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8 years in Melbourne and no further forward.


duffer34

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NO, it is law that the landlord has to make sure everything from gas to electrics is up to standard.

 

Perthbum you are wrong my last rental hard carbonmonoxide leaking from the gas fire - no law to enforce the gas check, fire was replaced but the land lord didn't car and we could have all died via Jellis Craig rental agent (so called high end rentals), it was only when i spoke to the CEO it was resolved!!!!! renting is a joke and so are the rentals in oz - glad i am leaving to go to the uk

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Perthbum you are wrong my last rental hard carbonmonoxide leaking from the gas fire - no law to enforce the gas check, fire was replaced but the land lord didn't car and we could have all died via Jellis Craig rental agent (so called high end rentals), it was only when i spoke to the CEO it was resolved!!!!! renting is a joke and so are the rentals in oz - glad i am leaving to go to the uk

 

An electrician has already told me the wiring needs replacing. It failed when we moved in and the agents response was 'it was probably something you plugged in' Always having to reset the switches. The plugs spark when you plug/unplug stuff (happened in my last rental too). For the last two inspections I have pointed out (and in writing) that the switch powering the ceiling fan sparks and is probably dangerous. Nada. I'm a landlord in the UK - any issues including wiring, heating, radiators are sorted out immediately (although they rarely come up as it is a modern house) - I don't want to fry my tenants as I suspect that is against the law......

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I love Melbourne and Australia but listed below are the things I am struggling with even 8 years on after leaving Scotland, is anyone in the same boat as me or am I completely mental:

 

 

  • Substandard cold rental property in North Fitzroy for $2781.00 a month and Land Lord thinking that is at an appropriate standard.

  • Missing family (a lot)

  • No support with my 2 year old who has been a bad sleeper

  • no line of sight of being able to afford a decent house in a desirable area even though I earn in excess of $140K a year.

  • The price of flights back home at Xmas $10K +

  • Rego at $750 a year

  • The long expensive battle for Citizenship and PR

  • The lack of affordability to do long weekends away

 

 

Sounds all very negative but I am really at the end of it and these issues are driving me back home. I love a lot of things about Melbs but I think its time to head home.

 

Is anyone in the same boat or am I a negative Scotsman !!!!! or a realist

 

Have you considered moving to another suburb? We rent a lovely new 3 bed townhouse in Newport for $2k a month. Only 20 mins on the train to the city. Newport is fabulous for kids, Scienceworks, 12 parks, can be at Werribee or Melbourne zoo in 20 mins by car. The MCH services here are really good too. Have you joined any local mums n bubs FB groups? They are usually a great source of info for sleep schools.

 

Houses are expensive. It's crap. But we've just bought a house on DH's salary alone (I'm currently on mat leave expecting bub #2) and he earns a basic salary of $135k. $625k got us a brand new townhouse in Altona. Ok it's 30 mins on the train to the CBD, which is further than I'd like, but hoping the trade off to live by the beach will be worth it. And still got great schools, cafes and parks. I would have loved to stay in Newport but it would be $700k plus for a 3 bed house close enough to the train station.

 

Can family not come out to see you at Christmas? My parents loved the novelty of going to Carols by Candlelight in 30 degree heat lol. Or can you go home at other times of the year when it's cheaper? Xmas is expensive to fly anywhere.

 

Rego is expensive. But personally I find not having to get my car repaired from pothole damage, or sit in endless roadworks worth the trade off :-) And the freedom to only run one car instead of two as public transport is better and cheaper here.

 

Weekends away are more expensive unless you like camping. Which we do. Can you forego the long weekends and just do a week in Bali/QLD off peak instead?

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Have you considered moving to another suburb? We rent a lovely new 3 bed townhouse in Newport for $2k a month. Only 20 mins on the train to the city. Newport is fabulous for kids, Scienceworks, 12 parks, can be at Werribee or Melbourne zoo in 20 mins by car. The MCH services here are really good too. Have you joined any local mums n bubs FB groups? They are usually a great source of info for sleep schools.

