Not really looking for the answer, just looking for people to share their experiences if they have been where we are now.

House has taken eighteen months to sell (this is the third time!) - and we finally move out on Thursday. But where to? It's taken that long to sell that we had intended to stay in the UK and have started to buy a new house. But we keep asking ourselves - why are we not going to Australia?

We think that if we were truely committed we wouldn't have to ask the question - but have we just got a serious case of cold feet? Australia still offers all that we wanted when we first applied nearly three years ago (better family life, more time with the children), it's just that the UK has caught up a bit financially for us (good job, better standard of living).

The key dilemma is the risk of the uncertainty in Australia versus the financial security and family in the UK. Our nine year old son summed it up yesterday - it's easier for him as he is taking his parents with him whilst we have to leave our's behind.

Please discuss!!!

Chris & Angela

If you are wondering what if now, then imagine how you're going to feel in a few years time.

You only get one shot at life, may as well make the most of it. If it's not for you then you can always come back.

What Wendy said or buy a pair of moon boots

We are now on comparable standard of living in Aus as to what we were in the UK after just 5 months of getting settled and getting jobs etc. settled, in fact we haven't even got round to claiming child benefit for our 11 yr old.

11 yr old has settled well and loves it and quite happy to stay. We are making friends as adults as well but you have to give it time and this forum helps a lot with that, once you have a job that helps as well.

Even if you move house in UK you have to make new friends unless you stay in new area and with the internet the world is a small place.

If I was you and I didn't do it I'd spend the next 40 yrs wondering what I might have done... :scared: :scared: :scared: .

Accept everyone's advice and act on your own... .

I cant believe how similar your story is to ours, our house has taken 2 years to sell, we have had 3 buyers, 2 pulled out on last minute we finally exchanged last thursday and we move out this thursday when the shippers come. we have been at this process for nearly 3 years and we also now have more money as i got promoted at work....... But we have never given up of the dream of living a new and better life if anything it has made us more determined to go, we have not let the problems of the house put us off, many of our family thought " oh they wont go now its taking to long to sell the house " but they got us wrong. We are going for the sake of the kids to give them a better quality of life, we may end up having
less money that we have now in the uk ,but we will manage and make the most of our new life...... All i would say is you have come this far so dont give up.....We fly out to Brisbane hopefully first week in April

Good Luck in what you decide to do in the end..

Hazel

Give it a whirl. If it doesn't work out for you, Britain will still be here when you get back.

After all the hard work, its got to be worth a go. You can always come back if you hate it but you dont want to be 10 or 20 years down the line wondering "what if". You only get one life. Go for it!!!

Good luck in whatever you decide

Joex

Maybe go on a holiday downunder to help make your mind up. Maybe research the job market in your field in OZ to determine if you can get a good job. You can always go back to the Uk if it does'nt work out.

You only regret the things you dont do (oh and the ones you get caught doing )

I think most people agree that you should give it a go, you've done all the hard work as such.
Life's a gamble, roll them dice and go for it

Best of luck with whatever you decide

They could make it a 2 or 3 year holiday, and if they like it.......... Stay


Can you fly on Thursday ?

i agree with every body here ,we have been here 15 years but we are returning to the uk ,australia has given us a lot and our kids have grown and been educated here ,australia isa great country and if you want to get on monetry wise its great ,but if you are at all attached to the land you where raised in ,you may have problems in the future ,i know i did and have and there wasnt a day go by in 15 yrs i dint think of home ,so i worked there last year for 6 months last year and loved it .Life isa bout oppurtunities ,australia has given you an oppurtunity ,and if someone asked me have i regrets the answer is NOOOOOO ,go for it otherwise you will regret it

funny you should say that, people often mention they will miss family, but many of us live so far from family that another 10,000miles won't make any difference. In London, I hardly know anyone that lives close to their families.

By moving to Australia, you provide the carrot to make f+f visit. It is cheaper for them to fly than you go over. We have one bloke come out 3 times so far, he just drops in.

You could move 100 miles to another shire in the UK and not know anyone.

I think we was asking that same question the day we left for Oz whilst we was in the process of applying for Oz, we had landed on our feet in a big way with regards to Chris's work in the UK...I'll be honest we're financially not better off, but for us we can honestly say its the best thing we've ever done....especially for our kids

We just thought we've been given the opportunity to go and would only regret not trying

All the best

Sue x

Hi.

"Our nine year old son summed it up yesterday - it's easier for him as he is taking his parents with him whilst we have to leave our's behind."

Awww, bless. That's such a precocious remark for a nine year old boy.

I think that "cold feet" is merely a euphemism for "natural nervousness" (I can't comment on "serious cold feet" though ) My wife is very unsure about our decision to go to Australia yet knows that moving to Australia will more than likely provide us with the better standard of living that we want.

It can only ever be your decision but my advice would be to never allow yourself to get the point in life where you are finding yourself frequently asking the question "What if?".