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It’s now 5 years since hubby’s partner visa came through, and 4.5y since we made the move. I haven’t really been back here in this time, but I got a notification about an updated thread and it prompted me to come back and browse the forums. One recurring theme is the high cost of living, and the challenges of securing and/or affording a house (regardless of whether you’re renting or buying) and yet at the same time, almost all the questions are about the major cities, usually Sydney or Melbourne. I realise most people live in major cities, worldwide, but I wanted to raise the profile of the regional centres and let people know how much can be gained by looking outside the major cities to the regional centres. In Australia, regional centres often punch above their weight: they serve a much wider geographical area and a much higher population base than their published population size suggests. This means that facilities and services can be very generous, while at the same time cost of living can be MUCH cheaper. After moving here we weren’t really sure where we wanted to live, so we bought a caravan and set out to travel the country for two years. We stopped to work when we needed money, often in regional centres, and when it was time to settle down we resolved to accept the best job offer that wasn’t in a major city. That job turned out to be in Mildura, a regional centre on the Murray River in NW Victoria. Hubby works in healthcare and secured a package as good as any he could get in a city, but our house cost about a third of what the same house would cost in the city. While property prices are falling in the cities, our town had the biggest increases in property prices in the state last year (12%). There is a housing boom happening here, with a massive housing shortage driving new development all over town. Our British family came to visit 6m ago and were very impressed with our house, saying that their whole house could fit in our front room, and we also have a huge backyard. There is a large selection of schools. And the zoning is not tight, so if your preferred school is outside your zone there is a good chance you’ll get a place. Even if it’s on the other side of town, that’s only 15min away, tops. Sports and activities for kids are abundant (our kids chose to do BMX Racing, but there are all the other options besides). If you like the culture and atmosphere of city sporting or arts events, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide are an affordable 1hr flight away. If you’re a builder, tradesman, or have the skills to run your own construction-related business you can pretty much name your price. Healthcare services are short staffed, and job offers are generous to secure staff and the expanding population means there are many opportunities in education too. If you are concerned about the cost of housing or opportunities in the cities, I urge you to look at the regional centres in whatever state appeals to you. You can find superb lifestyle opportunities for a fraction of the living cost if you are willing to step outside the major cities.

I am becoming increasing concerned that many Australians don’t appear to we aware of the dark clouds gathering. A year ago it was just a few internet profits warning of 30% fall in house prices and I just put this down to conspiracy theories and fake news. Back then everything was rosy in the mainstream media, but now there is an ever-increasing flow of news stories warning of more problems ahead. Even a senior research analyst from CorLogic is now predicting further significant falls in prices this year. (see https://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/the-business/2019-04-15/extended-interview-with-cameron-kusher/11017472?jwsource=cl) According to Property Council Of Australia, property accounts a 1 in 4 jobs. Below is an extract from a 29 Jan 2018 report, I’m not an economist, but it’s a fair assumption that the problems in the property market are going to have an impact on the wider economy. Which will in turn exacerbate house prices falling still further. I have friends who lost out in the Irish crash of 2009 and many ordinary families are still reeling from the devastating impact of negative equity losses. You can’t understate the impact this crisis had on the people’s health and wellbeing. It’s easy to read 32% of all Irish bank loans were ‘None Performing’ without truly understanding what this was like for the individuals involved. Also worth noting how badly wrong the Irish Central Bank and the regulators were in 2009. Below is an extract from Wikipedia. The same dark clouds were present in Ireland, back then nobody understood (or cared) how bad the situation was. Is this now the same in Australia?

