Franklin05

On 16/02/2020 at 03:10, Gary H said:

Have bounced all over the place last 30 years. If the appliance has a kettle (figure8) removable plug and lead you can replace cheaply, simply swap them out. Most TVs etc have these. If a fixed plug normally easier to sell on and buy new when back unless you want adaptors all over the house. Computers easy, just buy UK chargers. Another thing to look out for is area codes, DVD players and some other media players x box for example  bizarrely have area restrictions placed on them, you would need to reprogram resubscribe etc pain in the butt.

Tested the TV and Blueray player (it arrived a couple of weeks ago) and everything works. Kettle is not a figure of 8, I think only the TV is from what we have come back with - sewing machines certainly are not. 

We used Pickards to move back from Darwin. I know they have an office in QLD so guess they will operate in Cairns. 

On 07/02/2020 at 19:39, Home and Happy said:

 

Cut em off, stupid dangerous things dunno who invented that style of plug and socket....cut them off and fit real U.K. plugs which are cheap in supermarkets.  Check the amps rating on the appliance. Anything under 3 amps fit a red 3A fuse, anything above 3 amps,  fit a 5A or 13 A fuse.  

Thanks, I think this is the way we will go with most things

17 hours ago, Sloth said:

https://www.webnots.com/option-or-alt-key-shortcuts-to-insert-symbols-in-mac-os-x/

Thank you

9 minutes ago, Vickie78 said:

This is why I use PC's all I will need to do is change the language to English UK and get a British keyboard  

I hope you can find a solution though? Apple store? 

Thanks. Already got a plug for the MacBook, a friend gave us the power cable from their old one. I'm sure we will find a work around for the missing pound symbol through some random combination of keyboard strokes. 

1 minute ago, Amber Snowball said:

Well you can have fun buying new ones!

Ooof, another thing to add to the ever ending list of stuff to deal with since moving back!!!

Might get an Aussie friend to send some over and deposit funds into their bank account. Seems like it would be simpler than searching!

On 16/01/2020 at 21:22, Vickie78 said:

The only electrical's I am taking is my PC which I'll just get a new cord with a UK plug on the end, and my Nespresso machine (lol yes I love my coffee that much) and can get the same Pods over there for it. I'll either cut the plug off or just get an adapter for that, oh and my Echo Show 5 (Alexa) pretty sure I could just get a UK version cord for that too. I'm not taking TV's etc as I heard they can be a pain in the arse to tune/get working despite Aus/UK using same system. I need a new one anyway mine is pretty old now.  

ETA: As long as your stuff is rated 220-240 volts it's fine. UK being 230, Aus 240. 

I am thinking of cutting the plus off, UK plus in Morrisons are only 1.50 (Aussie MacBook and I cannot find a pound symbol - something else I need to look into!). Can get plugs easily for Alexa. 

On 16/01/2020 at 15:32, Amber Snowball said:

I bought a couple of aussie gang boards, think that’s what they are called! Then just changed the plug on them, so only changed one plug not several! 
I think for a tv or fridge or something I’d change the main plug though. Mine were just for recharging garden tools and small items used occasionally.

Wish we'd thought of that we're giving all of ours away! 

For those of you who brought Aussie electrical items back to the UK, what did you do about changing plugs over to fit the UK sockets?

Did you just cut off the Aussie plugs and reattach to UK sockets or get adaptors? I am thinking we might just cut most off and replace, and maybe get a few adaptors for some items. 

2 hours ago, Vickie78 said:

Oh and found out I can get an 'address' before moving via a company called Mail Boxes etc. Can use that to open a Bank account/get a rental as it reads as a proper address rather than a P.O box, and of course get my actual mail sent there in the interim, Mum can too as it allows for two personal names. pretty cool  One less headache! 
 

We had a hell of a time trying to open a bank account because of needing current proof of address, most banks are very particular about what evidence you need for this. Nationwide Building Society let me open and account, with online banking and DD capabilities with just my passport. I have a HSBC global account and HSBC UK wouldn't help me at all, they cannot link the Australian International Account to anything in the UK. 

