vinnie3004 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 (edited) Hi All, Since my last post a few things have happened, some good and some bad. The family here in Perth wont accept my choice to return and the guilt and pressure im feeling is quickly building up to the stage where im just eager to get going quicker and quicker. It doesn't help that they became grandparents 12 months ago and i will be taking him away but at the end of the day i have my own family now and need to do what we want to do. They just cant understand our choice and whether they are intentionally trying to make me feel guilty, which i do not believe they are, i certainly am feeling an overwhelming amount of guilt for choosing to leave with my wife and son! On the other hand my wife's parents back in the UK have been very supportive. Even when my wife decided to come out here 4-5 years ago. so at least 1 side is easy to deal with! Originally we were looking at returning June - September next year, however my wife has been offered her old job back that she left 4 years ago to come here. Better money, same boss who she loved working for and a good opportunity. For them to keep this job for her it would be mean returning in October. We were originally returning for a holiday in Oct for a friends wedding so the flights are already booked. The only thing is they are returns so would probably lose some money on them if we were to go one way. Not really an issue though. The job opportunity is quite perfect as it means instead of both returning without work and the unknown of when work would arise, one of us would be earning which is very ideal. We have saved enough money to cover rent for 6 months so it would really help us get our feet back on the ground. I have one question. October is 4 months away. How quickly has someone returned and what were the steps you took, the order in which you would recommend doing stuff and how you went about doing it as i really do not know where to start. Our situation: We own our house so would need to sell. My wife and i both have UK passports. Our 1 year would need one of them so we need to sort that first. We have a dog (we have already cleared him with the UK as to whether he would be allowed in as he is a collie x staffy and we know there are some rules that prevent certain dogs returning based on likeness to banned breeds etc.. We also have a family friend here having our dog for our holiday in Oct so im sure they would have him until we flew him over once we had a house. We have a fair bit of furniture. Some we will sell but the majority we would take. We have two cars which we would obviously need to sell. We both work full time. Son is in day care. Parents would help out here even though they cannot accept us moving! Telling them im potentially leaving in October and not June and that they now have 4 months with us and my 1 year old son and not 12 is another hurdle that only i can deal with. That will be an event in itself and something im dreading doing so i don't expect any advice on how to handle that one. Any help or guidance based on experience would be greatly appreciated :-) Thanks Edited June 13, 2016 by vinnie3004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 I know it doesn't seem far away, but I would recommend you take the October route. We moved back in March - me, my wife and dog. To say we did it in a rush would make your move look very sedate. I was offered a job on the Tuesday evening. But, the condition was that I started work the following Tuesday morning. We own our own place in WA, which was already on the market and luckily we had got the dog his injections. But, we had pretty much nothing else done. So, before I flew on the Saturday, we managed to sell all of our furniture, arranged a move cube for the personal items we wanted to ship - 8 boxes. Got the dog sorted with Dogtainers, booked flights and arranged a couple of weeks temporary accommodation with AirBnB. So, your plant is very easy. You already have the flights booked, so, the first two priorities are the dog and short term accommodation. I would call Dogtainers now and get that sorted. He will need a rabies jab 22 days before flying and as you already have your own flights booked, they will work with you to sort this out. We flew our little one on the same day as my wife, who left a week after me, but they went on separate flights. I believe your dog must travel within 5 days of one of you. So, you cant leave him behind for more than 5 days. Next, make a list of what you want to ship and what you want to sell. Then, decide if you need a container or a move cube. If its a container, get it booked asap. If its a move cube, you have plenty of time. Next, do you have somewhere to live on arrival? As I mentioned, we used Air BnB and found it excellent. We arranged a little cottage in a village which was great. We were surprised at how easy it was with the dog. Likewise for our rental, we were worried about getting somewhere with him as we were moving to an area infamous for having very strong competition for rentals, but it was no issue. The rest just fell into place on arrival Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnie3004 Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 I know it doesn't seem far away, but I would recommend you take the October route. We moved back in March - me, my wife and dog. To say we did it in a rush would make your move look very sedate. I was offered a job on the Tuesday evening. But, the condition was that I started work the following Tuesday morning. We own our own place in WA, which was already on the market and luckily we had got the dog his injections. But, we had pretty much nothing else done. So, before I flew on the Saturday, we managed to sell all of our furniture, arranged a move cube for the personal items we wanted to ship - 8 boxes. Got the dog sorted with Dogtainers, booked flights and arranged a couple of weeks temporary accommodation with AirBnB. So, your plant is very easy. You already have the flights booked, so, the first two priorities are the dog and short