Hi all, Moving back to the UK (Midlands), what is the recommended amount of money to take back? (2 adults, 1 child) I've seen figures from $7500-$25,000 being thrown around. We will have free accommodation whilst back, staying with family. How and what are the prerequisites for acquiring a tax number? Do we have to have a residential address? Is this also the same for creating bank accounts? My partner and I have now had consistent work since leaving school (5 years), As it stands I should be back in the country 2 weeks before starting work and my partner will be actively applying closer to the date we move. Do real estate agents accept past work history and bank statements as a show of solid income? also if we are employed in the UK prior to applying for a rental property is there a certain amount of time they like you to have been working before they'll accept your application? Hope that is clear enough and not to muddled, apologies if so, any help would be great thanks :)

Hello Everyone, Every exited to have received our visas and looking forward to call Adelaide our new home and meet new people. I know these queries would have been addressed here before many times. But i am still unclear after a lot of digging. But any additional advises on the below queries will help me greatly to clear my doubt clouds. I am planning to move with my 5 year old son in August 2020 from Dubai. At the moment just us as my husband will stay back, so he can finance us till i get a job and settle. So i am all the more nervous but thats the safer option. My queries:- Q 1- my son turned 5 yrs old this October 2019 and is currently in third term of his KG 1 here. looks like we have to break his schooling here. the SA education website says this -- If your child turns 5 on or after 1 May, they can start primary school (reception) the first day of term 1 of the following year. Which means my son can join primary school only in january 2020 rite ?? plz correct me if i am wrong. My question is does schools in south australia take kids in between their term. ? Because he will have to do a full reception again from jan 2021 till dec. and he will complete 6 yrs by then. Also can a kid join grade 1 straight if they reach the age criteria. Even if their preschool is incomplete from the place where they are coming ? Q 2- I am confused whether I should get our stuffs like kitchen utensils , tv , music system, books and few personal items collected over period of time. No furniture's or heavy home appliances though. Is it worth shipping them or should I just sell them and buy everything from scratch. Which is a big pain in the **s and also expensive I guess compared to Dubai. Q 3 - I have read in many places that getting the first house is a big deal. bcz many landlords dont give without job or fund proof. in our case my husband will still be working in dubai. So is that proof enough. his bank statements, Our dubai home electricity bills or tenancy papers. Will that help ??? Finally anyone here who have migrated from Dubai or planning to mig soon..!!? Looking forward to all your valuable comments from ur experiences. Thank you ....

We're looking to settle in Hervey Bay. Originally being from Brisbane I can't envisage us living back in a big city. Does anyone have any links with HB and know if it would be well suited for a family of four with their children of Primary school age. What is the employment scenario like there? I've looked online and that's been helpful but I was hoping some of you would be able to give their insight. Are there any areas around HB (Not Maryborough) that you think is worth checking out? Keen to go anywhere from Bribie Island area right up towards Bundy but not quite as far as that! HB preferable.

Hello Forum.. This topic is mainly for 489 visa applicants, i.e. those in the process of applying or have already applied and received a grant or are / have already landed in SA. Migrating is not easy as it requires a lot of planning, courage to make things work out as desired. Moving with a family with young children is not easy and when the time eventually comes one develops cold feet and is lost in transition as there are load's of things to keep in mind. Here I would request all applicants to share their thoughts on some of the best practices, lessons learnt, tips, do's and don't's that are to be followed during: the application process after grant is received pre-landing preparations post landing experiences and lessons learnt This would definitely help a lot of migrants who have many thoughts and questions going on in their mind and it would be great to lend our moral support to who ever needs it Thank you all and I hope you all take the time to contribute as this forum has been stupendous in helping others! God bless and all the best to all those who have migrated or planning to migrate.

