Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
Mar 1st 2023, 7:21 am
#31
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Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 419
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
So pleased that it's all coming together for you Pollyana.
Lots of useful information there for me, even though we will be leaving NZ (if we can ever sell our bloomin house).
The freedom thing really resonates with me, I feel trapped here.
Lots of useful information there for me, even though we will be leaving NZ (if we can ever sell our bloomin house).
The freedom thing really resonates with me, I feel trapped here.
Mar 1st 2023, 9:11 am
#32
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Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 26,323
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
Originally Posted by Pollyana
Contents insurance - to my amusement Saga were the cheapest, never thought I,d be using them, but here goes, I’m old now, I guess!!
Nearly there, freedom is so close I can almost touch it.........
Mar 1st 2023, 9:59 am
#33
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Joined: May 2007
Location: England
Posts: 4,120
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
Originally Posted by Pollyana
For anyone following on behind me on the trip home, some updates.
Shipping -Chess have so far been great, very helpful, excellent staff that did the uplift in Brisbane. 🤞🏻 just got to hope its as good the other end.
Seven Seas -airfreighting a bag with them, good customer service but their online system is a nightmare, needs much patience and a lot of wine.
Keys to the rental in Aus went back today & I’m in a motel for a few days. Bond cleaners were great, kerbside collection took most of the old furniture. The bins for the 7 units in my block took the rest 😂
Red Energy promise final bills by next week. I got the regular quarterly gas bill last week, and it has gone uo by a third, so anyone saying energy costs here aren’t rising, is deluded ( Aus forum last week, can’t remember who)
Successfully rented a flat whilst still in Australia, the agents did videos as well as the original photos so I could see everything, even videoed inside cupboards etc. I just have to confirm the inventory when I arrive next week, and they are aware of arrival date etc and that the inventory won’t be confirmed till then. Very helpful with confirming finances, and talking things through. Anyone going to the Brighton area, I can thoroughly recommend Sawyer & Co of Hove.
Finance-wise, money was moved with OFX to Lloyds, took 24 hours, just took one call to OFX to set it up, one to ANZ in Aus to confirm it was really me moving it, and all done.Much easier than expected.
Aussie phone contract converted to PAYG so I retain the number to finalise tax, banks etc,
UK phone needs a higher data contract but can’t fix that till I arrive.
Friendly local bed shop I remember from years ago are attempting to get basic furntiure delivered within a week, to lessen hotel time, and will assemble furniture for a small cash payment -that sort of thing is important as a singleton with arthritis.Excellent service, shout &recommendation for Brighton Bed Co Ltd
Tesco and Aamazon deliveries lined up,all the essentials within 2-3 days of arrival.I can literally sit in the hotel at Heathrow on Sunday and order everything currently in the shopping baskets from there, be set up pretty much 3 days later. Prime already in place, clubcard now active. Interested to see I can do Morrisons through Amazon, some prices are cheaper than Tesco, but not all, so I’ll use both.
Poll tax, very easy to sign up for online, same with TV licence (OMG the BBC with no VPN and buffering issues!!). Water is proving an issue but I think its their website, supply is there, they just can’t get the bill sent right 😄 No gas, for electric I am just going with EON who are there at present, can rethink later if necessary.
Contents insurance - to my amusement Saga were the cheapest, never thought I,d be using them, but here goes, I’m old now, I guess!!
Bus tickets already bought - Brighton, and probably other cities, now do mobile tickets, buy in advance & just activate when you need them, then show the ticket on your phone when boarding. I have a 3 month ticket, so cheap travel.
Football, taxis etc still to be investigated, next week 😱
Any questions, I will do my best to answer, either now or next week.
Nearly there, freedom is so close I can almost touch it.........
Shipping -Chess have so far been great, very helpful, excellent staff that did the uplift in Brisbane. 🤞🏻 just got to hope its as good the other end.
Seven Seas -airfreighting a bag with them, good customer service but their online system is a nightmare, needs much patience and a lot of wine.
Keys to the rental in Aus went back today & I’m in a motel for a few days. Bond cleaners were great, kerbside collection took most of the old furniture. The bins for the 7 units in my block took the rest 😂
Red Energy promise final bills by next week. I got the regular quarterly gas bill last week, and it has gone uo by a third, so anyone saying energy costs here aren’t rising, is deluded ( Aus forum last week, can’t remember who)
Successfully rented a flat whilst still in Australia, the agents did videos as well as the original photos so I could see everything, even videoed inside cupboards etc. I just have to confirm the inventory when I arrive next week, and they are aware of arrival date etc and that the inventory won’t be confirmed till then. Very helpful with confirming finances, and talking things through. Anyone going to the Brighton area, I can thoroughly recommend Sawyer & Co of Hove.
