Shayman

As things currently stand, I feel very fortunate to be living in Australia but sad to see the state of affairs in the UK. I consider myself an optimist but get the sense my home nation is in a state of long term decline. For this reason I would not move back, but look forward to being able to return for a holiday.

Kangaroo Point Rovers welcome any players interested in trialling for our 2018/19 senior squad to send any enquiries or personal details to the following email address: Coach@kangaroopointrovers.com.au We are seeking to build upon a very productive couple of seasons which included both a Grand Final success and 100 year anniversary celebration:

Hi, I've been in Australia for coming up to a year (with my wife) and would describe the move so far as a success. We have fitted in well, love the lifestyle and live in a great area of Brisbane. However, I have suffered from occasional mood swings and depressive/anxious thoughts which have impacted my enjoyment (particularly in the workplace). Whenever I feel this way I feel a strong sense of guilt at being so far away from my family. On certain occasions I have felt an impulse to return immediately back to the UK, but as soon as my mind clears up again believe this would be a decision I'd definitely regret. I'd be interested if anyone else on here has experienced these feelings and how they coped with them over time. Part of me hopes that these phases will get easier to deal with as time moves along. After many years of surpressing my anxious/depressive phases (I used to get them way prior to my move here) I have finally decided to see a psychologist. Regards

My wife and I have registered for postal votes as we are leaving the UK at the end of May on 4 year visas. I believe that whichever side loses will (in the short-to-medium term at least) be claiming the moral high ground as the UK faces tough times ahead regardless of the outcome. If we vote to leave there may well be an economic hit, whereas if we stay we will be powerless to prevent further uncontrolled immigration. Open border EU migration is a good thing for big businesses and our GDP statistics but many average Brits have reasonable concerns about the pressure it puts on our schools, hospitals, housing and other public services...not to mention some negative social effects (which most politicians we are graced with shudder at the thought of discussing). Both of us shall be voting out because even if there is a temporary economic hit we feel the country is strong enough to adjust and would as a result be a better place to live in the longer term.

Hi Can anyone recommend a sports bar to watch the England Euro 2016 fixtures in Brisbane? THanks

Thanks for the replies. We look more likely than not to be renting a complex-style place initially, so I would imagine the running costs would be built into the rental price. I would probably use it regularly as I am a fairly active person, and if it were to help us mix with others then that's an additional benefit...

Greetings, My wife and I are moving to Brisbane at the end of this month and are looking at properties to rent on rightmove for the first 12 months or so. I'd like to ask whether, based on your experiences, you think it is worth paying extra to be somewhere with a pool? Due to the climate this looks like a bog bonus, but filtering properties with this feature brings back far fewer options... Regards

Hi, I have just gotten married and we are moving to Brisbane at the end of the month. We have about 10 bottles of champagne bought for us as gifts which we would like to put in shipping. The company I am dealing with (Anglo Pacific) however have liquids down as a no-go! Would anyone be able to offer some advice? Regards

Hi My OH and I have just had a feisty debate over whether I could have to pay tax on rental income of c.£7k per annum while I am living in Australia on a 4 year visa. Please can somebody clarify this? I know £7k is within the tax free income threshold of the UK, but am unsure whether my Aussie earnings would affect anything... Thanks!

Thank you all for the most helpful advice and well wishes. I have decided based on your feedback (and some rough calculations) to rent the property for the initial 2 year period, in hope that we settle happily and decide to sell it thereafter.

Thank you Rachel, most helpful advice! If it was a house there would be no consideration of holding onto it as a vacant property. However, because the ongoing monthly costs would be manageable for us this option is something which we are willing to consider (versus sticking any sale proceeds we receive from a sale now into a low-interest savings account...). Although I've described it as a flat its like an old stone building cut up into 4 x 1 bedroom apartments with its own uniqueness, so compared to modern apartment blocks I believe it has lasting value and due to its position the likelihood of vandalism is low. I need to go and do some number crunching I think!

Thanks for your reply, very helpful. As it is only a small 1 bedroom flat and I would be able to hand over the keys to my retired parents (who I'm sure would happily check on it regularly) the deterioration issue is not much of a worry of mine, but I'm glad you raised it. The tax on rental income is something which I had not considered. What would I do with the money is a key question! The answer is I can't think of anything safer than sticking it in a UK savings account which will earn barely any interest, hoping that the exchange rate movement over the next couple of years or so is favourable should we decide to stay in Australia permanently. Without ruling anything out I am are fairly confident that my wives sponsorship is pretty secure as she works for one of the "big 4" global accountancy firms, and they have already suggested that if she likes it she'll have no problem in applying for permanent residency a couple of years down the line...

I would probably say that I'm happy and content 70%, sad 10% and on a high 20% of the time. It is in my nature to have mood fluctuations, and it doesn't take much to set me off in any particular direction. I'm 28 and over the past few years my "low" periods have often been linked to feeling bored and unfulfilled with my office job (in spite of it providing me with a comfortable salary and a pretty cushy work/life balance) often leading to feelings of anxiety, irritability, restlessness and pointlessness. Sometimes I wonder if I'd have been much happier working behind a bar all of my life instead despite the pay gap... Most of the time though I accept that my life is pretty great and that I have no real reasons to complain. In terms of suicidal thoughts, I don't think I could ever put my family and OH through this no matter how bad things were, but appreciate the mind can act in mysterious ways and that many people have to deal with things which make the average persons issues look like a walk in the park in comparison.

Similar, I really dont want any hassle while I'm out there with estate agents or tenants though...which is why I'm contemplating just holding onto it and making mortgage payments as a substitute for savings, at least for the first year or so. Fortunately as its only a 1 bedroom flat this is something we could probably afford.