term accommodation. I would call Dogtainers now and get that sorted. He will need a rabies jab 22 days before flying and as you already have your own flights booked, they will work with you to sort this out. We flew our little one on the same day as my wife, who left a week after me, but they went on separate flights. I believe your dog must travel within 5 days of one of you. So, you cant leave him behind for more than 5 days. Next, make a list of what you want to ship and what you want to sell. Then, decide if you need a container or a move cube. If its a container, get it booked asap. If its a move cube, you have plenty of time. Next, do you have somewhere to live on arrival? As I mentioned, we used Air BnB and found it excellent. We arranged a little cottage in a village which was great. We were surprised at how easy it was with the dog. Likewise for our rental, we were worried about getting somewhere with him as we were moving to an area infamous for having very strong competition for rentals, but it was no issue. The rest just fell into place on arrival Thanks for your response. Out of curiosity do you recommend the October route because there is a job offer there or because there is no point prolonging the move? Luckily we can stay with my mother in law but she lives in a 3 bed flat so although there is room for us all the dog wouldn't be able to stay there. We were hoping we could leave him here with family freinds for 3 weeks then fly him over once we had found a rental. Interesting point though regarding the 5 day gap. We may have to work out an alternative for that. How much did it roughly cost to fly your dog back? im worried about finding a rental with a dog. I see alot of rentals on right move and zoopla state no pets! Its good to know you didnt find any issues though. Thanks again, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 I would also go the October route. Once the decision is made, there's no point prolonging the agony - everyone will just feel like they're in limbo until it's done. Also it would be mad to let that job offer lapse. And four months is plenty of time to get it all done. Start packing boxes now - you'll find you've got a heap of stuff you could live without even now, and starting to pack the boxes will start you on the process of keeping/chucking out/donating so it's not a rush towards the end. It will also remove all the clutter from your house so it presents at its best for the sale (put the boxes in the garage or see if someone can store them for you). Take a hard look at your furniture and start getting rid of everything you could manage without and don't want to take with you. Again, the house will present better with less stuff in it, and it will be less to do in the final rush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 I'd say don't feel guilty, of course your family will miss you, but they are being a bit selfish and should be happy for you, and go in October, having the job offer is gold, too good an opportunity to miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 I recommend the October route because of the job, but also think there is little point in hanging around - it wont achieve anything. Is there a reason why you cant have the dog in the flat for a few weeks? I know its not ideal as we are now in a 3rd floor flat, but it is doable. Just a bit of a pain. Though we are looking for a house. I really wouldn't worry about finding a place with a dog. We went round several of the agents and explained and said we were happy to pay a pet bond. Even in Windsor and Ascot we ended up with the choice of about 5 properties. This is a location where rentals normally only last 3 days on the market before being snapped up. So, I really wouldn't worry Flying dogs goes on size (not weight). So, it depends on what size crate they need. We flew our Chihuahua and all up in came to about $3k. So, a fair bit cheaper than the Oz to UK route. I would call them as a matter of priority as they need to start getting things planned and will give you an quote very quickly. We didn't ship any furniture and although it will take some time to get back to normal fully, it hasn't been too bad - the worst was probably the first couple of days in the rental as we hadn't had time to get much as we only really had a week to find a rental from when my wife arrived and when we had to leave the temporary place. But, we found it more funny than anything, like when my wife made us soup and realised we didn't own a spoon lol. Since then, we have had a range of things given by friends and family and some bargains off gumtree. We recently picked up a sofa and chair that were being given away. I had assumed it would be a piece of crap, but when we got there it was at a million pound house and they had only recently bought it for £4k and then decided to redecorate and it wouldn't match, so just wanted someone to have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnie3004 Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 I would also go the October route. Once the decision is made, there's no point prolonging the agony - everyone will just feel like they're in limbo until it's done. Also it would be mad to let that job offer lapse. And four months is plenty of time to get it all done. Start packing boxes now - you'll find you've got a heap of stuff you could live without even now, and starting to pack the boxes will start you on the process of keeping/chucking out/donating so it's not a rush towards the end. It will also remove all the clutter from your house so it presents at its best for the sale (put the boxes in the garage or see if someone can store them for you). Take a hard look at your furniture and start getting rid of everything you could manage without and don't want to take with you. Again, the house will present better with less stuff in it, and it will be less to do in the final rush. Your right with there being no point in prolonging the agony and feeling in limbo is exactly what we are feeling right now. We just want to settle and get on with things. We are going to have