CatMoose

Hi all

I'm moving back to Oz next January, possibly Melbourne for work reasons.  While I loved Melbourne 15 years ago for its hustle and bustle, I'm now after a quieter life without it being completely dead! I'm after nice cafes and restaurants and not too far from the CBD. 

Any ideas?

Hi all

In brief, I adopted my cat as a kitten in Australia 9 years ago . I flew him back to the UK with me through JetPets who were absolutely brilliant. He was fine and adjusted no problems. Due to personal circumstances it now looks like I'll be returning to Australia next year. 

He's my best mate and I can't imagine not having him by my side, but I'm anxious about another long haul flight for him, especially given that he'll also need to go into quarantine. I will use another company to transport him and I'm taking him to the vet this afternoon for a health check and to get the vet's opinion.

Just wondering what other folks think. 

Jo

* Please spare me the 'Aussies don't like cats'  thing. I adopted him over there as a kitten and god knows there were hundreds to choose from. Aussies are the same as us, a nation of animal lovers. I'm aware of local and state guidance around pet containment and was advised about keeping him indoors by the Aussie vets and followed local and state guidelines. Interestingly my Aussie girlfriend refused outright to keep her own cat inside. 

2 minutes ago, Wanderer Returns said:

In 2018 we rented a very nice bungalow in rural England for the equivalent of $1,200/month. Last year we rented a similar property here in regional Queensland for $2,100/month. If you are convinced renting will be cheaper for you here in Australia then you must be living in a very expensive part of the UK. As Marisa said, there's a significant lack of affordable property throughout most of Australia and that is driving rental prices through the roof.

Rural England? So did you commute? How much did you spend on petrol? How much council tax and insurance did you pay? How much of a single person's salary do you think is left over from renting here in England??

I'm not going to to get into debates here because when I moved to Oz last time I learned that much of what is on here is nonsense. Likewise, the fearmongering I was subjected to regarding how difficult I would find things when I returned to the UK was also garbage. 

Might have made myself clearer by saying the affordability of renting in Oz is so much better for me given salaries and other outgoings. 

And leave it at that.

34 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

To be honest, I wouldn't worry too much.  One of the huge problems about comparing costs is that some things are much  more expensive and some things are much cheaper, and then you've got a difference in salary too.   On the whole, if you work on the basis that it all evens out, you'll be fine.

I'm interested in what single people are paying for utility bills, transport and so on.... helps with then working out rent and commuting options

Hi all

I'm probably about to start a  bit of a debate but .....

I'm working out the logistics for a move back to Australia next year (Covid dependant). I lived in Adelaide for 7 years before returning to the UK in 2017.  I didn't keep any old bank statements so I don't recall ball park figures for utility bill costs etc. I know that Victoria isn't South Australia obviously and MUCH will be relative, but some costs are absolute like MYKI etc

If there are any single folks out there, are you okay to advise me of to monthly costs? I already know my rent target.

Thanks in advance

On 18/09/2021 at 00:25, Wanderer Returns said:

 

Having returned to Australia fairly recently (18 months ago), I would say this is a very valid point. Salaries are better for most professions in Australia, and significantly better for menial workers. The UK minimum wage is currently £8.91/hour, which equates to a little under $17/hour. In Australia it's $20.33. However, casual staff here receive 25% loading which takes it over $25/hour. My wife's a housekeeper in one of Caloundra's resorts and receives $27/hour, so a solid $10 more than she'd be paid in the UK as a cleaner on a zero-hours contract. I'm at top of the teaching pay-scale and would receive a salary of £41,604 if I was back in the UK, which equates to around $79k. I'm currently on $97k, and next year that will go up to $102k when I reach the Senior Teacher classification. Then there's superannuation. In the UK the employer contribution is 3%, compared to 10% here in Australia.

I'm sure there are niche professions, consultancy etc, that pay more in the UK, but comparing apples to apples most people will earn more over here, and depending on their lifestyle, will be significantly better off.

Brexit has cut off the supply of cheap European labour that has been subsidizing the British economy for the last two decades, so businesses will simply need to pay better rates to retain workers. This can only be good news for the low-skilled British worker.

Brexit has battered us here (financially and culturally). The pandemic has also (obviously) severely affected the economy while the wealthy get wealthier from it. I'm done, if I can work out the logistics, I'm back to Oz in a heartbeat.

On 18/09/2021 at 00:45, Marisawright said:

More than just "niche professions".   From what I've seen, if you're in the corporate world (i.e. you work in an office), then you'll be worse off in Australia, especially if you work in Sydney or Melbourne (because of the very high cost of housing compared to earnings).  I understand that some IT professionals are worse off here, too, but I'm not clear if that's just for certain specialisations. 

@CatMoose, I assume you've been checking the rental market, wherever you're planning to move back to.  The housing market has gone really stupid in many parts of Australia.

I am working on the costs - very much so because it's a big move.

Please also remember than in the UK, I will pay almost $200 a month in council tax, national insurance out of my salary, MOTs are law and if your car fails you will need to fix it before you drive it, I also pay $30 a month simply for owning a TV. Petrol is also much higher than in Australia as are our trains.

There's a reason I was managing to save money back in Australia and not the UK.

Finally, you'll need to consider the amount of work available in your profession. Much healthier in Oz.

On 18/09/2021 at 00:28, Wanderer Returns said:

If you think renting is expensive in the UK, then you're in for a rude awakening when you arrive back here!

Not at all ... given what I would earn in Melbourne, accommodation is a) more readily available and b) more affordable than in the UK

Just now, Marisawright said:

This is a valid point, BUT only for some occupations.   I'm sure you're well aware of how the salaries compare in your industry, but it's worth mentioning (for the benefit of others) that for some occupations, salaries are actually much better in the UK.   It used to be that moving to Australia automatically meant a better standard of living no matter what you did for a living, but some migrants these days get a rude shock.

For sure, I would only ever comment on my own situation, wouldn't have a clue about any other profession. But with rent being what it is over here in the UK, my quality of life is now far less than it was in Oz.  Also...god I miss Australian coffee!!

Salaries. Which is the main reason I'm planning on moving back to Australia. I moved back to the UK for multiple reasons, but 4 years later, I'm broke and simply can't afford to do what I wanted to. Don't even start me on Brexit. 

On 04/09/2021 at 15:12, KateofGrace said:

Hello, I've just signed up to the forum specifically to ask Bob of PetAir a question. I'm unable to get in touch with PetAir, it seems no one is answering calls or emails. Could Bob please advise? Thank you. 

Have also done the same and heard nothing. I flew my cat back to the UK with Jet Pets who were brilliant. This doesn't inspire me with much confidence.

I'm glad too...

Meanwhile... if you think I was alone you're very wrong. Most renters I knew had a pet they had to sneak in. If the laws were sensible at the time we wouldn't have had to. Damage is damage at the end of the day. Also, the animal rescue places in SA were in a critical state as so many people were being forced to give up pets. It's this factor and a LOT of lobbying by tenants that eventually led to law changes.

As for my situation? He was a house cat and ALL of my properties were professionally cleaned on leaving them. The last two properties I was given permission.

Cheers

I'm now back in the UK (lived in Adelaide from 2009 to 2016) and looking to return to Oz with my Aussie cat Ralph. Myself and everyone I knew did not admit to having a cat - otherwise we would have had VERY FEW rental options in Adelaide. For me, I knew I would be an exceptional tenant and I was - in 5 properties. Houses were left immaculately clean and I had no problems with cat, owners or bond returns. Some people might not like it, but ...... had no choice. Bad tenants are bad tenants and won't care about someone else's property irrespective of whether they have pets or not,