Hi My wife and I are moving to Brisbane in the summer on 4 year work sponsored visas with £12k of savings. We both have our fingers crossed that we settle happily and as a result end up seeking permanent residency. Here in the UK I own a 1 bedroom flat in a popular and relatively affluent area near Leeds which has served its purpose well as a first time property. Due to its small size, however, if we were staying in the UK we would have long since been looking at a bigger home to reside in. I have 3 options regarding what to do with it. From initial brainstorming there are numerous pros and cons of each...both from a convenience and short & long term financial perspective (not all of which are guaranteed): Option 1: Sell Pros: Convenience of no longer owning & having to worry about the flat No further running costs Proceeds could be used to purchase property in Australia in a couple of years time (assuming we settle) We may subconsciously find it easier to settle in Australia having disposed of it?? (would particularly be interested in your thoughts on this) Cons: According to zoopla, the flat has increased £15k in value in the past 3 years alone and is in an increasingly popular area - we may regret not holding onto it as a longer term investment if this trend continues Selling costs (Estate Agency & Legal Fees) Option 2: Rent Out Pros: Due to its location I think it would be easy to find tenants to cover the mortgage & running costs Could sell at a later date at a potentially higher price Cons: I reallydon't want to have to worry about dodgy tenants / broken down boilers etc and other estate agent queries while we are trying to settle in Australia We remain tied to the property which could make it harder to settle in Australia? Option 3: Hold onto as a vacant possession Pros: The "easiest" option (from a hassle perspective) Don't have to worry about potential stresses of renting it out Might be able to offer it to friends/family in the UK to use on a casual basis if they make a contribution to running costs Due to its small size, we could afford the continued mortgage repayments for a year or two (but would have to sacrifice future savings) Could sell at a later date at a potentially higher price It's a solid asset which we have to our name in case we don't settle and end up coming back to the UK in a few years time Cons: Less ability to save due to ongoing mortgage repayments Rental income foregone I would really appreciate any advice or shared experiences you have, and if you think I have missed important points! Due to the small size of this property, it is nice to have Option 3 as a possibility, but this makes the decision slightly more difficult than a simple "sell or rent" decision. The fact that we are initially on temporary visas is another factor which makes it more difficult to simply decide to sell. Regards Shayman

My OH and I are moving to Brisbane in June with £12k savings. She has a job lined up but I will have to find work independently once we're out there. We both hope that this should be a comfortable buffer for the first few months until we are both settled and I am earning. I'm more ponderous about what is the best option regarding whether to sell, rent out or hold onto my flat as a vacant possession while we know we are fully settled for the long term...

As a Yorkshireman I am no doubt biased but Leeds is a city very much on the up in terms of investment and job opportunities (combined with decent living standards and reasonable living costs). It is also easy to get direct trains to London and the Midlands, albeit the London journey can be a major rip off if not booked in advance.

Apologies if I have caused any offence. I am certainly no homophobe and thought the term simply meant soft / weak before doing a quick google just now.

Hi everyone I am one of two young professionals (late 20's) moving to Brisbane on 4 year visas in June. We are looking for a pleasant, convenient (for the CBD) and "happening" place to live in for at least our first year while we get settled and make new friends etc... Google has suggested to us that New Farm and Bulimba are both good shouts. Does anyone have any experiences of the pros and cons of either? Any other suggestions would also be much appreciated!

As a Brit who has worked my damned hardest to gain a the level of qualifications needed for a visa I sincerely hope not! Australia and New Zealand's vigilant border controls are becoming more and more vindicated with every passing day. Lets just hope that the population aren't duped into electing a limp-wristed left wing government any time soon...

Hi I would be interested in hearing whether anyone else has felt unsettled, lethargic or restless in the UK, following a temporary stay in Australia. My experience of completing a 12 month working holiday straight after finishing university (5 years ago) planted in my head a strong ambition to return permanently ASAP to settle (in other words as soon as I could qualify as a skilled & professionally experienced migrant). Although this ambition is now being fulfilled (I am moving to Brisbane in June) I must say that over the past few years I have felt very restless and having emigration on my mind has been very distracting at times. This has been most evident in the workplace, where both my concentration and motivation levels have suffered greatly. Although I have always acted professionally and got the jobs done, whenever the going has gotten tough I have found myself thinking "what's the point bothering - I'm gonna be leaving in a few years anyway...etc" and other negative thoughts. On top of this, I have refrained from making much of an effort getting to know new people in the UK, thinking that I'd be better off spending time with my existing friends and family instead while I'm still here. For example, I started a new job 12 months ago and while my department has plenty of friendly & young people in it who organise regular social gatherings, I've not really bothered getting involved - thinking if I get attached or begin to love my workplace it'll only make the move away tougher! My concentration levels have always been pretty mediocre and I'm quite a restless guy...so I would guess that these feelings have probably been much more pronounced than the average person would have experienced. I really hope that once I'm out there my mind will be at rest, particularly in the workplace, allowing me to perform to my potential. I would be interested to read any similar experiences.

Hi I am moving to Brisbane in June with my wife, initially on a 4 year skilled visa. We are both qualified accountants but she is being sponsored and already has a job lined up. Unless I can fix something up with my work I will have to look for a job independently. Having read this: http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/become-a-cpa/international-affiliations/chartered-institute-of-management-accountants ...I ask would gaining reciprocal membership into CPA be likely to improve my job prospects, and therefore be a worthwhile investment, or is the CIMA membership itself a respected qualification on its own? Regards Shayman

Thank you all for your responses. They have certainly helped settled my mind a bit on the matter since I made my original post. My parents are both useless with computers and have no internet so these are both things I am going to sort out before we do leave for Skyping purposes!

Thank you for the responses. Guilt does have a big part to play in this, although its all of my own creation. I shall definitely get them all set up with Skype beforehand!