Finance-wise, money was moved with OFX to Lloyds, took 24 hours, just took one call to OFX to set it up, one to ANZ in Aus to confirm it was really me moving it, and all done.Much easier than expected.
Aussie phone contract converted to PAYG so I retain the number to finalise tax, banks etc,
UK phone needs a higher data contract but can’t fix that till I arrive.
Friendly local bed shop I remember from years ago are attempting to get basic furntiure delivered within a week, to lessen hotel time, and will assemble furniture for a small cash payment -that sort of thing is important as a singleton with arthritis.Excellent service, shout &recommendation for Brighton Bed Co Ltd
Tesco and Aamazon deliveries lined up,all the essentials within 2-3 days of arrival.I can literally sit in the hotel at Heathrow on Sunday and order everything currently in the shopping baskets from there, be set up pretty much 3 days later. Prime already in place, clubcard now active. Interested to see I can do Morrisons through Amazon, some prices are cheaper than Tesco, but not all, so I’ll use both.
Poll tax, very easy to sign up for online, same with TV licence (OMG the BBC with no VPN and buffering issues!!). Water is proving an issue but I think its their website, supply is there, they just can’t get the bill sent right 😄 No gas, for electric I am just going with EON who are there at present, can rethink later if necessary.
Contents insurance - to my amusement Saga were the cheapest, never thought I,d be using them, but here goes, I’m old now, I guess!!
Bus tickets already bought - Brighton, and probably other cities, now do mobile tickets, buy in advance & just activate when you need them, then show the ticket on your phone when boarding. I have a 3 month ticket, so cheap travel.
Football, taxis etc still to be investigated, next week 😱
Any questions, I will do my best to answer, either now or next week.
Nearly there, freedom is so close I can almost touch it.........
Mar 2nd 2023, 2:06 am
#35
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Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,597
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
Thanks for the good wishes, you lovely people 
I'll update further from the better side of the world!
I'll update further from the better side of the world!
Mar 2nd 2023, 1:04 pm
#36
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 385
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
You're clearly very well organised.
You've done really well to get so much sorted out before arrival. In particular, renting a flat given the current supply / demand imbalance (it's difficult enough to rent somewhere in-country, let alone from a different country / time zone). It will be so much nicer and less stressful having a flat waiting for you than to arrive in an Airbnb and have to start looking for a permanent home.
For TV, in addition to BBC iPlayer, open accounts with ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - there's lots of films and shows to watch via your TV or laptop.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
http://www.itv.com
http://www.channel4.com
http://www.channel5.com
Furniture shops generally quote +/- 3 months for the delivery of sofas and chairs - an option is to buy something cheap from a charity shop and donate it back again later.
Consider getting a railcard if you expect to use trains a reasonable amount. TrainPal currently has a 33% discount on 1 or 3 year railcards, which give a 30% discount on most train fares (tends to exclude peak period trains). There are a variety of railcards, depending on your situation.
https://www.mytrainpal.com/railcard-guide
The water company will probably write to you as the new occupier of the flat as the previous tenant will have advised them they are moving out and no longer responsible for the bill. Don't worry if it takes a couple of weeks to sort this out. One thing to watch for with water and electricity is that they will estimate your usage and set the direct debit amount accordingly, and may (will?) over estimate. Utility companies are holding £ billions of customers' money through over payments via direct debits, and must be making a mint on this free financing. Be sure to let them know you are living alone, and keep an eye on the actual vs. estimated usage.
Football - if you want to attend Brighton's matches, getting tickets will be difficult. If you want a season ticket for next season, apply early and be prepared to move quickly - Brighton are flying high and all are sold out but some may become available. An option is to follow the Women's team, where tickets are more readily available.
You've done really well to get so much sorted out before arrival. In particular, renting a flat given the current supply / demand imbalance (it's difficult enough to rent somewhere in-country, let alone from a different country / time zone). It will be so much nicer and less stressful having a flat waiting for you than to arrive in an Airbnb and have to start looking for a permanent home.
For TV, in addition to BBC iPlayer, open accounts with ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - there's lots of films and shows to watch via your TV or laptop.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
http://www.itv.com
http://www.channel4.com
http://www.channel5.com
Furniture shops generally quote +/- 3 months for the delivery of sofas and chairs - an option is to buy something cheap from a charity shop and donate it back again later.
Consider getting a railcard if you expect to use trains a reasonable amount. TrainPal currently has a 33% discount on 1 or 3 year railcards, which give a 30% discount on most train fares (tends to exclude peak period trains). There are a variety of railcards, depending on your situation.
https://www.mytrainpal.com/railcard-guide
The water company will probably write to you as the new occupier of the flat as the previous tenant will have advised them they are moving out and no longer responsible for the bill. Don't worry if it takes a couple of weeks to sort this out. One thing to watch for with water and electricity is that they will estimate your usage and set the direct debit amount accordingly, and may (will?) over estimate. Utility companies are holding £ billions of customers' money through over payments via direct debits, and must be making a mint on this free financing. Be sure to let them know you are living alone, and keep an eye on the actual vs. estimated usage.
