davidholly Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) hi everyone me and my partner both late 20's are seriously thinking of leaving UK and relocating to oz around the Brisbane area. but really need help on where to start in everything really. i am a sheet metal worker and partner is a pharmacy technician. i have been told we be OK for visas but its how long it would take to find a job and the overall cash we would need to move over with we were aiming for 100k after savings, selling house and belongings, but obviously this will also be used for flights, shipping, visas etc etc. we are going over early next year to have a good look around any help with best areas to look at for future areas to relocate to? we have been looking for a while and you always seem to find what your looking for answer wise then you read something else that is the opposite of the 1st. we know people that have been over to Brisbane and loved it but they were just travelling. any help with anything would be much appreciated thanks Edited September 16, 2014 by davidholly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Hi First ,i would look into exactly what visa you qulaify and whose occupation is best to be used. If the Immi website confuses you ,maybe call an agent and let them point you in the right direction. It is hard to advise on the job front without knowing what visa category you will be, if you get a sponsered visa, you will need to find a company willing and able to sponser you before you move here. Bear in mind with this visa you are tied to the employer, so if you dislike the work or bosses there isnt much you can do. A skilled PR visa will be your best route IMO. Lots of familys move with way less money than the figure you quoted, so you have a good head start there. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 thanks for the reply. we were looking at the skilled migrant visa as that what we have been told using my job (sheet metal worker) been told been best for the points i would gain, but also been told working in a hospital is a good point earner aswell. we didnt really want to seek sponsorship just for the fact you mentioned we were hoping to find work when got out there, although we were going to enquire when we go early next year to get a good idea how easy/hard it is to find work. any advice on best areas to try visit to look round i.e for houses, schools, public transport, parks etc? we going for 3 weks early next year and treating it as a look around/decider rather than a holiday. and we would have to rent when moved how hard is this to do with no jobs at 1st? what would we be looking at for a nice house are they expensive? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 what would we be looking at for a nice house are they expensive?thanks I'll leave the other questions for people with local Brisbane knowledge. However, these are the 2 main real estate web sites which will give you an idea of costs if you narrow the search parameters to Brisbane. Real estate prices in Australian cities are expensive...and these are reflected in rental costs as well. http://www.realestate.com.au/rent http://www.domain.com.au/?mode=rent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 thanks for that skani. am not looking for city centre but not too far away for using transport. thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tina0101 Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 We've been in Brisbane for 3 weeks - started in a holiday let for a couple of weeks (http://www.stayz.com) and then secured a 6 month lease on a house in Wellington Point. Offered the 6 months upfront, had a copy of our bank balance (had sold house in the UK, so it looked pretty good!) and we were lucky enough that my husband secured a teaching job from January 2015, so we had a letter from the school to back it up. Tbh, the fact we paid 6 months upfront was probably the sweetener!! We arrived and stayed at the Meriton in the centre of Brisbane for 3 days - just so we were in the city for a few days before the madness began! The train from Wellington Point to the city is about 45 minutes. Today, we popped down to the Gold Coast for the afternoon - took about 45 mins to get there and it was pretty quiet! We also have more local beaches that are nice. We have a 4 bed, 2 bath rental for $565 a week - slightly more than we originally aimed at. Although we don't have a pool, you can get houses with pools for this sort of price. We secured and moved into this place 10 days after arriving in Australia, so it went really quickly!! If you are not shipping stuff over, we found that lots of companies do next day delivery - we shopped on the Friday afternoon and everything arrived the Saturday (TV, Beds, Fridge, Dining room furniture, washing machine). Most rentals are unfurnished - we had a cooker and a dishwasher and that was it - no fridge, washing machine etc. Nearly all shops will let you haggle. My husband and I are rubbish at this, so we were pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to pull a face and say it's slightly over budget and the price comes down - the more you buy, the more you seem to save!! We have gone for private education for our son (it's only for 1 year), although the state schools in the area seem to be ok Look at the websites Skani posted - but be aware that some of the photos make a place look lovely and we found when we actually went to them, they were not very nice in real life!! Feel free to pm me if you want any more from someone who's just arrived!! We are loving it so far!! Tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 thanks tina how long did the hole process take from starting your visas to actually moving? yeah i thought that all the photos on the website theres hardly any look not nice. how long is it til you could buy your own place after securing jobs? and is it really expensive? just i have rented before and yes it is nice but nothing like it being your own. there wasnt much we wanted to ship over but the more you ship the more you have to look for a home that would be ok for all the stuff so dont want to be restricted too much. when we visit early next year we will have to look around wellington point i have read a few people have recommended it thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 The western suburbs are worth a look. Easy access to the city for nightlife and events and reasonable property prices. When applying for rentals all agent wants to know is that you can pay the rent, so if you are still job seeking provide a copy of a healthy bank statement. If you have a look at the rental section of the forum there are some good threads on what ID and paperwork to bring with you to help you secure a rental. Prices vary massively suburb to suburb, so your best to look at sites like Realestate.com or Domain for longer term unfurnished lets. You will still need book temp / holiday accommodation for when you arrive (i recommend 3 - 4 weeks if your unsure of areas / job location) but those websites will give you a good guide to how proces can vary and what you get for your money in different suburbs. