Having used this site for information and advice from a few members (which is very appreciated)
We are in a funny situation now as we need to sell our house to help fund the move out there, but at the same time we read all the different stories about moving and living in Australia as really bad lately? Is it all about money and self? We had this idea of moving to Australia to better ourselves and give our children a better and healthier chance at life than here in the UK, is that so bad an idea?
But all we are reading of late is the notion of going there to start a fresh without quad zillions of dollars as a none starter, it's not that bad really, is it?
We are not looking for the massive house with pool and double car port, we have that here - minus the pool and the double car port (single garage)

We just want a reasonable standard of living with no real issues and hasstles that the UK of late brings with it, and yes we appreciate that money creates a life style, that worked here to, just depends how much extra anyone person/family desires surely.

It just looks to us reading from the UK that if you have no high paid job to go to with a bank account to full to worry about that a move to Australia is really beyond anyone and not really that viable an option

Or have we totally missread all the comments and got it oh so wrong, it's not that bad is it...is it?

No, it isn't that bad. Have a look at house prices in the areas you would be interested in. Living costs are a bit higher here, other than petrol and tvs, but not by so much that is is depressing. If you live somewhere like Sydney, and haven't come from somewhere like London I'm sure you would find it more expensive.

However, it isn't all THAT compared to the UK. There is still crime, rudeness and there is a total lack of customer services.
It might be a healthier place for your kids, but there are many kids here who are far less active. Seeing kids out on bikes or playing is very rare here. Apparently Oz now have a higher proportion of obese people than the USA. Junk food is very popular here, so not so suprising really.

Shops here are pretty crap, but you get used to it after a couple of years.

If you come over on a temp visa you would likely have school fees etc to pay to start with too.

Have you been to Oz before??? If you have and liked it, you will be fine.

You see this is why we like this site, replies so fast and so informative. At the same time puts things into perspective, we never thought of it like how you explained, no we have not been before wanted to do the honeymoon there, but no cash when we got married settled for Great Yarmouth
We live about five miles out of Birmingham, in a small place called oldbury, not that nice a place but it's where we was born and bred.

As for crime/litter and general every day happenings we are under no illusion that it does not go on there as well as anywhere else in the world
Thanks for reply P.B.

Hi ya we are from Oldbury way, we lived in Dudley before we came to oz in september 08. where abouts are you thinking of moving to, whereabouts are you from in oldbury

michelle

Some things are better, some things are worse. Which of those things is important to you will differ from what is important to someone else so the opinions you get on here tend to be very different. In the end, no one can tell you if you will like it or if its right for you no matter how much research or thinking about it you do.

theres only one way to know and thats to come over and do it yourself. After 4 years here I will be gladly going back to the UK next year and while its been a very very expensive and emotional few years at least I can look back and say I gave it a try and didnt spend my life wondering, what if.

The question is, do you want to play it safe and stay where you are or take a risk for something better for you. It might work out great, and does for many but it also is hellish for many others.

In terms of money alone, here I have less....my choice.

I live in a smaller house...my choice.

There are good things, there are bad...they just don't parallel the UK.

I've never felt better however. Give it a go.

Things that many see as rubbish, crap, out of date etc. are slowly beginning to improve.

Have you thought about moving elsewhere in UK perhaps?

What does your "better life" look like? Can you achieve that by a move closer to home? Moving to Australia is certainly a different lifestyle but as with all things it is a swings and roundabouts kind of game and you need to work out what you will lose by the move and balance it against what you might gain.

And personally I think in this climate if you arent moving TO something but are moving AWAY from something else then that is a huge gamble (no matter how far away from "home" you are moving). Life is all about opportunities and if you have an opportunity to move TO something then do it, otherwise be prepared to gamble and work out what you are prepared to lose.

Personally, we have been here nearly two years, and our mortgage is three times what it was in the UK. We moved from Bucks to Sydney so found that houses were still pricey, but we have our 4 bed with pool, though it needs renovating. For us, it was a good choice- daughter is thriving here and although OH works long hours, he is much happier than when in London.
Australia is a different country, with its own pros and cons: it is not England with sunshine, so as long as you remember that and don't continually compare things then, as they say "you'll be right".

