Almost a month in Perth - story so far

[pauline]

Great you are all doing well I remember watching you on wanted down under. Hope to be over soon with my oh and 3 kids, cant wait.

[Si T]

Hi All

 

Amazing to think that two years tomorrow we landed in Perth with little money and no job. There has been a great deal of change since I last updated and mostly positive with the odd negative thrown in for good measure just to keep us humble.

 

Back in July I managed to negotiate leaving my original position under redundancy to pursue other opportunities and so that I didn't end up killing my line manager. I managed to pick up a short term contract within a few weeks and the Monday after the contract finished started my new permanent role as Financial Controller in construction contracting. I have managed to get back to where I wanted to be in terms of position and so professionally things are okay. Nevertheless, I am still planning the next move to fit my longer term goals.

 

On a more personal level we are still in the process of building the house. I won't name the builder but by the time the house is finished they will have taken six months longer than they originally indicated to build which has put a big strain on our finances as I am sure you can imagine. To mitigate this we moved to a cheaper rental back in January until the house is finished. We moved up to Clarkson, about a ten minute walk North of the train station and we honestly wish we had gone straight there when we moved out here. Trudy liked Mindarie but I found a number of people were only interested in what job you had, how big your SUV was and what school your child went to. I used to love winding them up with stories of the drug dealers we used to live next to in the UK (in reality a sixty year old woman but where's the fun in the truth). We also found some were those who bought their properties pretty cheap a number of years ago and because they lived in Mindarie felt they were something special. It's only Mindarie for goodness sake. We are looking forward to moving into our own place around May/June.

 

Trude now has her own business cake baking/decorating which I said she should call Trudy Scrumptious (see what I did there?) but she is resisting. I will get my own way in the end and will wear her down. She is getting some good business from word of mouth and we are talking about enquiring about taking a lease in Shorehaven once the sea front development has been finished for her to open her own bakery/coffee shop. It would be great for her as Jakey will be 13 by then and able to get home from school and the shop would be a 2 minute drive from the new place.

 

I hear our revisited was back on last month and I am still yet to see it to be honest. Bad enough to hear your voice on voice-mail, never mind see your mug on t.v.

 

Jakey has now told us that he doesn't want to go back to the UK to live as his life is here and with Kirsty having arrived last September Trudy is a lot more settled. Kirsty has struggled a little in terms of making friends but she is slowly getting there. She is hoping to travel this year to the UK and USA and we are planning a couple of weeks back in the UK to catch up with family and friends later this year. I was happy enough to leave it a few more years but Trude feels that she needs to see her mother as she still hasn't since her Dad died. She followed me to the other side of the world so it is the least I can do I guess.

 

In summary, I guess, the important thing is to say that life is life, wherever you are. You still have to work and pay a mortgage/bills. You still get a flat tyre now and then and you can still never be quite fast enough to swat a fly with your bare hand but you can have a good life out here if you remember that you are owed nothing and have to earn everything.

 

Almost forgot, we also now have a new addition to the family in the shape of a Cavalier King Charles / Toy poodle cross (1/8th Poodle) called Molly. It was almost like having a baby again for the first few months and she is very much now one of the family and we couldn't imagine not having her with us so I guess that's us staying for at least the next ten years. You never know after that, from the current conversation's between Trudy and I it could end up as a toss up between retirement in Spain or selling hot dogs at Disneyland in Florida. Watch this space.

 

Cheers

 

Si

[Paul1Perth]

Retirement in Spain would be a bit like retirement here but with language difficulties Si. Good update mate, one of my friends is having a house built at the moment and he reckons he has the slowest builder in the world, he also says along with the most expensive pool, most expensive outdoor barbie area :laugh:. We just have to say how's the house going to wind him up, they should have been in by Christmas and they are still waiting.

[Mrs Keeneyboy]

Loved reading your update and watching your WDU revisited. You shouldnt cringe, you all came over great and Trudy must feel great now that Kirsty has joined you. I think 'Trudy Scrumptious' is a perfect name for a bakery/coffee shop. I bet all the PIO's folk think the same.....how about a poll?!!! I'd definitely enjoy a cuppa there, in fact I've been compiling a list from here in the UK of all the coffee shops and restaurants I plan to visit (sad but true, ask Fifi69!) I've just added 'Trudy Scrumptious' to the list!

