your experiences appreciated
#46
Originally posted by Goose
To the dreamer in maljpc and his wife:
You've been given some exceptional advice from folks who've moved to Australia...some who've returned to the UK...some who are returning... and some who are still in Australia, yet are waving big red flags at you...CAUTION!
Brits seem to think that they can turn up in Oz with the profit on sale of their UK property and life will just peachy.
That is something that even the most ardent Oz-advocate will tell you is plain...rubbish!
Your GBP150K is worth spit in Oz. Sorry to be so blunt but where do you intend buying a mortgage-free home with that capital? You can kiss any dream of Sydney & Melbourne goodbye. And any home in a central and accesible area in any of the other centres too.
But that's not the end of it. Tapalinga screamed a big bold warning at you: her hubby is also a heating-engineer and is cleaning pools. Brits don't just walk into work opportunities in Oz the way they do in their dreams. And why should they? Every country, including Oz, has the right to assume that home-grown and trained labour is favourable to imports.
Your two oldest kids are NOT going to magically appear in Australia. They will have to endure the skilled independent application and will only be granted entry based on their own individual merits. And if they don't get in on their own merits, say hello to a huge amount of anxiety, sadness and massive spending on long and tortuous airflights.
You have adopted some common sense in your soul searching questions you originally raised. Your wife appears to live in dream-land.
I have nothing against dreamers.
But I've no desire to see you take a massive step backward in your life.
You want to move to Oz?
Plan on being unemployable for 10 to 18 months. You think cleaning loos or packing grocery market shelves is way cool (so long as you're in Oz)? Think again. There's a whole bunch of other Aussies applying for those jobs too. You've done well for yourself in your field. Trust me...doing anything else other than what you want or are good at in the UK is soul-destroying and demoralising.
Before you get the idea that I'm some "go-home-brit" Aussie...
Yes, my wife and I lived in Australia. We now live on Vancouver Island (Canada). And we're leaving for the UK again as soon as we sell our house.
Making the kind of move you're contemplating will be the most expensive and risky decision of your life. Shifting money around the world can have catastrofic implications. Aus $ / Sterling has been as high as almost $3 to the pound and as low as $2.35. Don't bet on making the move either way when the rate is at its most advantageous.
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
It's pipe-dreams, powder-puff, and rose-coloured-spectacle stuff.
And guess what? A cute little tour around Oz isn't going to help you either. No holiday ANYWHERE can ever prepare for a new way of life in a foreign country. When you're on holiday, you'll love the beaches, eat out at some nice restaurants, live it up and think Oz is so wonderful.
Spend 3 months in Oz in a rented flat outside in the suburbs somewhere and try and live as you might if you weren't on holiday. Then you'll have an inkling of what life is like in Oz.
Australia is a wonderful country. The people are some of this earth's finest. The food is the best and the climate is unequalled.
But there's a reason that a horrifically large percentage of Brits return to the UK.
Don't throw away everything you've built up in your life to date.
If your wife is driving you nuts, send her to Australia (without you). Find her some weekly rented accommodation some place 80 kilometres from central Sydney or in some other small town (for that's what your GBP150K is going to buy you). Let her see how wonderful Oz isand make a rational decision after being there for 2 months.
Some very serious advice has been given by others in answer to your original posting.
Oh, I know I'll be interpreted as being a spoil-sport, bitter, party-pooper...or whatever...
Listen to the advice, buddy. And save yourself huge heart-ache later on.
To the dreamer in maljpc and his wife:
You've been given some exceptional advice from folks who've moved to Australia...some who've returned to the UK...some who are returning... and some who are still in Australia, yet are waving big red flags at you...CAUTION!
Brits seem to think that they can turn up in Oz with the profit on sale of their UK property and life will just peachy.
That is something that even the most ardent Oz-advocate will tell you is plain...rubbish!
Your GBP150K is worth spit in Oz. Sorry to be so blunt but where do you intend buying a mortgage-free home with that capital? You can kiss any dream of Sydney & Melbourne goodbye. And any home in a central and accesible area in any of the other centres too.
But that's not the end of it. Tapalinga screamed a big bold warning at you: her hubby is also a heating-engineer and is cleaning pools. Brits don't just walk into work opportunities in Oz the way they do in their dreams. And why should they? Every country, including Oz, has the right to assume that home-grown and trained labour is favourable to imports.
Your two oldest kids are NOT going to magically appear in Australia. They will have to endure the skilled independent application and will only be granted entry based on their own individual merits. And if they don't get in on their own merits, say hello to a huge amount of anxiety, sadness and massive spending on long and tortuous airflights.
You have adopted some common sense in your soul searching questions you originally raised. Your wife appears to live in dream-land.
I have nothing against dreamers.
But I've no desire to see you take a massive step backward in your life.
You want to move to Oz?
Plan on being unemployable for 10 to 18 months. You think cleaning loos or packing grocery market shelves is way cool (so long as you're in Oz)? Think again. There's a whole bunch of other Aussies applying for those jobs too. You've done well for yourself in your field. Trust me...doing anything else other than what you want or are good at in the UK is soul-destroying and demoralising.
Before you get the idea that I'm some "go-home-brit" Aussie...
Yes, my wife and I lived in Australia. We now live on Vancouver Island (Canada). And we're leaving for the UK again as soon as we sell our house.
Making the kind of move you're contemplating will be the most expensive and risky decision of your life. Shifting money around the world can have catastrofic implications. Aus $ / Sterling has been as high as almost $3 to the pound and as low as $2.35. Don't bet on making the move either way when the rate is at its most advantageous.
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
It's pipe-dreams, powder-puff, and rose-coloured-spectacle stuff.
And guess what? A cute little tour around Oz isn't going to help you either. No holiday ANYWHERE can ever prepare for a new way of life in a foreign country. When you're on holiday, you'll love the beaches, eat out at some nice restaurants, live it up and think Oz is so wonderful.
