Originally Posted by nixstuff

If, like us, you don't have large amounts of capital to sink in to a home, you have to settle for something small or inland, and it's back to a regular lifestyle - commuting, traffic et al....

Originally Posted by NKSK

I used to get stuck in a traffic jam on the north coast of Borneo for goodness sake!

Originally Posted by diddy

Are you sure your going the right way to Perth CBD?

Originally Posted by NKSK

But to be honest a morning commute is the norm for 99% of the population - as are taxes, phone bills, bad drivers. And no matter where you live in the world you are going to encounter most of these negatives. I used to get stuck in a traffic jam on the north coast of Borneo for goodness sake! I know people who live in Mosman Park and nice areas of South Perth and they still have a long commute because they work out of the city.

For me the drive or cycle to work is still a commute but it's a better commute than the UK because there are often blue skies, there's less traffic and I know that when I get home I can do something with the kids rather than sit camped in front of the TV because of the weather and lack of finance.

Originally Posted by nixstuff

Because City Beach is exceptionally nice, and is the best of what Perth has to offer vs many places in the UK. It's close to the sea, has large blocks, plenty of park land, close to the city - Perth living at it's best.

If, like us, you don't have large amounts of capital to sink in to a home, you have to settle for something small or inland, and it's back to a regular lifestyle - commuting, traffic et al. And all the sentiments from home, as started this thread, really begin to kick in, without the diversions of a heavenly beach life.

Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm just trying to identify that your living situation, and the cycle you're in of the migration experience to Perth dictates how you feel right now.

I miss City Beach, we just moved out of Scarborough. Loved cycling around it, gorgeous place.

One powerball...

Originally Posted by steve99

I do see what your saying, but at the end of the day most of the money ive invested has gone into the block of land the house I live in is on (which costs what it does because of the things you've mentioned above), but bar a bit of travel time most of the benefits of City Beach are open to anyone that comes to visit.
I know you may say ive never experienced anything other but to me I would still enjoy the Perth lifestyle and going to the beach, the river, the swan valley and other suburbs regardless of where I lived in the Perth area.
I dont think my "living situation" really has any bearing on whether id make a go of it here, regardless i'd remain positive, would appreciate the benefits of living and working here vs the same in the UK.

One thing I will say is that although City Beach is pretty pricey to buy in now days, its still (IMO) very cheap to rent in, your not going to get a freshly renovated place but there are often 4x1 houses for around the $300 per week mark, thats for a house (& largely block) thats probably worth $800K+ go 20mins up the coast and slightly inland and you probably save $50 a week and live in a property worth about $500K less. I know what choice id make if I was fresh of the plane.
Steve

Originally Posted by nixstuff

Good point about renting there.

Sorry, to clarify, I meant 'your' as in general ie spongebob's rant is dictated by the situation he's found himself in, at this particular time, in a particular place in Perth. Better burbs, better living, may negate some of the other factors that can drag you down.

As much as we're trying to give it a go, we, like spongebob, are 18 months in and now in that 'down' part of the cycle, that really begins to get to you. I'm just hoping spring will eventually kick in properly, and we can begin to enjoy and appreciate certain aspects again.

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 steve99

I dont know your personal situation, and I appreciate everyone is an individual and has different views and opinions about things, so no matter what I or anyone else say your the only one in control of your personal views and the stage of the cycle your in , Id just say be positive where ever possible and dont make any hasty decisions you might later regret.

ProPerth Steve

PS: What line of work are you in?

Originally Posted by diddy

Incidentally we lived in a crappy terraced house in Ipswich and despite living in a massive house with a pool now, we've found the biggest problem to be local amenities. The house thing doesn't seem to matter if the rest of yor life is sh*t.

My Mrs is having a nightmare. Again this is down to personal differences ie. she's at home with two demented 4 yr olds all day with no friends/ family.

So if you're reading this in the UK. Still give it a go, come with an open mind and accept that not everything may be as you expect it to be.

Paul.

Originally Posted by nixstuff

I'm a Graphic Designer Steve, hence being online most of the time. But ah, dearest Telstra, we have a brand new home with a brand new line...and can't get broadband at home. AAPT's reason? Not enough exchange capacity. Telstra's? Your line may be old copper wire. Um, hang on, didn't you JUST install it? Numpty's....

Originally Posted by nixstuff

Anyroad, enough negative, yep, we'll pep ourselves up, crack the eskies and bikes out and off we go.

If you want one of the nicest things Perth has to offer, cycle around the river. Canning Bridge to Point Walter is our fave - bikes on the back of the car, park up by the Raffles redevelopment, cycle to PW café for the biggest and best cake, cycle it all back off again on the way back. Marvellous. Especially on a sunny spring day.

Not something we used to do along the Trent and Mersey...

Originally Posted by janeyray

This is a good point, you can have the biggest house in the world, the largest pool and a state of the art theatre room, but it's not always enough. Our house was lovely in OZ, bigger than we have here but now I wouldn't swap my life for a life in Perth...no way. Some though are content with the quieter life and like it that way, I like a quiet life too but not enough happening over there for me. House size doesn't matter if you aren't happy.

Originally Posted by nixstuff

Ah but you lived in Ellenbrook didn't you, from memory? Crikey, more life in a morgue.

Originally Posted by steve99

I've heard a quite a few people who've had the same issues, everyone who's got any responsibilities linked to telecomms just blames someone else. fortunately my partner works for one of the mobile carriers linked to Optus so we dont seem to off done to bad

I'll have to ask the driver one day to take us out that way
sounds great, we like walking down to the beach and walking up to scarborough for a coffe and then back home, takes a while, but is great for a hangover cure