not going yet, but Hello anyway

mopsy · 16-07-2007, 03:09 PM

Hi, our youngest child and his partner are going in May.

We plan in about five years to have six months here and six months there, anyone done that? Will be looking maybe to buy a mobile home/static caravan so that when we go we will have our own space. Maybe in five years or so, will look into the CPV route, will wait and see how they settle first and of course if we like it!

Mopsy

Davidgolf · 16-07-2007, 04:05 PM

Hi Mopsy,just to say hi and wellcome to PIO and good luck to you and your family.

Love Sharon x

KP Nuts · 16-07-2007, 06:47 PM

Hi and welcome to PIO, good luck to you and your family that are going in May is that 2008??

KP Nuts

mopsy · 16-07-2007, 07:43 PM

Hi, yes thats May 2008, we are now on our five year plan, work like crazy, save lots of money and retire hopefully 6 months in Uk and Oz. plan to visit for maximum holidays every year and buy a small place in each country - well thats the plan at present. Have never even been to Oz! and here we are planning to spend half the year there.

KP Nuts · 16-07-2007, 07:50 PM

Hay Mopsy, we've never been to Oz and we'll planning to spend the rest of our lives there, but as eveyone says you never know until you try, got to be better then here.

Good luck anyway five years is not to long, seeing how the years seem to fly by, (that's what having another birthday does)

MRS KP Nuts

calNgary · 17-07-2007, 02:59 AM

Hiya welcome to poms ,have you looked at the over 50's complex's ,they are really good with all ammenties and not just aimed at old ditherers!Caravans seem to be a little expensive compared to the uk,were as the 50 complex's are like chalet homes ,,may be worth thinking about!!!good luck with everything
Cal x

old pom · 17-07-2007, 05:25 AM

So much depends on how much you have to spend when you get here but I think I'd be inclined to look into hiring a caravan rather than keep it in mothballs for 6 months.
If you were to buy a flat here, especially in Sydney, you wouldn't have any trouble renting it for 6 months at a time when you weren't here and make some income to boot. Sometimes you might plan to travel around and not stay there but it would be good to have a base for when you did.
I've lived in Oz for just over 30 years (5 in Brisbane, the rest in Sydney) and have recently sold our family home to finance the purchase of a flat in the city and to build a home in the Blue Mountains. I commute to the city once or twice a week and love having the best of both worlds which is a bit like what you plan only with less distance between the worlds.
I think a lot of people on this forum will be wishing their parents could/would make similar plans to yours.
Good luck with what you decide to do.

mopsy · 17-07-2007, 01:53 PM

thanks for your welcomes and info regarding the purchase of a chalet/caravan. good points raised, will look into the over 50's complexes. As far as I can find out, until such time as we would be residents, we can only purchase a new property.

as I love house hunting, I am in for the time of my life, just the horrible. ghastly goodbye to say to our son first (puts head in sand and ignores!!)

chris&dave · 17-07-2007, 02:07 PM

Hi, we're in our 50s and looked at the retirement complexes. Whilst they are fantastic, we felt like babies compared to some of the residents. If you can afford to buy a small place in the UK and Aus that would be great. Alternatively, some of the homes your child might buy do have separate accommodation for relatives, etc.
You can easily rent for six months of the year, but mostly these are unfurnished. We have been out 4 times now and have decided to live permanently there in retirement and are off in 8 weeks.

mopsy · 17-07-2007, 02:16 PM

thanks for the feedback re the over 50's complexes. My mother in law lived in one in Sydney. our thought was to get somewhere completely self contained, so that if they have any other visitors they could use it too. A lot does depend on what they buy obviously. This is our way of keeping positive about the whole heart rending separation!

We are laying plans now by gradually decluttering, changing working hours to save lots of pennies etc

I have emailed the visa people to find out the possibility of more than one six months visa, as this may have an impact on our decision, and will have to go down the CPV route in the appropriate amount of time, havnt read up on that quite so much as yet, understand the money visa charge bit but not too sure on the sponsors income side, they don;t go until May 2008 anyway.