Spend 3 months in Oz in a rented flat outside in the suburbs somewhere and try and live as you might if you weren't on holiday. Then you'll have an inkling of what life is like in Oz.
Australia is a wonderful country. The people are some of this earth's finest. The food is the best and the climate is unequalled.
But there's a reason that a horrifically large percentage of Brits return to the UK.
Don't throw away everything you've built up in your life to date.
If your wife is driving you nuts, send her to Australia (without you). Find her some weekly rented accommodation some place 80 kilometres from central Sydney or in some other small town (for that's what your GBP150K is going to buy you). Let her see how wonderful Oz isand make a rational decision after being there for 2 months.
Some very serious advice has been given by others in answer to your original posting.
Oh, I know I'll be interpreted as being a spoil-sport, bitter, party-pooper...or whatever...
Listen to the advice, buddy. And save yourself huge heart-ache later on.
Hey Goose,
This is the best post I have read, and should be posted on the moving out to Aus forum.
So true and honest!!
All the best when you get back to Head Office (UK)
See you there
Can't Wait!!!!!
Andrew
#47
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 98
questions for goose
Originally posted by Goose
To the dreamer in maljpc and his wife:
You've been given some exceptional advice from folks who've moved to Australia...some who've returned to the UK...some who are returning... and some who are still in Australia, yet are waving big red flags at you...CAUTION!
Brits seem to think that they can turn up in Oz with the profit on sale of their UK property and life will just peachy.
That is something that even the most ardent Oz-advocate will tell you is plain...rubbish!
Your GBP150K is worth spit in Oz. Sorry to be so blunt but where do you intend buying a mortgage-free home with that capital? You can kiss any dream of Sydney & Melbourne goodbye. And any home in a central and accesible area in any of the other centres too.
But that's not the end of it. Tapalinga screamed a big bold warning at you: her hubby is also a heating-engineer and is cleaning pools. Brits don't just walk into work opportunities in Oz the way they do in their dreams. And why should they? Every country, including Oz, has the right to assume that home-grown and trained labour is favourable to imports.
Your two oldest kids are NOT going to magically appear in Australia. They will have to endure the skilled independent application and will only be granted entry based on their own individual merits. And if they don't get in on their own merits, say hello to a huge amount of anxiety, sadness and massive spending on long and tortuous airflights.
You have adopted some common sense in your soul searching questions you originally raised. Your wife appears to live in dream-land.
I have nothing against dreamers.
But I've no desire to see you take a massive step backward in your life.
You want to move to Oz?
Plan on being unemployable for 10 to 18 months. You think cleaning loos or packing grocery market shelves is way cool (so long as you're in Oz)? Think again. There's a whole bunch of other Aussies applying for those jobs too. You've done well for yourself in your field. Trust me...doing anything else other than what you want or are good at in the UK is soul-destroying and demoralising.
Before you get the idea that I'm some "go-home-brit" Aussie...
Yes, my wife and I lived in Australia. We now live on Vancouver Island (Canada). And we're leaving for the UK again as soon as we sell our house.
Making the kind of move you're contemplating will be the most expensive and risky decision of your life. Shifting money around the world can have catastrofic implications. Aus $ / Sterling has been as high as almost $3 to the pound and as low as $2.35. Don't bet on making the move either way when the rate is at its most advantageous.
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
It's pipe-dreams, powder-puff, and rose-coloured-spectacle stuff.
And guess what? A cute little tour around Oz isn't going to help you either. No holiday ANYWHERE can ever prepare for a new way of life in a foreign country. When you're on holiday, you'll love the beaches, eat out at some nice restaurants, live it up and think Oz is so wonderful.
Spend 3 months in Oz in a rented flat outside in the suburbs somewhere and try and live as you might if you weren't on holiday. Then you'll have an inkling of what life is like in Oz.
Australia is a wonderful country. The people are some of this earth's finest. The food is the best and the climate is unequalled.
But there's a reason that a horrifically large percentage of Brits return to the UK.
Don't throw away everything you've built up in your life to date.
If your wife is driving you nuts, send her to Australia (without you). Find her some weekly rented accommodation some place 80 kilometres from central Sydney or in some other small town (for that's what your GBP150K is going to buy you). Let her see how wonderful Oz isand make a rational decision after being there for 2 months.
Some very serious advice has been given by others in answer to your original posting.
Oh, I know I'll be interpreted as being a spoil-sport, bitter, party-pooper...or whatever...
Listen to the advice, buddy. And save yourself huge heart-ache later on.
To the dreamer in maljpc and his wife:
You've been given some exceptional advice from folks who've moved to Australia...some who've returned to the UK...some who are returning... and some who are still in Australia, yet are waving big red flags at you...CAUTION!
Brits seem to think that they can turn up in Oz with the profit on sale of their UK property and life will just peachy.
That is something that even the most ardent Oz-advocate will tell you is plain...rubbish!
Your GBP150K is worth spit in Oz. Sorry to be so blunt but where do you intend buying a mortgage-free home with that capital? You can kiss any dream of Sydney & Melbourne goodbye. And any home in a central and accesible area in any of the other centres too.
But that's not the end of it. Tapalinga screamed a big bold warning at you: her hubby is also a heating-engineer and is cleaning pools. Brits don't just walk into work opportunities in Oz the way they do in their dreams. And why should they? Every country, including Oz, has the right to assume that home-grown and trained labour is favourable to imports.
Your two oldest kids are NOT going to magically appear in Australia. They will have to endure the skilled independent application and will only be granted entry based on their own individual merits. And if they don't get in on their own merits, say hello to a huge amount of anxiety, sadness and massive spending on long and tortuous airflights.
You have adopted some common sense in your soul searching questions you originally raised. Your wife appears to live in dream-land.
