Decision made.
 

We're going back to Australia. Scouse has given it his best shot but he's just not happy here, the only place he wants to be is Oz. I've loved being here from day 1 but I was happy in Perth too, and will be again.

What's made the decision easier for me is that there's been no pressure from scouse, if I don't want to go back he'll stay and I know the man well enough to know that there'd never be any recriminations. The deciding factor for me is one happy person/one unhappy person in the UK, two happy people in Perth. No contest.

Now 'all' we need to do is work out the finances :blink: There's no doubt we'll take a hit in our income, but we'll be ok. We need to work through the best way to maximise our income in Oz, as we've sunk the majority of our funds into property here in the UK. As the designated admin person of the two of us ;), I'll learn as much as I can on my own and then get some professional advice.

Life's a big adventure, isn't it? :thumbup::ohmy::lol:

Re: Decision made.
 

Yes, it certainly is an adventure. It's a big decision but it probably feels like a weight has been lifted now it's made.

Best of luck with selling your house and :fingerscrossed: for a buyer with loads of £.

Re: Decision made.
 

Thanks mate :heart: Yes, it's good to stop thinking and wondering, and start sorting things out.
I'll need to start making lists! Lots of lists!! :lol:

Re: Decision made.
 

I feel sad to hear your news but once you are both happy, that is all that matters. I suppose one bright spot in this is that you won’t have to through the stress of applying for any more visas to stay here! And, yes, life is an adventure and every move we make or step we take is part of our life experience. Do keep us updated and DONT leave the forum!!

Re: Decision made.
 

Thanks for the lovely thoughts Michali. No way the forum will get rid of me, I enjoy it too much! I'll just be posting from a different place :starsmile:

Re: Decision made.
 

I'm glad made you've made lots in your family happy! Walking thru those gates last week, we left a trail of upset immediate family behind, which was so hard to walk away from. Back home, I have quite a number of friends in a similar position with whom all we discuss is the concept of 'home' and where to make it; options sure make things more complicated these days. We made this decision for our kids but I also already wonder if we are setting them up for a life on not being sure quite where to make theirs. Can't worry about that -- but the thought does pop up every now and then. Relieved to hear you have a decision - and yes nothing better than a long list of tasks ahead to get sorted. All the best with things.

Re: Decision made.
 

Bonza! Good on yer both!

Not an easy decision I'm sure, but as you say "The deciding factor for me is one happy person/one unhappy person in the UK, two happy people in Perth. No contest."

Perth is cool - despite what some others are saying in the "Capital of Cool" thread. I know Melbourne best, quite like that place. Sydney I'm not too fond of, and Cairns appears full of intoxicated Japanese :p

Massive adventure, wishing you all the best with it. :thumbup:

Re: Decision made.
 

I wouldn’t worry about the children, prospect. Kids are remarkably resilient and will make their own decisions when the time comes as to where they will live. Our two lived in three different countries and are now settled in the UK....but who knows if they would move at some point?! Hope not because that is why we came back! Seriously though, giving children the opportunity to live in different countries with different cultures can only enhance their life experience. Enjoy your time!

Re: Decision made.
 

I'm glad you have the peace of having made a decision but sorry you have to go through the process/cost of moving again. Life really is an adventure, it doesn't matter how much we think we've got things planned out we still get curve balls like this, who'd have guessed Scouse would want to move back! I hope you will look back on your time together in the UK with fond memories as you enjoy living in Perth again. What sort of time scale are thinking till the move?

Re: Decision made.
 

Oh boy, do I feel for you re the upset family! Everything about moving from Australia to the UK was happy except for that. Not that my family weren't happy for me, they were, but seeing them try to hold back the tears at 'the last goodbye' and failing miserably is just so sad :(

You're doing a wonderful thing for your kids. Whether or not they decide to return to Australia or live elsewhere when they've grown up, the experience of living in another country can only be beneficial.

