aston man

please let me know what you think of my situation...

we have been planning only to move to perth ever since we started this process nearly a year ago.
the main reason for perth is my wifes sister lives there and the second reason is that i am a bricklayer and there is an abundance of work for me there.
i have been away this week on my own and had time to think selfishly why i am moving to australia.
the bottom line is i want no mortgage and i want an easier life.i can have no mortgage here ,it would mean just moving to a smaller house..

so here's the million dollar question ,as i cannot afford to buy outright in perth,should i make the sacrifice and make everyone else happy and make myself unhappy.

i cannot blame my wife for wanting to be by her sister but i thought it was a new life in australia she wanted?

my wifes sister would help with the children and my wife would be able to go back to work part time and my children see her as a second mother?


but i am a bricklayer ,i am forty,ive worked hard all my life on site and doing houses up in my spare time and to be honest ,i feel burnt out.
its time for me to be taking it easy ,not buying a house in perth and working when i get home..before you know it i will of lost my looks

whats the answer?should i be selfish and look at moving to a cheaper part of the country.or buy here cash and have the easy life?or move to perth and work hard for a couple of years until i get established again?


thanks all for your time

aston

shears

Hiya Aston

Well that's a toughie. I think the most important thing is to go out somewhere for a quiet (though it might not stay quiet!) night with your Missus and tell her what you're thinking. You need to have a serious chat about this and work it out between you.

Why would you not be able to afford a house outright in Perth, if you could afford to do that where you are now? Could you not downsize over in Perth and not need to work? Bring a calculator with you when you go out!!

Australia_bound?

Go to Perth, make your Mrs happy, will make life easier.
You don't have to remain a hard working brickie to make ends meet, could look down other less physical types of job, that will cover the small mortgage and bills.
Your wife if she ends up unhappy, you may have no mortgage, but you'll have a high price to pay in other ways.
It's all about balance and perspective, I didn't want to move to Melbourne, (wanted somewhere near Newcastle) but as have family there and currently have young children then will need their support. Once kids are older we can look to other avenues!

chilli

your kids m8
think whats best for them..

you will be working just the same if you go or stay.. so!

big step tho m8, if your heart aint set on it..
good luck whatever you decide.

aston man

thanks for your help chaps,its nice to be able to ask .

i think my main reason for this question is my kids.as i said i am forty now and i have looked over my shoulder at what is important in my life and i want to stay on this planet wherever for as long as i can.

so its time for change,no more getting like a maniac in traffic because someone who takes life easy is stopping me getting to work and costing me a hand full of bricks..

so this is why i asked for you kind replies.yes perhaps a small loan is the answer and a cheaper house than the one we wanted.
i agree if you keep the wife and kids happy its half the battle.

its that bleedin oz show on a morning it turned my head a bit on what you get for your money in other parts of oz.i was determined not to watch it..

thanks for you help folks..

really grateful ..

aston

steve99

Definitely come to Perth, even though you'll still be working I really dont think you'll view it in the same way you do in the UK. Just being in this environment and the benefits that it brings will give you a whole different perspective on things. Work really does play second fiddle to life over here, I would think in your trade you could pretty much work to whatever degree you want in terms of hours/effort. Just find the balance that gives you the financial reward you need whilst still giving you the freetime you desire.
If I were you, Id set something up with the property renovations you mention. There's a lot of money to be made in that area over here, you can work as hard as you want, when you want...
Good luck with it.
Steve

TraceyW

I'm sorry Steve, I totally disagree with you there mate. Most of the people we know have to work just as hard, if not harder (due to crap wages) here to make ends meet. The cost of living (i.e, food shopping) see's off most of our money and leaves very little for going out and kicking our heels up. My OH earns a decent wage, the same as in the UK now and yet we seem to struggle so badly here. We don't smoke, we don't go out (apart from round to folks houses) we don't live the high life, yet we still find it hard to manage. Our mortgage is very small compared to some.