I have nothing against dreamers.
But I've no desire to see you take a massive step backward in your life.
You want to move to Oz?
Plan on being unemployable for 10 to 18 months. You think cleaning loos or packing grocery market shelves is way cool (so long as you're in Oz)? Think again. There's a whole bunch of other Aussies applying for those jobs too. You've done well for yourself in your field. Trust me...doing anything else other than what you want or are good at in the UK is soul-destroying and demoralising.
Before you get the idea that I'm some "go-home-brit" Aussie...
Yes, my wife and I lived in Australia. We now live on Vancouver Island (Canada). And we're leaving for the UK again as soon as we sell our house.
Making the kind of move you're contemplating will be the most expensive and risky decision of your life. Shifting money around the world can have catastrofic implications. Aus $ / Sterling has been as high as almost $3 to the pound and as low as $2.35. Don't bet on making the move either way when the rate is at its most advantageous.
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
It's pipe-dreams, powder-puff, and rose-coloured-spectacle stuff.
And guess what? A cute little tour around Oz isn't going to help you either. No holiday ANYWHERE can ever prepare for a new way of life in a foreign country. When you're on holiday, you'll love the beaches, eat out at some nice restaurants, live it up and think Oz is so wonderful.
Spend 3 months in Oz in a rented flat outside in the suburbs somewhere and try and live as you might if you weren't on holiday. Then you'll have an inkling of what life is like in Oz.
Australia is a wonderful country. The people are some of this earth's finest. The food is the best and the climate is unequalled.
But there's a reason that a horrifically large percentage of Brits return to the UK.
Don't throw away everything you've built up in your life to date.
If your wife is driving you nuts, send her to Australia (without you). Find her some weekly rented accommodation some place 80 kilometres from central Sydney or in some other small town (for that's what your GBP150K is going to buy you). Let her see how wonderful Oz isand make a rational decision after being there for 2 months.
Some very serious advice has been given by others in answer to your original posting.
Oh, I know I'll be interpreted as being a spoil-sport, bitter, party-pooper...or whatever...
Listen to the advice, buddy. And save yourself huge heart-ache later on.
however 6 years ago we were council tenants paying our weekly rent and one of my work mates said i was stupid paying rent,it was money i was never going to get back,i might as well be throwing it down the drain and that i should apply to the council to buy it off them.at that time i was working on a contract that was renewed every 3 years,my children were aged 14,12 and 9.the thought of having a mortgage and the worry of not being able to keep up with the payments and having the house repossesed was frightening,we spoke about the pro's and the con's and decided to go for it,if i had not have taken the chance i would'nt be in the position i am today,i have changed employers twice in my career,after going all through the better the devil you know stuff and again i would not be in the position i am now if i had stayed where i was.is it wrong to want to try and make a go of it,we know there are no guarantees of success,but if you don't try you don't get anything.
i don't understand why you think i cannot buy a house with a$384,000 thats roughly what £150,000 is at todays exchange rate,we have been looking for the last 3 weeks at properties in south australia on the internet and there are loads of them at a lot less than that and they do have amenities,schools,doctors and trains etc.
also i'm not sure of how you lose tens and tens of thousands of pounds,am i missing some important information,i admit i haven't worked out every single cost ,are there any hidden fees with anything to do with the move ,ie estate agent fees,taxes etc.
why did you leave australia to go to canada and not come straight back to the uk,why did you leave aus and why are you leaving canada,if it's because of family i can understand but i cannot understand if you think here is better.
you only live once is not baloney,how quick did your kids grow up or how long ago does it seem like you were at school,time bloody fliesand the older you get the quicker it goes,heating is not the only trade i have qualifications in and without sounding big headed i am confident of getting a job,i know i did not mention it before but i work for general electric and they have 4 places in australia so i am just putting a plan of action together to go down that route,the heating/plumbing would be a back up plan.i thought if plumbing/gas are on the migration skills list and they say there is a shortage there ,i would be able to find something,after reading various posts i now know that it is hard to get these jobs.
my wife does drive me nuts but she isn't on this,she wants to try a new way of life and wants to leave the uk in the same way that some people want to leave australia,i could sit back on what i have here doing the same old same while she gets more and more fed up but i don't think that's fair,i want to do what i can to make her happy,she has had no adult life of her own,what with having the kids early,and still bloody clearing up after them,she deserves to be given the opportunity to try and achieve what she wants.we have spoken about what it will mean if it all goes wrong and we are prepared to face it,we won't be returning to the uk so i don't have to worry about playing it safe and looking after what i have got here .
can you say why my wife will not think oz is still wonderful after spending 2 months there,i thought we had done the research well enough to think we could stay for at least a year before making any judgements,are any of your comments purely based on personal experiences,if you don't mind me asking ,how much money did you take when you went,how much do you think we would need.
i do not think you are going to be called a spoil sport etc,as i said before your post was very good and i really appreciate you taking the time to do it,but i can't decide not to go because it hasn't worked out for you,i am under no illusions whatsoever that this is going to be easy and there are going to be times when i will think to myself why didn't i listen to goose,he could be right.
i sincerely wish you all the best in returning to the uk,thanks again
#48
Re: questions for goose
Goose - very concise - thank you but that is your opinion. ok it hasn't worked for you, but you cannot tell someone else not to have dreams and live for the moment. We only have one go at life and to sit back and do nothing has to be one of the most depressing things I have heard.
Malpjc - very concise - thank you. You live your dreams mate. If it all goes pear shaped at least you will have tried.
If one place worked for everyone, what the hell would that place be like. Everyone is different and everyone wants different things. The world is big enough for us all and we all have a right to be where we want to be.
It is good to hear the negatives as well as the positives. But however much I read of both sides, at the end of the day, my family and I will decide for ourselves. It is called democracy and unless something has changed in the western world, that is where I live at present.
