Somebody once told me that if you have two choices and you can't decide then toss a coin. If you are dissapointed with the result then you know what to choose.

But you have three options I believe that deep down you want to do number 3. The 2 other options are just delaying you.

Good luck

I'm a businesswoman so here's what I'd do.

Unless your new job offer guantees you at least $21,000 on top of what you're earning now, I'd keep the land, build a house and stay in Adelaide.
I'd get on a plane and go and see my grandparents knowing that at their ages, they won't be here for long but if you mess up your life, it will take you a long time to get it back on track.

Get another job in Adelaide, make the most of your investment, 12 months is not long to wait, then make a decision then.

I live in QLD, it's hot, the mozzies have teeth and it's not the most dynamic place in Australia to run a business or exercise brain cells.

That will require a bit of thought but it sounds like a good way to approach it so I will try that. Thanks.

Several bits of very good advice there thanks guys, I'll think those over today and see if it helps.

Do you listen to Suze Orman on CNBC every week? I do, and her motto is "People first, then money, then things" Puts it in a nutshell for me - the people arent going to be there forever (hence my overspending this week as well!) and I know that your olds would be over the moon to have you nearby for a while.

Good luck!!!!

Edited to add - btw, check your stars - dont laugh - I made my big decision the other day then checked my stars (they are on the same page as the sudoku!) and mine, my son's and my daugher in law's were all really explicit that we should make the decision that we had actually already made. Yeah, yeah I know they are all general and all that but these particular ones were uncannily omniscient.

option 1 for me, seems like it will give you more choices in the future.

[QUOTE=quoll;6994650]Do you listen to Suze Orman on CNBC every week? I do, and her motto is "People first, then money, then things" Puts it in a nutshell for me - the people arent going to be there forever (hence my overspending this week as well!) and I know that your olds would be over the moon to have you nearby for a while.

I love Suze Orman, she talks a lot of sense

[QUOTE=Marmalade;6994905] When I was a fully qualified and practising 'people pleaser' I probably would have agreed with Suze Orman. To some extent I do agree but I would now have to include conditions especially if I was considering such a huge lifestyle change not necessarily for my benefit.

If you've got a loving, kind supportive family, then yes, people first because they're worth it. You'll get an immense sense of love and appreciation back and no amount of money can compensate for this. If they are a bunch of taking, selfish, can't please any of them ratbags like I've got, then no way.
Whatever you decide only you can make the decision. If you go back to be with family though, make sure it's not because you'd be on a guilt trip.
If your grandparents love you, they will respect you regardless of what you decide.

Well my first instict would have been to put people first, and I'm still tempted to because I love my grandparents, I have other relatives in UK who I also love very much, I would enjoy the chance to really feel HOME and to explore my own country.

It would be a no brainer, that all these things are FAR more important than a good job or a nice cheap house, or the Gold Coast lifestyle.

However, what makes it hard, to say the least, is that I have already previously moved back to UK once (13 years ago though) and ended up coming back because I was so upset by the fact that the people I love so much over there basically treated me like I didn't exist. Mind you that didn't apply so much to my grandparents, it was more other relatives. However when I phoned my grandparents a couple of weeks ago and mentioned I was seriously considering moving back to UK, they tried (as they have every time I've mentioned it) to do their best to put me off, mainly saying the economy is bad, I'll have trouble finding work etc etc.

I think they mean well, I think they have my best intnetions at heart (God I wish I could say "I know" instead of "I think") but to some degree they have been successful in putting me off.

I'll go check my horoscope now!

Just had a quick look at this thread and you do have some hard choices but when in doubt follow your heart, well that`s what people tell me I think as somebody has pointed out, that you have already deep down chosen no.3 and I think you are now trying to justify eliminating the first 2 options which I imagine are not easy. My only advice would be choose were you will feel happiest and where you want to live your life. If its the UK then option 3 but if its OZ then 1 0 2.

