How much AUD did you move back with?
 

Hello! With a recent epiphany that I can't live my life staying around my parents to keep them happy I have decided that yes I do miss England like crazy and we need to move back.

The reason I originally wanted to stay in Australia was that my husbands parents are both passed in the UK and I wanted my future children to have grandparents.

I miss England too much and I am the Australian one. My husband is happy either way but I know he misses England. I start University this year and so we are stuck in Australia for another three years. Which is ohkay as it gives us time to save for a house deposit. The houses I am looking at as a first home are all between 60-80k pounds. Is the deposit amount similar to Australia? It is a lot cheaper and eventually we can upgrade.

Anyway to my long winded point. How much money did you move back with? How much did you spend on shipping? We have a large dog (Great Dane X) and two cats. I just bought a new car this week and am hoping if I sell that in three years I can use that money towards shipping the pets.

Thanks!

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

To be honest, I am not sure it is worth worrying about how much other peole moved back with, it is also a bit too personal a question for me to want to answer.. My recommendation would be to focus on your own budget and your own means. To some of the more specific questions:

We moved back from Sydney last year, the container cost $8,000 plus insurance and moving three cats was about $5,000, I expect the dog would be the same again at least, probably more even as it goes off volume.

There is no fixed or typical house deposit size, most people put down as big a deposit as they can manage. You should expect an absolute minimum of 5% though, but that will still be quite limiting and best to try for more. Where are you seeing houses for £60-80k out of interest? That is significantly below the UK average of £185k.

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

When you say you are the Australian one I assume that means you aren't a dual citizen? Will you need a Spouse visa and are you aware of the requirements for it? (sorry if my assumption is wrong!)

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

NW England still has a lot of cheap houses. My husband is a northener so the south isn't for us. Of course they aren't amazing houses but they tick all the boxes as a first house.

I do know about the spouse visa. We did it for him to stay in Australia four years ago. It was over 100 pages. I am not stressed about the UK version other than the income requirements. It's still three years away so we can cross that bridge when we come to it.

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

Hi Cillah,

I've recently moved to the UK on a spouse visa (I'm Australian, husband British/Australian).

The all up cost to fly our 44kg golden retriever was $4,300. That included absolutely everything, including door to door transport both ends.

We decided not to take our furniture or household stuff, although I regret that a bit now. If you like good furniture (ie solid oak) it's not cheap over here - mind you it's not that cheap in Oz either but at least we already had a fair bit! We ended up just taking 24 tea chest size boxes, which we sent air freight for around $4,000.

You can certainly buy a terrace or similar in some areas of the North for the price you mention, the only thing I'd advise is if you're buying in an unfamiliar city/town/village, do lots of research on the neighbourhood. As you've both lived in the UK previously you probably don't need that piece of advice, but just in case!

Wishing you the best of luck.

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

Oh that isn't too bad for your dog! My dog is roughly 50kg so my rough estimate of 5k seems to be ohkay. I am giving myself 10k for all three animals. Picking up my new car today and I am already planning on what to do when I sell it. :lol: Who did you go through if you don't mind me asking?

Yeah! I think we will just take what we need. All of the small things and then what ever large furniture fits. :).

Yeah definitely! Having lived in the area prior I know most of the areas to avoid. Since my husband grew up there he knows all of them. I mention a place and he automatically tells me to avoid. I am happy to pay a little bit more for a nicer area. At the same time it is just a starting house until we are on our feet. :) Thanks for the advice though!

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

of course, but nothing posh & aside from 'would you really want to live there'? - doable, in some areas, a terraced in the £25k range, but would you want that?

Places likely that you may not choose to live in or stay away from. Is your OH from any of these?

Toxteth (East) Liverpool
Shaw Road, Oldham
Anfield, Liverpool
Collyhurst, Manchester
Kirkholt, Rochdale
Toxteth (West), Liverpool
Heyworth Street, Liverpool
Queens Road, Liverpool
South Shore, Blackpool
Cannon Park, Middlesbrough

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

Honestly we are looking mainly at the houses that are 80kish. I think 25k is a big sign that no one would want to live there!

I don't have to live in an amazing area. I don't in Australia although we are moving in July. As long as it is decent until we set up and can get better.