Thanks very much for your lovely post - I'll be keeping an eye on how things are going for you. In a nice way, not a stalking way of course! :lol: Cheers.

Re: Decision made.
 

Thanks NiHao, you wise and wonderful woman. Yes, never entered my head that Scouse would want to return to Oz! I count ourselves as very fortunate to have the choice though. It's been great for me to live in the UK, and as for Scouse, I think it's given him a fresh perspective of Australia. At least, I hope it has because if he wants to move back to the UK in a couple of years he can bloody well go on his own!

Definitely by the end of this year, sooner if at all possible. So much to do and sort out.

Re: Decision made.
 

Oh that bloody 'Capital of Cool' thread! Just as well that I don't pay much attention to all that malarky, I'd be as miserable as sin by now :lol:

Had to laugh at your take on Cairns, I've only visited briefly but any place full of intoxicated Japanese sounds quite fun:lol:

Thanks very much for the encouragement :thumbup:

Re: Decision made.
 

Spouse of scouse - I’m sure you are feeling a huge sense of relief now that the decision has been made to return to Australia. All the very best with your list-making! Thanks for your support as we make the move back to Scotland hopefully this summer - one TKR surgery down for my DH and one to go!!

Re: Decision made.
 

Thanks Caroline - yes, it's good to be able to focus instead of wondering! I'm spending a lot of time getting reacquainted with the property market back home, *hopefully* this will be our last move so I want to get it right.

How's your DH going? Is his surgeon optimistic that the surgery was successful, and is he (husband, not surgeon!) managing the exercising ok?

Summer - eeek, that'll come around quickly! Hope all's going well.

Re: Decision made.
 

Spouse of scouse - DH is doing well. Pretty intense recovery with the pain, swelling and PT. I’ve become a cheerleader and counter of the repetitions. I even join in with some of the exercises for moral support. He saw the surgeon today and next TKR scheduled for 14th March. If my DH waited too long I don’t think he’d want to go through this again!

Re: Decision made.
 

Sounds really painful, good idea for him to get the other one done asap before he chickens out! Glad he's doing well, it'll all be worth it once his recovery's complete and he can walk without pain again.

Re: Decision made.
 

House is sold, so that's one thing out the way. Next is to find some temporary accommodation, we didn't expect it to sell so quickly.

(don't mind me, I'm putting the 'milestones' on this thread so I can look back on it when I'm in my rocking chair in Australia)

:lol:

Re: Decision made.
 

When are you expecting to be back?

Re: Decision made.
 

Wow, that was a quick sale? Or have I lost it completely? :unsure:

Keep the milestones up.

Re: Decision made.
 

Congratulations and on to the next step!!

Re: Decision made.
 

Towards the end of this year :thumbup:

Re: Decision made.
 

No, you haven't lost it completely BB :lol:

It's been on the market for 4 weeks, we hadn't had any viewings until the Saturday just gone and they bought it. I say 'bought it', but of course here either the buyer or seller can pull out at any time before completion.

Re: Decision made.
 

Thanks Caroline!

Re: Decision made.
 

Rats, that means I'm back to the part time parallel universe thing again :eek:

So you got an offer on the first viewing? Great stuff.

Appreciate that it's not yet a done deal, but isn't there some degree of compensation payable if the prospective buyer pulls out? Or am I confusing that with Scottish law?

Aside - our place here went on the market last Thursday, we've had seven visits so far, with two more up for tomorrow.

Our agent says that of the seven, two were time-wasters, three a bit unsure, and two reasonably good potentials. These things take time here...

Re: Decision made.
 

Great news, one more British summer to experience :rofl: and then you'll be heading home. Exciting times:thumbup:

Re: Decision made.
 

Sort of the first viewing, they were booked to come at noon, then the agent rang again and said another couple wanted to come at 10.30.

No, there's no recourse if either the buyer or seller pulls out prior to exchange. So you can wait three months while the solicitors do their slow as a wet week thing, only to have to start all over again.

