srg73

Do NOT bring wardrobes and drawers unless you really want them as 90% of Australian homes have built in robes. S

Some rental values are currently down due to slight over demand. Brisbane is a great place to live, plenty going on, plenty of things to do and see beyond the city and usually great weather to enjoy the outside lifestyle. Have a look at Newstead and surrounding areas, appertment rentals are down with additional incentives to sign up for fixed periods. Budgets discussed above are a little high, a couple could easily live on $120,000 as it is surprising how many things are free including beach etc. S

5 France 6 UK Recent change due to fall in value of £ Newjez, EU has socialist principles at its heart and strongly believes in the redistribution of wealth hence why UK contributed supporting people like French farmers. S

There are a lot of statements from both side which I now agree with especially after Europes reaction to the exit vote by UK. The issue as highlighted is that EU has had 40 years to tangle and weave itself into the UK legal and financial systems. This will take years to unpick not only to ensure a smooth transition but also to ensure what is left us sound and has legal standing. Some EU members are now showing their true colours and are very disappointing, a little like sulking children after some of their toys have been taken away. I guess the reaction is not surprising given that one of the main contributing states has now elected to leave plus EU's economic figures now look a mess with UK being removed. The entire collapse of EU would not be good for UK as the key states would continue to act as partners......can you really see France surviving without German support? I think the expansion of EU was a mistake as more and more dependant countries were introduced which now leaves Germany with some difficult decisions. France, Italy, Spain, Portugal etc are all in trouble, Germany has seen a downturn as has Holland. The left leaning politics of EU will now be hard to sustain given the lack of money meaning more and more countries will question their position within Europe. It was easier for UK to remove itself due to retaining the £ but also having a generally sustainable economy. I hope for a soft and smooth transition as markets and the U.K. economy does not like shock or change.

Seem to recall 2 to 3 weeks although that was 3 or so years ago.

You are venturing into specialist insurance. You will pay a lot for both domestic insurance (whilst you are there) and holiday let which is business insurance. Investigate but the insurance and tax maybe high enough to deter you from the holiday let idea. As both insurances are very different you likely will need a broker especially for the business insurance. You maybe better looking for long term lets ie 6 months as landlords insurance is much cheaper. S

Give it a go, as mentioned there is very little to loose with so much to gain including most importantly life experiences. Best of luck with it all S

You are correct, most recent IELTS only Highest points get chosen first. S

If working in the city then ensure you are either near public transport or parking us included within the employment package. Houses near stations are the most expensive and with houses near noisy main roads most expensive. Building a house should be great but areas like Gatton are miles out. Up and coming areas, quite a lot of the south side like Coorparoo although climbing very fast. Areas like Daisy Hill give good value with lovely surroundings. Northside, Kedron is fine but also consider Woolowin bit cheaper or Banyo which must be ready to boom soon, very industrial however very central. Happy to to answer any questions as getting to know neighbourhoods quite well with work. S

People thinking of moving to Brisbane should read your post and take careful note, when you move, you will need to compromise on your property usually with the decision of size vs location, we elected central with a back yard only although have access to 2 X pools and tennis courts. This suits us as don't like gardening and frees up time and removes a physical job especially during the hot summer. North Queensland is TROPICAL and therefore is extremely wet and gets very humid. Most people finally decide on where to live influenced by where they work, do yourself a favour and try and live close to work unless you are happy to commute. Traffic is not too bad in Brisbane just the road network in parts is still developing meaning there are some pinch points particularly the incoming or outgoing motorways ie Bruce, Pacific and Ipswich. New housing developments all push traffic onto these roads meaning you will suffer the long commute where North Lakes, Springfield Lakes etc. We love Brisbane, it's facilities, climate and mostly its people. It is also a positive city looking forward and full of ambition, I guess having a competitive neighbour of Gold Coast helps keep Brisbane motivated. adele244, I guess next time you won't need to return although a 1 way ticket feels strange. S

You insure as a lump sum by nominating a sum insured limit. Sit down and spend an hour pricing the cost to replace 2x rooms usually lounge and 1 bedroom. Multiply this by the number of remains rooms (not including bathrooms or hallways) and this will provide a very rough estimate. Most people under insure encouraged by many insurance companies not being interested in anything north of £60k. Australia is noted as the worlds worst country for under insurance meaning claims are aggressively fought. We have high level music gear and circa £50k record collection which has always posed an issue for insurers especially when insisting they not be insured as a 'collection' (can have SI limit applied). S

I disagree about the agent not pushing you. The agent we used, Thames Migration was brilliant. I started everything off and for £700 they finished the application from Vetassess onwards. Our agent did push me as we appointed them due to me getting very busy with work and not having time for the submissions. Mielan who is LLP trained pushed enough to keep me motivated and was always available on the phone. Personally if you can afford an agent then a good one is worth the investment. S