On 02/11/2019 at 15:00, CJT said:

If you are planning on selling the property at a later date be carefull of the Capital Gains changes for non residents which come into effect From July 2020.  Suggest you get some advice on implications of this.

Thanks, not heard anything about them so something to look into. There'll come a point where we will have to sell, just hope that the market picks back up at some point. 

Been back in the UK now for 2 just over two months and I have just renewed my UK licence, it expired a few years ago. I had to renew by post as I'd also had a name change, but it was pretty easy and I just sent a letter explaining that I'd been living overseas for X number of years. No issues at all and I had both my new licence back within a week.

We did this, had planned to live in the house a little longer, but for various reasons it didn't work out and we're now back in the UK with an Aussie rental property. The rent minus all the various fees doesn't cover the mortgage, plus there is water and council rates on top of that and any maintenance that crops up. You do get tax back at tax time, but we are not sure what as of yet and what it will cover of our expenses. Our property was only empty for a few days between us leaving and the tenant moving in, but depending on where they are and the condition of the property they can sit empty for months. I good agent is a must. 

On 01/10/2019 at 07:05, Senfield said:

We are having a trip home for Christmas and planning will commence in the new year to make our return. Any advice warmly received 

You might find that the trip makes the decision for you. I know someone else mentioned just saving the money for your move, but our trip back in March really sealed the deal for us, especially for hubby who's not been back since we left in 2009. I wasn't happy in the first week, coming from the heat and humidity from Darwin to the first week in March in the UK was a shocker for my body, but by the end of the trip I really didn't want to leave. We had planned to return in a couple of years, but hubby being made redundant at the start of Sept pushed us to leave sooner. Can't believe we go in 5 days!!!! Doesn't feel real that this is us doing it!

On 01/10/2019 at 07:02, Senfield said:

First time posting on this sight. At long last partner agreed it’s time to move back home after 10 years in Oz. Franklin05 can you provide a rough guide on costs? We have three dogs who will be coming with us, but no kids. Live in Qld not far from Brisbane. Do you mind sharing why you made the decision to return?

We're moving from Darwin to Up North. Dog through Petraveller is costing $3700, goods - a sofa, bookcase and some 30 something boxes is costing about $5500 including insurance. Our flights were somewhere between $2500 to $3000. We've made a couple grand selling things off, and since hubby was made redundant we're living off that, I guess as citizens we could claim Centrelink, but it would be drawn out and a hassle to do so since we are planing to leave anyway. 

We've talked about going back for a long long time, I'd have neon sooner, but hubby wanted to wait a few more years. This year my grandmother who raised me died and we went back to the UK for the funeral, leaving to come back to Australia felt so wrong. Hubby mum was in a home with dementia, my sister was dying of cancer, they've both since passed and my other sister is unwell. We've been in Australia for 10 years and 1 month, moved interstate 4 times chasing work, we have bought a house in Darwin which we are renting out, there's no work here for hubby and the thought of moving within Australia again filled us both with horror. There are plenty of things we've seen and enjoyed here, but it's been hard. We want to go home be close to family and friends. We've not assimilated or found a niche for ourselves within Australian life, it is now time for taking the dog for a walk to the pub and taking him inside for a pint, Bonfire night and the dark nights and twinkling lights for Christmas. 

On 29/09/2019 at 12:40, Dennyboy said:

I am so pleased for you , i'm in the process of doing it now .

Going for a quick holiday to find somewhere to live and its all systems go .

Got a quote for 3100 for dog and cat which is the cheapest so far , just have to open a bank account check about doctors and that should be it .

Just looking for a decent removal company .

That's a good price. We paid about 3700 for just the dog, but he needs to fly internally in Australia first and it's cutting it fine time wise from when we booked to when we leave. We have now only a week to go, have sold off most things or given them away. I"d have preferred to have had a while longer to plan the whole thing, but we've somehow pulled it all off in a matter of weeks. Still need to sort out medical things for our daughter, but I believe that once we are on the ground we can zip through some wait lists as she already has a diagnosis and has been receiving treatment. 

