Bumblebee

I literally won't have money to buy anything there so I'm taking all those things that add up to replace, like cake tons, knives, mixers etc Not taking furniture as couldn't afford a big cube but I feel happier eventually buying pieces I love in the uk will be worth it, but buying little bits and bibs won't be. I'm with family for a good while first so I dont think we'll miss much before shipping arrives.

Great, yes I'm comm bank too. Must have got a funny staff member

Hi, hoping someone has had experience of this.... I want to keep my Australian bank account open for a bit to cover bond return and final bills etc. I asked at the bank about closing it from overseas and she said you can't, you have to put someone on your account here who can do it. As in add a signatory that will have entire access to everything, including authorisation to close. Even the website says somethibg about writing via post to the bank manager to close but the woman in branch said no. This can't be right can it?! He only person I could use would be my neighbour and although I trust her its a little risky. And what if I had no one at all to do it?! Sounds weird to me. If I keep the account open it'll cost $4 a month which will add up over the years before I ever return to oz myself. Any info greatly appreciated!

Yes this was my thought - they'll.pack it all and make it take more room. Wondering is it OK to mix boxes as you.like in movecube, so pad things with clothes rather than packing paper etc?

Hi All, I think I've got the things I'm shipping down to my minimum and filling the virtual movecube on sevenseas website I will need a medium move cube (3mcubed). The price quoted is $879 door to door, with 230GBP due when its in the UK. So in all around $1300 (depending on the exchange rate for the 230). This is me packing it all and loading/unloading. Allied Pickfords have quoted $1418 for 3mcubed - I'm just confirming with them this is an all in price and there won't be any extra to pay. I also believe this is them packing everything (?) but again I'll double check but they definitely do the inventory: (this was in their email to me) This price includes: • Wrapping & padding of all furniture items in Allied Pickfords exclusive export wrapping. • Preparation of complete inventory of all packages. • Loading of consignments into appropriate freight containers. • Transport from your residence to destination. • Pickup and Delivery on a weekday So for $100 more is the Allied Pickfords a better choice? Or is it actually just as easy to pack and load myself, do people like the movecubes? My concern is that I need to check all I really have is 3cubicmeters so I'll kind of have to pack before anyway rather than leave it all out for them to pack. Help me choose! Thanks In Advance

Yes, me! I could have written your post. Came out 10 and a bit years ago with British husband for a better life, opportunity etc, leaving as a single mum. Never would have imagined it'd end like this. I never felt settled, but boy did I try! Fast forward to now and the children and I are moving back home I'm January (consent orders in place). Would love to chat, pm me if you like

Hi, I'm returning Jan 10th and tribg to work out when to get my cube sent. I'm only doing a small one, do I need to have All my stuff packed before doing TOR?? I've read some people just given inventory list but that would be a few specific things then '10 standard boxes', the contents wont be listed. Also if it has to be done three weeks before it ships what with Xmas and new year I'm thinking of sending it early Dec, so I'll need to pack quite soon! Just taking books, knick knacks, kids toys and some kitchen stuff so think we'll be OK without it, but wondering if by Jan there would be more bits I'd need to send??? Think I'll need to be really meticulous!

Yes its through a UK corporate travel agent, my dad will be paying so I think it was that in itself is easier for him, paying in the UK, and also the price seemed good. I'll check at flight centre and see what they have.

So if I pay the UK company from Australia that'd work, but if my dad in UK pays UK company for a ticjeyt for me it might be a problem? Or if I'm in Australia I might have problem sourcing from a UK travel agent full stop?

Hi all, A family member is buying mine and kid's flights back homecwhen we leave in Jan and wants to use his work travel guy in the UK, we'll be flying one way Melbourne to London. Any issues with doing this?? Anything I need him to check with his agent?? Thanks ?

Hi everyone, I am sending my children's passport applications off and just gathering the supporting documents.This line is confusing me: First British passport applicants born or adopted outside the UK – parents’ or adoptive parents’ documents - Please provide the following: The passport you entered the country from which you are applying, and if different, any non-British passport held as well as the evidence shown in the table below: Am I correct in thinking they want my OLD UK passport that I entered Australia on 10yrs ago) as well as my CURRENT AUS passport ? (it says for the kids if they are dual nationals to only send a full colour copy of the current foreign passport, all pages - would I therefore also only send a copy of my australian one, and not the actual current passport?) So confusing! Thanks for any advice!

yes I had another look - no break lease clause and just the fees as mentioned above. Really hoping that my kids passports come super quick and we can start looking from November. I think its a great little spot, nice unit in a sought after village near the train station, we're northern suburbs of Melbourne. I will do all I can to find someone too - I'll ask everyone!

