feeling WE have that it is right to do. It will be a challenge I am sure, but also an adventure. We love the Ozzie way of life, but are still English who will be living in there country. We expect things to be different, if they weren't why go? If we are that unhappy with our choice of destination, We will change it.

I enjoy reading on this web site as the good, bad and down right ugly comes out in people.
In my opinion keep it up people. I will take from it what i want or need. Some times I might even comment on something or other.

Remember live and let live ( who the hell am I).

Luck and love with your dreams

Cockney Rob.....