Everyone on here recommend we use MoveCube, but living so remotely we'd have had to pay out to transfer all our goods internally which would have doubled the cost. We're going with Allied Pickfords, because out of the three companies who came to give us quotes they were the only one to actually provide us with a quote (Darwin is so slack), and as it turns out is costing us a lot less than what we expected - apparently it's cheaper to move from Aust. to UK as more comes the other way so they need to send containers there all the time. 

2 hours ago, Jemvin said:

Thanks maybe I should have a look into this 

We're in the process of moving back and are planning to live up North. Family is a massive reason for us heading back and while they are in the East Midlands the North will be a lot closer than Australia. Life looks like it is more affordable, and form what research we have done wages in my husbands line of work are good. 

Remember that there will also be a period of time in which you adjust, and it may take sometime before you find the right jobs and home etc. 

9 hours ago, Marisawright said:

It sounds like you're doing the right thing and you've achieved an amazing amount in such a short time.   All the best!

Thank you. I think I just needed to write that as a bit of a cathartic exercise and a reminder of all we've achieved. 

2 hours ago, Amber Snowball said:

It is exhausting, I did it last year. You seem organised and go-getty though so just keep the momentum going! You’ll be back and settling in in no time! Safe travels!

Thank you. I'm keen to be going, and the only way is to keep moving on through it all, despite the stress and lack of sleep. 

I cannot believe how quick things are coming together for our UK return. 

Flights booked, car hire sorted, dog transportation booked (through Petraveller, who've pulled out all the stops as we were having issues with Jetpets), shipping booked and a lot cheaper than expected, potentially have a tenant signing a lease the rent the house and have places to stay with friends and family once we get to the UK. Getting things in place for our daughters medical care and schooling. It's stressful and hubby and I are worried about getting all the loose ends tied up properly, but I think we will get there, we have about three weeks to go.  We are ticking off a few touristy things to do around here, helped by some visiting friends from down south. 

Still a few great unknowns once we get to the UK, but hubby and I have a great sense of relief at the thought of returning and being back in the UK. We know it won't be easy at first, starting over again, but it's got to be easier than having done it four times around the wide expanse of Australia.  We've switched off from everything Brexit as there just seems to be so much fear mongering going on (still). Looking forward to seeing family, friends and having some familiarity around us. We even have a playdate set up with a friends and her daughter who will be travelling through the UK just after we arrive home. 

I guess this post really is just a brief over view of our progress so far. It's amazing what you can accomplish in a little over a week, and only a few more weeks to go and we'll be heading back home. We've had many ups and downs in Australia, and have given it a good go and travelled far and wide, but home it calling, it is time to go - in a way it's like reaching the end of an exhausting holiday where everything is still pretty to look at, all the palm trees and blue/green ocean and heat makes you feel like you're somewhere special and that you should be enjoying it, but you're not anymore and you really just want to get home and relax. Our trip back to the UK in March really cemented returning home for us, and now half a  year later we're doing it!

4 hours ago, Amber Snowball said:

@Vickie78 makes a good point, get your TOR underway for what things you are bringing back so you avoid paying VAT on them. There is a thread on here about it.

I am originally from the south east but have returned to the north west. Liverpool, Chester way. It’s got everything to hand and work is available. The city centres seem to be a bit knifey/stabby is probably the biggest concern crime wise. 

What is the TOR?

1 hour ago, Vickie78 said:

I'm only going by January because that is when my current 12 month lease runs out and I don't want to continue it. If I had passports already I'd be tempted to just get on a plane. Stuff doesn't mean anything to me and can be replaced. Happiness far outweighs material things for me.  But realistically I do need to take some stuff, It may not even be 10 boxes that's just a guess at this point. I do need to go through each room and decided sell/giveaway/throw/take because I have two kids. hehe. So yeah Jan at the latest for us. 

Your passports will be quicker than ours, ours is longer due to me never leaving Aus since mum moved her back in the 90's and kids haven't had one before either so we are all first timers in HM Passport eyes. Annoying as I was on my mums, but it is what it is. 

I'd rather be gone sooner, if only we could swap hehe. 

Where abouts in the U.K will you be off too? That's something We still need to work out too. I grew up in Dorset before we came here, so no idea where to go now.  Googling is doing my head in. LOL. 