Malpjc - very concise - thank you. You live your dreams mate. If it all goes pear shaped at least you will have tried.
If one place worked for everyone, what the hell would that place be like. Everyone is different and everyone wants different things. The world is big enough for us all and we all have a right to be where we want to be.
It is good to hear the negatives as well as the positives. But however much I read of both sides, at the end of the day, my family and I will decide for ourselves. It is called democracy and unless something has changed in the western world, that is where I live at present.
#49
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: questions for goose
Originally posted by malpjc
hello goose,i have to agree with everyone else who has said how good your post is,i really appreciate what you are saying and cannot deny there is a tiny amount of doubt in the back of my mind about moving to aus.
however 6 years ago we were council tenants paying our weekly rent and one of my work mates said i was stupid paying rent,it was money i was never going to get back,i might as well be throwing it down the drain and that i should apply to the council to buy it off them.at that time i was working on a contract that was renewed every 3 years,my children were aged 14,12 and 9.the thought of having a mortgage and the worry of not being able to keep up with the payments and having the house repossesed was frightening,we spoke about the pro's and the con's and decided to go for it,if i had not have taken the chance i would'nt be in the position i am today,i have changed employers twice in my career,after going all through the better the devil you know stuff and again i would not be in the position i am now if i had stayed where i was.is it wrong to want to try and make a go of it,we know there are no guarantees of success,but if you don't try you don't get anything.
i don't understand why you think i cannot buy a house with a$384,000 thats roughly what £150,000 is at todays exchange rate,we have been looking for the last 3 weeks at properties in south australia on the internet and there are loads of them at a lot less than that and they do have amenities,schools,doctors and trains etc.
also i'm not sure of how you lose tens and tens of thousands of pounds,am i missing some important information,i admit i haven't worked out every single cost ,are there any hidden fees with anything to do with the move ,ie estate agent fees,taxes etc.
why did you leave australia to go to canada and not come straight back to the uk,why did you leave aus and why are you leaving canada,if it's because of family i can understand but i cannot understand if you think here is better.
you only live once is not baloney,how quick did your kids grow up or how long ago does it seem like you were at school,time bloody fliesand the older you get the quicker it goes,heating is not the only trade i have qualifications in and without sounding big headed i am confident of getting a job,i know i did not mention it before but i work for general electric and they have 4 places in australia so i am just putting a plan of action together to go down that route,the heating/plumbing would be a back up plan.i thought if plumbing/gas are on the migration skills list and they say there is a shortage there ,i would be able to find something,after reading various posts i now know that it is hard to get these jobs.
my wife does drive me nuts but she isn't on this,she wants to try a new way of life and wants to leave the uk in the same way that some people want to leave australia,i could sit back on what i have here doing the same old same while she gets more and more fed up but i don't think that's fair,i want to do what i can to make her happy,she has had no adult life of her own,what with having the kids early,and still bloody clearing up after them,she deserves to be given the opportunity to try and achieve what she wants.we have spoken about what it will mean if it all goes wrong and we are prepared to face it,we won't be returning to the uk so i don't have to worry about playing it safe and looking after what i have got here .
can you say why my wife will not think oz is still wonderful after spending 2 months there,i thought we had done the research well enough to think we could stay for at least a year before making any judgements,are any of your comments purely based on personal experiences,if you don't mind me asking ,how much money did you take when you went,how much do you think we would need.
i do not think you are going to be called a spoil sport etc,as i said before your post was very good and i really appreciate you taking the time to do it,but i can't decide not to go because it hasn't worked out for you,i am under no illusions whatsoever that this is going to be easy and there are going to be times when i will think to myself why didn't i listen to goose,he could be right.
i sincerely wish you all the best in returning to the uk,thanks again
hello goose,i have to agree with everyone else who has said how good your post is,i really appreciate what you are saying and cannot deny there is a tiny amount of doubt in the back of my mind about moving to aus.
however 6 years ago we were council tenants paying our weekly rent and one of my work mates said i was stupid paying rent,it was money i was never going to get back,i might as well be throwing it down the drain and that i should apply to the council to buy it off them.at that time i was working on a contract that was renewed every 3 years,my children were aged 14,12 and 9.the thought of having a mortgage and the worry of not being able to keep up with the payments and having the house repossesed was frightening,we spoke about the pro's and the con's and decided to go for it,if i had not have taken the chance i would'nt be in the position i am today,i have changed employers twice in my career,after going all through the better the devil you know stuff and again i would not be in the position i am now if i had stayed where i was.is it wrong to want to try and make a go of it,we know there are no guarantees of success,but if you don't try you don't get anything.
i don't understand why you think i cannot buy a house with a$384,000 thats roughly what £150,000 is at todays exchange rate,we have been looking for the last 3 weeks at properties in south australia on the internet and there are loads of them at a lot less than that and they do have amenities,schools,doctors and trains etc.
also i'm not sure of how you lose tens and tens of thousands of pounds,am i missing some important information,i admit i haven't worked out every single cost ,are there any hidden fees with anything to do with the move ,ie estate agent fees,taxes etc.
why did you leave australia to go to canada and not come straight back to the uk,why did you leave aus and why are you leaving canada,if it's because of family i can understand but i cannot understand if you think here is better.
you only live once is not baloney,how quick did your kids grow up or how long ago does it seem like you were at school,time bloody fliesand the older you get the quicker it goes,heating is not the only trade i have qualifications in and without sounding big headed i am confident of getting a job,i know i did not mention it before but i work for general electric and they have 4 places in australia so i am just putting a plan of action together to go down that route,the heating/plumbing would be a back up plan.i thought if plumbing/gas are on the migration skills list and they say there is a shortage there ,i would be able to find something,after reading various posts i now know that it is hard to get these jobs.