There are 2 professions there which I would suggest are still in very short supply here in Brisbane.....Quantity Surveyors and Structural Engineers. There are plenty of people who think they are QS or Engineers however they are not fully qualified. I believe as maturing trades Aus should be encouraging more chartered professionals and continued training of those already here. The removal of some of the specialist trades suggests bit of a stitch up and trying to preserve the existing high fee rates by denying entry to others who may encourage a reduction in fees. Works in the highly competitive UK market. S

The packers are correct, first thing customs will head for is scruffy used boxes etc. Also your packers keep a itinerary of what has been packed and signed off to confirm there are not illegal or threatening items contained. If you pack the they can not sign this off and customs will want to inspect which will attract a charge which may cost more than the boxes. We came to the closest compromise in returning everything back to its own unsealed packaging, packers inspected, sealed and boxed. The only exception was our record collection (6000+) which I packed into plastic crates, left open so Bournes our packers inspected, signed and zip tied closed. S

Back up there for a 3rd time tomorrow, hot hot and humid. S

You MUST be licenced to do this, known as owner builder as mentioned previously and allows you to employ trades to undertake the work under your direction. S

You will need it, we are central Brisbane and have our uk 4 seasons doona (duvet) plus covers on top during winter. S

Not required if employed and waged. We secured a mortgage on good terms within 6 months of landing. S

Kitchens are available from basic IKEA and Bunnings flat pack so standard sizes through to bespoke joiner constructed. The biggest differences are that most people buy the bespoke kitchens as the price is high but not prohibitive. Secondly rarely do you see a classic style of kitchen, nearly everything is contemporary. If you are qualified and good at what you do then you should be ok for work just note most kitchens, robes and fitted furniture is purchased as a fabricate and install package here. S

I work with alot of home builders here in QLD and be very aware that procedures are different here to UK. 1, Builders. Check and recheck who you are looking to use. There are some very good builders here however some are financially very fragile and will take your money without finishing the project. Some poor builders will con you including on specifications. Some states have licensing although can be out of date. 2, What are you buying? Are you buying a project home or architect designed? Project homes are most common and are built at budget. If you change the specification then cost increases very quickly. Buildings are built for the client not sold after built like UK where only some properties are purchased off plan. Check your materials carefully as homes are designed for 50 years only so a lot are constructed from cheap lightweight buildings. I see properties less than 10 years old which are ready for knocking down! 3, Personalising your property. You will have a choice from a limited list of selections. Sometimes contracts include Prime Cost sums so you can choose any item within a fixed budget, tiles are the best example of this. 4, Contracts. They are terrible here and full of loopholes. Fundamentally beware of the following. The payment is on a schedule and once a stage is reached the money is due immediately regardless of whether you are happy with the quality. UK work is certified based on work completed to standard and you have 28 days to pay so the client always has the advantage. If you delay payment or decisions then YOU are in breach of contract You as the client have no control of activities on site including methods of construction, quality, alternative materials etc. Late completion is almost guaranteed and you are powerless. Liquidated damages do exist and ALWAYS amend to suite your needs as standard here is $50/day. Base the sum on your weekly rent you are paying as damages are to refund your actual loss not a penalty for late completion. You MUST be here in Australua when building. Interstate investors or clients can cause major issues especially when things start to go wrong. Client representative are rarely used however if you are remote from the build then I would highly recommend this. Choose your certifier very carefully, they police the builder and if bought as a builder led package then you will end up with the builders friendly selection, the certifier who is the builders golfing buddy and therefore rarely criticises the builder or his work. Throughout the build certification will be issued ie frame with the certifier checking it is in line with the engineers details, Australian Standards and State Regulations. Certification is given to you only once the project is COMPLETE with form 21 here in QLD. For many clients they are not able to get a form 21 as the builder has neglected to get previous form 15's (for pre fabricated products ie windows) or 16's for on site works. Without form 21 the house remains legally incomplete meaning the bank holds back payment.......remember if you delay payment then YOU are in contractual breach. In conclusion, you are the dumb client who is there only to pay. The builder runs the show, tells you when to pay and will choose external specialist ie certifier. Certifier, usually chosen by builder, should police the work and pick up problems as they are encountered. I strongly believe the certifier should work for the client but not the case. Building warantees are usually provided and are there to pick up any problems as they occur. You get 6.25 years in QLD which is less than 10 years in UK. Best of luck with it all, believe me can be very hard work. S

Who are you flying! Turn up early, be polite and have a back up plan. We had validated visas and the 2 of us boarded with just over 80kg's flying Emirates. S

Vetassess should be an early stage however most people will sit and pass the IELTS as it is cheapest and helps set you on your way. Best of luck with it all. S

There is plenty of space still to develop in Brisbane and GC. Planning and Town Planning in Brisbane is a joke and I would hate to see Brisbane/GC turn into something like Shanghai, sprawled out and takes about a day to drive through.

Also have a chat with Thames Migration, extremely professional and knowledgable with most staff legally trained with LLP.

Just as well, a lot of restaurants here in Australia seem to use salt as the primary ingredient of most dishes. S