 

Mrs K x

[stevie ellis]

a watched you telly pal , really gud tae watch, wish you and yer family aw the best, can a ask though? why did ya tak the renault?:shocked:

[Si T]

Hey Stevie

 

When we were deciding I contacted a shipper who could put it in the container for only an additional 350 quid. The difference was for a lorry which could lift the container onto the road and back onto the trailer afterwards.

 

I would only be able to sell the car for around 4k in the UK but felt that I would be able to trade it in for more once we got here. I can't sell it for the first two years after initial registration, which is up in July, but it will be interesting to see what trade in I can get once I look to do so. It has also helped not to have to pay finance on two cars in the first couple of years here as it was paid off before we left.

 

Other than that it has been great to be able to put the roof down practically every day for the last six months instead of a couple of times per year at home.

 

Cheers

 

Si

[Si T]

Hi all

 

Just realised that it is now four years today since we arrived. We have our citizenship test on Friday (the four years started when we flew over for WDU which was six months before). And I still have the Megane.

 

The last twelve months have been proper up and down with retrenchment back in April 2015 leading to a tough six months but which has culminated in me establishing my own business consultancy for SME's for the last six months which is doing well so far. I've picked up a few clients and have been able to stabilise everything and will be looking to grow over the coming months.

 

There seems to be a bit of doom and gloom around WA at the moment due to the downturn in the resources sector but I see it as the industry leaving the investment phase and moving into a production phase. The drop in resource prices has meant that the hit has been harder than it should have been but there are sectors out there which are experiencing growth such as Aged Care and Healthcare. Not a lot of help to resources guys who have found themselves out of work but it means that money is still flowing in the area.

 

One thing the last twelve months has underlined for me is the importance of keeping the outgoings down and not getting sucked into the materialistic side of things. It means a lot less pressure on you financially if the s**t hits the fan. I was also thinking about the whole Perth being expensive thing this morning and when I compare things to what I was paying at home, while there are areas such as housing where it is pretty expensive, I find it much of a muchness. Items such as our weekly shop, utilities etc. I find to be on a par with what we paid at home overall. There are certain things which are more expensive but some things which are cheaper. Shopping outside of the duopoly is a help in that regard. Things like petrol, car insurance etc. I find to be cheaper here. I would also say that as long as you are looking to be reasonable about the car you buy they are similar or slightly higher. The trade off is that they tend to hold their value better than the UK. This means that the upfront payment may be more but the net cost after you sell it could possibly be less. I have held onto my Megane for now and will probably do so for the next couple of years. It is running pretty well and the paint work is okay so I have decided not to create another finance payment for us to have to meet every month for now. If the business goes well over the next couple of years I may look to replace it but only once I can at least put a substantial deposit down.

 

Trudy is a lot more settled now that she has the chance to get back to the UK once a year. She went last year for a wedding and to see her family and came back a lot happier. She is off again in July to visit friends and family and is looking forward to it. Jakey and I had to fly back a few weeks ago and upon our return have no real urge to head back any time soon. It was good to see friends and family but we both feel that we have a better life here and that it suits us both to be here. That obviously isn't going to be the same for everyone and it is certainly a case of each to their own.

 

We have also been in the house we were building for almost two years and feel settled on that score. Just little things like being able to put up pictures when and where we like makes a big difference. We have noticed that there are a lot of empty rentals in the area where people have looked to build investment properties which have then been impacted by the reduction in people looking to rent. For me that has been the biggest impact of the resources issue, the number of available rentals. The value of properties also seems to have at least stabilised which I don't think is a bad thing. That will mean that the value of ours won't increase as much as we first thought it may but we like the house and if the worst thing that happens is that we live in it for twenty years then that is hardly the end of the world, especially as the estate develops over the next 3-5 years.

 

I have noticed that a number of people seem to be heading back to the UK and I wish them luck. Their reasons for going back are just as valid as my reasons for staying and I get really frustrated when I see people from both sides of the issue trying to belittle the thought processes and decisions of people they don't even really know just because it doesn't fit with their own point of view. It's too easy to sit behind a keyboard and put people down without any recourse. Get a grip people.

