Sell house in Sydney for Bigger house in UK - a nice problem to have?!

yes you are correct, 9K gbp is more realistic we're looking at Scotland, Ireland and the Continent, no getting around living expenses though, we have EU passports so we're also mindful of the 3 year residency requirement for EU nationals, if Brexit is executed complete before 2018 we may have an issue as it will be inside the 3 year window of our arrival

 

Bear in mind there are fees for English residents at Scottish universities - although not for other EU passport holders.

I suppose we're in a similar-ish position. We've been in Australia since 2009 and we are just starting to think about making a move back to the UK within the next six months or so. We've been fairly happy here, but I wouldn't say we've our dream life here (and we wouldn't expect our lives to suddenly be better in the UK when we move back), but I think we've now reached the point where the cons of living here outweigh the pros. I'm not entirely sure when the tipping point was reached (I suspect much earlier for me than my OH), but we've kind of reached the point where we return now or not at all. Eldest kid is due to start high school here in Jan 2018 (and in September 2017 in England or September 2018 in Scotland due to her birthday/the cut off dates) so we would rather move before she gets too far down the line with high school (she is Autistic, which complicates things a bit).

 

We've been lucky in that OH has worked extremely hard and has built up a successful franchise here with his business partner, which we will sell. Plus we'll have fully renovated our home by the time we come to sell, so we should be in the position to buy outright in Scotland/the north of England, and perhaps buy an investment property too. We are toying with the idea of rather than OH starting his own business again (he also owned one in the UK before we moved to Aus), that we both do part time or locum work for a while, just to give us time to settle the kids, draw breath, and then decide on whether he wants to open a new franchise, should the opportunity come up, or even go in another direction within the same industry or in something else.

 

We aren't really moving back for financial/work reasons though. My mother in law had breast cancer earlier in the year, and although she should be fine, it kind of made us realise that we want to be a bit closer to family. We won't be on their doorstep if we do end up in north of England/Scotland, but it is a hecking lot easier (and cheaper) to get back to SE England from there than it is from Sydney. There are lots of other reasons too.

 

 

 

That is what we did, I took a short contract to get house, bank and all else started, then took a three months off when they started school.

 

We are in rural east sussex and the local primary school is a bike ride away with my fab fizzy 7 (now 8) year old boy, but the other children 11 and 13 (now 12 and 14) go to a mainstream secondary school in tunbridge wells, my 12 year old is aspergers and the school said something about him I would never have heard the school in adelaide say. The UK school called him a wonderful , remarkable and fantastic child.

 

We found inter year applications easier than being there at the beginning and appealing, but that may be because we went a little rural.

Wow, your life sounds amazing! We couldn't afford entry into London - we will be returning to north west of England but I take your point about all the great sites to behold - the Uni info is interesting to know as well - thank you so much for this post, it's inspiring - happy new year Deryans!

 

We can't afford London either and my aussie wife will not do a suburban semi - anywhere, we're a good 50 min train ride outside of it, but that works for me, we have not bought yet life's too short to jump on the hamster wheel so soon again, so we're renting a 4 bed cottage on a farm, next door neighbours are a retired couple very nice and great fun and the nearest other building is 200 meters away and the couple there are police and ex forces - also huge fun, for us it's about experience, it's hugely roald dahl danny champion of the world place, we're surrounded by woods and the local pub is just outside walking distance to my wife's delight, but my children are getting to know a whole other side of a possible life that would not have been available to them if we stayed in adelaide. That place was just too narrow.

 

Bear in mind there are fees for English residents at Scottish universities - although not for other EU passport holders.

how they got away with that one I'll never know.

That is what we did, I took a short contract to get house, bank and all else started, then took a three months off when they started school.

 

We are in rural east sussex and the local primary school is a bike ride away with my fab fizzy 7 (now 8) year old boy, but the other children 11 and 13 (now 12 and 14) go to a mainstream secondary school in tunbridge wells, my 12 year old is aspergers and the school said something about him I would never have heard the school in adelaide say. The UK school called him a wonderful , remarkable and fantastic child.

 

We found inter year applications easier than being there at the beginning and appealing, but that may be because we went a little rural.

 

What you were saying about inter year applications being easier is interesting. We had considered putting them into school towards the end of the final term (maybe four weeks or so from the end) so that they might make a couple of friends to see in the school holidays, but I'd assumed that it'd be easier to apply for the beginning of the new year. Eldest daughter is aspergers, her school here have been pretty good, particularly this year as she's had some difficulty with anxiety/panic attacks and her teacher has been outstanding with working with us/her psychologist. I sometimes feel though that she gets overlooked because she is quiet, academic and just gets on with things and isn't one of the loud/sporty kids.

 

I am hoping that we can find a nice area with a good primary and secondary school which will give eldest the support she needs, job opportunities, and in which we can afford a nice house in a village. I'm not asking for much am I!

So let me think this out loud for you, we got an address within catchment for the CoE primary (which was easy anyway as they need more kids anyway so 7 year old sorted) and the two secondary schools we chose were close together but we were not in the catchment, however, we applied as you mentioned above in early June, which was about 2-3 weeks before the close of term and did so also urgently before every administrator at the schools disappears for 2 months, and since our daughter got accepted almost immediately , brief but interesting interview, our son also got preference because of sibling, to be honest I'm not an expert on this and my wife (whose Aussie) worked the system very well to get the places, but the sibling issue was important and also the interview was a little hilarious as they seemed very interested in my daughters district performance in sports in NSW , They also interviewed our aspie boy, whom we had coached to death in what to say , and he just went completely off script with the headmaster in the interview, who just then took it in his stride, we knew then we'd hit a winner with the school!