This report into housing has been released recently, produced by BIS Oxford Economics for QBE Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance. You may read the report on their website or download the full interactive PDF report here. Short on time? Watch their short video instead. If you want to read more download the PDF and click on the titles on the contents page to navigate to the parts you care about. Where did this report come from? QBE is one of the two main lenders mortgage insurance providers in Australia - the other being Genworth. BIS Oxford Economics is a large macroeconomics and industry forecast provider. The two companies have partnered for the last 17 years to generate these reports. What is LMI? Lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) is an insurance you pay if you have less than 20% deposit (i.e. you borrow more than 80%) for a property purchase. LMI protects the lender, it does not protect you. If you put in less cash, it is a riskier transaction for the lender. Hence they hedge their bets. If you can't pay, they will chase you for the funds, and they submit a claim through the LMI provider to try recoup their losses. That's right, you pay for the lender's insurance premium so they are protected from you! Normally the LMI premium can be added on top of the the base loan amount (capitalised). Or you can save like crazy to have a 20% deposit, or use a guarantor. Are their predictions for the future accurate? Who knows, I don't have a crystal ball either. This is an outlook report - an insight into the property market in Australia. A predication is still essentially an educated guess, but an interesting read nonetheless. I am providing it here as one source of information. Make of it what you may.

Hi There, I have just been granted my nomination for a Skilled Worker Regional Visa by NT government. We were initially planning on moving to Perth or Adelaide as we have family/friends there but NT gave us the sponsor. We are a bit clueless on the suburbs/areas in Darwin and any help or information would be appreciated. We have two young kids, one aged 3 and a baby coming up on a year old. Where would be the best suburbs for us looking to rent a 4 bedroom property? Ideally somewhere with good schools and plenty of parks. Thanks, G

Hi Guys, Well by God's grace things seem to be progressing well and hopefully if we clear our Health Check then we seem to inch closer in acquiring a 489 Visa and considering it would take 5 to 6 months i.e. May - June we should have our visa in our hand. If things go as per plan then we intend doing our landing in Sept - Oct 2018 but I have many queries on how to go about it? We are a family of 4 (2 children aged 9 and 4) which suburb in Adelaide do we decide to live in and what should be the criteria while choosing a suburb ? (close proximity to the city, schools, public transport etc) considering that there wont be any income when we reach, what is the monthly outgoing should we expect? We plan to rent 2 bedroom apartment / house. can my children get admissions in a government school? ( i know it wont be free as I am on a 489 visa) and what would the fee structure be like? (Grade 6 and Grade 1) what is the best way to scout for jobs? appreciate if anyone can share a template of CV's that are normally followed. are rental properties normally furnished or unfurnished? can we get a short term rental where we can be flexible to move out once we decide on the suburb we want to live in? I would also appreciate any additional info that you think can be useful, like from your own experiences, lessons learnt, do's and don'ts etc. Thank you. KPG

Hi! We’ve been in oz for 2 and a half years and when we started out we thought we wanted to be close to Brisbane city. We own in the Gold Coast now and are happy close to the sea but the DWP GP jobs for myself are not very flexible. We have started to think about moving a bit more rural to get beach front and a bit of a better working day. We want a beach town with surf club/ cafes etc to walk to (so not a really really quiet town). We were looking at bundy, Townsville or Mackay but open to other areas in qld or north nsw. I’m not keen on more humidity than Brisbane but my wife’s not bothered. We have a son starting prep and a 4 month old so it has to be good for kids too. Thanks!