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 is coming over for 3 weeks enough time to look around everywhere and see what everything is like? just to get an idea of what life could be like. we just so sick of the uk we want a better standard of living and more outdoor time esp with wanting to start a family sometime in the near future. after we go over early next year we would pretty much want the ball to start rolling if we really thought it is definately for us. been having a look for rentals is just about every area i can see the price variation but dont want to let the price over rule the area would like to have the option of a bit of both. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Lots of people have 'reccies' to check out areas ,the job front etc, we just drove and drove and drove on ours,lol, its definitely the best way to cross areas off your lists and find places you had never considered. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 is it easy to rent a car for a couple weeks for easier access to look around? david Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tina0101 Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 thanks tina how long did the hole process take from starting your visas to actually moving? yeah i thought that all the photos on the website theres hardly any look not nice. how long is it til you could buy your own place after securing jobs? and is it really expensive? just i have rented before and yes it is nice but nothing like it being your own. there wasnt much we wanted to ship over but the more you ship the more you have to look for a home that would be ok for all the stuff so dont want to be restricted too much. when we visit early next year we will have to look around wellington point i have read a few people have recommended it thank you If you look at my timeline at the bottom of my posts, it was a year from start to finish - it could've happened quicker but wanted to wait in the UK til our son got his GCSE results! I think ink you need to have employment for 3 months before you can get a home loan to buy. We haven't shipped much. To be honest, most of what we shipped we kind of need now so we have bought out here (why did I put my bedside lights in the container?!?!? I have bought lovely cheap ones from IKEA and no longer need them!) and our shared container has only just hit the water from the UK. I think 3 weeks reccy is plenty - you can hit lots of areas and see what you like. We wanted to be closer to the sea, which is why we chose this side of Brisbane. When you get out here, if you want to meet up let us know - I'm 35, hubby is 32 and son is 17. We'll have a much better idea of life out here by then :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 yeah that be great thanks tina. we trying for just after new year. i dont think there much we would want to ship to be honest the fewer things the better, what are they like on taking pets over? we have two house rabbits and fish. i read somewhere these would not be allowed in is this correct? we have put off coming out early this year so dying to get out there soon but we werent sure if to book and stay in one place or move around any ideas which is best? thanks for all the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tina0101 Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I'd say the CDB is good if you want to search a variety of areas as you can easily get to suburbs in all sides. We balls up and got a 3 week rental in Upper Coomera (North Gold Coast), which meant we spent hours driving up and down the motorway until we secured our house rental as we decided we wanted to be Bayside! Im pretty sure I read rabbits aren't allowed - drop Petair a line as we found them very useful when we were possibly brining our cats over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 We recently had just 11 days and covered a lot of ground around Ormiston, Wellington Point and areas south of there despite having to focus heavily on schools. 3 weeks is a long time; reckon we would have felt like we lived there if we had that long. When it comes to property agents run open days on Saturdays with houses being open between 10 and 3. We only had one Saturday there and it pissed down all day but at least it kept the numbers of viewers low especially in the afternoon. Each house is open for about half an hour and the agent greets you there, quick look round, couple of questions move on. Lists of inspections are available around Wednesday obtainable from each agent. Get a map, plan a route and you can easily fit in 15 properties in the day. Worth it to get an initial impression of what you can buy for your budget. Looks like you are planning to be there in summer so probably a whole different proposition than it was for us in August. Bear in mind school holidays so January probably best avoided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 18, 2014 Author Share Posted September 18, 2014 I'd say the CDB is good if you want to search a variety of areas as you can easily get to suburbs in all sides. We balls up and got a 3 week rental in Upper Coomera (North Gold Coast), which meant we spent hours driving up and down the motorway until we secured our house rental as we decided we wanted to be Bayside! Im pretty sure I read rabbits aren't allowed - drop Petair a line as we found them very useful when we were possibly brining our cats over. thanks tina we were thinking a rental rather than a hotel just to see what was like to live i.e shopping and everything, is it better to go just that little bit further out for a rental property thanks i will get onto petair about that thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 18, 2014 Author Share Posted September 18, 2014 great help gbye grey sky really good idea to do this. how did you work out a budget tho? did you look into what salary you would get and take it from there? i know tina said 3 months before got a home loan and we would be renting for around 6-12 months anyways. is it hectic in january with school hols? i see your planning emigration aug 2015 have you decided on an area? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tickled Pink Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Rabbits are not allowed in QLD I'm afraid, so you'll have to leave those behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 You cannot import rabbits into Aus iirc, so will need to rehome them, and the fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 18, 2014 Author Share Posted September 18, 2014 You cannot import rabbits into Aus iirc, so will need to rehome them, and the fish. i guessed that about the rabbits, but fish are imported from oz to uk so why not back? i have a marine tank so nothing could go i.e fish,rock, coral, nothing? bit disapointing if this is the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 great help gbye grey sky really good idea to do this. how did you work out a budget tho? did you look into what salary you would get and take it from there?i know tina said 3 months before got a home loan and we would be renting for around 6-12 months anyways. is it hectic in january with school hols? i see your planning emigration aug 2015 have you decided on an area? thanks We are favouring Cleveland, Thornlands, Victoria Point suburbs at the moment but will rent at first for 6 months so we can take our time with the decision as the home itself will be a major factor. Our situation is different in that we have cleared ( just) our UK mortgage. Will sell up and use the proceeds to buy over there so worked out budget based on our home value at today's exchange rate. Would like to have a surplus too. Though we will have an 11 year old daughter we are in our 50s so salary not really the issue. We will be happy finding temp work, short term zero hours etc until we retire and draw our pensions. Not the typical migrants at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srg73 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Hi all, sat under blue skies having a late breakfast on the south bank. In regards to properties we have chosen Ascot, a bit posh, great transport links and really nice feel including Racecourse Road. Collecting car today, got next week off with the exception of meeting up with my new office manager and COO then starting work propper the following week.....exciting. Getting your our visa can be hard work, packing and setting off is a nightmare but when you arrive and things fall into place (with some hard work too) then you know it has all been worth it. Come prepared, do your homework and try and secure work before you leave although this can be hard. Brisbane is looking like it will boom again very soon especially the Gold Coast due to the Commonwealth Games, friend mentioned circa 30,000 skilled trades, managers etc required and cantbe filled. Thus far, Brisbane = clean, organised, quiet, sunny, sociable, friendly, little expensive in parts and most importantly at the moment home. S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Hi all, sat under blue skies having a late breakfast on the south bank. In regards to properties we have chosen Ascot, a bit posh, great transport links and really nice feel including Racecourse Road. Collecting car today, got next week off with the exception of meeting up with my new office manager and COO then starting work propper the following week.....exciting. Getting your our visa can be hard work, packing and setting off is a nightmare but when you arrive and things fall into place (with some hard work too) then you know it has all been worth it. Come prepared, do your homework and try and secure work before you leave although this can be hard. Brisbane is looking like it will boom again very soon especially the Gold Coast due to the Commonwealth Games, friend mentioned circa 30,000 skilled trades, managers etc required and cantbe filled. Thus far, Brisbane = clean, organised, quiet, sunny, sociable, friendly, little expensive in parts and most importantly at the moment home. S Ascot is very nice, also have Portside to go with Racecourse road too. I live down the road on the CLayfield/Wooloowin border. Some great restaurants in Albion/Clayfield too. Inner North is a great place to live I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidholly Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 thanks for the replies everyone big help. we going to try and look at as many areas as poss when we come over. tbh the sooner we can start the ball rolling to move out there the better. when we go over next year we are going to enquire about jobs we could have (not really wanting sponsorship just for the ties) glad we aiming for 3 weeks so we see alot more and gives us more time to see if it really is for us. looking to book our flights within a month we so excited now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srg73 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 We were at Portside last night. Also love the fact the City Cat is so near, Ascot markets on Sunday with the only negative being the part time rail connection. Davidholly, although only recently arrived, the city is changing constantly ie with huge investments being made into Fortitude Valley which was previously an area to avoid. I guess your visit will help settle your mind however if possible do go for the 189 visa not 190 unless you are certain on QLD. We changed from SA to QLD simply due to work oppertunities with my 189 allowing this without any issues. QLD is an amazing state and I feel very lucky to be here. S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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