a good look through everything this weekend and see what can go and what has to come with us! its exciting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnie3004 Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 I recommend the October route because of the job, but also think there is little point in hanging around - it wont achieve anything. Is there a reason why you cant have the dog in the flat for a few weeks? I know its not ideal as we are now in a 3rd floor flat, but it is doable. Just a bit of a pain. Though we are looking for a house. I really wouldn't worry about finding a place with a dog. We went round several of the agents and explained and said we were happy to pay a pet bond. Even in Windsor and Ascot we ended up with the choice of about 5 properties. This is a location where rentals normally only last 3 days on the market before being snapped up. So, I really wouldn't worry Flying dogs goes on size (not weight). So, it depends on what size crate they need. We flew our Chihuahua and all up in came to about $3k. So, a fair bit cheaper than the Oz to UK route. I would call them as a matter of priority as they need to start getting things planned and will give you an quote very quickly. We didn't ship any furniture and although it will take some time to get back to normal fully, it hasn't been too bad - the worst was probably the first couple of days in the rental as we hadn't had time to get much as we only really had a week to find a rental from when my wife arrived and when we had to leave the temporary place. But, we found it more funny than anything, like when my wife made us soup and realised we didn't own a spoon lol. Since then, we have had a range of things given by friends and family and some bargains off gumtree. We recently picked up a sofa and chair that were being given away. I had assumed it would be a piece of crap, but when we got there it was at a million pound house and they had only recently bought it for £4k and then decided to redecorate and it wouldn't match, so just wanted someone to have it. We cant have the dog in the flat because residents in this complex cannot have pets plus our boy is a big lad and is 35 kilos of solid muscle. I don't actually think he will fit in the flat! We do have other options for him though if needed. Other friends in the UK would be more than happy to take him in until we got sorted. he fact he is a larger dog worries me with rentals in the uk. im sure we will find someone that would let us have him though! We really just want to get going now and its exciting just thinking about it! Not the best time at the moment to sell properties in Perth but not everything will go our way. Ideally the pound will drop slightly so transferring money will go in our favour but with the eu referendum going on its hard to know what will happen with the exchange rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 (edited) I'd be going the October route too - a job you know you love is a good enough reason and having one certain worker takes the pressure off. I've never had the hassle of transporting a dog but dogs don't look to be too much of a problem here! As for your family - well, what's sauce for the goose and all that!!!! IIRC they took grandkids away from grandparents when they moved, didn't they? What goes around comes around, sad, but they'll get used to it. Maybe you could reflect back to them "did your folk give you a hard time too when you took their grandkids away from them?" October will be here in a flash - get de cluttering! Edited to say - with your tickets - if (once you've arrived) you call the airline and say that your circumstances have changed and you aren't able to leave, they will usually offer to keep your return portion open for 12 months then, if you decide not to use it within that period, you call them again and ask for a refund if the tax portion of the ticket. Both my son and I have done this (at different times we both came on holiday and weren't able to return) Edited June 14, 2016 by Quoll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gummygirl Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Hi there, I've just provided an update, albeit somewhat hidden under a new post today asking for help re UK car insurance. Job offer in March, husband started work in May and we arrive in two weeks. The update gives some idea of the tasks we've covered, suppliers we went with, and things we've discovered. The short answer is that it can be done, and we had a few extra layers to contend with like getting a visa for me. But it's all fallen into place. Feel free to PM if you have specific questions about other things I didn't cover. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnie3004 Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Hi there, I've just provided an update, albeit somewhat hidden under a new post today asking for help re UK car insurance. Job offer in March, husband started work in May and we arrive in two weeks. The update gives some idea of the tasks we've covered, suppliers we went with, and things we've discovered. The short answer is that it can be done, and we had a few extra layers to contend with like getting a visa for me. But it's all fallen into place. Feel free to PM if you have specific questions about other things I didn't cover. Good luck! Thanks :-) I will have a read this morning. Our house is now on the market so until that sells its a waiting game! We are now moving back in January. My wifes job will hold out until then and it will give us an extra few months to sort things out. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Thanks :-) I will have a read this morning. Our house is now on the market so until that sells its a waiting game! We are now moving back in January. My wifes job will hold out until then and it will give us an extra few months to sort things out. Cheers Superb sounds like well planned exit. Hope it all goes well for you all. It will feel great to be home again ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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