Snowball

Hi there. Have you looked into operating under your trade out here? I'm not sure if you may need to be licenced before u can carry out any work. The VBA are the building authority who help regulate the industry. Might be worth visiting their website as some form of help. I work in building services as a drafters and can ask colleagues for some contacts. Is your visa ready for you to come out soon?

Hi Rich, Are you in a position to work in Victoria at all? If so What kind of fitter are you and what experience do you have? Regards, Chris

Thanks for the comments. Much appreciated. I agree I am not trying to dodge paying tax but when you provide them with the correct information and they didn't have to account for any other earnings to be added to that amount I can't see how people who deal with this type of thing everyday can cock it up. It's not like it was something out of the box. Yes, I spent the refund (which wasn't thousands), but this was in good faith that they had done their job correctly and that this was what I was fairly owed. It went on buying basic for our rental, such as an iron, kitchen bits and other necessities. You just don't expect it to come back 7 months later, with a letter saying you have to pay by 2nd July!! I just don't think it's fair that I now have to add to that error by forking out more money from my pockets for bank transfer costs and a poorer exchange rate due to their mistake. It's actually 271 pounds (I mis-keyed yesterday in fury!) but it's the principal. It may not sound like much money to some but when you are living off of 1 wage out here, have been hit badly by the housing market crash in the UK and can't find a job to acquire that money, 271 pounds plus the additional becomes an issue. Sure, if I was working in the UK, on my old regular salary, I would find it a lot easier to have the adjustments made within my monthly wages. It's easy to forget when you are earning what it is like to have no money coming in and to not have that security. I do agree though that they won't just disappear, as much as I'd like them too!

Hi. We put our 2 cats into Spotswood last September time. I just wanted to pre-warn you about the fact that Spotswood have some restrictive visiting times, should you be planning on visiting them when you come out. My partner had to start work quite soon after arriving and I unfortunately had to return briefly to the UK to tie up the house sale. He found it hard to actually get there during their visiting times and they don't cater for weekend visitors, which we didn't realise. This wouldn't have stopped us bringing them out but it would have been good to have been warned about this beforehand. Our cats are very pampered and 1 is particularly sensitive and timid and I was worried about them being in there but they soon settled when they were collected. I look at them now and am so pleased that we did bring them out and know that it's a huge dilemma when planning to come out, especially money-wise! Good-luck with the move!

Thanks for the replies so far. I just got through to one of the usual robotic personalities at HM Customs & Revenues and have explained my predicament. I just got the standard blurb back about how they only know about underpayments at the end of the tax year. The operator was pushing for a payment still without even being able to explain how the calculation error occurred when they had my P45 details regarding what I'd earned up until when I left, back in November last year. She said that my details showed 2 taxable allowances which is even more baffling??? Why would I have 2 different allowances and why wasn't this queried when they calculated giving me back a refund? She couldn't answer any questions about what happens regarding the fact I'd face exchange rates varying and the additional bank charges to pay in order to get the money back to the UK. I was put on hold twice and she said they'd investigate the 2 allowances and suggested I wait for a letter to arrive and then call them again to re-discuss payment options. It was like talking to a robot who didn't hear my questions or concerns!

Thanks Fleabo. I'm going to try and fight it. I can't tell you how many c**k-ups we had trying to leave the UK. Several all being by the large companies! This is just another one at the hands of another!

Hi All. I collected my post today only to find one of those brown envelopes with a HM Customs stamp on it. I was suspicious straight away and when I opened it to find out why they had written to me it was a letter to state that they made an error with their calculations when I left the UK and that they want 231 pounds back, preferably by the 2nd July! I am really miffed at this as I presented them with details of my P45 when I left my last job in the UK and even rang them a few months beforehand to find out what else they may require in advance of me leaving the UK. I arrived in Oz on December 1st and yes I did receive a refund but took this in good faith that they knew better then myself about calculating what I owed them and clearly informed them that I was emigrating. Needless to say the refunded amount went into setting ourselves up with a few basic things here in Oz and so the money was put to good use. My main concern is that not only do I not have the money to pay them now, as I haven't managed to find a permanent job yet, but even if I did I'd get caught up with Aussie bank charges ($32 transfer via Westpac) and the poorer exchange rates just to get it back to them. I can't believe they have popped up 7 months later and have now realised this as being a miscalculated error. My financial circumstances are completely different out here and I feel it is completely their mistake and that they are unfair to expect me to have to put right their errors. I'm sure anyone reading this will also appreciate the frustration and additional cost of calling them as they have requested. It costs money to ring the UK and have to wait in a call queuing system, only to finally get through and be told you need to speak to another department! Grrrrrrr! Has anyone else received a letter like this? Or can anyone offer me any advise on how to address this please? Many Thanks