Dorset will be nice if you are thinking of going back there. We are looking at Manchester Leeds areas, we have support networks around that area and it looks like there are jobs in hubby area.

I think we can get in on our Oz passports, not necessarily the right thing to do, but we all have citizenship so....

You mentioned about opening up a UK bank account, HSBC have an international account, I set one up last night online. Should make it easier to access money from the UK without all the excessive fees etc. 

54 minutes ago, Vickie78 said:

I'm not "urgent" but planning to move to the U.K by Jan at the latest (I don't want to stay here anymore and need to get kids into school there asap) , I too am overwhelmed but we can do it. My ex has signed a letter allowing me to apply for Passports for the kids/stay in the U.K. Phew! So i am about to apply for mine and theirs. That's step one. Once we have those (6 weeks ish fingers crossed) I will then do a TOR for Movecube I  am taking two bikes, and 10 boxes.  That seems to take 3 weeks(tor app).

After that will be selling my car, selling anything else of value (Fridge etc) giving away anything else and chucking the rest in a skip.

Then it will be sorting out the final things like outstanding bills, ending lease/getting bond back, cancelling/pay out remainder of phone contract so it's unlocked for the U.K. Keeping Aus bank account open (telling them going overseas so don't block my card) until I can sort out a U.K one, once that is done transfer money across. Sorting out temp accomodation over there, and then looking for a rental/job)

Getting on the plane and going home. 

Scary and exciting all at the same time. My trick is not to overthink things, it will work out  

Wish we could give ourselves that much time, ideally if I could we would but I do not think that is going to happen. I think because this has happened so quickly it's a bit of a juggle to plan everything so quickly. 

1 hour ago, Amber Snowball said:

That’s ok, quoll is moving back to Australia. 

I have returned to work in the NHS and it’s not great that’s for sure but it wasn’t when I left it 14 years ago either. The staff will want to do the best they can for you, the system hampers their efforts sometimes. Bring a stash of her meds with you if you can.

The charity certainly sounds helpful and if you are intending on staying in the UK I can’t see the NHS refusing to treat a child.

Definitely get the dog sorted and your movecube. I had a large one and had space to spare.

As for Brexit I wouldn’t even bother about it, they are amusing themselves going on round in circles as we speak.

It’s not utopia but I am much happier at work in the Uk than I was in Australia.

Good luck. Take a breath and make a list. Then start working your way through it. I feel for you, your situation sounds hugely stressful. Sending hugs.  

Thank you. Your perspective is helpful and easing my mind.

NHS will definitely treat her, but it's just getting it into place I guess. Sorting the dog and move cube today, along with a few other things. 

I've been at home with the kids, but struggled to find work I was happy in, I only have GCSEs (now two Cert IIIs which I obtained while at home with the kids) and found it hard to get work, where as in the UK I had a very good, skilled job that the employer trained me for. So I'm hoping the UK will be easier for me work wise. 

Thank you for the hugs and kind words, as odd as it may be to receive such things from strangers online, they are helping me. 

20 minutes ago, Quoll said:

I promised my DH we would return when we were no longer needed to support my parents.  My dad has decided that he needs to be in a care home now so we are having to sell up his stuff and we will leave him in care.  I feel sad that we are having to do that but we cant afford to live here unless we move lock stock and barrel and that would be financially ruinous for us  - we are past the point of no return and DH is an Aussie.

Dont panic about Brexit - the Remainers are spinning all sorts of doom but once we leave (fingers crossed) there will be scope for a much better future and more opportunities. 

Dont envy you Darwin - not the sort of place that I would like to spend awfully much time and it sounds like you have done the hard yards for a long time with all your moves.

We are in a similar situation financially. Hubby loosing his job means we can't afford to house, so have to rent it out and forces an earlier return. Darwin is great between May and August, but out of that the heat and humidity it unbearable. I have also found it to be easier to make friends here, but they don't satay long. 

A few people have said that to us about Brexit, and I guess we are banking on that being the case. 

I'm gutted that we are leaving the house we designed and built a year ago, the transition from it being our family home to a rental investment is hard.