 

All in all, things are still pretty positive for us but I think that has a lot to do with understanding from day one we were going to have to work hard to make it a success. Sometimes even that isn't enough and outside factors will determine how things work out no matter what you do but I feel we have been lucky on that score. I am a big believer that you make your own luck but am also aware that things come out of left field that you can't possibly prepare for and can make your decision for you.

 

Cheers

 

Si

[JockinTas]

Hi all

 

Just realised that it is now four years today since we arrived. We have our citizenship test on Friday (the four years started when we flew over for WDU which was six months before). And I still have the Megane.

 

The last twelve months have been proper up and down with retrenchment back in April 2015 leading to a tough six months but which has culminated in me establishing my own business consultancy for SME's for the last six months which is doing well so far. I've picked up a few clients and have been able to stabilise everything and will be looking to grow over the coming months.

 

There seems to be a bit of doom and gloom around WA at the moment due to the downturn in the resources sector but I see it as the industry leaving the investment phase and moving into a production phase. The drop in resource prices has meant that the hit has been harder than it should have been but there are sectors out there which are experiencing growth such as Aged Care and Healthcare. Not a lot of help to resources guys who have found themselves out of work but it means that money is still flowing in the area.

 

One thing the last twelve months has underlined for me is the importance of keeping the outgoings down and not getting sucked into the materialistic side of things. It means a lot less pressure on you financially if the s**t hits the fan. I was also thinking about the whole Perth being expensive thing this morning and when I compare things to what I was paying at home, while there are areas such as housing where it is pretty expensive, I find it much of a muchness. Items such as our weekly shop, utilities etc. I find to be on a par with what we paid at home overall. There are certain things which are more expensive but some things which are cheaper. Shopping outside of the duopoly is a help in that regard. Things like petrol, car insurance etc. I find to be cheaper here. I would also say that as long as you are looking to be reasonable about the car you buy they are similar or slightly higher. The trade off is that they tend to hold their value better than the UK. This means that the upfront payment may be more but the net cost after you sell it could possibly be less. I have held onto my Megane for now and will probably do so for the next couple of years. It is running pretty well and the paint work is okay so I have decided not to create another finance payment for us to have to meet every month for now. If the business goes well over the next couple of years I may look to replace it but only once I can at least put a substantial deposit down.

 

Trudy is a lot more settled now that she has the chance to get back to the UK once a year. She went last year for a wedding and to see her family and came back a lot happier. She is off again in July to visit friends and family and is looking forward to it. Jakey and I had to fly back a few weeks ago and upon our return have no real urge to head back any time soon. It was good to see friends and family but we both feel that we have a better life here and that it suits us both to be here. That obviously isn't going to be the same for everyone and it is certainly a case of each to their own.

 

We have also been in the house we were building for almost two years and feel settled on that score. Just little things like being able to put up pictures when and where we like makes a big difference. We have noticed that there are a lot of empty rentals in the area where people have looked to build investment properties which have then been impacted by the reduction in people looking to rent. For me that has been the biggest impact of the resources issue, the number of available rentals. The value of properties also seems to have at least stabilised which I don't think is a bad thing. That will mean that the value of ours won't increase as much as we first thought it may but we like the house and if the worst thing that happens is that we live in it for twenty years then that is hardly the end of the world, especially as the estate develops over the next 3-5 years.

 

I have noticed that a number of people seem to be heading back to the UK and I wish them luck. Their reasons for going back are just as valid as my reasons for staying and I get really frustrated when I see people from both sides of the issue trying to belittle the thought processes and decisions of people they don't even really know just because it doesn't fit with their own point of view. It's too easy to sit behind a keyboard and put people down without any recourse. Get a grip people.

 

All in all, things are still pretty positive for us but I think that has a lot to do with understanding from day one we were going to have to work hard to make it a success. Sometimes even that isn't enough and outside factors will determine how things work out no matter what you do but I feel we have been lucky on that score. I am a big believer that you make your own luck but am also aware that things come out of left field that you can't possibly prepare for and can make your decision for you.