Hi. I just wanted to say that you are not alone in your feelings. I too am starting my 7th month here in Melbourne and am finding it very hard to settle. I wouldn't say I was particularly close to my parents and family and so thought that making the break would be manageable but even I am finding it hard of late. I received a parcel from my Mum this morning with some photos in it which just made me crack! We left the UK for the same reasons that you did........working all hours God sends just to get nowhere in the UK! No opportunities, etc. My partner is a tradie too and does thankfully have work out here but I must admit I am finding it hard to find a job, which I think is making matters worse for me. He too loves it out here and has settled really well, which does leave you thinking 'why can't I feel the same as he does?'. I guess we all experience our own things about adapting. I would say to you though that I think your mind starts to play tricks on you. I find myself thinking about 'home' and ironically all of the good memories pop up. Never the bad! I recall the familiarity of areas and streets that I have fond memories of, places I would meet friends, special occasions with families, favourite shops, etc. But I think that is all they are and if I were to go back now I'd soon be over it all and recalling why I actually left in the first place. I try to tell myself that you can never move forward if you are always looking behind you and have decided to give myself 2 years before I make any big decisions. I know it is not easy and you too are probably starting to think about things and have feelings that you never thought you'd have. Personally, I think that I was so focussed on the getting here that I didn't give as much thought to the 'after' bit! And now that's here! We live on the east side of Melbourne if you fancy trying to meet up for a coffee and a chat. I am not sure of where you are. You can send me a private email if you like. But along with the other good advise people have written before me, which was also reassuring for me to read, I'd say don't give up yet. It was never going to be easy and you can't compare 7 months of a new life against many more years spent elsewhere. What you are feeling is normal and don't forget the reasons why you came out here in the first place. Don't look too far ahead as it will just mess your head up more. Best Wishes, Sarah

Hi There. I just wanted to add that I had 2 separate consignments with Pickfords and both arrived with damages and broken items due to their packaging and lack of protecting some obviously fragile items. I was so disappointed and would never personally recommend them, despite their good pre-sales talk and competitive quote. I was told that my quote was based on the fact that our new sofas wouldn't have things stacked on them and they arrived with dents and a broken arm, to name but a few of the damaged things. I know they are not on your list but thought I would make others aware of our experience. Please also consider taking out your own insurance costs, rather then the removal company's insurance as you can save yourself quite a whack. We used Letton Percival and although we didn't end up claiming due to the items being irreplaceable and one-offs they were very helpful and always available to talk to. I wish we'd gone with Anglo-Pacific in the end. I am sure there will be others reading this who will however praise the services of Pickfords. I guess it's all about the luck of the draw. Good luck with making your decision.

Hi. I would definitely go with an agent again if we were starting the process all over again. I have a good admin background and am good with paperwork but what you don't get with doing it yourself is the insight, experience and knowledge as to what's going on behind the scenes and with current legislation. We went for a state sponsorship under a 176 skilled visa and it has taken us 3 years to get here! Our agent's knowledge was priceless in making us aware of what channels were moving quicker, what government changes were in the pipeline and the lengths of waiting lists, etc. We applied at a time when the goal posts kept being moved and we wouldn't have known about these movements without our agent's input. We feel it was money well spent, considering how picky Australia can be in who they want to let in, having such high application numbers. I appreciate that there are others who have done it themselves and I can only speak for ourselves and the rocky path we ended up having. But good luck in your pursute and which ever path you opt for.

Hi There, I am an M & E CAD Technician that arrived in Melbourne in December. I am not sure what part of Australia you intend to visit but I thougt I would let you know my experience of job hunting so far in Melbourne....... I have been told by a lot of agencies that I have spoken with that the M & E industry is very quiet and not like it used to be in Melbourne. I am also finding that any engineering jobs I see require the engineer to also do all of their drafting which is where I feel I am coming unstuck as a technician. I am fully competent on AutoCAD but 99% of the jobs I have seen advertised require you to know how to use Revit, and Solidworks also pops up quite frequently. I never learnt Revit as it was only coming in as I left the UK but it seems to be quite popular over here. Can your husband use Revit in the UK? If he can you will be laughing. I have seen more requests for mechanical engineers then electrical here in Melbourne so far but a few do pop up from time to time but are more for comms layouts and routing. I think other areas such as Perth & Brisbane may be more busy for work but certainly try googling some of the Aussie job sites such as seek, Indeed, My Career, as a start to compare. I wish you luck and if you want to ask any more questions, feel free. Best Wishes