 

Houses are expensive. It's crap. But we've just bought a house on DH's salary alone (I'm currently on mat leave expecting bub #2) and he earns a basic salary of $135k. $625k got us a brand new townhouse in Altona. Ok it's 30 mins on the train to the CBD, which is further than I'd like, but hoping the trade off to live by the beach will be worth it. And still got great schools, cafes and parks. I would have loved to stay in Newport but it would be $700k plus for a 3 bed house close enough to the train station.

 

Can family not come out to see you at Christmas? My parents loved the novelty of going to Carols by Candlelight in 30 degree heat lol. Or can you go home at other times of the year when it's cheaper? Xmas is expensive to fly anywhere.

 

Rego is expensive. But personally I find not having to get my car repaired from pothole damage, or sit in endless roadworks worth the trade off :-) And the freedom to only run one car instead of two as public transport is better and cheaper here.

 

Weekends away are more expensive unless you like camping. Which we do. Can you forego the long weekends and just do a week in Bali/QLD off peak instead?

 

My motto is Where theres a will theres a way. People create their own future.

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I'm literally around the corner from you in lower Northcote. I'm single and earn a lower salary than yourself but a lot of what you say resonates with me. I'm currently deciding when I leave Melbourne, not if.

 

Living in out of the way places, for me, is quite a depressing thought and moving to somewhere cheaper is like putting a sticking plaster onto an open wound. In my time here, housing costs have never been reasonable, never mind cheap. During the GFC period, the UK, USA and Europe allowed house prices to drop thus making houses affordable for savers and the financially responsible. In comparison, Australia did everything possible to support high housing costs and middle class lifestyle whilst imposing higher costs through indirect taxation. This has resulted in savers and the financially responsible being punished.

 

Very true. The irresponsible and speculators are rewarded in this country. The more prudential being punished on all fronts. Strange old world.

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I cannot speak for the USA or mainland Europe but I wonder where you get the idea that the UK was happy to let house prices drop. Policies invoked by the Government and the BofE did everything possible to mitigate the effects of the GFC on the housing market. The bank base rate has been 0.5% for 6 years. QE pumped billions into the bank coffers to keep them lending and there was little if any support for housebuilding so as to create an artificial supply and demand.

 

Yes, Australia's policy of negative gearing seems an anathema but they do support house-building and ultimately it is plentiful supply which will reduce housing costs.

 

Or more so the lack of incentive for high earners claiming tax breaks rather than promoting negative gearing which encourages speculators and hence prices rather than home buyers. That and the release of more land.

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I do think it strange the number of people returning skint after the biggest boom of a century. Some are even saving to return. You should have returned a year ago, and you should have oddles of cash. My god, what have you been doing. How could you not be returning with a fortune. I'm astounded. All you had to do was work and buy a house. It wasn't rocket science.

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I do think it strange the number of people returning skint after the biggest boom of a century. Some are even saving to return. You should have returned a year ago, and you should have oddles of cash. My god, what have you been doing. How could you not be returning with a fortune. I'm astounded. All you had to do was work and buy a house. It wasn't rocket science.

 

Probably living beyond their means and not be realistic in the early days.

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We were once doing pretty well, both working full-time then bought a house! Fast forward to having our Son and numerous health issues that came along with that together with the rising cost of food/petrol etc., and we simply couldn't afford the lifestyle anymore. Have now moved back to the UK where we'll be able to buy a house for cash, take regular family holidays, no huge medical bills and will not get into debt just to put our Son through school - are you saying we are irresponsible for taking this path? Have you even stepped foot in Australia yet? For most people it is not a place to make bundles of cash anymore, in fact for the most part, people are just about breaking even!

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Probably living beyond their means and not being realistic in the early days.

is it really acceptable for intelligent people to make smug remarks about other people's circumstances ie what they should and should not have, or indeed done given the situation!! Personally I see no need, you probably have no idea what challenges they faced, or indeed their situation, likewise you may have had good fortune and they not. Seems a shame to judge other people's life's and circumstances when the facts are not on the table. Most people I met in oz as a migrant where struggling for the first few years and yes things got better, but it all cost money and time. Just be grateful for your own good fortune and show some gratitude. I've found being grateful and a wee bit more humble helps, not only you, but everyone around you. In short, don't judge others until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

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We were once doing pretty well, both working full-time then bought a house! Fast forward to having our Son and numerous health issues that came along with that together with the rising cost of food/petrol etc., and we simply couldn't afford the lifestyle anymore. Have now moved back to the UK where we'll be able to buy a house for cash, take regular family holidays, no huge medical bills and will not get into debt just to put our Son through school - are you saying we are irresponsible for taking this path? Have you even stepped foot in Australia yet? For most people it is not a place to make bundles of cash anymore, in fact for the most part, people are just about breaking even!