Perth’s Migrants | What’s it Like Living in Perth? Rottnest Island: Perth in the Background Perth has a population of one and three-quarter million people, living in one of the world’s most isolated cities. Perth is an island of people, with vast stretches of virtually uninhabited desert to the east and thousands of miles of Indian Ocean to the west. Other Australian cities are several hours by jet plane. Perth’s lucky residents enjoy a Mediterranean climate and a relaxed lifestyle in a very beautiful, clean, spacious feeling city. Like most Australian cities, the majority of people live in detached houses with gardens. This means the city sprawls over a large area. At the heart of the city lies the beautiful, wide, Swan River. Slightly over one third of Perth’s residents were born overseas. According to the Bureau of Statistics, people from the UK are Perth’s biggest migrant group, making up 12.4 percent of the population. The next biggest groups are New Zealanders (2.5%), Italians (1.6%), Malaysians (1.2%) and South Africans (1.0%). Around 6.5% of the population is Asian and 0.6% come from the Middle East or North Africa. Aboriginal Australians represent 1.5% of Perth’s population. Despite having well over one million inhabitants, Perth is markedly quieter than the larger cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Perth is not really an ideal location for young, single people seeking exciting city nightlife. Many people think Perth is an excellent location for families. Most migrants find Perth is a friendly place to settle, particularly compared with Sydney where people sometimes seem to have less time for one another. One of Perth’s big plusses is its beautiful beaches. Many migrants dream of living next to these although houses in good, beachside suburbs tend to be very pricey. Unlike the big east-coast cities, where the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean, Perth sees spectacular sunsets over the Indian Ocean. Where to live in Perth Almost three-quarters of Perth’s houses are detached, with varying sizes of garden. The average prices we mention below are for houses and not apartments. Apartments / flats are cheaper. Generally speaking, the north and west of the city are the most highly regarded areas to live. Many British migrants have chosen to settle in the northern suburbs around half an hour north of the city centre. In suburbs such as Beldon, Connolly, Edgewater, Heathridge, Joondalup, Mullaloo and Ocean Reef, British immigrants make up around one quarter of the population. In late 2016, average house prices in these areas ranged from the mid $400,000s in Heathridge, and Beldon, high $400,000s in Edgewater, low $500,000s in Joondalup, mid $700,000s in Mullaloo, and Connolly and high $700,000s in Ocean Reef. The northern and central suburbs of Perth are where people with the highest salaries tend to live. Houses in top suburbs close to the central city, such as Nedlands and Dalkeith, situated on the beautiful Swan River, command median prices of around $1.5 to $3.0 million. All over the world, beachside properties have been in demand and fetch very high prices. Perth has followed this trend – an evening stroll along the beach and a dip in the sea is an attractive prospect. Less obvious advantages of living near the sea in Perth include less extreme summer heat and fewer flies than can be found farther inland. There are, however, some disadvantages to buying beachside property in Perth. High winds can become annoying. When they are strong, they can blow garden umbrellas around and bring sand into gardens and houses. Suburban developments close to the coast also tend to have houses packed more densely than elsewhere. In the coastal suburbs of Scarborough and Wembley Downs, to the north west and west of the city centre, the median house prices were low $800,000s and low $900,000s in late 2016. Some of the south eastern suburbs, such as Maddington, Gosnells, Lynwood, and Thornlie are less well regarded than Perth’s other areas. The average house prices in these suburbs ranged between $350,000 – $450,000 in late 2016. Perth is a very clean city although, sadly, graffiti and “hoons” are becoming an issue in many locations – even some of the better suburbs. Hoons are youths causing problems such as vandalism and reckless driving. A major attraction of Perth is its many parks and play areas for children. Perth is an ideal location for people who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. Summing Up – Pros and Cons Perth is a pleasant city, with a relaxed, outdoors lifestyle and beautiful beaches, lying on the eastern rim of the Indian Ocean. Western Australia, of which Perth is the capital, is Australia’s largest state – bigger than most countries. Perth Pros A sunny, warm, Mediterranean climate A beautiful, clean city Expansive white-sand beaches Warm seas and breathtaking sunsets over the Indian Ocean Pleasant suburbs with easy traffic Excellent public transport Very attractive countryside around the city The Fremantle Doctor, an afternoon sea breeze, is a great relief on the hottest days Perth Cons Some summer days are too hot The swarms of flies that come sometimes in summer when winds bring them in from the east There are too many boy-racers on the roads Perth has the highest burglary rates of any major Australian city are, however, some disadvantages to buying beachside property in Perth. High winds can become annoying. When they are strong, they can blow garden umbrellas around and bring sand into gardens and houses. Suburban developments close to the coast also tend to have houses packed more densely than elsewhere. In the coastal suburbs of Scarborough and Wembley Downs, to the north west and west of the city centre, the median house prices were low $800,000s and low $900,000s in late 2016. Some of the south eastern suburbs, such as Maddington, Gosnells, Lynwood, and Thornlie are less well regarded than Perth’s other areas. The average house prices in these suburbs ranged between $350,000 – $450,000 in late 2016. Perth is a very clean city although, sadly, graffiti and “hoons” are becoming an issue in many locations – even some of the better suburbs. Hoons are youths causing problems such as vandalism and reckless driving. A major attraction of Perth is its many parks and play areas for children. Perth is an ideal location for people who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. Summing Up – Pros and Cons Perth is a pleasant city, with a relaxed, outdoors lifestyle and beautiful beaches, lying on the eastern rim of the Indian Ocean. Western Australia, of which Perth is the capital, is Australia’s largest state – bigger than most countries. Perth Pros A sunny, warm, Mediterranean climate A beautiful, clean city Expansive white-sand beaches Warm seas and breathtaking sunsets over the Indian Ocean Pleasant suburbs with easy traffic Excellent public transport Very attractive countryside around the city The Fremantle Doctor, an afternoon sea breeze, is a great relief on the hottest days Perth Cons Some summer days are too hot The swarms of flies that come sometimes in summer when winds bring them in from the east There are too many boy-racers on the roads Perth has the highest burglary rates of any major Australian city

