Moving back after 7m in Melbourne

[phillllip]

Hi, everyone. I spent 7 months in Melbourne and decided to go back home. I'm 35yo single from Bulgaria and it was my second trip to Australia /the first one 5 weeks in Brisbane/, I also lived in USA from 2002 to 2004. I just want to share my experience. I'm not a pom, but I find this forum very useful and thanks for having you guys.

I decided to give my australian dream a second chance and went to Melbourne last winter/summer november.2015. My permanent resident visa expires late 2017. I am an electrical engineer with 10years experience. Non-ozzie experience is count as a negative, once you are down-under, which is strange as far as ozzie electrical systems copy the ones in Europe, not USA. I wanted to start a small business as an electrical subcontractor, this was my main goal /the money/. Electrical workers are very well paid in Australia, they are actually very well paid in Europe too. Eastern Europe is just one poor corrupt place and this is the main reason people to search better life abroad - I guess this contributed to the Brexit /which I don't think will happen at all/. So I did a few courses and tried to get an apprenticeship as an electrician, which is a much lower level for my knowledge, but the money are good and the job is easy /for me/. There were not too many engineering jobs at the moment as well. Getting into the electrical industry turned difficult for me. The main problem was that I have no ozzie experience - so to bypass that you have to lie on your CV and put some friends with ozzie phone numbers /better to be ozzies/, unfortunately I didn't know any people before I got there. Being honest person is not a plus, because they don't even call for an interview. So after 6 months I was not getting closer to my dream, even though thinks were going my way. So I sat down and made a list, what is good for me in Australia and what is not:

Pros:

- Australia is a stable rich country with a high standard of living. /money/

- The weather is very nice.

- Beaches, nature, wildlife.

- Far from wars and instability on the long run.

Cons:

- Australia is very far from everything, family and friends - gone. skype, viber, facebook don't change that.

- It is impossible to follow european soccer, because of the time difference.

- Australia is strange mix of different cultures and people /in the big cities/. So being TOLERANT is very important, which pretty much means everyone can do whatever they want and nobody can hurt their feelings. Junkies rule the country and you can't do ****.

- the sun is very strong and people should be very careful.

 

I hope this list may help somebody, there are plenty of things to be added. The main think I didn't understand is that Australia is huge country with 25m population, but all the houses have very small yards. The main goal of most people is to buy house and build two houses at the same spot. So people actually pay a **** load of money for a very small piece of land and a house, which I can't understand /some people said it is because Australia is a colony and whoever comes first gets the most and than they actually exploit the newcomers/. In the US the houses have nice yards and there is plenty of room for everything. If I have to choose between USA and Australia - I vote for the US with both hands. Also in the US having a russian accent is not a minus like in Australia, but I don't blame people for that /it is the TV that makes people think this way/ and I am bulgarian, people don't understand that we don't like the russian government as well.

I made my mind to keep living where I was born. Another problem for me was the big city, I come from Ruse which is 150,000 people. Traffic is not my life sorry. In general I think that people who love money do better in immigration. My parents are divorced and are getting older, even though they supported me - I know they are more happy when I'm close to them - this is probably true for most parents. So after 6 months back home I think I made the right choice for me, I'm happy in the city where I was born and 'everybody knows my name'. Thanks for reading

[JockinTas]

Hi, everyone. I spent 7 months in Melbourne and decided to go back home. I'm 35yo single from Bulgaria and it was my second trip to Australia /the first one 5 weeks in Brisbane/, I also lived in USA from 2002 to 2004. I just want to share my experience. I'm not a pom, but I find this forum very useful and thanks for having you guys.