Football - if you want to attend Brighton's matches, getting tickets will be difficult. If you want a season ticket for next season, apply early and be prepared to move quickly - Brighton are flying high and all are sold out but some may become available. An option is to follow the Women's team, where tickets are more readily available.
Mar 2nd 2023, 1:43 pm
#37
Home and Happy
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,597
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
Originally Posted by tdrinker
You're clearly very well organised.
You've done really well to get so much sorted out before arrival. In particular, renting a flat given the current supply / demand imbalance (it's difficult enough to rent somewhere in-country, let alone from a different country / time zone). It will be so much nicer and less stressful having a flat waiting for you than to arrive in an Airbnb and have to start looking for a permanent home.
For TV, in addition to BBC iPlayer, open accounts with ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - there's lots of films and shows to watch via your TV or laptop.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
http://www.itv.com
http://www.channel4.com
http://www.channel5.com
You've done really well to get so much sorted out before arrival. In particular, renting a flat given the current supply / demand imbalance (it's difficult enough to rent somewhere in-country, let alone from a different country / time zone). It will be so much nicer and less stressful having a flat waiting for you than to arrive in an Airbnb and have to start looking for a permanent home.
For TV, in addition to BBC iPlayer, open accounts with ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - there's lots of films and shows to watch via your TV or laptop.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
http://www.itv.com
http://www.channel4.com
http://www.channel5.com
Originally Posted by tdrinker
Furniture shops generally quote +/- 3 months for the delivery of sofas and chairs - an option is to buy something cheap from a charity shop and donate it back again later.
Originally Posted by tdrinker
Consider getting a railcard if you expect to use trains a reasonable amount. TrainPal currently has a 33% discount on 1 or 3 year railcards, which give a 30% discount on most train fares (tends to exclude peak period trains). There are a variety of railcards, depending on your situation.
https://www.mytrainpal.com/railcard-guide
https://www.mytrainpal.com/railcard-guide
Originally Posted by tdrinker
The water company will probably write to you as the new occupier of the flat as the previous tenant will have advised them they are moving out and no longer responsible for the bill. Don't worry if it takes a couple of weeks to sort this out. One thing to watch for with water and electricity is that they will estimate your usage and set the direct debit amount accordingly, and may (will?) over estimate. Utility companies are holding £ billions of customers' money through over payments via direct debits, and must be making a mint on this free financing. Be sure to let them know you are living alone, and keep an eye on the actual vs. estimated usage.
I'll wait till I'm there in case it a VPN/Geocode issue, and then ring them
Originally Posted by tdrinker
Football - if you want to attend Brighton's matches, getting tickets will be difficult. If you want a season ticket for next season, apply early and be prepared to move quickly - Brighton are flying high and all are sold out but some may become available. An option is to follow the Women's team, where tickets are more readily available.
Thanks for all the handy hints!
Mar 2nd 2023, 5:17 pm
#39
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 385
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
You might be eligible for a coachcard, which appears to work in a similar way to a railcard:
https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/offers/coachcards
Match of the Day (BBC) isn't bad for the football highlights, especially if you've avoided the results. Watching it on iPlayer on Sunday is good as you can fast forward through the waffle if you don't want to listen to Gary Lineker. ITV has a similar highlights programme for the Championship. It's a shame the Premier League don't stream matches themselves, or at least sell rights to a single company. Splitting the rights into multiple packages and selling them to different streaming services puts money before the fans, but what's new? Talksport and/or BBC Radio 5 might be worth a listen.
https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/offers/coachcards
Match of the Day (BBC) isn't bad for the football highlights, especially if you've avoided the results. Watching it on iPlayer on Sunday is good as you can fast forward through the waffle if you don't want to listen to Gary Lineker. ITV has a similar highlights programme for the Championship. It's a shame the Premier League don't stream matches themselves, or at least sell rights to a single company. Splitting the rights into multiple packages and selling them to different streaming services puts money before the fans, but what's new? Talksport and/or BBC Radio 5 might be worth a listen.
Mar 2nd 2023, 7:26 pm
#40
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 26,323
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
Originally Posted by tdrinker
You're clearly very well organised.
You've done really well to get so much sorted out before arrival. In particular, renting a flat given the current supply / demand imbalance (it's difficult enough to rent somewhere in-country, let alone from a different country / time zone). It will be so much nicer and less stressful having a flat waiting for you than to arrive in an Airbnb and have to start looking for a permanent home.