Hi. We used Pickfords after having a good price and initial good service from the rep but would not personally recommend. We thought that the paperwork would go smoothly due to it being Pickfords right the way through but this never happened. Oz end didn't have paperwork and so we were asked to fill it all out again. I emailed UK end and paperwork was sent across but not all of it, so I had to chase again. Then Oz end sent me paperwork to check if it was right and it was for our second consignment we had with them that hadn't even left yet! Then when the right one was eventually sent through it had been completed wrong by the rep who failed to note we had wooden artifacts on board - quite a biggie for customs! After chasing an actual delivery date since before Christmas we have since had our goods delivered. I am still unpacking and have 6 broken / damaged items so far. 4 of which were ornaments (including glass and china) that were wrapped in 1-2 sheets of thin paper with items stacked on top. Needless to say they have not made the journey! I would have expected glass and china to have been carefully wrapped in bubble-wrap or similar. I also have a couple of missing items from boxes which I know I left out for packing. I am hoping these will turn up but am concerned that they may have never have actually made the consignment as they were quite unusual items. We have also now started to experience further admin problems with a second consignment which was put in 2 months after the 1st one, also with Pickfords. So from my point of view and personal experiences I would never use or recommend Pickfords to anyone. And don't be fooled like we were that it would be easier due to the fact they are at both ends of the journey!

Hi There, I just wanted to add that we used Letton Percival from Liverpool too. We have recieved excellent service so far and they are very helpful - you can always get hold of the person you are dealing with. They were hundreds cheaper then our removals company and cut out the middle man. Our consignment has just arrived with 6 damages so far, and counting! so we may have to put in a claim with them. Good luck with who you choose.

I am fairly new to Oz and have been shocked and sadenned by the extent of the bush fires. I always knew that bush fires could occur when I was in the UK but to see some of the camera shots shown on the news shocks me immensley. I never really stopped to think about how vast and quickly they spread, not having seen such coverage from the UK. Whenever I hear it's been started deliberately I feel so angry that a human being can exist that can do such a thing. There are some sick messed up people out there! My heart goes out to anyone who has experienced such devastation, fear and loss, and to all of those poor animals that have been killed in such a tragic way. It doesn't bare thinking about. I guess I am now realising that this is real and part of life in Australia and despite having excellent firemen and monitoring you can't beat mother nature when she starts. Lets hope any arsonists get caught and locked up with the keys thrown away.

Hi all reading, We have had a right nightmare with a so called reputable UK shipper that has an adjoing company over here. I cannot name them personally but if you wish to know please PM me. I wish I never used them as it's just been one thing after another. The initial customer service and quote was good but as soon as I parted with my money and goods it all feels like the service went away too! Basically all of our paperwork has been messed up at both ends, with the left hand not talking to the right hand and we feel we have had to chase our consignment along the way just to find out what was happening with it as it seemed to go into the abyss! We have had missing paperwork, incorrect paperwork and on top of all that incorrectly filled out paperwork! We have even been asked to fill out paperwork we had already spent time completing. We finally received our goods this week after it was packed in September and I am shocked at the amount of damages and breakages we have so far. We are up to 6 already (4 ornaments & 2 furniture) and I haven't even finished unpacking yet but I am so dissapointed at this. Yes, we expected maybe one or two items but 4 had clearly been caused by being poorly wrapped! Would you pack a glass ornament in a single sheet of paper or a vase in thin sheets with no bubble wrap and then stack stuff on top? Surely common sense would prevail and from the experts! We do have insurance but the difference between the excess and replacing the goods has to be weighed up. I just wanted to know if this is the norm for breakages and whether anyone else had experienced more or less when they have received their consignments? I appreciate it is coming from the other side of the world but is it wrong to expect the professionals to be able to pack items as they should be? I am also missing a nice wall mounted garden ornament which hasn't turned up as of yet amongst the garden items! Not sure where this has gone?!! Any feedback would be great, thanks.

Hi Brit777, I just wanted to let you know that I have just come out to Oz from Devon in the UK and lived about 45 minutes away from Exeter (left end of Nov). I worked in Plymouth but wish to reassure you that Exeter looked a lot more promising than Plymouth in terms of developments going on, so I would think it would be a safer bet for work. I came from an industry strongly connected with the construction industry and am aware that things are being developed there and money is being spent there. Everytime I looked around for work (out of interest!) it would always be Exeter that would pop up as having the vacancies. Devon is a beautiful place to live of which I am sure you will be very happy. I have family in Exmouth, just outside of Exeter which is also a nice place, although a lot of retired people seem to live there! You could try emailing or calling a company called 'Brewers' which a lot of painters and decorators use. They supply mainly wholesale paint and decorating supplies to trade and may be able to give you an insight as to the local economy and how it really is for work. They would surely have an idea from having direct contact with the trades people. You would have to Google a branch close to Exeter though as I only know of a couple that I used to use. Also, around Devon there has been a lot of flood damage to properties. These houses will more than likely be needing insurance work on their properties, which although sad for the occupants does create work for trades. Good luck with your quest!

Hi There, I just wanted to let you know that we used Pickfords, mainly because they were competitive and because we felt there would be a benefit of dealing with Pickfords in both the UK & Oz. However be warned! Our consignment has been in Oz since before Christmas and we were hoping to get it for Christmas but the left hand talking to the right hand has been a nightmare! UK said they'd sent all documents - Oz asking me to fill out all of the forms I'd already completed with UK Pickfords. I then asked them to email the documents across to avoid delays and UK Pickfords emailed across half of the paperwork and it wasn't even for the first consignment. Upon checking the paperwork of the all important AQIS form, this was also wrong! The rep had filled it out in front of me but failed to tick the box saying the consignment contained wooden articles! (After quoting for wooden dining room table and chairs, wooden sideboard, wooden TV stand, etc!). I was just asked to sign the bottom of the pages and assumed that the Rep would have the greater knowledge! Needless to say it is still ongoing and we didn't get our goods for Christmas as hoped and advised probably due to the cock ups. It has taken several phone calls and emails to try and resolve at each end as the 2 sides do appear to communicate as well as you think they would. I have a second consignment coming with them (before this happened!) and am chasing info again. I wouldn't use them again personally but hear Anglo-Pacific are supposed to be good. I just hope it's all there when it gets here and is in one piece. Good Luck - I know it's a minefield and I guess you pay your money and take your chances!

Hi There, Not sure if you are still looking into rentals but we are also renting very close to Ringwood in a neighbouring suburb called Heathmont. It seems quite a nice area and Ringwood seems to have good amenities as we visit there quite often. Be warned that rentals here are very basic in comparrison to what you can probably get for your money back home. Nearly every rental we have looked at has a 1970's bathroom and kitchen! And they don't always have air-con. I personally find rent quite high out here and we are savig madly for a deposit to buy our own house. Popular rentals also have open days where interested parties can look around the property but this is like being up against other people who also want that house to rent. It can be quite competitive. My advise would be to start looking asap to secure somewhere for when you arrive. I must admit I am also entrigued as to your job offer as I agree with the above comment that Ringwood is not a huge suburb for employment opportunities. Good luck with the move and finding somewhere!

I can honestly say that we have found very little difference in costs to that of the UK. My partner is out in Oz and I am about to go but when we there together in August this year we had heard lots about people telling us how expensive Ox had got. Including my brother who has lived out there for years! When we got there we did find that it wasn't as cheap as we'd experienced years previously but it was on more of a par with the UK. A few food bits are dearer but we found that it kind of all evened out. Maybe the Aussies have seen a rise over the past few years but as you say, let's not forget how expensive it is to live in the UK now! At least the sun shines more in Australia and the culture is a plus!

Hi all reading. I am still stuck in the UK tying up the long winded house sale but my cats are already in the Melbourne Quarantine awaiting collection next month. My partner is already out in Melbourne too and has visited them. They are apparently quite stressed out after the ordeal but we need to start thinking about re-buying everything that they had in the UK. I want to settle them in as best as possible as apparently one is still hissing and shaking from the flight and is in a right state. Hopefully they will recover okay when they are back living with us being pampered. Of course in the UK I would know to look at Zooplus on line or that the pet shop at the bottom of town is cheaper than the one at the top of town, etc. We have no idea in OZ and wondered if anyone could recommend somewhere we can go to buy the following items mainly:- Cat carriers (for vet trips) Large dog cage (we have a bengal that likes to wee at night! Not good for rented carpets!) Large bags of cat litter (we have house cats) Cat beds We don't have large amounts of money as we have been hit by the poor UK housing market twice and spent our pot on getting the furries out and some of our furniture, and we have given most of their items away to the local cats protection here in the UK. Can anyone advise us on a good online companies or a decent pet shop in the Melbourne area (Ringwood)that offer items at a good rate and a good service? Many Thanks