I decided to give my australian dream a second chance and went to Melbourne last winter/summer november.2015. My permanent resident visa expires late 2017. I am an electrical engineer with 10years experience. Non-ozzie experience is count as a negative, once you are down-under, which is strange as far as ozzie electrical systems copy the ones in Europe, not USA. I wanted to start a small business as an electrical subcontractor, this was my main goal /the money/. Electrical workers are very well paid in Australia, they are actually very well paid in Europe too. Eastern Europe is just one poor corrupt place and this is the main reason people to search better life abroad - I guess this contributed to the Brexit /which I don't think will happen at all/. So I did a few courses and tried to get an apprenticeship as an electrician, which is a much lower level for my knowledge, but the money are good and the job is easy /for me/. There were not too many engineering jobs at the moment as well. Getting into the electrical industry turned difficult for me. The main problem was that I have no ozzie experience - so to bypass that you have to lie on your CV and put some friends with ozzie phone numbers /better to be ozzies/, unfortunately I didn't know any people before I got there. Being honest person is not a plus, because they don't even call for an interview. So after 6 months I was not getting closer to my dream, even though thinks were going my way. So I sat down and made a list, what is good for me in Australia and what is not:

Pros:

- Australia is a stable rich country with a high standard of living. /money/

- The weather is very nice.

- Beaches, nature, wildlife.

- Far from wars and instability on the long run.

Cons:

- Australia is very far from everything, family and friends - gone. skype, viber, facebook don't change that.

- It is impossible to follow european soccer, because of the time difference.

- Australia is strange mix of different cultures and people /in the big cities/. So being TOLERANT is very important, which pretty much means everyone can do whatever they want and nobody can hurt their feelings. Junkies rule the country and you can't do ****.

- the sun is very strong and people should be very careful.

 

I hope this list may help somebody, there are plenty of things to be added. The main think I didn't understand is that Australia is huge country with 25m population, but all the houses have very small yards. The main goal of most people is to buy house and build two houses at the same spot. So people actually pay a **** load of money for a very small piece of land and a house, which I can't understand /some people said it is because Australia is a colony and whoever comes first gets the most and than they actually exploit the newcomers/. In the US the houses have nice yards and there is plenty of room for everything. If I have to choose between USA and Australia - I vote for the US with both hands. Also in the US having a russian accent is not a minus like in Australia, but I don't blame people for that /it is the TV that makes people think this way/ and I am bulgarian, people don't understand that we don't like the russian government as well.

I made my mind to keep living where I was born. Another problem for me was the big city, I come from Ruse which is 150,000 people. Traffic is not my life sorry. In general I think that people who love money do better in immigration. My parents are divorced and are getting older, even though they supported me - I know they are more happy when I'm close to them - this is probably true for most parents. So after 6 months back home I think I made the right choice for me, I'm happy in the city where I was born and 'everybody knows my name'. Thanks for reading

 

 

At least you gave Australia a try. It's not the easy country it once was with regard to work and getting a house etc. I'm glad you think you made the right choice in going back to your home country. You can happily settle down now and be near your parents and friends.

[Guest]

It brings an incredible peace when you have lived in different places and know you are happiest the place that you are (no matter if that is Australia, UK, US or Bulgaria!)

 

Glad you found your home!

[flag of convenience]

It's not a long time, but long enough to come to the realisation it isn't for you. Australia sells immigration a little like confetti over recent decade or so, sadly, regardless of job availability. It is a business and up to the individual if they sink or sell. Doesn't do much for the migrant though, nor in many cases the local residents whom must compete for ever scarce employment opportunities.

 

You are quite correct the cost of housing is insane and little interest, in government, in addressing a major issue severely impacting the economic and social sense of security in the nation. Who wants or needs to mortgage themselves until death to maintain a roof over ones head? Rental protection laws are feeble to say the least, compared to a lot of Europe, so housing issue abounds.

This was not the case going back a dozen year ago and a middle class life availed itself to almost all. All very sad.

 

I suppose many Australians would be hard pressed to point out Bulgaria on a map, even a minority have likely never heard of it. I must say all my time in Perth, I have only come across one Bulgarian woman. She married to come here via Belgium and sense divorced leaving here a rather expensive house non earned in my book, but had a child.

 

They may be closer options to Bulgaria to work, rather than being far from family. You could try England? I know of Bulgarians working in Germany in the auto industry and speak not much German. Their boss (whom I have in mind) is himself a Russian. Hence more Russian is conversed between rank than native language.

 

Best of luck where ever you decide. At least your coming and going is you alone and not a family. Imagine the complexity then?

