Madasacutsnake

Nope no citizenship, we have until 2017 then our PR is out.

Thanks for the advice, seems like you have wrestled with similar issues in the past? We came back as we had that nagging feeling we should, perhaps guilt is a large part of it, we also love the UK and Europe. I like the two rights approach as I think you are correct, choosing between one developed country and another is not a hardship it's a privilege. If Scotland goes Indy I see very little difference to my circumstances so it doesn't really come into my thinking in this instance. I think our practical timeline to decide would place us returning to Oz around Oct-Dec 2015. Cheers

Are things really bad in Brissy? I suppose the economic growth experienced by Australia over the last 5-10 years had stop slow at some point. I think UK house prizes are rising fast but it seems to be built on the same type of asset bubble as last time with inflation leaving wages well behind, I'm far from convinced by the recovery outside of the SE and the little bubble up here in Aberdeen. Time will tell.

OK so the first morning frost of the year came and went and the day has turned into a cracker, the drive to work through the countryside was amazing! In other news the wife has major unsettled feelings today and is struggling to picture a long term life in Jockland, funny how it comes and goes that way. I reckon it's the curse of an expat once you start moving it's hard to stay put. I've been feeling a lot more positive about the whole being home thing since venting my feelings on here. Still taking it day by day and enjoying the small things about being home.

Fair comment Beach Pig, we won't raise a huge amount of cash out of a sale of both properties once taxes and fees are paid. Hence our reason for hanging in with both whether we live in one or hold them as medium term investments. I agree though it's a good position to be in albeit a bit stressful at times. Good luck with your move whatever you decide.

Taking the good advice offered so far on board and not panicking into a change too quickly. We are sweating a bit on getting both properties re-rented in October as quickly as possible. The agent has said that rentals are moving OK in WA again not as bad as it was when we moved back, time will tell. Sounds like you have given the possibility of move home some real thought, I like the comment about windswept days on Union a grey street. The shire is still an amazing place full of natural beauty no doubt, the folk are generally decent and of a diverse background. The dry sense of humor is most welcome and something I missed whilst away. Edinburgh is still a stunning city, we plan to take the kids and do the new museum and a few of the sights before the weather turns into winter at the start of September! I have asked myself the question without considering finances and I'm torn so that's good in a way, it means I like the possibility of Oz regardless of cash etc. Cheers

Thanks for the input JK. I remember we exchanged some banter a while back, how's all going for you will you stay or does the lure of coming back seem inevitable? I think it's fair to say the cost of living and also what property actually sells for not the offers over price has risen astronomically since we made the decision to return. For example the local rag is suggesting that property in Aberdeen & the shire is rising at £5000 per month on average. With a + 20% increase expected for the year and people regularly offering 15-20% over the asking price for a home. It's a crazy situation and with what I can see as steady period for Oil & Gas with the odd boom thrown in, it's unlikely to abate much in the near future. I think we will hang onto our property and reassess along with the big move or not decision around April, we may look to sell one or both. Cheers

Thanks for all the replies folks they are considered and full of relevant comment and opinion. It certainly helps to get input from people that don't have any emotional investment in our lives and can see through any superficial worries. I feel it gives us more questions though about what is needed to make us feel comfortable with life in the UK moving forward. Money is far from the be all and end all in this life and it's important to keep perspective on what really matters in life, although it can't be completely dismissed as it's kinda essential under the current system. In terms of the WA economy I agree it's not what it was for mining but maintenance Oil & Gas work still seems to be plentiful in my field. Housing wise the point made by Terry DBX is a good one as there is no guarantee that the WA market will pick up and take off again, best to take it easy on that front and rent them for another year then reassess? I like the idea of taking the finances out of it all and coming to decision on whats best for us as a family and also what feels right. I do still feel a pull to Australia as it's a great place to live in so many ways but I must acknowledge to myself that there is a reason we are back home. I think perhaps reading back on my first post it seems like my view point is driven by cash however that's poor articulation on my part. I suppose there is a bit of everything in there, honeymoon has worn off reality etc. I'll keep mulling it over. Thanks for the input.