For TV, in addition to BBC iPlayer, open accounts with ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - there's lots of films and shows to watch via your TV or laptop.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
http://www.itv.com
http://www.channel4.com
http://www.channel5.com
Furniture shops generally quote +/- 3 months for the delivery of sofas and chairs - an option is to buy something cheap from a charity shop and donate it back again later.
.
You've done really well to get so much sorted out before arrival. In particular, renting a flat given the current supply / demand imbalance (it's difficult enough to rent somewhere in-country, let alone from a different country / time zone). It will be so much nicer and less stressful having a flat waiting for you than to arrive in an Airbnb and have to start looking for a permanent home.
For TV, in addition to BBC iPlayer, open accounts with ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - there's lots of films and shows to watch via your TV or laptop.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
http://www.itv.com
http://www.channel4.com
http://www.channel5.com
Furniture shops generally quote +/- 3 months for the delivery of sofas and chairs - an option is to buy something cheap from a charity shop and donate it back again later.
.
Mar 3rd 2023, 12:46 am
#41
Home and Happy
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,597
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
Originally Posted by tdrinker
You might be eligible for a coachcard, which appears to work in a similar way to a railcard:
https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/offers/coachcards
Match of the Day (BBC) isn't bad for the football highlights, especially if you've avoided the results. Watching it on iPlayer on Sunday is good as you can fast forward through the waffle if you don't want to listen to Gary Lineker. ITV has a similar highlights programme for the Championship. It's a shame the Premier League don't stream matches themselves, or at least sell rights to a single company. Splitting the rights into multiple packages and selling them to different streaming services puts money before the fans, but what's new? Talksport and/or BBC Radio 5 might be worth a listen.
https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/offers/coachcards
Match of the Day (BBC) isn't bad for the football highlights, especially if you've avoided the results. Watching it on iPlayer on Sunday is good as you can fast forward through the waffle if you don't want to listen to Gary Lineker. ITV has a similar highlights programme for the Championship. It's a shame the Premier League don't stream matches themselves, or at least sell rights to a single company. Splitting the rights into multiple packages and selling them to different streaming services puts money before the fans, but what's new? Talksport and/or BBC Radio 5 might be worth a listen.
Been watching MOTD on VPN'd iplayer on my laptop for many years, it'll be great to watch it properly!! One of the few things I will miss from here is Optus Sport - all EPL games shown live!
Originally Posted by mikelincs
ITV is now ITVx which is OK and o Freeview, BUT not available on ALL TVs. I have a smart TV, Blaupunkt, and cant get it on that. I would suggest getting a 'smart' TV as there is more choice of platforms.
Mar 4th 2023, 5:51 am
#42
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 292
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
Originally Posted by Pollyana
Sadly still too young (though not by much) for the coachcard, but its a thought for the future.
Been watching MOTD on VPN'd iplayer on my laptop for many years, it'll be great to watch it properly!! One of the few things I will miss from here is Optus Sport - all EPL games shown live!
Ah ok, I had heard of ITVX but thought it was an iplayer type of add-on. I'll have to do a bit of research before investing in a TV
Been watching MOTD on VPN'd iplayer on my laptop for many years, it'll be great to watch it properly!! One of the few things I will miss from here is Optus Sport - all EPL games shown live!
Ah ok, I had heard of ITVX but thought it was an iplayer type of add-on. I'll have to do a bit of research before investing in a TV
I stream all the games on my phone and mirror the Tv.
Free and watch every game.
If you pay you need to have subscription for sky sports, bt sports, Amazon prime and you still can’t watch 3pm game on Saturday with the stupid boar war viewing rules.
Mar 5th 2023, 8:03 am
#44
Home and Happy
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Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,597
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
Originally Posted by tdrinker
Same with cricket - last week's England matches vs. New Zealand were on BT Sport, this week vs. Bangladesh they're on Sky Sports.
Mar 5th 2023, 10:16 am
#45
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 385
Re: Moving back Australia-UK - any hints?
I dip in and out of subscriptions depending on what's on. I don't watch that much, e.g. I didn't watch yesterday's Man. City vs. Newcastle match despite having a subscription. BT Sport + Sky Sports (via Now) + Amazon = approx. £80 monthly / £1,000 year, but can be dropped and re-started at will, so costs less over a year if doing this. Annual subscriptions are cheaper, although I've never worked out how much (just had a look, BT's "annual" subscription is 2 years). I should probably go this route even accepting my limited viewing, although I don't like some details of the deals - Now (Sky) providing a lower quality stream with adverts and charging an extra £6 / month to "upgrade" to standard quality, BT's inflation + 3.9% annual price increase. Stuff like this makes me less sympathetic to them when people by-pass subscriptions, although I don't do this myself. The police are currently trying to clamp down, e.g. shut down IPTV, but I expect it'll be an on-going issue.
