Blue Manna

7 hours ago, Parley said:

Not true. Many roundabouts have 4 entrances.

So you're only allowed one car at a roundabout at a time in Oz? I thought life was slow there but not that slow.

55 minutes ago, Toots said:

I was coming home in the car this morning and I had right of way on the roundabout when a car hurtled down the street and didn't even look and shot through right in front of me.  Luckily I am an old chook who through past experience takes my time but if I had being going at a fair pace I would have hit him hard side on.  The air was blue with very unladylike expletives I can tell you.     

Sounds like they had plenty of time. You can have more than one car on a roundabout at the same time. Australians are often very backwards about roundabouts and don't really understand how they work. It was probably a recent immigrant and their brains work much faster than Australians.

16 hours ago, Parley said:

Must say i  am surprised any bank is willing to provide a 30 year mortgage which won't be paid off until the borrower is 83.

Don't they quiz you on how you will meet the repayments after retirement. I'm sure they don't think you will be teaching in your 80s.

Assuming they have enough collateral in the house, house prices generally go up over time, so I can't see much risk for the bank. As long as they can make the payments. If their situation changes they can always sell. Probably less risky for the bank than lending to a first time buyer on 5% deposit.

4 hours ago, memmymooch said:

Hi Guys,

Have been offered a job in Perth that will be split across Midland, Northbridge and Cannington locations. We are a 50's  couple with 18 yrs daughter who will be attending Curtin Bently campus. I have stayed in Mandurah previously and we quite liked the area but feel that this might be too much of a commute as I will be working a number of shifts finishing at 11pm/midnight and not sure I want that long a drive at that time of night. 

Seeking suggestions for affordable suburbs (renting) 30-45 min commute or less. Currently I am about a 15 min drive from beaches, previously was 45 mins which was a bit far but would be happy with alternate water that could access for walks and if possible swim sometimes. Or in lieu of water nice nature walks. I dont have a strong north or south preference have not explored anywhere north.  Is there anywhere with village feel centres coffee shops, resturants etc or that is not a thing there? 

Somewhere with some diversity would be good as daugher is mix race and she sadly has experienced horrendous racism here in our current predominately white QLD location.  close to train links would also be good.  in our down time we like to do the usual cinema, resturant, live music etc.  I am super paranoid about fire so somewhere in hills or high fire risk might not be too great. 

Not sure if am chasing the impossible on a budget, ideally would like to not be paying above 500pw in rent for 2-3 bed house or unit, apartment not really practical as we have 3 cars and motorbike.

Have you thought about Como or East Vic park?

9 hours ago, Plinky said:

Moved back to UK 5 months ago after many years in Oz. Husband says he hates it in UK. I thought the kids were doing ok but they have now both separately broken down in tears saying they miss their best friends, the beach, the outdoor swimming pools. We moved back at my request and longing to spend time with and look after grandparents in old age, let them see more of the grand kids who are not yet teenagers. 
My job is harder here and I’m feeling a huge huge dose of regret and a what have I done? My other half says “it’s done now”. My heart is breaking. I don’t know where to turn or what to do. Whatever I do now will cause pain to someone. I am so sad. I feel panic rising in my chest and my heart hurts.  

We are often driven by things we can't control and what we perceive to be the ideal may not turn out to be that great in the reality. But you don't know that until you suck it and see. Don't beat yourself up. You're certainly not the first to make this decision, regret it, and then have to decide on a course of action. 

You've hurt your kids. Ok. But we do that all the time. We have to make judgement calls everyday, and hindsight is 20/20. What we think will happen ain't always so. We're not fortune tellers. Make it the best you can for them.

What you actually do will come down to money. If you can no longer afford to recreate your previous lifestyle, if the kids can't get back in the same school, you can't get the same jobs, you could make things worse. So plan. Don't react.

You've had some good advice, and some not so good advice above. I'll let you sort which is which. But don't panic and make things worse than they already are. Plan and work towards making things better. Regrets are only of value if we learn from them.