 

Cheers

 

Si

 

I did enjoy reading your post! :smile: Good to hear you are enjoying life in spite of the ups and downs.

[calNgary]

Lots of luck with your citizenship, to us that was the final piece of the Jigsaw put in place.

 

Cal x

[Si T]

Lots of luck with your citizenship, to us that was the final piece of the Jigsaw put in place.

 

Cal x

 

I think we feel the same way Cal. Both the kids are settled, I'm settled and Trude is pretty much there or thereabouts even though she has her days when she still gets homesick.

[walvia]

Hi all

 

Just realised that it is now four years today since we arrived. We have our citizenship test on Friday (the four years started when we flew over for WDU which was six months before). And I still have the Megane.

 

The last twelve months have been proper up and down with retrenchment back in April 2015 leading to a tough six months but which has culminated in me establishing my own business consultancy for SME's for the last six months which is doing well so far. I've picked up a few clients and have been able to stabilise everything and will be looking to grow over the coming months.

 

There seems to be a bit of doom and gloom around WA at the moment due to the downturn in the resources sector but I see it as the industry leaving the investment phase and moving into a production phase. The drop in resource prices has meant that the hit has been harder than it should have been but there are sectors out there which are experiencing growth such as Aged Care and Healthcare. Not a lot of help to resources guys who have found themselves out of work but it means that money is still flowing in the area.

 

One thing the last twelve months has underlined for me is the importance of keeping the outgoings down and not getting sucked into the materialistic side of things. It means a lot less pressure on you financially if the s**t hits the fan. I was also thinking about the whole Perth being expensive thing this morning and when I compare things to what I was paying at home, while there are areas such as housing where it is pretty expensive, I find it much of a muchness. Items such as our weekly shop, utilities etc. I find to be on a par with what we paid at home overall. There are certain things which are more expensive but some things which are cheaper. Shopping outside of the duopoly is a help in that regard. Things like petrol, car insurance etc. I find to be cheaper here. I would also say that as long as you are looking to be reasonable about the car you buy they are similar or slightly higher. The trade off is that they tend to hold their value better than the UK. This means that the upfront payment may be more but the net cost after you sell it could possibly be less. I have held onto my Megane for now and will probably do so for the next couple of years. It is running pretty well and the paint work is okay so I have decided not to create another finance payment for us to have to meet every month for now. If the business goes well over the next couple of years I may look to replace it but only once I can at least put a substantial deposit down.

 

Trudy is a lot more settled now that she has the chance to get back to the UK once a year. She went last year for a wedding and to see her family and came back a lot happier. She is off again in July to visit friends and family and is looking forward to it. Jakey and I had to fly back a few weeks ago and upon our return have no real urge to head back any time soon. It was good to see friends and family but we both feel that we have a better life here and that it suits us both to be here. That obviously isn't going to be the same for everyone and it is certainly a case of each to their own.

 

We have also been in the house we were building for almost two years and feel settled on that score. Just little things like being able to put up pictures when and where we like makes a big difference. We have noticed that there are a lot of empty rentals in the area where people have looked to build investment properties which have then been impacted by the reduction in people looking to rent. For me that has been the biggest impact of the resources issue, the number of available rentals. The value of properties also seems to have at least stabilised which I don't think is a bad thing. That will mean that the value of ours won't increase as much as we first thought it may but we like the house and if the worst thing that happens is that we live in it for twenty years then that is hardly the end of the world, especially as the estate develops over the next 3-5 years.

 

I have noticed that a number of people seem to be heading back to the UK and I wish them luck. Their reasons for going back are just as valid as my reasons for staying and I get really frustrated when I see people from both sides of the issue trying to belittle the thought processes and decisions of people they don't even really know just because it doesn't fit with their own point of view. It's too easy to sit behind a keyboard and put people down without any recourse. Get a grip people.

 

All in all, things are still pretty positive for us but I think that has a lot to do with understanding from day one we were going to have to work hard to make it a success. Sometimes even that isn't enough and outside factors will determine how things work out no matter what you do but I feel we have been lucky on that score. I am a big believer that you make your own luck but am also aware that things come out of left field that you can't possibly prepare for and can make your decision for you.