Took me a while to get my head around that, as in Oz once an offer's accepted you sign and that's that, both parties are legally committed. Although you can put conditions on the offer, such as 'subject to satisfactory termite inspection' (termites are a big problem there), or 'subject to at least 3 kangaroos being present in the garden at all times' (I made that one up).

Best of luck with selling yours! Are you staying in the area or moving on somewhere else?

Re: Decision made.
 

Thanks chuck! Two of my sisters booked trips from Oz ages ago to come and visit us, so am currently looking for short term furnished accommodation that'll hold us all comfortably. They're as scarce as hens teeth in Liverpool over summer, and the prices are eye-watering :cry_smile: Would you believe the cost for a rather scabby 2 bedroom 1 bathroom flat for 70 nights was £12,000?! :blink:

Re: Decision made.
 

Good grief, that is disgusting!

Oz seems similar in that respect to here and our next port of call. Here one signs an 'act of promise' and pays 10% deposit. Then one is locked in, various conditions/clauses can be added at this point and then the solicitors do their thing. Any flaws in the clauses will result in a re-think, but the buyer could in theory pull out for whatever reason, but must pay a huge amount of compensation.


Thanks.

We're leaving Switzerland, heading north to Belgium just short of the Dutch border. I put a couple of threads in the European forums giving background and milestones

Re: Decision made.
 

Spouse of scouse - rather than renting have you thought about Airbnb? That’s what we did for most of our 6 months in Europe last year. In St Andrews we were in a Victorian apartment for a month and it cost us $1,000. The price typically comes down significantly when you stay for a month.

Re: Decision made.
 

Ye gods and little boarlets! Other than Air BnB I don't know what to suggest. Do you need to be in Liverpool? Or could you look further out towards Warrington or further north/south. Avoid St.Helens unless you look at Eccleston, Windle or Rainford.

Re: Decision made.
 

Did you say why Scouse didn't settle down - I didn't see that part? Is it the weather? Congrats on the house sale. Oz is like US, once you have signed the contract it's yours, or you give up the earnest money.

Re: Decision made.
 

Sounds like there's quite a bit of protection against buyers who go west, which is good. I'll go and have a sticky beak at those threads, I like being a sticky beak :lol:

Re: Decision made.
 

Thanks Caroline, they actually are airbnb prices! To be fair though, most of the more reasonably priced accommodation has already been booked for the summer, leaving overpriced ones that are owned by businesses rather than an individual. I did find something evenually, a nice little house that will comfortably fit scouse, me, and my two sisters who are coming to visit :thumbsup:

Re: Decision made.
 

Ta VS - we ended up getting a nice house in Hunts Cross. Needed to be handy to Liverpool city via public transport, as one of the sisters who's coming over hasn't been before so will want to do the tourist thing.
Once again, I will be smiling benignly at a sister who's singing Ferry 'cross the Mersey, very loudly and probably off-key :lol:

Funny you should mention St Helens, I had an idea that it didn't have the best rep but mentioned it to scouse anyway - let's just say he wasn't too keen :lol:

Re: Decision made.
 

Thanks Mallory. No one reason really, the winters were part of it though.

Re: Decision made.
 

Five appointments over the next week with removal companies - they call the people who come out, look at your stuff and give you a quote 'surveyors'.

Also over the next week is a home survey commissioned by the buyers, and a home valuation by the buyers' mortgage provider.

And then Scouse and I are off to Porto for a week of R&R :thumbsup:

Re: Decision made.
 

We're in the same boat.

Just extended my wife's visa but she can't stand another moment. Also my 8 year old is not happy and missing his childhood years with his family in Uruguay. His cousins are like his siblings. They'll spend almost every day together in Uruguay along with his aunties and uncles.
Here his British cousins come to visit once a year. He even forgets their names!! No connection at all.
My son gets on skype every week with his family in Uruguay. Deep feelings there. (family, weather and culture all too different)

Tough choice and we're hoping to be gone by November.
Now got to plan to move (with a dog).