5 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

There's just my wife and I and neither of us have any family in Australia, so we'd probably be in that category of people who would benefit from the companionship in our golden years.

The rules you describe sound pretty good from my perspective. The last thing I'd want would be to find that I'd moved to a place where my neighbour's are subletting, are allowing younger family members to stay for extended periods while they are away themselves. I've nothing against noisy parties, and people having fun - just as long as I'm invited. Driving within the speed limit would seem to be a considerate thing to do, especially given that many of the residents are elderly and vulnerable. As I've spent my working life trying (not very successfully) to get people to follow rules, I would probably be one of those people who would enjoy reporting others for minor misdemeanours. I can picture myself with hard-hat and clipboard as we speak.

I'd know idea that these places had a cinema, social events, and a bar too. It just gets better and better!

Often a big pool and BBQ area, gyms, bowling greens, social events, bars with snooker tables, cinema as you mention, yoga, tai chi, some have on site medical etc etc. It's can be like a holiday camp.

But the down side, (and I'll get blasted here) is that you will be living very close proximity to a lot of old people, and old people can be weird. The dementia cases go without saying, but old people can be very crotchety and set in their ways even without dementia. Very opinionated (a bit like pio tbh) and prone to arguments. Just be wary of that.

46 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

Thanks, that's a great explanation.

Our next move will most likely be into a residential retirement complex, or 'over-50s living' as they like to call it here. Some of the accommodation is superb and nothing like 'old folks places' they have in the UK. As a sweeping generalisation based on the one's we've looked at, you pay a weekly rent or site fee of around $200/week (although this is about $140/week if you're on an Aged pension and can get a rebate). Although this works out at $10k/annum, you don't usually pay for water, council rates, or body corporate fees, so there's several thousand you're saving straight away. There isn't usually any stamp duty on the purchase either, so that's another big saving. They say that sometimes they can be hard to sell on, but less face it, that's probably going to be someone else's problem. All in all they seem like a pretty good deal when the time is right.

All I can say is go in with your eyes fully open. They can be great places to live. But sometimes you can get issues. Living close to alot of people isn't everyone's cup of tea, and if conflict arises, it can be difficult to resolve. But if you are a people person and will make use of the facilities they can be fantastic. As you say, they can be hard to sell, and the leasehold may take a chunk if you do. You're children may also be obliged to pay the fees after you die until the sale, although I believe the laws around this have changed recently. There have been some news stories over the last few years, so probably worth catching up on those. 

3 hours ago, Philip said:

The UK leasehold system has been described as "medieval" / "the last remnant of feudalism". Many people say that because of this they would never buy a UK flat, not to mention leasehold houses.

Having owned a UK flat in the past, I have experienced this first hand, with no end of problems / overcharging / lack of communication, by the property management company as well as the freeholders.

 

Detractors of leasehold in the UK have told me that strata ownership "works much better" in other countries. Now that our move is becoming a reality, I am trying to learn more about this.

Obviously there must be a way to recognise that blocks of flats have communal areas that require maintenance to be shared. But I am struggling to understand whether Australian strata title is materially different from how leasehold flats work in the UK?

They do have leasehold in Australia for retirement flats and so forth. I think they have the same in the UK. I would avoid any thing like that. I thought strata meant that the ground and externals were owned collectively?

6 hours ago, Parley said:

A child is not her possession. That is what some of you fail to grasp.

It should not be up to the mother to decide whether the father deserves a role in his child's life. It is the child's right and the father's right. Women need to stop thinking like the child is their property and up to them to decide.

Really any "stories" about other men are totally irrelevant. You might as well use Lucy Letby to generalise about the merits of nurses caring for babies. It is irrelevant.

Fortunately the courts are a bit more enlightened than some of the women on here who are tainted by some bad experiences with men and seek to tar other men with their brush.

 

I think you need to distinguish between someone being under someone's protection and someone being owned. And I really think your wokeish arguments don't have a lot of traction here. The child is what is important.

Are the photos on Australian and British passports the same size now?