my wife does drive me nuts but she isn't on this,she wants to try a new way of life and wants to leave the uk in the same way that some people want to leave australia,i could sit back on what i have here doing the same old same while she gets more and more fed up but i don't think that's fair,i want to do what i can to make her happy,she has had no adult life of her own,what with having the kids early,and still bloody clearing up after them,she deserves to be given the opportunity to try and achieve what she wants.we have spoken about what it will mean if it all goes wrong and we are prepared to face it,we won't be returning to the uk so i don't have to worry about playing it safe and looking after what i have got here .
can you say why my wife will not think oz is still wonderful after spending 2 months there,i thought we had done the research well enough to think we could stay for at least a year before making any judgements,are any of your comments purely based on personal experiences,if you don't mind me asking ,how much money did you take when you went,how much do you think we would need.
i do not think you are going to be called a spoil sport etc,as i said before your post was very good and i really appreciate you taking the time to do it,but i can't decide not to go because it hasn't worked out for you,i am under no illusions whatsoever that this is going to be easy and there are going to be times when i will think to myself why didn't i listen to goose,he could be right.
i sincerely wish you all the best in returning to the uk,thanks again
thing is to be able to get a good quality job. You are probably better off having a mortgage and a good job then mortgage free and unemployed or a crap casual job.
Renting is cheap in Australia, you can rent a good sized family house for around $200 per week in adelaide. Perhaps you should
rent in Adelaide untill you find a good job there, if it turns out Adelaide is'nt for you and there is'nt employment in your field then
you can always move interstate perhaps nearby to Geelong or Melbourne where due to the larger population there are much more emplyment opportunities.
#50
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Going home at last-now we know where that is !
Posts: 1,040
Another brownie point for goose-great statement.
Originally posted by Goose
To the dreamer in maljpc and his wife:
You've been given some exceptional advice from folks who've moved to Australia...some who've returned to the UK...some who are returning... and some who are still in Australia, yet are waving big red flags at you...CAUTION!
Brits seem to think that they can turn up in Oz with the profit on sale of their UK property and life will just peachy.
That is something that even the most ardent Oz-advocate will tell you is plain...rubbish!
Your GBP150K is worth spit in Oz. Sorry to be so blunt but where do you intend buying a mortgage-free home with that capital? You can kiss any dream of Sydney & Melbourne goodbye. And any home in a central and accesible area in any of the other centres too.
But that's not the end of it. Tapalinga screamed a big bold warning at you: her hubby is also a heating-engineer and is cleaning pools. Brits don't just walk into work opportunities in Oz the way they do in their dreams. And why should they? Every country, including Oz, has the right to assume that home-grown and trained labour is favourable to imports.
Your two oldest kids are NOT going to magically appear in Australia. They will have to endure the skilled independent application and will only be granted entry based on their own individual merits. And if they don't get in on their own merits, say hello to a huge amount of anxiety, sadness and massive spending on long and tortuous airflights.
You have adopted some common sense in your soul searching questions you originally raised. Your wife appears to live in dream-land.
I have nothing against dreamers.
But I've no desire to see you take a massive step backward in your life.
You want to move to Oz?
Plan on being unemployable for 10 to 18 months. You think cleaning loos or packing grocery market shelves is way cool (so long as you're in Oz)? Think again. There's a whole bunch of other Aussies applying for those jobs too. You've done well for yourself in your field. Trust me...doing anything else other than what you want or are good at in the UK is soul-destroying and demoralising.
Before you get the idea that I'm some "go-home-brit" Aussie...
Yes, my wife and I lived in Australia. We now live on Vancouver Island (Canada). And we're leaving for the UK again as soon as we sell our house.
Making the kind of move you're contemplating will be the most expensive and risky decision of your life. Shifting money around the world can have catastrofic implications. Aus $ / Sterling has been as high as almost $3 to the pound and as low as $2.35. Don't bet on making the move either way when the rate is at its most advantageous.
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
It's pipe-dreams, powder-puff, and rose-coloured-spectacle stuff.
And guess what? A cute little tour around Oz isn't going to help you either. No holiday ANYWHERE can ever prepare for a new way of life in a foreign country. When you're on holiday, you'll love the beaches, eat out at some nice restaurants, live it up and think Oz is so wonderful.
Spend 3 months in Oz in a rented flat outside in the suburbs somewhere and try and live as you might if you weren't on holiday. Then you'll have an inkling of what life is like in Oz.
Australia is a wonderful country. The people are some of this earth's finest. The food is the best and the climate is unequalled.
But there's a reason that a horrifically large percentage of Brits return to the UK.
Don't throw away everything you've built up in your life to date.
If your wife is driving you nuts, send her to Australia (without you). Find her some weekly rented accommodation some place 80 kilometres from central Sydney or in some other small town (for that's what your GBP150K is going to buy you). Let her see how wonderful Oz isand make a rational decision after being there for 2 months.
Some very serious advice has been given by others in answer to your original posting.
Oh, I know I'll be interpreted as being a spoil-sport, bitter, party-pooper...or whatever...
Listen to the advice, buddy. And save yourself huge heart-ache later on.
To the dreamer in maljpc and his wife:
You've been given some exceptional advice from folks who've moved to Australia...some who've returned to the UK...some who are returning... and some who are still in Australia, yet are waving big red flags at you...CAUTION!
Brits seem to think that they can turn up in Oz with the profit on sale of their UK property and life will just peachy.
That is something that even the most ardent Oz-advocate will tell you is plain...rubbish!
Your GBP150K is worth spit in Oz. Sorry to be so blunt but where do you intend buying a mortgage-free home with that capital? You can kiss any dream of Sydney & Melbourne goodbye. And any home in a central and accesible area in any of the other centres too.
But that's not the end of it. Tapalinga screamed a big bold warning at you: her hubby is also a heating-engineer and is cleaning pools. Brits don't just walk into work opportunities in Oz the way they do in their dreams. And why should they? Every country, including Oz, has the right to assume that home-grown and trained labour is favourable to imports.