A study by Demographia this year assessed 406 urban markets in nine countries: Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom, and the United States as at the third quarter of 2016. The report found Hongkong as the most 'unaffordable' city to buy a house. Sydney housing market was ranked second most expensive in the world and "severely unaffordable". While the median house price in Sydney is $1,077,000, the median household income is $88,000. Sydney pipped other global cities with expensive real estate such as Los Angeles, London, San Francisco and New York. Melbourne came in at six in the study, while Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth were all ranked in the top 20 most expensive. While the median house price in Melbourne is $740,000, the median household income is $78,200. For Adelaide, the median house price is $435,000 and median household income is $66,000. For Brisbane, the median house price is $495,000 and the median household income is $79,400. Demographia, which ranks housing affordability in cities with a population over 1,000,000, listed Australia's major problem as urban containment policies. Urban containment policies aim to curb the growth of the urban sprawl by encouraging greater density in existing housing areas rather than opening up new sites, commonly called "greenfields." "We should not accept extreme price levels in our housing markets. High house prices are not a sign of city's success but a sign of failure to deliver the housing that its citizens need," Director of the New Zealand Initiative Oliver Hartwich said in the report. The news comes on the heels of new NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced she would address the NSW housing crisis after declaring it "the biggest issue people have across the state".

Hi, I'm looking to hear people's experiences of living outside the major cities. I have previously been sent as a nurse to a tiny NSW town called Molong for 6 weeks and loved it and had such a sense of community Can you tell me about life in the small town you live (in any state)? whats the job market like? what is your house like? what do you do for fun? How accessible is it to the next major city? Were emigrating back next year and i cant face living in a big bustling city again - we now have 2 dogs too which makes it impracticable - thanks

Hi All, I am moving to Australia next month along with my family (wife & 2 kids age 9 & 7). Currently I am living in UAE for last 5 years.. We are very eager to see Australia and get settle there. We are planning to land in Melbourne and would be looking forward to buy some cheap property in suburb around Point Cook area. Any good schools recommendation? Any guidance with regard to shipment of my stuff to Australia?? Can I ship my cars as well to get some savings on duty being an immigrant? Also wanted to know if any banks offer a credit card without getting a job. I am fine to secure the credit card limit by blocking that much amount in the account however the sooner I have, the sooner I can start making the credit history. Regards, Shajer

My family are on the final straight to getting our PR visa, and so are turning our attention to where in Aus we'd like to live. My wife and I love house renovation and especially love older houses with character. Can anyone advise or suggest of regions and suburbs where housing stock it more gentrified, and there's more likely a choice of doer uppers. Up and coming areas are always of appeal. The other caveat is that it has to be somewhere where I'll find employment opportunities for my IT skills, so no abandoned gold mining towns unfortunately Thanks in advance for helpful responses to my incredibly broad and sweeping question.

