Incata

I think if you are financially secure and happy in the UK you should stay there and just plan nice holidays to Australia. You will probably see more of it, enjoy it more and get more out of it than if you actually live here.

Just a thought. For all those who are anti the Royal Family, shouldn't research like this make us think, "Thank Goodness Prince Charles cared enough about youngsters to set up a charity like this which actually goes out there and does something about the real life issues young people are facing," rather than just criticise the Royals for being freeloaders.

We used a firm called Insulation Extract and they put in Earthwool Batts. They also took away the rubbish which was up there (some sort of polywool which did not insulate at all). We were really impressed with how quickly and efficiently they did the work. They were cost effective as well. I would recommend them. Ah ok so just roof insulation, we will already have that in the new house, would like something in the walls ideally though. Not sure cavity fill is a great idea as the electrics run in the cavity too which is also a crazy practice I reckon! I think we will eventually build again using SIPs to achieve high insulation values and low air permeability plus double glazing, passive cooling and maybe gas/solar underfloor heating for the winter.........just need a builder willing to take it on ! We looked at getting cavity fill but it was too expensive, not practical for our house and with the amount of extra work to do, it would be cheaper for us to flatten the place and start over. However, hubbie is in love with the house :rolleyes:

We have changed plugs on things as we find them. We still have adapters which we use regularly, but when we use something more than once, we buy some more plugs in and change them over. Plugs are very cheap in Big W.

For every travel insurance policy (even one provided by a credit card) you have to declare pre-existing conditions (it is in the small print). If you don't, you are not covered. When you declare the condition they will decide whether or not to cover it. If they do, they will charge you an extra premium for it. When you make a medical claim (as we had to when my husband got sick in the US), before agreeing to pay it, they send a really long list of questions to your doctor, asking if you have ever had any of the listed conditions. If you have, and you have not declared it, the policy is declared invalid. Companies like Down Under Insurance ask a question about medical conditions and if you answer in the positive, you have to go through a medical screening upfront, before they agree to give you the policy.

Well done in having the confidence to say goodbye. Your life can only get better now and I am absolutely sure you will find someone who loves you the way you deserve.

The warrantee is with the company who makes the panels. Admittedly they can go bust, so you need to pick your company and your panels carefully. As far as upkeep, our panels need a wash periodically and that is it. Nothing else to worry about. As Chardy says, the thing that can go wrong is the Inverter, so again, you make sure you choose a good quality one. If I were you I would discount the money you get back from the grid for electricity sold back. At about 8.8cents per unit it really is nothing to write home about. However, the cost savings are in the electricity you use during the day that you then are not having to pay for (current rate about 26 cents per unit). For us this covers using the pool pump/filter, air con when required, the washing machine usage and the dishwasher (which now go on during the day rather than in the evening). The only electricity we end up paying for is cooking in the evening, lights, air con (if we need it on) and the use of the computer in the evening. In the winter it reduced our costs to about $60 per month (with having the heating on every evening and morning). If you work out how much electricity you use during the day (read your meter at 6/7am and then 12 hours later) you can easily work out how much electricity you are using, and then (using the cost per unit/KW provided by your electricity supplier), work out how much you pay for that electricity. That is how much you will save every day by having solar. You can then work out (from your quotes) how long it will take you to pay off the cost of the panels and then move into profit.

We fully expect it to last that long and the research we have done online suggests that they will, with only minor loss of efficiency over time. We went for Tier 1 panels, which are the most expensive but the best quality. For us, the quality of the panels was more important than the price and we only paid $3k more for the top quality panels than the cheap and poor quality Chinese ones we were quoted for. I very much doubt we will have to replace any of the panels unless they are damaged by hail (in which case it is a claim on the home insurance policy). I think the panels have a 10 or 12 year warantee and the workmanship is covered by the company for 2 years. We used solar2020 (who are Brits) and their work was of a very high standard (especially in comparison to the Australians who put our Solar Hot Water system in). I have not yet spoken to anyone who has had to have Tier 1 panels repaired or replaced so it is not something I am worried about at this stage. However, when it comes to Solar Hot Water I have spoken to plenty of people who have had problems with their systems and I can't say I am overly impressed with the system we have. I certainly would not recommend it.

What insulation have you put in ? We used a firm called Insulation Extract and they put in Earthwool Batts. They also took away the rubbish which was up there (some sort of polywool which did not insulate at all). We were really impressed with how quickly and efficiently they did the work. They were cost effective as well. I would recommend them.

I think you are right. The problem is with you. It seems that you lack self esteem, you lack the confidence to tell someone who is using you where to go and you lack the courage to face up to what is really happening and move on with your life. I am sorry to sound harsh. I had a friend in a similar situation and it was only after 7 years, when his girlfriend phoned to see why my friend kept texting him, that she accepted that the relationship was going nowhere and she had wasted 7 years of her life on a fantasy which just was not going to turn into the reality she hoped for. There are many men out there who would treasure someone like you, who is willing to sacrifice everything they have for a relationship, who is willing to move half way around the world to give the relationship a shot. Look for someone who wants a real relationship with you, who will value you for who you are and who wants to spend the rest of their life with you. It is a leap of faith but you can do it. It just takes that one, tiny first step to get you on your way.

We have also insulated the house and it has made a huge difference to the temperature inside - both in the summer (now) and in the winter (after we had it installed). Draftproofing is next, when we have the rest of the renovation and building work done.

I think it depends how long you plan to stay in the house. We have worked out (based on our usage) that the panels will pay for themselves in between 4 - 5 years. If we stay in the house for 20 years, we will make a profit and will save a lot of money. However, if we leave in 2 or 3 years, we make a loss.

We had a BBQ which was lovely. We did Roast Beef, Prawns, Mexican Corn Bread and various other bits and pieces. It was a pick and mix! We had Christmas Cake at dinner time and still have not touched the Christmas Pud. It was one of the loveliest Christmases we have had!

I did that, but we met first. We corresponded online for 4 months before meeting. I flew back to the UK from Canada and we then dated for 3 years before getting engaged. No way would I have married him without meeting him, his family and his friends first. Am still happy with him over 10 years after we met.

Generally the families are known to eachother and they are very often related. It also generally does not involve one of the couple moving to the other side of the world. It is completely different.

You've met him 4 times and are thinking about marrying him and moving to the other side of the world to be with him? You barely know the guy and he barely knows you. What are you thinking? You have got a recipe for disaster on your hands. Ditch him, find someone local to you and have a proper relationship before you think about marriage.

We broke our lease 2 months into it (it was a 6 month lease). I told the agent I was happy to do the viewings, which helped. The agents were quite lazy, as they knew that if a replacement could not be found, we were liable for the rent until the end of the contract. By doing viewings myself we were able to get new tenants who were able to move in 2 days after we moved out, meaning we were only liable for 2 extra days rent. We also had to pay for the end of lease inspection, $99 for advertising and (i can't remember how much) to the Water Corporation for doing an extra meter reading.

If it is unlikely that you will get another sponsor because of the specific nature of your work, how likely is it that, should you get PR, you will be able to find a job with another employer (even without sponsorship)? I just ask because if you are unhappy, you will want to leave your current employer, but you need to think what will happen next? Where will you work? What will you do? Have you thought about this?

I did it the opposite way round when my son was 6 weeks old. I was shopping in Sainsburys and I went back to the trolley (having just popped round the corner) and he had disappeared. I freaked out. I had staff looking all over the place (out the front entrance and around the store to see if they could see anyone with him). They were about to call the Police (approx 30 seconds after I yelled that my baby had been taken), when I remembered that I had left him at home with my husband. Boy did I feel silly! I have never however forgotten that I had a child with me, nor would I ever dream of leaving them alone in a car while I went shopping.

Bring everything. The quality of the tools over here is shoddy and we know a number of builders and general tradies who buy their stuff in the UK and import it as they cannot get the quality over here.

It is the same in the other direction and it is spelt out clearly in the documentation. Perhaps you should have read it more clearly?

Was this Doncaster UK (mid-Winter) or Doncaster in Australia? It does not make a difference - I still think she should have her child taken off her as she is very clearly an irresponsible parent, but it does make a difference to how hot it was on Boxing Day.

We ordered ours from http://www.oo.com.au. They were much cheaper than anywhere else and the delivery was fast. Could you get on their website and arrange for the seats to be delivered to your friends house so they can have them fitted in the car when they pick you up?

You don't have to pay every six months for a new lease - it is a rental agent scam. They tried it with us when we were landlords so we promptly told them the law (that the rental agreement automatically becomes an Assured Shorthold Tenancy after 6 months and there is no need for a new agreement) and mentioned that we were surprised that they did not know that. The agent did at least have the courtesy to blush. They then explained that it was just if we wanted a new 6 month fixed term tenancy agreement that we would have to pay. Naturally we told them that it would not be required. We and our tenants, preferred the flexibility of the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement. If you have an assured shorthold tenancy agreement, as a tenant you are required to give the landlord one months notice and as a landlord you are required to give the tenant 2 months notice if you want them to leave the property. Don't be scammed by the agents.

I have previously found a rental (and also a house to buy), by finding an area I wanted to live. I then leafleted the area saying I was looking to rent or buy and asking for anyone who was interested to call me. It is amazing how many people are thinking of renting their houses out who will contact you. Incidentally, I also put both myself and my husband's name on the letter (just for safety with the rental). However, it was very successful with both the rental and a couple of years later, the house purchase.