Your two oldest kids are NOT going to magically appear in Australia. They will have to endure the skilled independent application and will only be granted entry based on their own individual merits. And if they don't get in on their own merits, say hello to a huge amount of anxiety, sadness and massive spending on long and tortuous airflights.
You have adopted some common sense in your soul searching questions you originally raised. Your wife appears to live in dream-land.
I have nothing against dreamers.
But I've no desire to see you take a massive step backward in your life.
You want to move to Oz?
Plan on being unemployable for 10 to 18 months. You think cleaning loos or packing grocery market shelves is way cool (so long as you're in Oz)? Think again. There's a whole bunch of other Aussies applying for those jobs too. You've done well for yourself in your field. Trust me...doing anything else other than what you want or are good at in the UK is soul-destroying and demoralising.
Before you get the idea that I'm some "go-home-brit" Aussie...
Yes, my wife and I lived in Australia. We now live on Vancouver Island (Canada). And we're leaving for the UK again as soon as we sell our house.
Making the kind of move you're contemplating will be the most expensive and risky decision of your life. Shifting money around the world can have catastrofic implications. Aus $ / Sterling has been as high as almost $3 to the pound and as low as $2.35. Don't bet on making the move either way when the rate is at its most advantageous.
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
It's pipe-dreams, powder-puff, and rose-coloured-spectacle stuff.
And guess what? A cute little tour around Oz isn't going to help you either. No holiday ANYWHERE can ever prepare for a new way of life in a foreign country. When you're on holiday, you'll love the beaches, eat out at some nice restaurants, live it up and think Oz is so wonderful.
Spend 3 months in Oz in a rented flat outside in the suburbs somewhere and try and live as you might if you weren't on holiday. Then you'll have an inkling of what life is like in Oz.
Australia is a wonderful country. The people are some of this earth's finest. The food is the best and the climate is unequalled.
But there's a reason that a horrifically large percentage of Brits return to the UK.
Don't throw away everything you've built up in your life to date.
If your wife is driving you nuts, send her to Australia (without you). Find her some weekly rented accommodation some place 80 kilometres from central Sydney or in some other small town (for that's what your GBP150K is going to buy you). Let her see how wonderful Oz isand make a rational decision after being there for 2 months.
Some very serious advice has been given by others in answer to your original posting.
Oh, I know I'll be interpreted as being a spoil-sport, bitter, party-pooper...or whatever...
Listen to the advice, buddy. And save yourself huge heart-ache later on.
#51
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by Goose
To the dreamer in maljpc and his wife:
.....
Your GBP150K is worth spit in Oz. Sorry to be so blunt but where do you intend buying a mortgage-free home with that capital?
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
It's pipe-dreams, powder-puff, and rose-coloured-spectacle stuff.
Spend 3 months in Oz in a rented flat outside in the suburbs somewhere and try and live as you might if you weren't on holiday. Then you'll have an inkling of what life is like in Oz.
If your wife is driving you nuts, send her to Australia (without you). Find her some weekly rented accommodation some place 80 kilometres from central Sydney or in some other small town (for that's what your GBP150K is going to buy you). Let her see how wonderful Oz isand make a rational decision after being there for 2 months.
To the dreamer in maljpc and his wife:
.....
Your GBP150K is worth spit in Oz. Sorry to be so blunt but where do you intend buying a mortgage-free home with that capital?
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
It's pipe-dreams, powder-puff, and rose-coloured-spectacle stuff.
Spend 3 months in Oz in a rented flat outside in the suburbs somewhere and try and live as you might if you weren't on holiday. Then you'll have an inkling of what life is like in Oz.
If your wife is driving you nuts, send her to Australia (without you). Find her some weekly rented accommodation some place 80 kilometres from central Sydney or in some other small town (for that's what your GBP150K is going to buy you). Let her see how wonderful Oz isand make a rational decision after being there for 2 months.
£150,000 is a fair chunk and can get some very good houses, and enable a person to become mortgage free.
That amount can buy a reasonable property 40-50km out of Sydney, let alone 80km. eg: I own a property 47km out from from Sydney CBD, and it is very close to that value. 5 beds, 2 kitchens, 3 living areas, etc. £162k at todays rate. But that's Sydney! Look at other Cities, Adelaide, Brisbane etc, much cheaper, and it can be an even better lifestyle, depending on what a person is looking for.
Some people like their dreams, and some turn them into reality. A very big % choose to stay in OZ.
#52
150,000GBP.....
Get a huge house in Perth with that kinda money, with some change left over too.
Anyway, I,ve never owned a hoose. But here's my experience
Came out to Oz in 2000 with about 2000 pounds and stayed 18 months. Had to return to UK to get my missus on a PR de facto visa. I'm the PR holder.
For the 1st 6 months, we travelled and picked up casual work to keep us going. No problems ther and saw the East coast...MAGIC!
After that,back in Sydney I struggled to get a similar job to what I was doing in UK..ie construction) . There was a recession then caused by GST and post Olympics. So very few jobs going.
The missus got a job no probs so lived off her income whilst i continued part time.
For the last 6 months, we kinda got a settled both having steady full time jobs.
Today,after waiting 2 years in UK to get her visa, we are back in Perth, and with a buoyant construction industry have found work no probs.
work 15 min away..not 2hrs(UK)
Today, the sun is shining, its 20C and weekend forecast is for sun. And this is WINTER
Life is good....
M
Get a huge house in Perth with that kinda money, with some change left over too.
Anyway, I,ve never owned a hoose. But here's my experience
Came out to Oz in 2000 with about 2000 pounds and stayed 18 months. Had to return to UK to get my missus on a PR de facto visa. I'm the PR holder.