Come with your eyes wide open and accept the difference in most areas of life and you can thrive. I do not think Australia is better in general just different, to me this is a good thing as it allows us as a family to experience many new things. In terms of money if your required to take a pay cut in order to secure employment in Oz simply decide if that level of income would sustain an acceptable lifestyle for your family in Oldbury. This will enable you to estimate the ability you have to enjoy life on that income in Oz. I feel costs here are fairly similar to the UK so a large wage cut will make life difficult to enjoy as you will be used of living to a certain standard. We have taken a fairly large cut and are finding things difficult as a result however we would also have problems living our desired lifestyle in the UK on my current income.

We are quite impulsive and see the whole thing as an adventure and something our kids can learn a great deal from. With all that said practicalities must be accounted for with the main one being having enough wonga to support said adventure.

Good luck

I never worried about money in the UK (on an average salary). Moving to Oz, I have really enjoyed the lifestyle and the weather etc..., but lay in bed at night worrying about bills and other expenses.

Talking to other migrants, it sounds like I'm on reasonable good money (around $65k), but financial pressure is certainly a lot higher here. We are trying to save up to buy a house, but can only afford to put away $50 a week, and we'll need about $25,000 for a deposit (plus costs) to buy a cheap 3 bed house in a run down area of Adelaide.

Overall I find the weather in Australia beats the UK hands down, but the cost of living is far higher here than back in the North-West of the UK (where we came from). Maybe we are getting out more (though we did have a 6 berth motorhome in the UK and took it out every few weeks), and that obviously costs when you are taking kids to festivals etc...

Regarding crime, there are many local migrants complaining of thefts, and have warned about 'fake' meter readers. There have even been break ins while people have been at home. Make sure you get good house insurance when you get here - something many seem to 'forget'.

A fair post I think there.

On a side note I don't know if your being ironic or not, but it would take you about 10 years to save your house deposit by which time the house prices would have climbed that much your deposit wouldn't be enough.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - It's Australia, not Narnia. You basically have all the same problems any western style democracy has - fat kids, fat people, crime, thoughtlessness, bad roads, bad public transport, rising house prices, rising energy costs, water shortages, expensive petrol, shite TV. So take all that as a given. What all the above leaves us is the gray areas in between and it's largely down to you as to how you use them.

For example, one of the posters above complains that they never see kids on bikes, well it's a very different story in my little town where there's always kids on bikes, kids walking dogs, kids on skateboards. Just goes to show how different things are from town to town, city to city. Other people complain about the public education system and send their kids to expensive private schools. The top performing school in this area (public or private) is the public school my son attends - but more important than league tables as far as I'm concerned is that he's happy there. Other people complain that the houses are expensive whereas we managed to swap a titchy detached bungalow with two bedrooms for a detached four bedder with dlug and pool. Not bragging about it, just pointing out that not every town in Oz is stupidly expensive.

So bottom line. Expect most aspects of life to be exactly as they are - bills need to be paid, laundry needs to be done, kids need to be taken to school, tax has to be paid. Then work in the margins - choose where you live veeeery carefully, consider public transport options where you are, get good advice on the schools. Once you have all that covered then you can go about the task of reinventing yourself, as many of us have done, in whatever way you want.

Bugger! I was really looking forward to meeting Aslan.

I was remarking to Mrs BB only yesterday how lovely it was to see all the kids around here cycling home from school, many aged only about 8 or so, some with 6 year old siblings in tow, and almost none with their parents - and we live in a city suburb. This particular incidence really is like "England used to be in the '60s" and I hope it never changes.

Yep. Choose your area very carefully based on somewhere that is good to LIVE, not somewhere that would be great for a 2 week holiday. The two do not normally equate.

Yep us too, 3 bed semi for 5 bed + study detached. Although the exchange rate was better when we came over so that helped enormously. Plus I built the house myself so saved a fortune.

Please stay in the UK if you think Home and Away is a documentary.

Yes. Today I think I will go by the name "James Bond".

BB

I don't think all the comments on BE are bad at the moment. I think there are plenty of positive ones and plenty of people very happy that they made the move. But I think us who have yet to make the move are more alert to the negative comments.

This is very unfortunate especially for me at the moment as I have a flight booked for Tuesday. I have decided that it would be in my best interests to avoid the "what do you hate about Australia thread" right now.

I hope I am being realistic in my expectations, I have spent long enough on BE to understand that we are not moving to Utopia. I have never really bought into the "better life" sentiments though. If I were moving from a third world country this might be true but I tend to see it as something different rather than better.

22 million people live here quite happily.