The Noo-noo

If you could live mortgage free in a big 4 bed house in a nice area in Perth or SEast England where would you choose to live.

Our situation is this.....

I am originally from Perth and have been living in UK for 8 years married to a Brit. During my time here, we have visited perth on a number of occasions and always knew that one day we would live there again. We have now decided that the time is right to move to Perth but am now getting cold feet. Not sure if it is too much research or what, but I'm now not sure we are doing the right thing. We have 2 kids under age 4 so need to find the best place to raise them. We have family and good friends in both countries.

We have funds to send the kids to private schools if need be. We only really need to earn enough money to live and enjoy a nice life and visit grandparents once a year.

Please help us decide.

The noo-noo

sme

We live in St Albans and plan on moving to Perth soon hopefully. We will be in similar financial situation to you. Our kids are 12, 6 & 4.
So I vote to move but I'm biased
Gillian

Flying Banana

Personally I'd say there is no choice to make - Perth without a doubt.

This is only a personal opinion and others will differ. Where are you living in the UK now?

I lived in the SE England for the last 24 years apart from one year working/living in Australia and am not sorry to see the back of it one bit.

SE England: Overpriced everything, overcrowded, traffic moving at slower average speeds than in the days of horse drawn transport, ridiculous petrol and insurance costs. A crumbling expensive public transport system which works sporadically at best, a health service staffed by more administrators than beds with frontline staff struggling to cope whilst managers award themselves huge bonuses. A police force with no ability to control the rising population of burberry wearing yobs taking over every town centre, when they're not mugging you to pay for drugs they are getting paralytic and beating the hell out of the nearest innocent passerby. Blair's creeping nanny state invading every facet of daily life, tax after tax piled onto hardworking families, council taxes being revalued (bet they go up in the SE), faceless unelected bureaucrats in Brussels having more say over your future than the elected govenment of the day, nigh on no controls or monitoring of immigration, lousy climate.......

Perth: Sensible priced housing (and the possibility of buying a house not a shoebox), public transport that is clean and actually works, less violent crime, sensible cost of living (yes it's going up but not to the levels of the UK), a country which does actually have some control over who crosses it's borders and doesn't hand over it's elected powers to a third party, decent climate/chance to actually make the most of the outdoors for more than two weeks of the year........

I'm under no illusion that Australia is the land of milk and honey but feel a lot more optimistic about my future here than sitting in the dirty overcrowded UK rat race watching Blair leading everyone merrily into the third world.

tonyk38

England every time. Sorry....

peppi

A difficult one...Im in possition that i can be mortgage free here or in Perth,but have to say moving to perth frees up more money and we end up with a much bigger house. BUt thats not why Im going. Thoughts of my mates and all that i know have made think"am I doing the right thing" on occassion,but Im perth bound(once I can sell the millstone house). Im going to do something with my life and have a bit of an adventure,Im really up for the nicer climate and Im nearing 40 and fancy a change..Why the hell not i say...

Grayling

A typical Daily mail editorial

G

Amazulu

You ain't seen nothing yet. Wait till you get to Australia - The Ultimate Nanny State.

Jamiem

QUOTE:
"I'm under no illusion that Australia is the land of milk and honey but feel a lot more optimistic about my future here than sitting in the dirty overcrowded UK rat race watching Blair leading everyone merrily into the third world."
--

Everywhere is a rat race, -it's human nature. Although I am not a supporter of Blair or his friend George, I think it's a little extreme to say that he's leading us into the third world.

I still, to this day, find it impossible to understand how Iraq can be ripped to pieces with no real evidence of much at all, yet Zimbabwe, where people are and have been systematically murdered for years... we sit and we do nothing. WTF is that all about? Then again, there is no oil in Zimbabwe.

Sorry for the digression, but it came to mind.

Best regards,
Jamie

kevinbloomfield

Yep, agree with you Jamiem on that one
Anyway, mustn't let the thread digress too much

For me it is the weather, I hate the weather in the UK, I love it when it is sunny here but it just isn't often enough. I know I feel happier in the sun so my vote goes to Perth (though we are probably going to Queensland)

moneypenny20

It's a tricky one. In your position I think I would make a decision based on what you want for yourselves. The children are young and very adaptable. England is a beautiful island but parts are going to the dogs. Australia is also a beautiful island and there are certain parts I would not want to live in.

I need warmth and as soon as I feel cold, I feel ill but I wouldn't go to Perth cos I don't like it. Personal opinion nothing more.

You obviously do like it so why not give it a go. If you don't feel comfortable after a few years, come back.

The Noo-noo

Thanks for your replies so far everyone... keep them coming.

The Noo-noo

Staying in UK -
1. We love the area we live in with good schools right on our doorstep and don't really see any crime going on (although we know it is out there).
2. Everything is within walking distance.
3. So much selection in the shops re food, clothes, etc.
4. So much closer to the rest of the world for holidays, etc.
5. I hate the freezing cold weather.

Living in Perth -
1. We love warm weather (although think we will have to get used to the hot weather again)
2. We will probably have more capital to invest
3. We will probably have more babysitters as my parents have offered to have the kids for the weekend every other weekend.
4. Not sure on the schools/education system, is it better or worse than england?
5. Unsure of future prospects for the kids when they grow up.
6. Is there enough for young teenagers to do to keep them out of trouble (I'm thinking ahead now)
7. from reading this forum, crime seems to have worsened over the years in Perth.


These are just a few things that have been thinking about. I'm sure there are more that I just can't think of right now.

wombat42

Theres so many Poms in Perth , whats the difference, except warmer weather.

Flying Banana

I didn't base my view on the Daily Mail, I gave up reading papers in the UK a long time ago, not one of them produces a reasonably balanced unbiased view of the world. And if as I do you hate soccer you can instantly throw 2/3 of the newspaper away every morning.

My views were based on my experiences of living in SE England over the last few years in a supposedly 'nice' area. An hour's drive to and from work for an 8 mile journey, had a month without a car and had to pay £5 a day for a train which was frequently late or cancelled and no bikes allowed in rush hour so a 2 mile walk at the other end. Council tax up by ridiculous amounts whilst council services reduced every year.

My father was diagnosed by a 'specialist' as having asthma and ended up being told he was a hypochondriac by the doctor, he went to Germany to work shortly afterwards, collapsed and was found to have a tumour nearly 2" across on his lung. When he died there 6 other patiernts in the same hospice from the same 'specialist' all with similar diagnoses of asthma. My mother was taken into hospital with severe head pains and was unable to get a scan overnight as no doctors available till the morning, she died of a brain haemmorage just before the doctor rolled into work. Our 85 year old neighbour who had to sell their car to get a private hip replacement after being told he would have a 2 year wait on the NHS.

Another disabled neighbour made the mistake of asking a bunch of yoof to move thier scooters out of the disabled parking space at our local Tesco, he came out the shop just in time to see them put a brick through his windscreen. My car was broken into and vandalised 3 times in the last year and each time the police had to be threatened with the press to even comae and take a statement. I got mugged twice in the last year I was there simply because I was stupid enough to think it was OK to walk home from the pub on my own and then got told by police on both occasions 'what do you expect on your own at night'.

I can't remember the last time I saw a phone box or bus shelter in the SE without smashed glass.

I for one am a lot happier and feel a lot safer here, I enjoy my lifestyle, I like the country and people and wouldn't go back to the UK for any amount of money!

Amazulu

Australia has all of the social problems that the UK has, some worse, some better. Some people in the UK do not have any of the problems that you encountered. Some people have endless sh*t in Australia. Glad you're enjoying it out there.