Hello all, I am just wondering where would be a good location to live. I will be working in the CBD and I also need to get to the Norwest area at times for meetings? I love the Manly area but I have heard that this would be a difficult commute. I was thinking about Neutral Bay or Cremorne, perhaps even Mosman. Would this be reasonable? How hard is it to get to the CBD from Mosman using public transport? Thanks.

Morning All Just a quick question... Is it harder to find rented accomodation that accepts dogs? (i was told Australians LOVE dogs and preffered pet of them all) Iv been advised to go through private letting rather than a company letting, there round about the same price, but most private lets are furnished? We have no children! Just looking for a 2 bedroom... Eventually we are looking to buy, but im aware we cannot do this straight away.. Any idea's??

Really really want more info on re-locating to Australia. Job ,visa's,sponsorship and housing etc All info very welcome ;0)

We are moving to Perth next year and although staying with family for the first 3 months, I would be interested in having some ideas of good areas to live. You may ask why we don’t ask them, always best to have several opinions in my book! My wife and I have a 2 year old daughter and 2 month old son and have been looking online for property near Midland, Perth area as I will be studying at TAFE MIDLAND CAMPUS - LLOYD STREET (Polytechnic West) come February 2013 for 2 years. We don't need to be next door, I don't mind commuting as long as there is an accessible train line and doesn’t take me any longer than 30mins - 1hr in either direction. We are looking for a 2-3 bedroom house ideally with a garden, child safe. Furnished would be nice but there doesn’t seem to be many of them about or within our budget. We are looking at $300-450 a week although we would be willing to pay $500 per week if the house is fully furnished! We would appreciate somewhere reasonably priced as the above rental figures won’t leave us with much unless I can find a good paid job quickly amongst study time. Can anybody help and suggest some good areas?

Hi all, I am planning to move to Sydney at the end of the year, I have a 176 visa sponsored by nsw. In a nutshell, I think I'll rent for a short time a serviced appartment after having arrived and will look for a house (I prefer a house to an appartment, like calm environments) to rent on a long term while at the same time look for a job (savings will pay for the rental at the beginning). I have a few open questions where I would like to have your insights. - how much time do you think I should rent a serviced appartment ? I have read rentals go fast so I don't want to run the risk of having not found anything at the end of the rental period of the serviced appartm. - what location should I target ? I'm alone, no children, so no need to find a school,etc. I'm more concerned about commute time and as I still do not know where I will work, I'm planning to look into chatswoord, artarmon, etc. as these places are close to the cbd and macquarie park which to my knowledge are where many IT engineers work (I am one btw). I plan to buy a car but think it's best to commute by train so being close to a rail line seems important. Anyone that had to go through this and give advice, you're welcome Thanks

Hi I work as a housing manager in the UK for a local authority and am looking to move to Australia to do the same job for the government or a community association. I am finding it really to find anyone who has moved to do the same job and I know it exists over there. I have scanned a number of forums and cant find anyone. If you work in housing or know a friend, relative or acquaitance who does I would love to speak to you/them Thanks

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/australia-home-prices-look-wobbly-says-keen-2011-12-02 This guy is seeing red flags for the housing market AND the economy in OZ. Can some people who are in Australia comment on how the housing market is going over there?

I've been comparing purchasing a house in Sydney versus keeping my house and just renting it out One of the items that jumped to my mind was the actual interest rate that Banks are charging. is it the same as what is online or are you able to negotiate a better rate How does the Stamp duty work ? I can see depending on the site some are giving 6 or 7 percent interest? Alan.

can you buy residential caravans in perth wa i have been lookin but cant seem to find any or can you buy log cabins out there thanks for any feedback:v_SPIN:

Checked out of the serviced apartment for good tonight. I'll miss seeing the Manly ferry come and go. Our stuff is in Sydney but still waiting on customs...we'll be managing with next to nothing for a week or so. Sleeping with kids blankets and eating take out for the most part. It's been a tough but good month.