Interesting, I cant see anything written in my lease thatblooks like a lease break fee rather than costs etc. But she did say the same things you did Fisher1, one weeks rent, advertising and the other small fee. I haveva friend in real estate, I'll ask her to also look at it for me. Ozzie I'm starting to think I'll have to, but it'll still be mid Dec earliest tbay anyobe could move in...here's hoping!

Thanks for the reply... So I spoke to agent, she has said I'd have to pay one weeks rent ($340), $270 for advertising, $100 board check? And then rent until its let. She said lots if people look aver Xmas when they're off work so as soon as I can let her know the better. They're closed till Jan 7 so can get a friend to hand in keys for me perhaps. Yes I'll keep a bank account open. Hoping passports don't take too long, I've read 6-8wks, so its all cutting it fine. Ideally I tell them in November and someone snaps it up and confirms before Xmas that they'll take it early Jan. The lease also says I could find someone to take over the lease, although of course they'll still need to be approved. I might shout out in Nov on our local village favebook page to see if there's any interest??

Hi, I'm going to speak to my Real Estate agency today about 'hypothetically' breaking my lease to come home - I'm waiting on UK passports for the children so cannot book anything till they come through. It will all be quite a last minute rush I feel. Ideally I need to be home before Jan 15 to apply for my youngests school place. Has anyone broken a lease over xmas/new year? Can I literally hand keys in and get on the plane or do I need to be in the country for anything? I will leave a good friend with helping tie up any loose ends but I'm thinking if the house is clean and empty I can just go? So like Jan 2nd hand keys, 3rd get on a plane? Obviously I will let them know in say November officially so we can find another tenant. If I have to give house back before xmas to have it all done and dusted I'd be spending my last xmas in Oz on peoples floors etc, not too fun. Its all a bit stressful as it is I'd like to somewhat rest before I travel back with two young kids! If anyone has any advice that's be great, Thanks!

Hi everyone, This is reminding me of when we first arrived in Australia and needed a medicare card to get such and such but couldnt get a medicare card without XYZ! I'm moving back home to the UK in early Jan (although this will all be last minute as waiting on passports for the kids etc) and am stressing about what to get first - I'll need to act pretty quickly as I'll only have a week or so from arriving to apply for my youngest's reception place at school. We will need proof of address really quick on arriving - what order do I do all this in? Lost my drivers licence in our 10yrs here in oz, no idea where it went - will need to report it as lost?? Or just change address? Their website says they can fine you GBP1000 for not updating your address promptly - we never told them we were moving abroad - eeek. Anyone have any experience with this??? Lost NI number - seems straighforward to get this although they ask for last 3yrs addresses - they will be Australian - anyone had experience of this? Are they wanting my last UK address perhaps? I'll call them at some point but wondered if anyone knew. I'm so annoyed we got rid of all our UK documents - felt we didn't need them after so many years away, so annoying now though! Thanks :)

Scousers1, how are you feeling? I have read this thread with great interest. My marriage has recently ended - my plan is to head back to the UK with the kids once our citizenship is through (husband has agreed. he's staying in Oz). I just feel so heartbroken that this is how everything has ended. We are both English yet he refused to ever visit the UK again once we moved, and refuses to ever live there again. Our children are 3 and 9. So I feel the time is now, so my eldest can at least have a year in Primary school in the UK and 3 year of will just be starting. The mental struggle and load of all this is very real and it's been all too easy to doubt myself over the10 years we've lived here. I have tried everything to make it work here, blamed everything else but the fact we need to return to the UK (as I knew how much living in Oz meant to DH) but there's only so long you can hold your needs back and so important to not let it make us ill. To be honest I don't know how I'm holding on, well I don't a lot of the time, but one foot first, then another, and constantly telling myself 'All will be well' is helping! Thinking of everyone in this difficult situation - hugs.

Hi, We applied in October 2017 and just had confirmation our test is on the 17 May. Interested to see what timelines others have had! How did you find the interview and test? Bit nervous!

Hi All, I will be moving back to the UK with my two children (4 + 9) once we have citizenship, hopefully that will be completed by the end of the year. In the meantime I'm trying to work out what to bring back etc - I need to change our sleeping arrangements at the moment and wanted to children to share with a bunk bed, so do I buy a nice one and bring it back, or super cheap and leave it here? Will shipping be way more than the cost of buying things again? I will be leaving Oz with barely anything, and I will be starting again from scratch when I get back so part of me thinks if I can already have some items to set up with it'd be better, the thought of having to furnish a whole flat and buy everything when I'll have barely any income is daunting. Although money is tight now my feeling is it'll be tighter when I get to UK so maybe paying for things now is better? Or literally save every penny I can and wing it - start afresh when I'm there. The ultimate fresh start! When I think of everything you accumulate in a lifetime, to replace it is huge! As you can see I'm totally clueless and trying not to freak out lol! I would love to know what you all did, and if I do ship what are the best options - just send a few boxes rather than actually ship stuff?? Thanks so much!