We fly a week on Saturday to Perth and doubts creep in all the time. Im sure these feelings are normal for us all, i hope? I try to remain positive, we are doing this because we have always wanted to. Before we get too old we have decided that we have only one life and we must live that life according to ourselves. We have lots of negativity from family etc. I expect thats normal too? I agree with you in that quality of life is more important than other things. Having lived a materialistic life for the last few years our whole lives have done a u-turn. Problems over the last 12 months have opened our eyes and made us pursue our dream. Not for everyone i know but just our experience. Sending positive thoughts to all who are feeling like this.

A little off topic maybe but to all the people who are selling their houses - one bit of advice I got which worked for us was to do the viewings ourselves. People buy people alot of the time and you are best placed to give prospective buyers an idea of what it could be like to live there. For example, I was told to pick my favourite area of the house and tell people about a good experience there.

Mine was the patio at the end of the garden which overlooked fields at the back. Not a big fancy patio but when I was showing people round I just showed them up there and said 'this is a really nice spot for watching the sunset with a glass of wine or where we have our bbqs'. Give them an experience rather than just showing them round.

I was also told to show them the best rooms first and last so they get a good first impression and leave with a good impression too.

There's all the usual about tidying up, clutter and coffee smells but these worked for us - came from someone who uses this kind of technique for training businesses.

Everyone who has said to have a break is right, also take each stage as a separate stage, so focus on selling the house, then think about the next bit. Like Chandler on his wedding day for any Friends fans out there! We got married in the time between getting the visa and coming out here, mainly I reckon so we had something else to worry about

Good luck to everyone coming over anyway, I personally reckon the adventure is well worth it.

Hi, how is the new house hunting, going.

Finally got one! Won't be too far from you either - Craigburn Farm up near Blackwood. We'll have to get you up for drinks when we get in which might not be far off now (long story), I'll PM you

We fly in 8 weeks and still have the house to sell . We are going to have to leave it here thou on the market and hope it goes as anyone else had to do this?

Mick, using reverse psychology, if you think you've lost the desire to go, someone will come along this weekend and buy your house and you'll find the lost spark (don't hold me to it though). It's crap having your lives resting in the hands of a stranger but you got through the visa headache, this one will come good too.

Try and forget about everything for a few days. Helps a lot.

Know what you mean....having trouble with kelseys meds..shes 14 and we have to go AGAIN to the bloody hospital to have another urine test.

Totally had enough now.

Nickie

Why not rent out the house in the UK to pay the mortgage and rent a place in Oz? This gives you the chance to really see which areas you like and don't like and you start to enjoy life down under quicker than waiting around in the UK for the place to sell. TBH the F/ex rate at the moment would put me off transferring large sums of money over!!

You can do this Mick. Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Keep telling yourself you are escaping the UK because it's crap. It doesn't matter what or where you are going to; it's the UK you are escaping and it's the push of a shitty life, not the pull of a better one that you are doing this for. You can do all your 'comparing' once you get here.

Who cares that the chocolate is like milky, sugary lard? Who cares that there is no pub-culture? Who cares that the whole city of Perth shuts once you leave work and doesn't open again until you're back in work again on Monday? Who cares that the natives are really from Stepford? Come on over and tell them all how things are done that little bit better in the Mother country. They'll love you for it.

wow, this is exactly what we're having to do too so i know how you feel!! our flat's been on the market since october and we've had hardly any interest so far since xmas so we're biting the bullet and going anyway. switching our mortgage to interest only and keeping it empty for a few months to see if it will sell, hopefully the onset of spring will tempt more buyers out of hibernation! if not will have to rent it but this is a last resort for us so fingers crossed!

also flying out in eight weeks, the fact that we've just said ok let's go anyway has suddenly changed my whole mood and now can look forward and actually get excited rather than it all being such hard work!

good luck with the house, you're not alone and now i feel much better knowing i'm not alone too, i think most people around me think we're crazy!

Hi ]
Nowt about selling proprty but I did my last shift last night after 33 years in the same firm ( same firm differnt names) . FReel scared last time I had to apply for a job I had hair lol Its hard being A 16 YEAR OLD TO A 49 YEAR OLD
Be ststrange getting interviewed by a kid

Old bugga in limbo

Malc

sort of know how you feel. There were times when we thought 'is it worth all this hassle' and hey..i have an aus passport (grew up here) the kids all have passports, only had to get the spouse visa for wife which was quite painless, but the logistics of selling everything to move the whole family and then having to start from scratch..bit of a nightmare..but nothing compared to what some of you have to go through down the visa route. But...woke up this morning..walked 500yds to the beach which was like a millpond, spent half hour in the water just wondering what i would be doing right now in the UK..Yes..it was worth the hassle.

Mick,

we got our visa in Sept 2005, but for a number of reasons weren't able to make the move until Nov 2007.

We've now been here in Perth three months and it has all been worth it. It's great here.

(We should have proper internet access again in two or three weeks and I'll do proper update then.)

Just hang in there!

Gina

mick.perth will be the winner if it gets you...dont give in mate...

trust me ,a better life waits here for you...

Thanks Gina n Ast

Sure all will be good, house is now up for rent but still nothing, it seems like the market is flooded at the moment and people coming on now seem to have lowered prices.

Missus doesnt want to drop our price as she thinks it looks desperate, so caught between a rock and a hard place. We already dropped by 35K after it was on for 2 months.

Hopefully someone will rent it from us, fingers crossed. It sounds like both you guys ahve settled well, Ast I know you have, what about you Gina?

Seeya Mick