Your grandparents are in their 80's? You have a block of land that you own outright with no mortgage? WIth the wisdom of hindsight, here's my advice: keep your land, and go back to UK and share that precious time with your grandparents. If you don't go back now, and something happens to either or both of them in the next year, you will very likely regret for the rest of your life having missed that time with them. Surely even if you leave now for UK, and then return to Oz in say a year or so, you will still get the benefit of the $21,000 first-time home owner's grant on your return?

As for the job in Queensland - is this a once in a lifetime opportunity that will never be repeated? Is there any way they would hire you say in a year (or 6 months), if you told them you wanted the job but can't take it right now? Have you tried discussing your situation with them yet and seeing if you can come up with any mutually agreeable solution? YOu have nothing to lose really in doing so...

Try http://www.astrologyzone.com

I think after a long absence it can be a big mistake to expect people we were once close to to be instantly a big part of our lives, even if we've been in touch, visited frequently etc. Wherever we settle, we have to build a new life. Just as we did when emigrating in the first place.The old relationships will find a new form, better or worse depending.

Bev

Agree with Bev. I also think that you must remember why you left in the first place and if you were unhappy at that time. I can't believe how many people get homesick, then go straight back to the situation they were trying to escape from. I had a very happy life, I was dragged kicking and screaming here so I intend to go back to my happy life, not necessarily the people.
Make sure you're not chasing rainbows.

Forget Option 3 there does not seem to be any positive

You are really focusing on 21K which is the only carrot holding you back from Option 2.

My advice for what its worth is go for Option 2, on the following basis

$21k home buyers grant versus a 10% drop in price on $500k home ($50k) - you do the maths which one is more enticing?

30% increase in pay in a job you like? versus 30% drop to work where you hate?

Do you really need to be asking ???

Further sit on the land, build in another 12 months at substantial less build price than today. Rent it out while renting where you end up.

Thanks Black sheep. Well I could maybe keep the land and move to UK but the trouble is I would have VERY little money to move over with, and if I'm going to move to UK I would really want to have a bit of money behind me to help me survive until I get a job and to get me into a rented house and for all the other expenses that come up when starting off in a new place.

In other words, I really will have to sell the land if I am going to move back to UK. Keeping the land and moving to Queensland (with the possibility of moving back here after a year or so) is more realistic because in Queensland I would have an income immediately so no need to have a large amount of money in the bank.

The first home owners grant in South Australia is currently $25000, but only until about June 2009, then it drops back down to $11000.

As for the job in Qld, obviously it's available now but almost certainly won't be in a year from now as they'll have someone else by then. They only have one such position in Queensland so unless it just happened that they employed someone else and that person leaves at the exact time I decide in a year or so that I want the job, it wouldn't work.

I have been negotiating with the company and they are willing to give me an additional week of leave (unpaid) in about 6 months in addition to the 2 weeks paid leave I would have already earned by then, to enable me to take a 3 week visit to UK.

The company really wants me on board and they have shown that they are willing to be flexible to get me, but there's virtually no chance of putting the offer "on hold" so to speak, for a year.

I completely agree that if I don't spend time with my grandparents and they die then I could very well regret it forever. On the other hand, the company I would be working for in Qld has branches in UK so there is a possibility of transferring there in about a year if a suitable position comes up, which would mean I could experience living in Queensland and then move back to UK with the benefit of already having a good job to go to.

It is possible that could work out very well if my grandparents were still alive by then, which they might be.

On the other hand, they might well not.

It may be starting to sound like I'm perhaps over-analysing all this, but as you can see there's a lot to consider and all of it is important.

I basically have to make some kind of decision about the Queensland job, one way or the other by Monday, so if anyone has further advice please let me know.

I intend to spend all day tomorrow thinking about it and forcing myself to decide on the job in Queensland.

If I take it, then I will have to move to Qld, and the only remaining decision is do I keep the land or sell it.

If I don't take the job, then I still have to decide if I stay in Adelaide a bit longer (and probably look for another job) or move to UK.