[Gareth 666]

Nice post. You gave it a go and for that you can have no regrets. We alway said we'd at least try to make it through the first year and from then the aim is 4 years for citizenship by which time I'd imagine we'd be so well set this will be home. We're 3 months in and that time seems to have flown, with any luck we're well on the way to goal no1.

[Perthbum]

Great honest post, I agree with the houses, people think they are huge when in fact they are crowded together with small gardens, bigger than most in the UK before the trolls start but still small compared to what people outside of oz believe. The weather is another factor I agree, much prefer the weather in the UK and I come from Africa

[newjez]

 

Great honest post, I agree with the houses, people think they are huge when in fact they are crowded together with small gardens, bigger than most in the UK before the trolls start but still small compared to what people outside of oz believe. The weather is another factor I agree, much prefer the weather in the UK and I come from Africa

gardens seem to be becoming smaller. People say it is because of the difficulty and expense to keep a garden alive. I think it is because of the lack of spending on infrastructure.

[Gareth 666]

gardens seem to be becoming smaller. People say it is because of the difficulty and expense to keep a garden alive. I think it is because of the lack of spending on infrastructure.

 

From what we've seen looking around for a rental the main reason we can see looks like greed. Considering how much space there is in this country land seems at a premium so developers are cramming as many houses in to the smallest area possible. There are others that look to have been bought as investments and then have had another house built in the back garden. It's amazing what can be classed as having parking space for 2 cars as well...

[phillllip]

JockinTas

Yes, you are right. Giving Australia a try was very important, because I didn't want 10 or more years to pass and ask myself 'why i didn't try'.

 

I should say that I had great experience in Australia. I decided my place is in my home town, so I will just live it here and travel more across Europe, still plenty of places to visit. Hopefully our region stays away from wars /i am worried/, because things doesn't seem as peaceful as they used to be /being next to Turkey and relatively close to Russia is definitely risky nowadays/

[Johndoe]

The reason that plots are becoming smaller is because the gov'ts hold the reins on land releases and aren't releasing land as they once were. It's a deliberate policy to prevent urban sprawl and the infrastructure costs associated with it. Population increase still has to be catered for as it always has, so a growing population are now requiring homes in less available land space. I doubt very much that on the whole, greed enters into it. It's simply the need to accommodate a growing population in less land space and folks' changing priorities, and of course, the fact that what large plots there already are, become less affordable for the average person and are subsequently bought up by developers or compulsory council purchase

 

A current example is Chermside in Brisbane. When I first came here, the "urban" parts had fairly large plots. Those houses which had large plots, have gradually been bought up to accommodate high rise living. In effect, there are now 200 dwellings in the area that once only held 4 houses for example and that not only suits developers but also fits with gov't and council policy to prevent urban sprawl and the changing needs of the public.

[Guest]

I also enjoyed reading this - thanks for sharing with the forum. I agree with someone above, it's great you've tried and found peace and the place you want to live. As many many people know, once you start living in different countries (which I do believe is a blessing) it can feel a bit like a curse to some who find it hard to be settled again.

 

I loved the part about 'everyone knows my name' :-)

 

I didn't understand this part?

 

Junkies rule the country and you can't do ****.

[Beaty]

Sorry it didn't work out fella.

 

Nothing is guaranteed and your pros and cons have been noted.

 

B

 

PS: The 'junkies' line is stumping me too

[Perthbum]

 

gardens seem to be becoming smaller. People say it is because of the difficulty and expense to keep a garden alive. I think it is because of the lack of spending on infrastructure.

Greed by developers and builders mate, why stick 4 houses on a plot with decent gardens when you can stick 6 with small gardens.

[rammygirl]

Sub division is everywhere but at least controlled ( in some areas at least) so it doesn't get silly.

 

We built our home on what was someone's back yard, we still have 1000m2 of land and they have a bigger lot. The lots where we are are big as we are 30 mins from Adelaide CBD, where we lived before close to the city lots were getting smaller but still some were huge with tennis courts etc.

 

Not all Australia is the same and plenty of places in the USA have tiny or no yards.

