Goodwin

Has anyone successfully rented a property in the UK and moved to Australia? We are beginning to look into this option and it seems like a minefield on first glance.
Have you used a letting agent to do the whole process? If so what kind of price and commission did they charge? Did you have any problems with finding tenants?
My only concern is that should you get problems theres not really a lot you can do when you are living on the other side of the world.

Is it more hassle than its worth?????

Amazulu

We rent a few properties out & after much research have decided to sell everything as it's more hassle than it's worth.

Badge

It's a lottery - you can get lucky - get a decent tenant and you'll wonder what the fuss is about. On the other hand...

you must have enough money in reserve...for emergencies like leaks....the rest is down to that tenant

hmmm

BAdge

moneypenny20

And finding a good reliable agent who will actually do what he says he will without fleecing you. Also bear in mind that some of the time, they may not find a tenant and you will be left paying a mortgage/Council tax etc on a house in the UK at the same time as doing the same in Aus.

Amazulu

There is also the issue of Australian tax/capital gains tax as well. A potential minefield.

Pootle

It might be! We wanted to keep our house initially as we had never been to Oz and what if we didn't like it! We have an agent who charges 11% plus vat for total management. They found a tenant in Oct to move in a week after we moved out in Jan. After we arrived in Oz, they informed us there was a delay and they couldn't move in for a month! We gave them a couple of weeks then put it back on the market. The property was vacant for 2 months and now has someone in who has paid for 6 months upfront. Who knows of what problems to come?? Hopefully not many and we will prob sell up next year to buy over here. I'm glad we kept it initially and not burnt our bridges. Are currently on 457 visa and need to wait for PR to decide.
All the best,
Pootle

elfin

I rented my house out a few years ago,while I was living just the other side of the city, and it was a nightmare I had a couple of different agents both hopeless and to say that the people who rented the house were bad (four different families,who all seemed nice!) is an understatement. I continuously had to clean up after they left 1. I asked to leave 2 families did a moonlight flit, 1 family stole everything they could carry when they left, and guess what the insurance would not pay up over a technicality.
All this would'nt have been so bad but for months and months afterwards I was getting letters from baliffs threatening to come and take stuff away (my stuff !) and I even had to have an interview with the security for Next as one of the families had used my name and address and forged my signature (from the rent agreement) to get loads of new clothes.............Hey but please don't let me put you off you just have to realise that although you may be a lovely person, there are bad people out there!!!!!!
Elfin

Goodwin

Thanks for the advice. hmmm does seem to be a minefield. All depends on what kind of tenants you get i suppose.