mbike

Just thought I would post a quick breakdown of our move back from Perth. It might give others a pointer to how the process happens.

30/03 - gave notice at work
16/04 - gave notice on rental
30/04 - left work
07/05 - son stopped class 1
11/05 - Wrappers arrived and packed for 2 days
13/05 - container packed & lifted
15/05 - handed back rental keys
16/05 - flew from Perth
17/05 - Arrived in Europe. Holiday
27/05 - Flew to uk. Wife and kids stayed in Europe
05/06 - found nice rental after seeing a couple of no-no's
12/05 - signed rental (6 month lease)
13/05 - flew back to europe to collect family. Holiday
24/06 - family flew to uk
25/06 - moved into rental (3 suitcases, begged & borrowed bedding)
25/06 - afternoon interview with recruitment agent in London
29/06 - first interview with potential employer
06/07 - sons interview for class 1 at school
08/07 - son offered place in class one
14/07 - second interview
15/07 - container arrived (254 boxes in the house)
15/07 - references requested
19/07 - job offer
26/07 - accepted job offer
09/08 - started job
10/08 - started looking at properties with a view to buying late 2010.

We are still unpacking and repacking, but have settled back into a nice routine here in the UK. We joined the National Trust straightaway and have already recouped our family ticket's cost twice over in visits to beautiful old homes and gardens in the full bloom of summer. The next big hurdle will be a mortgage, but having a full-time work contract and a clean credit history should help.

It was a fun few years in Perth, but it's good to be back. My family all live close by and it is great to be back together with the kids playing with their cousins. Good luck to everyone thinking of coming home. I hope the above helps you to visualise the process as a collection of straightforward, interconnected factors - as opposed to the huge pile of fear and worries it can sometimes appear.

cheers

quoll

Well done, it does sound like you had a really smooth process there. Good to see that it was easy for you to jump back on the employment wagon as well. Good luck with the mortgage now!

PoppetUK

Well done. Good luck with the future.

Picnic

Congratulations from me too!

Would it be too nosey to ask whereabouts in the UK you returned to and your field of employment? It might give encouragement to those about to make the leap!

mbike

Thanks Poppet,

I remember we were on the same timescale give or take a few weeks earlier in the year. Hope things work out for you, too.

mbike

Hi Picnic,

No worries. We wanted to try somewhere new when we moved back, having lived mostly in London. We settled for Mid-Sussex, close to Haywards Heath and the Brighton Mainline into London. It is lovely to be so close to areas of natural beauty like the South Downs, Ashdown Forest, High Weald etc. I work in advertising, so need to be relatively close to London.

FWIW I think all job markets here are tight at the moment, but the key thing is to remember that most of the people you are up against for the role have just been let go by someone else and are therefore psychologically feeling a bit down. By contrast, you have just arrived back and are full of excitement and optimism. Employers love to see this in potential employees and mine gave this as one of the reasons I got the role.

Good luck

islandwoman120

Thanks for the encouraging words regarding your return and job acceptance. I amsure many will feel their spirits boosted by them - there are too many doom-and-gloomers out there, and you are not one of them. Many thanks from a soon to be returnee and job seeker in Suffolk.

mbike

Thanks. I'm glad our experience has reassured and inspired you. Good luck with your return.

paranoidandroid

Mbike,

Thanks for posting that. It shows how easily it can be done once the decision is made.

All the best to you and your family!

brits1

Well done and welcome home....it's not so bad here is it....we are enjoying ourselves as well and ditto your last paragraph....all the best

anonomoz

Thanks for the useful thread. We are in the throws of starting our return and you are in our "neck of the woods". We came from East Sussex 20 mins from Haywards Heath! Not heading back to exactly the same spot but round and about. Your mentioning of the sussex downs and Ashdown Forest brings a smile and determination to get back there too. We are south of Perth at the mo

mbike

Thanks. And glad to hear you made it through to the other side ok. I do remember you were a few weeks ahead of us in the great escape.

mbike

Good luck with your move. We are newcomers to this area (moved here to be close to family in Lewes and Brighton) We will probably settle a bit further up towards East Grinstead but are loving the walks in the Forest and the beautiful green scenery.

Kentish Lass

Out of interest......What reaction do you get from people that you have returned? I don't mean those close to you.
Is it?'You're mad to come back...the country's had it etc.'
Or the smug 'We knew you'd be back'..etc.
Not that any of that would make any difference ...just having a little Pooh wonder.

brits1

So far we have only had a couple of remarks like that...but for the main everyone we have told seems fairly content with their lot here in the UK so can understand our reasons....and also the amount of people who know people etc who have also returned from the 4 corners of the globe...well its a small world....