Let me know how you get on with removal companies. We're not sure if to rent a 20ft container, or sell a lot of things and take the remaining things in many suitcases paying the airline for extras.

good luck

Re: Decision made.
 

Sorry it hasn't worked out for you and your family. There's just no way of knowing until you actually do it, is there? I hope you're ok with the move personally, I know how hard you worked to get here.

We've booked our removal company (local one) and will have sole use of a 20' container. Totally different to when we came over, then it was about 20 removal boxes of personal stuff, household linen etc. But since we thought we'd be in the UK for the long term, when we got here we bought really nice furniture that would last so I'm buggered if I'm leaving all that behind! It would cost a fortune to replace it all, and with all this running around the world our finances have been somewhat depleted!

As long as you and your family are together and happy, anything else is just 'stuff'. Let me know how you're getting on, best of luck and thanks for your good wishes :thumbup:

Re: Decision made.
 

Thanks for the best wishes. Yes we had so many months of thinking about this and revisiting family in Uruguay.
Realising these childhood years for our son are more important than we had ever imagined. Being part of a big close caring family brought us to this decision.
If he was older then the case would most likely be different.

We can always go through the process again in the future. At the end of the day its only money and paperwork.
Time lost with your family can never be recovered.

Also I would say 8/10 days for my wife are bad. She needs that latin culture back with the late evenings, sun, warm days and lively culture. dull rainy days in England have just worn her down to nothing. The dinner at 6.30pm kids in bed by 7.30. everything has to be arranged in advance etc. Not saying its a bad thing but she has tried and just hates it.

Would you mind providing some more information about the 20ft container/company you are using? Do they do the packing for you as I imagine it needs to be packed a special way to go in container with all customs lists of items? Do they provide all the insurance etc?

Re: Decision made.
 

You've both done the right thing - you've given it a good go, it hasn't worked out, you've discussed it and come to a decision. Onwards and upwards now.

Re the removal. The first thing we did was organise three companies to come and give us quotes. Actually, I went to one of the website that allows you to call for quotes, and ended up being inundated with phone calls! I discounted the ones who quoted based solely on the little information I provided, and went with the ones who offered to come to the house. They call the home visits surveys, and they go from room to room and see what you want shipped. They calculate the size of the container needed based on the volume of the goods.

You can choose whether to do the packing yourself, or for the company to do it. We chose to let them do it all as we're not spring chickens. In their 'terms and conditions', most of the companies who quoted place limits on their liability for owner packed goods, as opposed to their crews doing it. They'll create a list for customs as they're packing.

The removal company included insurance against damage and loss for our stuff in their written quote. This insurance covers them packing/removing the goods from our home and transporting them. I'm having our stuff stored for a while in their storage facility, insurance for that is extra (about £30 per week).

Insurance for your container while being shipped is another extra, it's called Marine Insurance and most companies seem to have their preferred insurers (a business relationship, no doubt!). From my research it appears that the marine insurance I chose it pretty typical - 3 levels of cover to choose from - total loss of goods only (think container overboard) at a premium of 3% of your declared value of the goods, full cover but with an excess to pay and a few exclusions, premium 4% of the value of your goods, or full cover, no exclusions, no excess for 6% of the value.

Customs clearance is included in the quote, but if customs decided to open the container and levy any fees/fines as a result, Customs will bill you direct for that and you need to pay.

The quote included transportation of the goods from the port to my home in Oz, everything placed in the designated rooms and all packing materials removed.

Read the fine print of your contract with the removal company. I picked up a few things that they were happy to fix - eg the bloke who did our survey told us that they'd dismantle the furniture, but the contract's fine print said no furniture would be dismantled unless by written agreement.

I can't recommend the removal company I'm using until the move is completed - they might turn out to be a lemon!

Happy to answer any other questions if I can.