Hello, Just thought I’d pop in and introduce myself and get opinions from people who really understand the dilemma of having lived in Oz and then returned to the UK. We may be dreaded ping pongers! Myself and family moved to Victoria on a 457 in 2009 as a family of 4 and returned to the beautiful Aberdeenshire countryside as a family of 5 in April of this year with PR. We spent 5 years in Geelong, Karratha WA and latterly Baldivis WA before making the move home. My children are aged 4, 9 & 11. We still have a house in Baldivis and one in the Geelong region, both are rented out and are fully managed, but they still require effort from this end. Now is not a good time to sell either and I see them both as 5-7 year investments at the very least. All our savings are really tied up in there until that 5-7 period is up. Possibly not our smartest financial move but hey ho not point in losing sleep over it……….oh wait I do most nights. We are renting in a stunning part of Scotland there is no other way to describe Deeside, can’t imagine it’s easy to beat in broad terms on a UK basis. The kids have settled in well at school and have made loads of fab mates in the local village, school seems to have been a smooth transition for them. My family and friends are close by and my wife’s are a few hours away, all in all things are pretty decent. I’m contracting for an old employer and there is plenty of opportunity in my field locally to progress and or maintain my current arrangement. What’s the dilemma then, well it would appear that we would need circa 100k deposit to get on the market here, which will require a massive sacrifice to achieve. With all of this looming in the background it does start to make you wonder if it’s all worthwhile. As it stands we could move back to Perth probably land a job before setting off from the UK and put the kids back into the school they left albeit with a timeline of Aug-October next year. Our two eldest are still in contact with their old schoolmates in Baldivis etc. I’m just questioning if we came back for the right reasons and will we be able to settle in the long run. I think a large part of why we came back was driven by guilt and perhaps a wanderlust for what we could have in Aberdeenshire. The reality does bite quickly and we have made choices through the years regarding property that mean we require a fair amount of patience to get to where we want to be. I’m spilling my thoughts out here as I need to get perspective from impartial parties, my wife and I have a habit of embarking on adventures too easily. The cold hard facts are that if we stay in Aberdeenshire it’s until the kids are through their education and if we do return to WA the same applies. All feedback gratefully received.

I concur I was keen to see the world and have come to the same conclusion that it's not a bad old place Aberdeen and its surrounds. That being said though I do think there is a lot to be gained from living in other parts of the world, it's also good for the kids to experience another way of life. I shall let you know how we go once the reality of sideways rain and too many rowies has set in, best of luck with your decision.

I'd say there are a few factors at play, being able to have family support around us counts as a big + also the sense that Oz just isn't ticking all the boxes perhaps you could call that wanderlust in reverse. I think deciding to leave all the family behind and really make this country home i.e. only go back for holidays you really need to believe that the quality of life etc. is so much better. We have compared what our mates in Aberdeenshire have in terms of career finance and general quality of life and we just can't see how Perth improves on this, is it any worse? probably not just different. I'd think both yourself and Mrs Kash would have plenty opportunity in ABZ workwise, I reckon living in rural Aberdeenshire has to rate as a high standard of living when compared with the rest of the UK. I'd also agree Edinburgh is a fantastic place possibly my favorite UK city, would live there but it limits me to working offshore or at Grangemouth. I've done both over the years and I'm not real keen on repeating either experience so we are heading North to give us as many options as possible.

Cheers helpful info.

Hi Johnny Kash, I think that in general the North East/Aberdeenshire is a vibrant place possibly the most vibrant in the UK? can't be much in it between there and the SE of England. There was however a blip during GFC where Oil & Gas companies held pay back for a few years but the rates seem to be on the up again and a mini boom is predicted. My wife is from the Edinburgh area and her family and friends are all gainfully employed but I would say their stories are more that they are grateful to hang onto to jobs as opposed to chasing payrises etc. The father in-law just received his first base rate rise in 5 years, he works in Glasgow as a sales manager. Hopefully the whole of the UK is pulling out of the gloom! What line of work are you in?

We are not against Aussie citizenship as such it's just we have a fair bit on our plates at present with moving back. If the RRV buys us a 5 year window to decide that should be enough to make the call. We are fairly sure the UK will be home in the long term, saying that we do like Australia so it's real privilege to be able to live in the UK or down under.

I'm a UK citizen so this does not apply.

Hi fourcorners thanks for the reply. We have been down under for about 5 years with 2.5 yrs on 457, we don't really want to go for citizenship at this stage however I do agree it would be easier in the long run. Does anyone know how we will fair on the RRV front and do we have to put it in place before departure?

Morning Poms, We are PR and have been for 2.5 years via 457 ENS. The plan is to leave Australia mid April 2014, we wish to leave the door open so to speak. My understanding is that we will obtain an RRV before leaving Australia, I have a few questions around this that I'd be grateful to get some guidance on. Does each member of the family require a RRV or is one enough to cover the whole family? Our original PR has 2.5 years left on it, should we let the remaining time elapse and apply for RRV offshore effectively giving us 7.5 years total before we have to make our minds up as to where home is? Cheers

Motorhead I can relate to your situation. I work in Oil & Gas in Perth and earn somewhere a little north of 200k, I consider myself very lucky to be in this position. However I am returning to Aberdeen as a dayrate contractor on around the 400 a day, there were more lucrative offers but I like the role and the people that I will be contracting for. I always get the impression form a purely materialistic buying power point of view that my colleagues in Aberdeen have always been better off than their counterparts in Perth due to house prices and the general cost of living. The other way I look at is like this, the average Oil & Gas wage in Perth is say 160-170K basically 2.2 x the national average where as back home Oil & Gas wages are closer 3 x the national average, this makes a big difference to the perception of being better off. I think you have been given good advice by some of the posters earlier in the thread before the public v private school debate was ignited! I feel we will be better off as a family in Aberdeen than Perth as we will have the support and understanding from family and friends that just isn't here in Australia. We have been down under in 3 different locations for a total of 5 years, the first 2.5 years I earned less than half of what I do now but I was happier with my lot. Sometimes it's just right to go back and if your PR you can always return!