No he is not from any of those places. Though we definitely wouldn't move back to his home town anyway. Ashton-Under-Lyne haha. We rented there originally. D=

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

With respect, a UK Spouse Visa application is very different from an Australian one :)

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

Then its going to be somewhere posh, likely even a semi at £60 -£80k might be a tough go, likely a Terraced/row-house in that the price range.... just saying

Are you thinking Cheshire or somewhere else?

For your reference, discussed previously on BE

http://britishexpats.com/forum/movin...h-west-851915/

http://britishexpats.com/forum/movin...r-home-862027/

http://britishexpats.com/forum/movin...-we-go-840795/

BTW, in Ashton-Under-Lyne for £80k this is what you'll get

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-36494913.html

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Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

What is wrong with Ashton under Lyne? I am a northerner too and I know the area your husband comes from. If you would turn your nose up at that, then I am not sure why you think there are other places with £60-80k houses are much better. Actually I did a search yesterday on all houses in Greater Manchester in that range and they were not coming up in any more salubrious areas than AuL.

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

@ post #11, I added to my post #10 for houses in Ashon Under Lyne.

Ashton is a decent place to live, as is Burnley & other places in the GTR Manchester area.

There are places in Merseyside, the Wirral (Birkenhead), Morecambe, Halifax even Sheffield areas also - but getting that dream property bargain in the £60-£80k might be tough.

Good luck with your plans & search

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Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

Do you plan on returning with your husband already having found a job?

If not, you need to look at the rules regards non-EU spouses (there is a separate sub-forum for this).

There are some pretty substantial financial implications if you come back unemployed. Even if you have a job and not your husband, this will not be taken into account.

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

Right. I meant we've gone through the process before of a visa application so we know how to tick all of the boxes. I made sure it was perfect as I saw so many older people married for decades get rejected. The same will go the other way. I will go over so many checklists!

I am honestly fine with a terraced house for our first home so that would definitely be ohkay! Got to start at the bottom and move up. Though we lived in one previously and I had no issues with it.

I haven't chosen a place specifically yet as I still need to finish university here.

My husband spent 22 years of his life there so it's really his opinion I've adopted. He'd know better than me! There was a lot of crime when we lived there. I mean I moved back to Australia sadly in 2011 so it could have improved. I know the tramline extended into Aston but I also know so many of the shops have closed. I guess both his parents passing has also tarnished it.

At the end of the day if it was between Ashton and staying in Aus I'd choose Ashton make no mistake!


Thank you

It doesn't have to be a great property. Just something safe that gets us up on the property ladder. A little terraced is definitely what I expect!

Yeah. He will come back with a job. That will have to happen before we even apply. Though we have offers for jobs from family and friends. I'd rather find out own but it's good to know they have our back still. This was reiterated when my husband was there in October.

I can get a receptionist job through them but I'm hoping I can put my degree to use eventually. I know my wage doesn't count.

Definitely know the rules but as inconvenient as they are they aren't impossible! My other option which I am currently exploring is obtaining my French passport. It's seemingly complicated but will be worth it!

Re: How much AUD did you move back with?
 

Our pet travel company is a vet owned one in Perth, Pet Travel Specialists. The owner, Angus, is lovely and he did all the prep for Murphy (furry friend) at our home as Murph turns into a jellyfish when he's in a car. Angus had to drive a fair way for the 3 home visits and didn't charge any extra - that's the sort of service I like :) Of course, unless you're in Perth none of that is going to be of any use to you :lol:

Had to laugh when I read that you mention areas and your husband tells you that you're not going there.....that's exactly what my husband did.

Also some car similarities, we've been out looking today. We were going to try to get away with not having one, after having to drive everywhere in Oz it's so nice to have great public transport over here. But Murphy ruptured his cruciate ligament a few weeks ago, he's recovering well after surgery but trying to coordinate taxis and weekly vet appointments has made us realize we need our own wheels. As an aside, it's the second time he's had to have this surgery done, 2 years ago it was the other back leg. The difference in the price of the surgery between the two countries is significant - AU$4,000 vs GBP3,300. While we've found that some things are cheaper in the UK, anything to do with pets is more expensive - food, bedding, vet bills! Between the vet bills and the flights, it's just as well we love him - he's 10 years old and has been told that he has to live a few more years yet to pay us back :lol:

You'll do just fine. You obviously know what you're doing and are researching what you need to. There are a few 'sticky bits' that have confused some people in the UK spouse visa application - that's when you hop onto BE and ask, there's lots of knowledge and experience on here.

Best of luck and let us know how you're getting on :starsmile: