Huggy75

Good job we have at least 50% to tempt them with then :-) I can see how remortgaging would be more of a risk than first time buyers with firm job offers.

We are so pleased things are starting to come together at last. My hubby got offered a job which he enquired about 5 months ago! The irony is that he applied for it 6 years ago and was turned down so that was one reason for us embarking on the Australian adventure. Anyway, even better news is that he will be starting on a higher level and the job is now a permanent one rather than a temp 12 month contract (which it was going to be originally). We can't wait to get back and get settled again now - only less than 6 weeks to go :-)

Thanks for the reassurance. We thought 3 years was a bit excessive, we were thinking more like 3/6 months. My hubby and I both have firm job offers and our deposit covers nearly 50% of the cost of houses we are looking at. Maybe I shouldn't have bothered with the enquiries to the Bank :-/

Just wondering whether anyone has moved back to the UK and tried to apply for a mortgage? How long did you have to be back in the UK before being granted one? I've just enquired and was told I have to be in the UK 3 years before I can apply!

Hi Kellyjamie - I totally get you with everything you've just said. I got homesick during my pregnancy but stuck it out to make sure it wasn't just the hormones. My Son is now 19 months old and we are moving back in May/June. We took the time to do Citizenship too so your plan for that would be very sensible. Next year might seem a long time away but believe me it will fly by. I really understand what you mean about the friendship bit, we've been burned like that too! I literally only have one friend here who I met through Anti-natal class (and she's British!), we try to make sure that we meet for coffee/play dates for the boys once a week just so we have something to look forward to each week. I'm also in Brisbane and would be happy to meet with you for coffee (with or without kiddies), if you ever want a person to chat to :-) Just PM me if you would like. Take care, keep your chin up and you'll work it all out in the end.

Yes, try this - we validated ours on holiday in Nov 2008 but moved in Apr 2009 and were eligible from Nov 2012. I think it depends on how many days out of the country you were. Although if you didn't move out until 4 years later then I doubt this would be counted.

No details as such, John - I just made an enquiry to you via this forum in the money transfer section and got no response. Kat x

I'm not sure but I would imagine it would be valid from when you land back in the UK. According to http://www.workpermit.com a UK working visa is valid for 5 years. Hope this helps a little.

Hi Carly, We're using HiFX. We used them when we came to Australia and they were very good - no issues. I've no experience with Moneycorp except that I did make enquiries but never got a response. Hope this helps. Kat xx

Yes, must just be Adelaide, I haven't experienced any of that in Brisbane and is part of the reason why we are going home (unless I missed the sarcasm in that statement, haha)!

Me too, hopefully someone will be along with the answer soon :-)

Thanks for the clarification, guess I'll be leaving it in Oz when I move back - I'd better not lose the paperwork for the next 20+ years then! Thanks again x

Sorry for butting in but confused.com! I've asked similar questions and basically been told I have to leave my Australian Super in Australia until pension age which is 67 (I'm currently 39) as we're not allowed to transfer it back to the UK?

Athough we have no firm date for moving back yet, I made the decision this week to leave work as I have been quite unwell lately. So I handed my resignation in today! I feel very empowered but very nervous too. I've never left a job without having a new job to go in to. I'm thinking that I'll probably feel a lot more nervous about the stages of moving home than I did coming out to Oz - anyone else have experience with this?

Sorry to read about your troubles. There has been some good advice on here so far and my advice would also be to go home (UK) now while you still can. From my experience I wanted to go home halfway through my pregnancy but financially wasn't able to (still had house to sell etc). After the baby was born I was very ill and got postnatal depression but didn't seek any help. My husband was fantastic but he worked nearly every day to keep the money coming in, so it was hard with a baby and feeling so alone. We also argued a lot but it was mostly due to the stresses of being so far away from family - we had been together for 20 years before having the baby so thought we could deal with anything. Now 18 months on I've had the courage to seek help and have been diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. We are also moving back to the UK in the next few months and already I can feel the stress lifting. I guess what I'm saying is that if your situation is like this now, I really don't see it getting any better once the baby is born. Take care xx

Yes, my husband and I both work shifts and even though I work reduced hours it's still hard work. When we get back to UK I'll be working same amount of hours but over less days as we have Grandparents to help with drop offs and pick ups etc.

Family support (yep, admitted we need it after having our Son) and better work/life balance.

My first moment came halfway through my pregnancy in 2013 when I just felt that I needed to be home with my Mum - of course everyone told me it was the hormones talking so I carried on and tried to put the feelings to the back of my mind. The feelings never went away and the next moment came on my Son's first birthday when he spent it with just me and his Dad - I swore then that he wouldn't have such lonely birthdays and Christmases again. We're moving back in May/June.

Oh no, just what you don't need with all the stress anyways!!

Mmm... so how come we can do it one way but not the other?

Hi there, For those of you who have made the trip back to the UK, did you submit your tax return before you left (after finishing employment) or wait until the end of the tax year and leave paperwork with tax agent/do it online? Thanks xx

I see these types of questions all the time and wonder - are we not able to transfer the Aussie pension into a UK one just like you can transfer the UK pension to an Aussie one within the first six months tax-free?

$95000 in QLD? Presumably that's casual/agency? x

Thanks - I might just try them, one more quote to compare with and I'll make a decision between the two :-)

Hi, it's with Overseas Packers & Shippers at this end who then pass on to Anglo Pacific when in the UK. They were very good when we used them 6 years ago.