oldsouthwales

So, after 21 months we have finally decided to head back to the UK.
The main reason is that my wife misses her family too much but the other factor is that we can't afford the property we'd like in the area we live. We love Sydney and all it has to offer but find it difficult to adopt the Aussie way of life when renting a 2 bedroom apartment with limited outside space.
What we did wrong?
Perhaps choosing to live so close to Sydney (Erskineville) wasn't a wise move as it priced us out of the property market somewhat but being able to get to and from work in 15 minutes meant that I could do things with the family before our boys (ages 3 and 5) went to bed, making the most of the good weather, swimming pool and playgrounds available. Plus, there is always something to do on the weekend when living so close to a big city.
Will things improve when both boys are in school?
Perhaps. My wife may find life a little easier when both our boys are in school and may even be able to get a job herself but we're still not sure if a second income would get us the type of house that we could settle in.
Why not move further out of Sydney?
It took us a while to build up some good friendships and become familiar with what is around us and to consider moving further from everything that Sydney has available (the beaches, shopping and festivals) along with uprooting our son from his school just in case we can settle somewhere else just isn't worth the risk. Sure, children are resilient but the underlying factor of missing our family wont change.
Concerns about going back?
We spent all the proceeds from our property in the UK when relocating and are concerned about being able to get a mortgage when we get back - sure we can live with family for a short time but how easy is it going to be without a deposit second time around. Hopefully I can secure gainful employment pretty quickly, I work in IT as a network engineer and have quite a secure job here in Sydney but what's the market like back in the UK?
So what's the next step?
My wifes parents arrive in 2 weeks and we'll enjoy having them in Sydney for 7 weeks. My wifes college course runs until the beginning of August so we'll look to move back once it's completed.
We will have been here 2 years June so do we apply for citizenship? Not sure, who knows what the future holds and it's better to have options than not. How will we feel in 5, 10, 15 years?
Anyway, that's where we are at.
The Morgan Family - Wanted Down Under, Series 1 Episode 20

cricket1again

Being realistic, it won't be easy to get a mortgage when you return because unless you've kept a UK address active, you won't have a credit rating.
If you don't have a deposit, this will make it even harder to get a mortgage.

Without a credit rating, rental agents will probably want 6 months rent upfront plus bond so you would be looking at staying with relatives for some time.
I don't know about the job situation but obviously if you have to stay with family, then I imagine it limits your job options insofar as how far you can travel or apply for jobs.

In my honest opinion, I would say you need to put your financial options first because you can't do much without money or a credit score to obtain money so this perhaps needs to be your priority. Could you in all reality, live with family for 6 months?

If you could plan ahead however, it might be easier and more realistic. Ask your family to put you on the electoral register so that you have a presence in the UK. Then get them to take out a credit card in your name as a secondary holder. Order goods online and have them sent to your families address and pay by credit card, etc, etc. This will start to build up your credit scoring and assist you in getting loans and a mortgage.

However, it does take time so you might need to think about your options all over again. You may even need to compromise on moving further away from Sydney and just preserving your funds for the time being.
Hope this helps.

aasmith1957

just been reading cricket 1 reply,how would they be able to register in england for electoral role without being in the country?as far as iam aware it must be done in person.if they havent been away from uk for more than 15 years they can do it online.i rang up electoral register in morayshire (scotland) last week about this.we cant do it until we arrive as we have been away almost 18 years.:curse:hope this helps

oldsouthwales

Thanks for the responses thus far. I hope my credit scoring is still in tact as I have kept a bank account as well as a credit card open and active, registered at my in-laws address in the UK. A UK credit card was handy for birthdays/xmas presents and looks like it may have even served another purpose.
So fingers crossed!!!

cricket1again

If you've kept a UK credit card at a registered UK address, you should be OK. You can check your credit rating with a company like Experian.

I'm in contact with a UK mortgage adviser who seems very good. I can give you his email address if you'd like to get more advice. Not sure about having to be in the country to register on the electoral roll, I honestly don't know.