12 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

Every time the Brits whinge about the illegal migrant problem I think what a bunch of posies they are over there, and recall how much better we handled the same problem a decade ago. It's one of the things that makes me really proud to be Australia.

And for the record, they are not asylum seekers.

#peltmetoo

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-64898507

The bloody remoaners who winge about the migrant problem really get my goat. We new it would get worse after Brexit. It was bleedingly obvious and clearly stated. But leaving the EU was more important. It was an abusive relationship and we needed to get out. All those who voted for Brexit, the clear majority were voting effectively for more illegals. We knew it would happen. We didn't care. The remoaners lost so just suck it up. All us Brexit voters are happy with the migrants. If a few economic migrants drown in the channel, then that's sad, but It's the price of freedom.

2 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Break down a budget for me that includes rent and other necessities for an adult and child. I said it’s not possible to have a good/nice life. Survival might be possible!

It would be survival, and a major hick up could derail you. But it would be possible.

1 hour ago, Cheery Thistle said:

 

How much of that is to do with changing trends? Kids and young adults do everything online these days. Plus they do new things. Went to play Airsoft the other day which was brilliant fun. Car park was packed. I got one of the last bays. Plus it's not cheap. Things are just different. Maybe it's a north south division, but I do go north occasionally and the restaurants and pubs are packed. Newish cars abound. Don't believe everything the guardian tells you. You don't get high inflation without high demand. Sure those on fixed income might struggle a bit, but most people I know are getting massive pay rises and there are jobs galore.

1 hour ago, Cheery Thistle said:

And you, my friend, are on the wind up! 

I was in borough markets last week and it was a crush with so many people. Never seen anything like it except before covid. Couldn't get a table anywhere for lunch. Absolutely packed. Ended up getting a meal deal from Sainsbury's and eating it on the river. I'm not a fan of crowds.

2 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

It's a literary reference - I'll let you DYOR on that one.

 

I was under the impression that you lived in Australia, not the UK?

I had forgotten that line, and I'd never dwelt on it before. Do you suppose he was just struggling to find something that rhymes with hills? You would think it rather easy. But when you try, it's not as easy as you think.

3 hours ago, tea4too said:

Without doubt life is a struggle for many in the UK just now as the country continues to navigate the economic legacy of covid lockdowns, Brexit and years of austerity policies delivered by successive tory governments. The media is full of stories warning of high interest rates, redundancies, an increase in homelessness and an NHS buckling under the strain. 

So it would be unrealistic to pretend there is no direct impact on society or individuals and I understand why those looking to emigrate do so in the hope of a better quality of life. But, for all its problems, the UK is still a first world country and the entire UK is not labouring under a constant cloud of despair. Personally we are happy here, our family are settled and making their way in life just as we did at their age, carefully navigating the cyclical ups and downs of economic downturns. If contemplating a MBTTUK my advice would be to choose your area carefully and be thorough with your research, because if you get it right it is still possible to have a good life here. T x

It's really not. Go out to a garden centre, London, a national trust property and you will see heaps of people out and about making the most of our sometimes unpredictable weather. The country is doing too well actually. I hate queuing, but everywhere it's so busy you have to queue. Britain is booming! Brexit is wonderful.

41 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Not on £23k a year as a sole income it’s not. And honestly you wouldn’t think it’s a first world country in many towns up and down the country. 

You can easily live on that sort of money in the UK. You might need to budget quite severely. But it is certainly possible.

7 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Yip, I just didn’t think it was going to be particularly helpful to the OP to go off on that tangent. 
I think you should come back and see how regional UK is looking post-Brexit and Covid. Not that the cities are faring much better either actually! I suppose when you think about it, you’re never really that far from a major city in the UK. 

Britain is doing absolutely fine after Brexit and covid. Business is booming and we're back for business. Just about to start a new trade deal with India in fact. It's true that some cottage industries that sell candles and pot purie to the Europeans might be struggling a bit, and the fishermen are screwed, but everyone else is doing brilliantly. Dyson was so right when he backed Brexit, and Brexit will give us more business men like Dyson. Things couldn't be better. The soaring pound against the plunging dollar should show you the truth. Don't believe all this harbingers of doom.