 

I think the reason that the inter year application works is that most of the shuffling and preferential choices have been exhausted by early June , and people are focussed on other things.

That is such a shame, I would tend to think the additional debt is worth the additional learning that an 'away' student gets. Although it saddens me that students are saddled with debt these days, repayments are made 'affordable' & some never have to pay it back.

 

I am at the age where lots of friends have children going to Uni and most seem to pay for accomodation & leave everything else to their son/daughter.

 

We're a few years off that yet and I'm hoping Scottish Uni's will still have no fees (& I have said unless he is going to Oxbridge or wants to do a specific course then he should go in Scotland)

I've never understood this need to live away from home at uni. I can't think of anything worse to do. It must add to the stress of doing a degree. I guess growing up in Australia it just seems foreign. I know I lived away from home for part of my degree but I was mature age. All it did was add stress. Although I did have more freedom to drink.

I've never understood this need to live away from home at uni. I can't think of anything worse to do. It must add to the stress of doing a degree. I guess growing up in Australia it just seems foreign. I know I lived away from home for part of my degree but I was mature age. All it did was add stress. Although I did have more freedom to drink.

 

Do your kids automatically agree with you ?

 

It does seem to be an English thing though.

It doesn't happen here much where there are numerous educational facilities anduniversities in each State Capital.

 

Assuming you are a city dweller there is no need to board anywhere.

Do your kids automatically agree with you ?

 

It does seem to be an English thing though.

It doesn't happen here much where there are numerous educational facilities anduniversities in each State Capital.

 

Assuming you are a city dweller there is no need to board anywhere.

we're still two years from making that choice. We have discussed the pros and cons with them. For what they want to study, our local unis are both well within the top twenty, so it's not like they will be getting a substandard education. We have also several friends whose children failed the move and are now reapplying to closer unis next year. They can always move out if they really want to, possibly later on in their degree if they so desire, and they will be close enough to 'bring their washing home' on weekends. I just don't see the point of them moving to the other side of the country if they don't need to. I know there are some advantages in that it may give them more maturity. But surely maturity is something that is taken? My boys are mature and responsible, but they aren't drinking and smoking and partying like many kids their age, and I don't think they seem keen to start. But they can cook and clean and manage their finances etc. But for me it is the financial aspect that is important.

What you were saying about inter year applications being easier is interesting. We had considered putting them into school towards the end of the final term (maybe four weeks or so from the end) so that they might make a couple of friends to see in the school holidays, but I'd assumed that it'd be easier to apply for the beginning of the new year. Eldest daughter is aspergers, her school here have been pretty good, particularly this year as she's had some difficulty with anxiety/panic attacks and her teacher has been outstanding with working with us/her psychologist. I sometimes feel though that she gets overlooked because she is quiet, academic and just gets on with things and isn't one of the loud/sporty kids.

 

I am hoping that we can find a nice area with a good primary and secondary school which will give eldest the support she needs, job opportunities, and in which we can afford a nice house in a village. I'm not asking for much am I!

 

That is exactly how it worked out for our kids, they had about 6 weeks in the village school then moved up to high school with a few friends and are still good friends now.

Do your kids automatically agree with you ?

 

It does seem to be an English thing though.

It doesn't happen here much where there are numerous educational facilities anduniversities in each State Capital.

 

Assuming you are a city dweller there is no need to board anywhere.

 

Wow it really makes you wonder how it is so many in Australia share houses when at Uni when they must live just around the corner. What an absurd belief that every eryone in Australia lives near a university.

You really come out with the most ridiculous comments lol

Edited December 31, 2016 by bristolman

Wow it really makes you wonder how it is so many in Australia share houses when at Uni when they must live just around the corner. What an absurd belief that every eryone in Australia lives near a university.

You really come out with the most ridiculous comments lol

 

Actaully Parleycross has a point. While not all young Australians attend University in there home state the majority do seem to and they tend to live at home while doing so. So much so that here in SA it is accepted within the University that I work that it is difficult to attract students from the southern suburbs as they would go for Flinders Uni as it is closer to home. Much of the student accommodation is lived in by international students or those from more outlying rural areas. There certainly isn't the same culture here of moving away to go to Uni that there is (or at least was) in the UK.

Purchased a house recently after being in Sydney for almost a year. We're considering a move back to the UK as we are missing family and the pace of the UK. Does anyone know how much capital gains tax you need to pay if you have owned a house for less than 1 year.

 

Purchased a house recently after being in Sydney for almost a year. We're considering a move back to the UK as we are missing family and the pace of the UK. Does anyone know how much capital gains tax you need to pay if you have owned a house for less than 1 year.

if you are living in it then none.

Wow it really makes you wonder how it is so many in Australia share houses when at Uni when they must live just around the corner. What an absurd belief that every eryone in Australia lives near a university.

You really come out with the most ridiculous comments lol

they kind of do really. But they can still move out into a share house. I was a mature age student, and I lived in a share house for much of my studies, about ten minutes away from my folks place.