 

Cheers

 

Si

 

Excellent post! I wish you the best of luck with your future and the new business venture.

 

S.

[jonnyraceway]

Hi all

 

Just realised that it is now four years today since we arrived. We have our citizenship test on Friday (the four years started when we flew over for WDU which was six months before). And I still have the Megane.

 

The last twelve months have been proper up and down with retrenchment back in April 2015 leading to a tough six months but which has culminated in me establishing my own business consultancy for SME's for the last six months which is doing well so far. I've picked up a few clients and have been able to stabilise everything and will be looking to grow over the coming months.

 

There seems to be a bit of doom and gloom around WA at the moment due to the downturn in the resources sector but I see it as the industry leaving the investment phase and moving into a production phase. The drop in resource prices has meant that the hit has been harder than it should have been but there are sectors out there which are experiencing growth such as Aged Care and Healthcare. Not a lot of help to resources guys who have found themselves out of work but it means that money is still flowing in the area.

 

One thing the last twelve months has underlined for me is the importance of keeping the outgoings down and not getting sucked into the materialistic side of things. It means a lot less pressure on you financially if the s**t hits the fan. I was also thinking about the whole Perth being expensive thing this morning and when I compare things to what I was paying at home, while there are areas such as housing where it is pretty expensive, I find it much of a muchness. Items such as our weekly shop, utilities etc. I find to be on a par with what we paid at home overall. There are certain things which are more expensive but some things which are cheaper. Shopping outside of the duopoly is a help in that regard. Things like petrol, car insurance etc. I find to be cheaper here. I would also say that as long as you are looking to be reasonable about the car you buy they are similar or slightly higher. The trade off is that they tend to hold their value better than the UK. This means that the upfront payment may be more but the net cost after you sell it could possibly be less. I have held onto my Megane for now and will probably do so for the next couple of years. It is running pretty well and the paint work is okay so I have decided not to create another finance payment for us to have to meet every month for now. If the business goes well over the next couple of years I may look to replace it but only once I can at least put a substantial deposit down.

 

Trudy is a lot more settled now that she has the chance to get back to the UK once a year. She went last year for a wedding and to see her family and came back a lot happier. She is off again in July to visit friends and family and is looking forward to it. Jakey and I had to fly back a few weeks ago and upon our return have no real urge to head back any time soon. It was good to see friends and family but we both feel that we have a better life here and that it suits us both to be here. That obviously isn't going to be the same for everyone and it is certainly a case of each to their own.

 

We have also been in the house we were building for almost two years and feel settled on that score. Just little things like being able to put up pictures when and where we like makes a big difference. We have noticed that there are a lot of empty rentals in the area where people have looked to build investment properties which have then been impacted by the reduction in people looking to rent. For me that has been the biggest impact of the resources issue, the number of available rentals. The value of properties also seems to have at least stabilised which I don't think is a bad thing. That will mean that the value of ours won't increase as much as we first thought it may but we like the house and if the worst thing that happens is that we live in it for twenty years then that is hardly the end of the world, especially as the estate develops over the next 3-5 years.

 

I have noticed that a number of people seem to be heading back to the UK and I wish them luck. Their reasons for going back are just as valid as my reasons for staying and I get really frustrated when I see people from both sides of the issue trying to belittle the thought processes and decisions of people they don't even really know just because it doesn't fit with their own point of view. It's too easy to sit behind a keyboard and put people down without any recourse. Get a grip people.

 

All in all, things are still pretty positive for us but I think that has a lot to do with understanding from day one we were going to have to work hard to make it a success. Sometimes even that isn't enough and outside factors will determine how things work out no matter what you do but I feel we have been lucky on that score. I am a big believer that you make your own luck but am also aware that things come out of left field that you can't possibly prepare for and can make your decision for you.

 

Cheers

 

Si

 

Top post

[calNgary]

I think we feel the same way Cal. Both the kids are settled, I'm settled and Trude is pretty much there or thereabouts even though she has her days when she still gets homesick.

 

I think the pangs of homesickness never really go away although they do lessen. Only last week my brother was rushed into hospital for an emergency op and i felt sooo far away.. To an extent, over time you learn how to deal and live with it.

 

Cal x