For the 1st 6 months, we travelled and picked up casual work to keep us going. No problems ther and saw the East coast...MAGIC!
After that,back in Sydney I struggled to get a similar job to what I was doing in UK..ie construction) . There was a recession then caused by GST and post Olympics. So very few jobs going.
The missus got a job no probs so lived off her income whilst i continued part time.
For the last 6 months, we kinda got a settled both having steady full time jobs.
Today,after waiting 2 years in UK to get her visa, we are back in Perth, and with a buoyant construction industry have found work no probs.
work 15 min away..not 2hrs(UK)
Today, the sun is shining, its 20C and weekend forecast is for sun. And this is WINTER
Life is good....
M
#53
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: England
Posts: 279
This is the best thread I've seen for a long time.
I don't post much anymore but I had to join others congratulating Goose on a great post!
We've been in Perth over 2 years now, we've had a good experience, we've travelled so much and seen our children turn into little Aussies! BUT we will return to England in the next 6 months for many of the reasons Goose has said.
My concern with Malpjc is the age of his children. We came to Australia when our children were 3 and 6, we had time to spend a few years in Australia, checking everything out and then make a long term decision for our children. I think bringing teenage children over is a very different experience, I really can't see the sense in such a major move at a critical time in your childrens' life.
Malpjc, Please look at making a lifestyle change in the UK, reduce your working hours, move to a smaller house / cheaper area, go on holiday and get out there and tell everyone that Britain is Great!
I don't post much anymore but I had to join others congratulating Goose on a great post!
We've been in Perth over 2 years now, we've had a good experience, we've travelled so much and seen our children turn into little Aussies! BUT we will return to England in the next 6 months for many of the reasons Goose has said.
My concern with Malpjc is the age of his children. We came to Australia when our children were 3 and 6, we had time to spend a few years in Australia, checking everything out and then make a long term decision for our children. I think bringing teenage children over is a very different experience, I really can't see the sense in such a major move at a critical time in your childrens' life.
Malpjc, Please look at making a lifestyle change in the UK, reduce your working hours, move to a smaller house / cheaper area, go on holiday and get out there and tell everyone that Britain is Great!
#54
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Going home at last-now we know where that is !
Posts: 1,040
Kath,
What a good point. People often need to change their circumstances in the UK to be happier and I think that Malpjc is a very good example of that. If you are not happy in England do not think the sun and beaches will make you happy here. You have a loving wife and family in the UK. Take a look at what you have got and make the most of it. It puts a big strain on the whole family moving to another country. Please bear all this in mind and good luck.
What a good point. People often need to change their circumstances in the UK to be happier and I think that Malpjc is a very good example of that. If you are not happy in England do not think the sun and beaches will make you happy here. You have a loving wife and family in the UK. Take a look at what you have got and make the most of it. It puts a big strain on the whole family moving to another country. Please bear all this in mind and good luck.
Originally posted by Kath
Malpjc, Please look at making a lifestyle change in the UK, reduce your working hours, move to a smaller house / cheaper area, go on holiday and get out there and tell everyone that Britain is Great!
Malpjc, Please look at making a lifestyle change in the UK, reduce your working hours, move to a smaller house / cheaper area, go on holiday and get out there and tell everyone that Britain is Great!
#55
Originally posted by ABCDiamond
Some good points, but some not quite right.
£150,000 is a fair chunk and can get some very good houses, and enable a person to become mortgage free.
That amount can buy a reasonable property 40-50km out of Sydney, let alone 80km. eg: I own a property 47km out from from Sydney CBD, and it is very close to that value. 5 beds, 2 kitchens, 3 living areas, etc. £162k at todays rate. But that's Sydney! Look at other Cities, Adelaide, Brisbane etc, much cheaper, and it can be an even better lifestyle, depending on what a person is looking for.
Some people like their dreams, and some turn them into reality. A very big % choose to stay in OZ.
Some good points, but some not quite right.
£150,000 is a fair chunk and can get some very good houses, and enable a person to become mortgage free.
That amount can buy a reasonable property 40-50km out of Sydney, let alone 80km. eg: I own a property 47km out from from Sydney CBD, and it is very close to that value. 5 beds, 2 kitchens, 3 living areas, etc. £162k at todays rate. But that's Sydney! Look at other Cities, Adelaide, Brisbane etc, much cheaper, and it can be an even better lifestyle, depending on what a person is looking for.
Some people like their dreams, and some turn them into reality. A very big % choose to stay in OZ.
I sense that you don't want to admit that Goose's post was very good....
#56
Re: questions for goose
Originally posted by malpjc
hello goose,i have to agree with everyone else who has said how good your post is,i really appreciate what you are saying and cannot deny there is a tiny amount of doubt in the back of my mind about moving to aus.
hello goose,i have to agree with everyone else who has said how good your post is,i really appreciate what you are saying and cannot deny there is a tiny amount of doubt in the back of my mind about moving to aus.
#57
Well
I would recommend new immigrants avoid Sydney. Why?
Expensive property,
Over populated and
Over rated.
Sydneysiders arrogant attitudes...We are great!!! naw.
It's similar to London in outlook....an international city...ie tourist attraction.
I mean..all it has is a Coathanger for a bridge and a few beaches.
I love Australia and lived in Sydney for over a year, in 2001.
Now living in Perth and would never go back there. Except in transit.
Get outta ther..SEE australia first before settling.
I would recommend new immigrants avoid Sydney. Why?
Expensive property,
Over populated and
Over rated.
Sydneysiders arrogant attitudes...We are great!!! naw.
It's similar to London in outlook....an international city...ie tourist attraction.
I mean..all it has is a Coathanger for a bridge and a few beaches.
I love Australia and lived in Sydney for over a year, in 2001.
Now living in Perth and would never go back there. Except in transit.
Get outta ther..SEE australia first before settling.