5 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

I'm sure that the grass is just as green, the hills are just as cloudy, the mills are still satanic, and the cows are happy based on the amount of mooing they do. That's how I view regional UK. I appreciate that the economy is on the backfoot over there but what do you expect? You can't pay millions of people to sit on their backsides for the best part of two years without economic consequences, and we're feeling the pinch over here too. Unfortunately it's payback time!

If the OP is able to return to the UK with a reasonable sum of money then she might be able to buy a property, or at least have enough to get a deposit. In that case the disparity between her AUS and UK salary wouldn't matter so much, just as long as she's able to keep on top of her monthly bills. Given that she's already decided to move back, it's really just a numbers game to try and get the best start for her and her little one. I wish her well.

I never realised the mills were satanic? Is some sort of devil worshiping cult that's attracted to them? I've never noticed anything like that. Is it at a particular time?

5 hours ago, Ken said:

Despite the current dip forecasters are still looking at the rate to exceed $2 in September. Longer term the forecasters expect it to exceed $2 throughout 2024 and beyond. Of course that far ahead their guess is as good as yours.

Maybe all those remoaners were wrong and Brexit Britain is starting to look on the up. A strong pound is a sign of a strong country. Australia is looking a bit on the weak side.

14 hours ago, Parley said:

If it is your home, continuously lived in and not rented out or an investment property then i don't think you have anything to worry about.

There is not usually any CGT on your family home you live in. (again assuming you have never rented it out).

Based on your post, there is no CGT and no need to declare anything on your tax return.

If you wish you can employ a tax professional to tell you the same but it is pretty common knowledge. I personally don't think you need to pay someone for this advice.
 

That sounds like good advice to me.

I'd add that if they kept it for any length of time then they may face some CGT issues. But with mortgage rates as they are in the UK, and only going higher with the inflation that the evil EU have cast upon us, I can't see UK house prices going up any time soon. So you will have a bit of breathing space.

You're just making stuff up now. There's been no mention of means tests. There would be outrage. UK pensions have always been subjected to paying NI. That's sort of the point of this. If you are going to make these sorts of claims can you please offer some sort of verification?

3 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

I’d say so yes.  In the UK there has been talk for years of the state pension stopping/being changed but I’m sure in either country they’re not going to leave old people starving with no income. It might be named something different one day but those with no means get hand outs and I cannot see that stopping. 

Sorry, who's been talking about stopping the UK state pension? I imagine they would get voted out sharply if they did. The grey vote is not to be messed with. They have delayed the qualifying age a few times, but I've never heard mention if them stopping the pension. I don't think they have even stopped the triple lock.

3 hours ago, Parley said:

Yes good idea. In fact it is a problem here that people are hoarding their super in retirement and not spending it as is supposed to happen.

No one likes seeing their account balances reducing too much i expect. 

If only they could tell us how long we were going to live!

2 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

It’s what we are born into.  The NHS is free healthcare from the cradle to the grave.  Pretty much everything medical is free.  If something has always come free is can be a shock to pay for it.  I guess it’s no different from sending kids to school for free.  If parents (here and there) suddenly had to pay for that professional service when they’ve been reassured from the start it was free it would come as a shock.   Some here do have private medical insurance and some that are able do pay for things to speed it up.  Many believe they do pay for that professional service through their taxes.  

We do pay for that professional service through taxation, in both the UK and Australia, although it would be free for those who don't pay tax I guess. Possibly the Australian system where they bill you, and you claim the money back would be better for the NHS like Medicare? At least then people would have an understanding of the cost of healthcare, and could possibly use it more widely. It would also stop NHS tourism. But I guess there would be an administrative cost to process it. Although it would enable the introduction of a partial payment system, which has its pros and cons. The danger is that if people think it's free, they won't value and respect it. As an aside, saw "this is going to hurt" recently. Absolutely brilliant. Scary, but brilliant.