If you're lucky and earn a damn good wage and don't need to do overtime to supplement your income, that's great.

The tradies we know reckon that working in 35+ heat nearly kills them. They look forward to cooler days.

Yes, I know the beaches and the parks are free but after spending 2.5 years doing those, they kinda lose the wow factor.

The only difference on the work front, according to my OH, is he goes to work and comes home in sunny weather.

The usual saying applies: "same sh*t, shinier bucket"

kez81

I dont agree with you, i think my husband has had to work alot harder over here to make the money hopefully it wont always be like that but it is just now espically when your setting up on your own its good to take on as much work so you can build a good rep extra......

Nomore

I agree with this Ast...take note, for some of us yes it is a wonderful life here. But not everyone are as lucky. Different things can turn the situation from bad to worse, or better if your lucky.
Coming here is a gamble for anyone, unfortunatley i think you will have to come otherwise you will never know.
The wages can be terrible, which will put a strain on things straight away. House prices as you know are high, if your lucky to buy out-right then your laughing, but we came thinking we would be morgage free, not the case for us and my morgage is now bigger than what it was in the UK
As for the life-style, depends on what you like...i think you have done plenty of research and if the boot fits...go for it!

kez81

I agree with what you are saying, my friend was over here a few weeks ago on the flight over she was sitting beside someone just arriving and someone who had been here 2 years, anyway the newbie said he wanted to come over to slow down and take life easy the guy who had been here 2 years said it wont be like that you will have to work very hard to achieve that!! I thought good on him for saying how it really is too many make it out to be something its not maybe 10 years ago but not now, australia is catching up with the rest of the world and certainly isnt the cheap place it used to be!!

biggy

IMO the best thing to do would be to try and compare prices of housing, wages etc in different parts of Australia and then make up your mind. If you live somewhere other than Perth you may find that, you could have the house you want, a less stressful job and perhaps more FREE cash to spend on holidays etc as all you would need would be the airfare to go to visit sis.

I know it would be great for your wife and kids to be near her sister BUT IMO you have to think of your own family unit, try to make all of you happy. When it comes down to it your wife and sis would be in the same country instead of the other side of the world. It Ok people saying oh you need to keep your wife and kids happy, but IMO if my hubby is not happy at work we all suffer, I can adapt to things better and just get on with it(its a woman thing lol), but if he is miserable at work its HELL at home too. He has just changed job, with the same company and is as Happy as a Pig in shit...even the kids said...Oh its great to have Dad back!!!!!

Just my opinions mate

Best fo luck with whatever you chose....and should u need any info on my area giz a shout (CQld)

H

Wendy

Mate, get your backside over here and stop stressing.

steve99

Some interesting comments there in response to what i said. Maybe im just lucky and so are everyone else I seem to come into contact with...
Everytime I meet anyone in a traditional "Trade" they seem to have work coming out of there ears, dont have enough hours in the day to be able to truly capitalise on it, cant get decent people to help them grow and expand and all seem to be earning a fortune as it is.
Whenever I want someone to do say electrical work or plumbing etc, its a struggle to get them out within a week just to quote and some of them are people ive used 4 or 5 times, have passed them on to friends and family so have effectively given quite a lot of business to.
There's definitely not a shortage of work out here, and all the decent people seem to be in very high demand, earning what I would consider very good wages. I dont doubt they work hard and do long hours, but most seem to be doing this with a view to retiring before there 50.

TraceyW

You live in City Beach mate, say no more!!

Amazulu

Come to Perth. Life is seriously f**cking good here. I'm only a few years older than you and am looking to scale back over the next few years and be semi-retired before I am 50. I work hard at the moment (well, I do long hours not sure about working hard!) but that's going to change within a few years. I have no mortgage and my pension is 85% sorted. I doubt whether I could have achieved this in the UK. Anyone with the right skills and a bit of common sense can not fail to do well here at the moment.
Don't regret giving it a go.