#58
Guest
Posts: n/a
The best thing to do is when you get to Adelaide, don't buy a house but rent a house for a year, put your $384,000 in the bank
with a fixed term interest rate of 5.5% you should get paid interest of $20,000. Use $10,000 to pay the cost of renting a house for a year and you will still have $10,000 left. If after a year you don't like Adelaide or Australia or can't get a good job there, you can go back to the UK with your $384,000 still intact and having lost little money.
with a fixed term interest rate of 5.5% you should get paid interest of $20,000. Use $10,000 to pay the cost of renting a house for a year and you will still have $10,000 left. If after a year you don't like Adelaide or Australia or can't get a good job there, you can go back to the UK with your $384,000 still intact and having lost little money.
#59
Re: questions for goose
Originally posted by malpjc
also i'm not sure of how you lose tens and tens of thousands of pounds,am i missing some important information,i admit i haven't worked out every single cost ,are there any hidden fees with anything to do with the move ,ie estate agent fees,taxes etc.
also i'm not sure of how you lose tens and tens of thousands of pounds,am i missing some important information,i admit i haven't worked out every single cost ,are there any hidden fees with anything to do with the move ,ie estate agent fees,taxes etc.
I'm sure there's more, but here's a starting point for some costs you will incur in moving to Oz. (COsts are all rough estimates):
Visa application fee (incl medicals, etc)
Migration agent fees
Selling your UK house (legal fees, estate agent fees, etc) (£3-3.5k for a house worth £200k)
Air fares to Oz (£400 each for a one-way ticket; £600 return)
Shipping personal belongings and effects to Australia (£4k-5k - for a 20ft container, incl insurance, customs clearance costs, etc)
Renting/hotels in Oz on first arrival
House purchase in Oz
Stamp duty on house purchase (up to 7% depending on which state you go to)
Legal fees for house purchase
Other set up costs in Oz (cars, household purchases, etc)
Any period of unemployment where you are living off your savings
Good luck
**edited to add last point**
Last edited by HiddenPaw; Jul 9th 2004 at 7:55 am.
#60
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Goose
Plan on being unemployable for 10 to 18 months. You think cleaning loos or packing grocery market shelves is way cool (so long as you're in Oz)? Think again. There's a whole bunch of other Aussies applying for those jobs too. You've done well for yourself in your field. Trust me...doing anything else other than what you want or are good at in the UK is soul-destroying and demoralising.
It's soul-destroying and demoralising not being able to get employment, I've been there, I've tried. There are many many people on this web site that say over and over again that they'll do any job just to earn some money when they get to OZ, it doesn't matter what they do as long as they are living the dream!! It does matter though and if you're lucky enough to get a job cleaning white goods or loos then the $10 an hour you 'may' earn won't go far.
Making the kind of move you're contemplating will be the most expensive and risky decision of your life.
It's cost us thousands of pounds. The most risky expensive and 'stupid' decision was selling our home.
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
This statemement is wildly thrown around this website. It's almost used in justification in going to Australia in the first place. 'Hey we're a bit scared and worried about going to live in OZ, buy you only live once so hey, lets blow everything and go'
And guess what? A cute little tour around Oz isn't going to help you either. No holiday ANYWHERE can ever prepare for a new way of life in a foreign country. When you're on holiday, you'll love the beaches, eat out at some nice restaurants, live it up and think Oz is so wonderful.
Isn't every holiday abroad ( you know the ones, two weeks in the med) the one where you discuss living somewhere hot and dreamlike
But there's a reason that a horrifically large percentage of Brits return to the UK.
Thats right !!!!! I've said before you have to live the life to understand what it will be like. Holidays don't even scrape the surface!!!!
Don't throw away everything you've built up in your life to date.
We did, and now we're paying for it!!! No house, living with parents. Trying to get on the property ladder is a nightmare. Starting again from scratch, getting jobs and settling back into life is harder this time round. BUT I'am glad I'am here and not there
Plan on being unemployable for 10 to 18 months. You think cleaning loos or packing grocery market shelves is way cool (so long as you're in Oz)? Think again. There's a whole bunch of other Aussies applying for those jobs too. You've done well for yourself in your field. Trust me...doing anything else other than what you want or are good at in the UK is soul-destroying and demoralising.
It's soul-destroying and demoralising not being able to get employment, I've been there, I've tried. There are many many people on this web site that say over and over again that they'll do any job just to earn some money when they get to OZ, it doesn't matter what they do as long as they are living the dream!! It does matter though and if you're lucky enough to get a job cleaning white goods or loos then the $10 an hour you 'may' earn won't go far.
Making the kind of move you're contemplating will be the most expensive and risky decision of your life.
It's cost us thousands of pounds. The most risky expensive and 'stupid' decision was selling our home.
"We only live once", "got to grab the opportunity while we can" and all that other baloney is just that...baloney.
This statemement is wildly thrown around this website. It's almost used in justification in going to Australia in the first place. 'Hey we're a bit scared and worried about going to live in OZ, buy you only live once so hey, lets blow everything and go'
And guess what? A cute little tour around Oz isn't going to help you either. No holiday ANYWHERE can ever prepare for a new way of life in a foreign country. When you're on holiday, you'll love the beaches, eat out at some nice restaurants, live it up and think Oz is so wonderful.
Isn't every holiday abroad ( you know the ones, two weeks in the med) the one where you discuss living somewhere hot and dreamlike
But there's a reason that a horrifically large percentage of Brits return to the UK.
Thats right !!!!! I've said before you have to live the life to understand what it will be like. Holidays don't even scrape the surface!!!!
Don't throw away everything you've built up in your life to date.
We did, and now we're paying for it!!! No house, living with parents. Trying to get on the property ladder is a nightmare. Starting again from scratch, getting jobs and settling back into life is harder this time round. BUT I'am glad I'am here and not there