flashman

I have been researching the possibility of returning to the UK on my retirement and came up with the following,

A house on the street where I lived is for sale at 90,000 GBP. This is for a two up two down terraced house with no front yard or parking. It is in a small town in the north where I understand the average wage is 300 GBP/wk (15,000/yr).

Paying six time the average annual wage for a hole in the wall doesn't sound like such good idea to me.

Is this a valid indicator of the quality of life?

Polyphemus

Sadly an absolute bargain!

Av salary in UK 22k
Av house price 155k

So closer to 7x salary at present.

chance to be

if you are going back to retire, is the average wage important to your quality of life? I would thought the average wage was higher.....s'pose it depends on the type of job you want to do (if you need to work) when you return.

jad n rich

Av wage in OZ is around $50,000 ave house price in melb bris perth etc is around the $350,000 its just the same thing.

flashman

I was using the average wage to see how it compared with my retirement income just to get an idea of my lifestyle.

flashman

But what do you get for your $350K? It must be more than a 2 bedroom terraced with no yard or driveway.

eliscolin

Exactly, you have hit the nail smack on the head. I currently live in the Southampton area and a small 3 bedroomed terraced house costs on average of £150000. Occasionally properties appear that are around £135000 but they require a considerable amount of renovation.

A friend recently sold a one bedroomed flat in Winchester for £160000 and one could not seriously swing a cat in this place it was so small....fair enough it is Winchester but I think it still speaks volumns. Up North one can still buy cheaper places but that gap is also closing.

The other consideration especially for those retiring is the general cost of living and I am not talking about one off purchases of electronic items such as TV/ PC's/ furniture which are generally very competitive over here.....it is monthly services such as gas, council tax, electricity, public transport...going up all the time....petrol at the moment dropped back to 85p per litre after a peak of 96p.

This might not dent the wallets of the *High Flyers* but for people on national average incomes/ pensioners it has is an added extra burden one will have to consider.

merlotsmum

I have to say 18 months in from living in Australia in spacious homes, back to Blighty living in a 2 up and 2 down we are still finding it claustrophobic, there is only me & other half plus cat We have minimal possessions but bugger all space.

Geordie George

The house that Mr GG and I rent was originally up for sale at just over $550,000. It's a one bedroom place, with no parking whatsoever and the tiniest back (no front) yard you've ever seen. So less space for an extra $200,000. That's the premium for its location.

CalgaryBlade

IMHO (lived in the UK, now live in Canada), yes it is.

You could wait a year or so, chances are they will be cheaper by then.

Vash the Stampede

It most certainly is.

Try clicking here.

Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, Paved courtyard with barbecue, verandah, rose garden, two carports, family room, formal dining room, casual meals room, pot belly stove, etc. for $375,000 (£158,367.) Only 16 km (10 miles) from the city centre - as the crow flies.

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There is no way in the world that you would get anything approaching this level of quality and comfort in the UK for a mere £158,367. Not in a million years.

Sandra

Sorry this is in Ade wotsit

For this price ...I could tell you about decent build places ... many of them still in the UK! but maybe not in England.

Stop trying to compare like with like and pound for dollar.......you get boring Vash. You are an Aussie in the UK comparing experiences with UK people wanting or already moved to the 'lucky' country.

Either find yourself a website your experience might be appreciated on (aussies in pom land or the like) ...or really give some decent insight, not webshite links of housing comparisons that don't match.

And if you have a problem with my response please email me you personal address and we can correspond in detail about your issues with british people getting together and having a bit a of a whinge about the problems we all face as expats.

Cheers

Vash the Stampede

It's in Aldgate, which is about 20 minutes from Adelaide. Nothing wrong with that, is there? It's not the sticks, it's a very nice suburb with some very nice houses; some of them out of my own price range, I might add.

Oh yes, please do!

The question was: "What does $350,000 get you?" I am simply answering that question. The comparison of pound for dollar had already been made by somebody else; I was merely elaborating for their benefit.

What do you mean by "housing comparisons that don't match"? What's that got to do with the question of what you can get for $350,000 in Australia?

I'm not entirely sure what sparked this rant, but you could at least acknowledge that I was providing a perfectly reasonable answer to a perfectly reasonable question from another forum member.

Since when was that a crime?

Sandra

Ok cause I can't be arsed breaking up and answering each quote of mine vs your response.

Ade wotsits or 20 mins out isn't Australia.....350K buys you dam all for most incomes who like nice accomodation at resonable price near to where they may earn a reasonable income. Australia is a big bloody country and I can get a mansion in wogga wooga (yes I know it is Wagga wotsit) but I would need a corresponding salary.

I have no issue with you personally, I have an issue with your 'typical posting' especially on this area of the forum. You are an australian living in the UK 2 years or so......so what ! This is a place, for people, that for most part do not need your input, this area is about non recrimination, total support and decent enquiry questions.

If you need to support Aus....and defend and defend then go do it on another area of this site. Many of us even after many years in Aus and more importantly all other areas of the globe, still would like to discuss and understand what it feels like for others about 'moving home' if we needed your input we would read your rants on the other areas of this site and ask about it.

Rant over.....again...calm...yea...

........Angry...hell yes...I have lived in Australia!

nethead

I was just thinking, and although I agree it's nice to have a home with plenty of space, I thought most people downsized once the kids had left home and you're thinking of retiring. Then there is no need to have an enormous house wherever you are, it's harder to maintain more expensive to heat or a/c makes sense to me. When we retire (not for a while) we'd like a little cottage in Cornwall, and 2 bedrooms will do.