 

Too true. Our son has medical issues and it has cost us a small fortune. We went to New Zealand at Easter for a small break and are still recovering. Hubby's wage (teacher) barely covers rent, and although I earn a lot when I do earn (IT consultant) it's zero hours stuff and very risky. And we're in Brisbane - not nearly as costly as elsewhere. We're not doing it tough by any means, but don't have an enviable lifestyle. I didn't come to Oz 8 years ago to get rich - came for an adventure and had one, but sure am looking forward to going on holiday when I get back to the UK.

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is it really acceptable for intelligent people to make smug remarks about other people's circumstances ie what they should and should not have, or indeed done given the situation!! Personally I see no need, you probably have no idea what challenges they faced, or indeed their situation, likewise you may have had good fortune and they not. Seems a shame to judge other people's life's and circumstances when the facts are not on the table. Most people I met in oz as a migrant where struggling for the first few years and yes things got better, but it all cost money and time. Just be grateful for your own good fortune and show some gratitude. I've found being grateful and a wee bit more humble helps, not only you, but everyone around you. In short, don't judge others until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

 

I thought the poster meant people who came here when the mining boom was at it's peak - made heaps of money and returned to the UK or wherever with a small fortune not the migrant who comes here with a family to settle for a few years. I have relatives who worked in the middle east a few years ago who worked hard for a few years and managed to save enough to buy a house outright and semi-retire.

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is it really acceptable for intelligent people to make smug remarks about other people's circumstances ie what they should and should not have, or indeed done given the situation!! Personally I see no need, you probably have no idea what challenges they faced, or indeed their situation, likewise you may have had good fortune and they not. Seems a shame to judge other people's life's and circumstances when the facts are not on the table. Most people I met in oz as a migrant where struggling for the first few years and yes things got better, but it all cost money and time. Just be grateful for your own good fortune and show some gratitude. I've found being grateful and a wee bit more humble helps, not only you, but everyone around you. In short, don't judge others until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

 

well Australia's skint me lol . What boom ! It's timing aswell , I know welder from back home came here in height of the boom , said he was earning 34 dollars a hour he's hit jackpot well I can understand him because in UK he prob would of only got ten quid a he . And he came when ya got $2:50 to the pound . 34 dollars now I would just half it not that great when cost of living idearer ! So I half my hubbies wages now compared to UK and he prob gets on a parr with UK not much in it now ! So I don't see people coming now how they can possibly be better off Norway ! My hubby had a job through other day 60 pounds a he that's 120 dollars here a he so here to me wages wise not amazing at all :) or am I looking at it wrong !

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is it really acceptable for intelligent people to make smug remarks about other people's circumstances ie what they should and should not have, or indeed done given the situation!! Personally I see no need, you probably have no idea what challenges they faced, or indeed their situation, likewise you may have had good fortune and they not. Seems a shame to judge other people's life's and circumstances when the facts are not on the table. Most people I met in oz as a migrant where struggling for the first few years and yes things got better, but it all cost money and time. Just be grateful for your own good fortune and show some gratitude. I've found being grateful and a wee bit more humble helps, not only you, but everyone around you. In short, don't judge others until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

 

 

I don't think a lot of people understand the situation in Australia. We heard for years all the people who took money over at 3:1. Then we heard all about the people earning three times their salary. If you read this forum over the last five years you would think Australia is the land of milk and honey. Which is why I am astounded at the number of posters who have to save up to return. The picture we are seeing is not the one being sold.

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I don't think a lot of people understand the situation in Australia. We heard for years all the people who took money over at 3:1. Then we heard all about the people earning three times their salary. If you read this forum over the last five years you would think Australia is the land of milk and honey. Which is why I am astounded at the number of posters who have to save up to return. The picture we are seeing is not the one being sold.

 

So what is the reality?

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