erincowell

Thanks so much for getting back to me. I will have a look at that. I have (well got the husband to) apply for just the telephone and broadband so at least we have the basics when we arrive. Will see if teenagers can survive without Foxtel and then probably subscribe later. Due to fly 26th July and feel more disorganised than at any other time. Packing and sorting what goes in excess and what goes in suitcase. Then straight into school and house viewing when we get there. Can't wait until we are settled and kick back , have a drink and relax for a while. I guess you have put all that in the back of your mind as you have been in Perth a couple of years now. Thanks again .

Do you know what your "bundle" is called. We are arriving 30 July and trying to decide (head hurts now) which phone/broadband/Foxtel way to go. We were quoted by Telstra for $260/month - for "T-Bundle Connector Pinnacle Entertainment bundle" which includes all Foxtel channels but not multiroom. The download was 500gb/month and unlimited local, std and mobile calls. I would like to try and choose a "bundle" that sounds just what you have got and for that price. So it would be helpful. I have looked at IINET but losing the will to live after trying to compare both. Telstra probably are a bit like BT and IINet a sort of niche internet provider from my limited expertise in all this.

I am going to speak with the bank. But really my query was about whether anyone has used the PARK MONEY option with MONEYCORP? Thanks for the advice - yes they are all tightening up!

We would want to transfer the entire amount which is way over the £10 allowed without having to personally show up at the branch in the UK. We will be in Perth so there so could not do that. We have sold our house and have the capital sitting in a bank account here in UK and want to transfer it to AUS. BUT the exchange rate is not good right now so want to wait a bit to see the rate improve before moving it. But banks want you to come into the branch to move anything above the online limit.

We are heading out to Perth 3rd week of July. I wanted to transfer our money before we left. I have signed with MoneyCorp and opened an NAB account.But now the exchange rate is dismal. So thought about waiting a bit to see if it improves. Problem seems to be this: I have been told that UK banks wont allow you to transfer more than about £10k online. You would need to front up to a branch for anything more. This would be impossible as we will be in Perth. I don't want to drip feed the money. Moneycorp have informed me that to get around this issue that I could "park" our money with Moneycorp until the exchange rate improves. Then when that happens move it then from Moneycorp. Has anybody else done this with Moneycorp? Any advice?

I have had my appointment at the bank and after a long time with watching adviser on the phone , the end result is as you have all said. I can keep my accounts open and access them from Australia. Even after I evetually change to an Australian address. Thank goodness for the forums! Thank you one and all.

It does come out a lot bigger number than the 30-40k - doesn't it. It really brings home to you how much it would cost to replace things - shoudl anything go wrong. So I am guessing that your insurance will be high like mine. Near to 1000 than 500 ? The numbers just stay big all the time with this moving business.

A lot of people seem to say about 30 -40 k value of their household items. I was advised that you should value the big items at the cost to replace them in Australia. This would be more than we would pay to replace them in UK. Did your total value come up a lot higher than 30-40k value? Mine sure did. That is with TVs, Lounge Furniture, Dining Furniture , PCs, Beds , Wasing machines etc etc. Things could go wrong or not BUT I feel I would be pretty unhappy if I had not done it accurately. Letton Percival advised doing an inventory of the big things with proper replacement costs. So I would be interested to know what people did or think.

Well that is all a relief - thank you. The "bank advisor" at the Halifax told me it would be IMPOSSIBLE. No way ever etc etc. I cannot use online banking even - IF I AM NOT a uk resident. I have to have a UK address. If your new cards are forwarded through mail to UK by relatives etc and there is a security issue (stolen bla bla) the Halifax would not help with the account AT ALL. She kept saying fraud and that Australia does not allow you to access online banking to UK banks and definately the Halifax don't! I would absolutely definately have to talk to her colleagues about offshore banking!!! Halifax will definately NOT SEND ANY MAIL TO AN AUSTRALIAN ADDRESS - she said many times over the phone. Nobody has had any problem with online banking back to their UK accounts???? Have I encountered new rules OR the BEST/WORST Halifax advisor ever ? I now wish I had not asked them. I will just close out my ISA as I know you can't have those if you are not resident and say no more. I don't need this - I am already a tad frizzed about the speed at which we are moving . So (she said in a paranoid way) : I just leave my accounts open, find a UK address to use or just give them an Australian address? That will work? What if you need a new card etc - any experience with that. I have got to meet this woman in person tomorrow - I hope she has some different words then for me. Why MEeeeeeeee

