Hi everyone, thought it was about time to give you another update!!

We are still at my parents house but it's been ok. We are managing to save a bit of money so thats good.

We went to see two mortgage advisors re:buying and came away feeling really depressed! We were told that although the house prices have gone up the amounts the banks are lending haven't gone up. The most we could look at getting was around 4x hubbys salary.

Hubby has been offered a permanent job working with the royal mail, so we went to talk to the Halifax. We've had mortgages with them in the past. They were very helpful and we have a 'mortgage promise'.

We have been offered a tiny ammount compared to house prices and it will be a struggle to find anything decent in a decent area but we'll try. We were offered various different options but felt that it would be wiser (for us) for us to take their lowest offer and find a house in the lower price range. We felt going for the more expensive option would cripple us financially as I am still looking for work.

We may even have to look for something with only two bedrooms ( ) but with the option to extend in a few years? There are only three of us (at the moment!) so there will be room for now!!!? Although I'am not sure what we'll do with four sofas, two dining tables, four beds and two outside dining tables!!!:scared:

Our container arrives on or around 25th July and then it's another 14/21 days to get through customs. We won't have found anywhere to live in that time so it has to go into storage!!! It's costing £40 a week with a one of handling fee of £160 :scared:

I have an interview this coming Thursday and had an interview last Thursday so getting answers back from applications is much easier than when I was in Perth!!! There are plenty of jobs around and getting interview seems to be far easier. I've already had three interviews in three weeks, in Perth I had three interviews in 12 months!!!

Catching up with friends has been brilliant, everyone seems glad to see us and my family are so pleased to have us back. Shopping is like a treat, there is so much choice. The prices for clothes in places like George (asda) are brilliant and the quality is good.

The weathers a bit cold for summer but I'am really not bothered at all! We yet to put our daughter in school so can't compare that, we are waiting until we find a suitable area to live in before she starts school and it's the school holidays soon.

I have to be honest and say straight from my heart that I don't miss anything at all from OZ. I only wish there were the odd Kangeroo to spot every now and then. lol

I'm with you - I don't miss anything about Oz.

However, I think the Sydney cinemas are better than those in the Home Counties.

My wife wanted to see 'roos when she was in Oz, but we never got around to it! Still, she got to feed the brightly-coloured Lorikeets, when they arrived on the balcony...

Janey, I read somewhere the other day that a person who had come back to UK has managed to rent a garage from the council to store their stuff until they get a house. Might be worth getting in contact with your local council.

Keep out of the shops until sale days!!! Next's sale starts 24th July, I cant wait!!!

Weve not looked into how much mortgage we could get yet, are the lenders varying much on how much they will lend you & what rates?

Take care, Angelica

Hi Janeyray,

Really pleased to read that you are still happy to be back in the UK.
Australia isn't everyones cup of tea, as we all know from coming on expats.
We are still happy here, and things have been getting better all the time. We have just got our Mortgage for the 5 acres we bought out at Pinjarra $139,000 and last week we bought my Daughter a beautiful 14.2 Chestnut Gelding, Arab/Quarter horse. He's a real dream.
Have you been up to see your horse since getting back to the UK?

Good luck with the job interviews, and keep us posted on how things are going.

Whisky

Hellooo Jane

Glad you are still enjoying UK. House buying is a nightmare, isn't it! Make sure you get a gum tree to plant in the garden of your new house! (I'm not saying it will attract roos or possums tho!) Good luck withyour interviews, fingers crossed etc.

Has your littl'un started school again or is she waiting for the new school year in Sept?

I've been wearing my rose-tinted specs a lot lately.....thankfully Pants was able to talk some sense in me so I've put my rose glasses away - I'll stick with the grey-tinted ones I've been wearing this week in the UK

Take care
HP

Just for you Janey, an albino one from Australia Zoo.
Good luck with the house-hunting.

What about the Kangeroo?




jib

Lovely to hear from you Janeyray. It will all work out for you hunny. Good luck with the interviews...and for titch and her new school.

Will email you properly soon

P xx

Dear janeray
can i ask what made you come to Oz, how long you were hear, and why you returned, what do you think of the UK, and will you regret moving back to the UK

Hi Robertd,

We went to OZ because I was born in Sydney so I suppose we were always curious as what it would be like. We'd heard lots of stories about the briliant lifestyle and how cheap the housing was compared to the UK etc etc etc.

We went for 16 months to Perth. We chose Perth because my husband has a aunt out there and cousins so we thought it would make our move slightly easier. (how wrong we were about that!! lol)

We returned for varoius reasons varying from the fact I couldn't get work and especially couldn't get part time work around our daughter. We found the cost of living expensive living on one wage and found we were better off financially in the UK. My daughter and I were extreamly homesick and couldn't get over that enough for us to stay and settle in OZ permanently. We found it to hot and uncomfortable for a normal working life, ok to lounge around on the beach in but not to work in! We felt isolated and I became very lonely and I was very bored with the laid back lifestyle Perth had to offer us.

We love being back in the UK, it hasn't for one moment felt wrong. I have all my family and long term friends and I'am getting replies from job applications which was rare in OZ!

The weather in the UK has always been the same and always will be, I was raised here and no nothing different so I except that it's cold in winter and the summer isn't hot, this isn't important and I've learnt to except and appreciate what I had in the UK before we went to OZ.

It will be a struggle to start again, especailly buying a house but even if we could'nt afford to buy renting would be ok with us. I am glad to be back, we are glad to be back.

thanks, i know where you are coming from,you would not think Oz was part of the western world, due to all the barriers they put in front of you,with regards to work and business.People in the UK would not belive how hard it can be here, I hope we can make it out here as it is a loverly place to live. all the best Rob