I want to keep my uk bank accounts open for a while to cover things that may still need doing or paying in the uk. Have people done this and what have you done about having a UK address. After your house is sold address for accounts will have to be changed? What did you do ? Also were you able to still use internet banking for your UK accounts once you were in Australia? My current account is the Halifax and they seem particularly uninformed and unhelpful when I briefly spoke to them. Any advice very gladly received - as contract exchange about to take place on house in next week.:arghh:

We are not migrating, I am a returning Australian (after many years in UK). My son didn't sit the last GATE tests as we hadn't seen any of the schools - so indecision reigned. Problem is now I realisethese tests are only conducted once a year so will have to find a school to attend whilst waiting for these tests. He is in the top 2% here in the UK so I am moderately confident that he would be successful. However, it is all becoming a bit of a challenge given that we will have to choose a "temporary" school for a year or so. I am not even sure anymore what year he will go into. He is 14 and will be 15 mid January 2013. I am guessing year 9 for 2012? First priority when we have fixed arrival date is to go see the schools and see what they are like and whether admission is going to be as big a problem that everyone seems to talk about.

I have been researching Secondary schools for my 14 year old son. I am all too aware of catchment areas BUT would like to choose a school first then look at the area for houses. Trouble is which schools? Reading on-line is one thing but reality is another. He is in the gifted category and so would like to try and find the best match for him. We have contacted GATE and he may growing face hair by time that process may get him into a school.:em4600: Anyway - I am looking at possibility of Private as well (dependant on fees and waiting lists). Without wishing to start a thread war - as we all have our own opinions and experiences with schools - I would really, really like to get peoples opinions and experiences and knowledge regarding schools for my young man. Schools on paper look very different don't they to the reality. We would probably prefer to be closer to Perth - the beaches etc are not our priority. Please jump in!

Thank you so much for all the info. I will just have to cross everything and hope something unexpectedly good comes up (schools that is). It is all so crazy this school entry situation. So generally the private schools are all great? Talking about pre-conception , after having dicussions with the GATE people - I would have had to plan pre-conception, foresee the economic gloom in UK and the demise of the UK housing market and then time a house sale and move to the exact time that the entry exams take place. Who knew there were so many gifted children out there. A year or more to wait to get into a school seems like a crazy thing to do if you are trying to support the G&T pupils. Hey it is just as crazy as the UK! I have given up trying to find a FURNISHED house - the choice is so limited and the quality seems so much lower. Will have to try and put off flight to coincide with worldly goods arrival. Off to a dark room for another bit of calm time.

I have done quite a lot of research on the web. Have seen the whole catchment area / cost of housing status. I am not looking to rent in these areas just somewhere closer in to Perth that means I can get around more easily to do the leg work investigating various schools and suburbs in the flesh. If the school is right then I will look at renting/buying to suit then. Just need a "nice" base that allows us to scoot around easily to look at the schools and suburbs. I have been in communication with the WA education department for a couple of months now and looked at th schools catchments etc etc. I will have a look at Bibra Lake and Coolbellup - thanks. Do you know what the average sort of time it is from Canning Vale to CBD? I also have had a brief look at Private schools but even harder to judge those. Do you have any views (I appreciate everyone has a different experience and view when it comes to schools and suburbs) but all views are welcome for me. Thanks for your info

When we get to Perth this year (poss June/July) we need to look at schools. The ones we are considering are considered to be the top 10 (well as far as reviews etc go) So... Rossmoyne , Willeton, Perth Modern etc. My 14 year old son is Gifted&Talented so have looked into the entrance details and also schools that might be best fit for him - on paper at least. BUT you have to see a school to know - don't you? So we want to rent somewhere that is not too far out od Perth so we can look at the schools and houses in these areas. SO.... any suggestions about suburbs to rent ( not the mega $$$$ ones though) that would be closer in to Perth. I saw lots of rentals in Canning Vale for example as it is a not too far out. BUT I can't get a clear idea if this is an OK place to rent or which suburbs would be reasonably( in the middle) priced and accessible and ok places to be:wacko:.