[Petals]

The reason the blocks are small is a fairly new phenomenon, it has come about because the gov brought in 2030. That meant that developers could ignore covenants on land and blocks could be smaller. The idea was that more people would live in the inner city and farm land would not disappear on the fringe. However governments always think people have good in their hearts that they think of others etc. Short form it was open slather to continue to subdivide farm land but have tiny blocks of land at exorbitant prices and they developers then made much more profit. Prior to all this most blocks of land when we bought our first house 500 sq metres was considered very small. So its not the Aussies who want less land, its the Developers and gov with stamp duty etc who want more money.

 

Quarter acre block it used to be.

[starlight7]

Well done for giving it a go, Phil. As they say in the ads- you'll never, never know if you never, ever go! Things are much tougher here than they used to be- when we came getting jobs was a walk in the park compared with now I have to say.

[flag of convenience]

I recall the quarter acre block as de rigour. But in general find Australian houses in city locations to be smaller than what was used to in Europe.

[flag of convenience]

It is harder and looks like will get even harder. Looks like we are on the road to becoming just another country in the neighbourhood. Singapore isn't very far from passing us. Aussies of tomorrow had best get used to diminishing living standards. That includes apartment living. Let's hope developers are forced to build accordingly, that being flats suitable for a family, not purely driven by the profit motive with poor construction/.

[newjez]

 

From what we've seen looking around for a rental the main reason we can see looks like greed. Considering how much space there is in this country land seems at a premium so developers are cramming as many houses in to the smallest area possible. There are others that look to have been bought as investments and then have had another house built in the back garden. It's amazing what can be classed as having parking space for 2 cars as well...

land is at a premium because they haven't spent on infrastructure to open up more land. The price of land is effectively controlled by the government.

[Lambethlad]

The "junkies rule the country" statement is bizarre and ridiculous. The "cons" you mention are so obvious I would have thought you would have know them before you came here. If you don't like the cities get out into the country. Regional Australia is much nicer than the cities.

[phillllip]

I'll give it a try to explain what I mean under 'junkies rule the country and you can't do anything'.

With all the perfect laws in Australia /that make life safer for everyone/ there is still a group of people, who are exempt by the laws /and they are not rich or politicians, they are just junkies/. Sorry for my french, but this is the way I feel it and it is hard to explain it easily.

I'm glad for the high response to the topic. I just wanted to share my experience and I'm not looking for help, advice or anything. Everybody has a head on his arms and can make decisions. Good or bad we will never know, we can't live it twice - so just enjoy. I wish all good to everyone living in Australia or heading that way. It is definitely a must give it a try destination for everyone considering immigration. Just be careful with the sun

[Guest]

I'll give it a try to explain what I mean under 'junkies rule the country and you can't do anything'.

With all the perfect laws in Australia /that make life safer for everyone/ there is still a group of people, who are exempt by the laws /and they are not rich or politicians, they are just junkies/. Sorry for my french, but this is the way I feel it and it is hard to explain it easily.

 

ok... that cleared things up :err:

[flag of convenience]

I'm sure exactly myself as to whom are meant, but rules certainly distinguish Australia. More control the better should be the motto. It happens in all walks of life and rather sad to witness in my opinion.

[Petals]

land is at a premium because they haven't spent on infrastructure to open up more land. The price of land is effectively controlled by the government.

 

The gov is only releasing land in the northern corridor now. As I said read 2030 and you will all the information about why blocks are becoming smaller. They do not want the city spreading. However it does by stealth of course. Caulfield and other suburbs similar had covenants on their titles to say that only one house could be on a block of land. A while back well it is a while back as I was at work then they changed it so councils could remove the covenants and let the property be subdivided. Previous to this to get a covenant removed was very expensive as everyone who lived on the subdivision had to agree to the removal. Now its open slather for developers and as I said before the only winners are the original land owners who sell to the developers, the developers and the government and it takes a long time. Mind you who wants to live without transport and infrastructure where some of these estates are.

[Home and Happy]

A simple supply & demand model for Perth - Build millions of low quality homes on tiny plots, tart them up to look nice, and sell at ridiculously high prices. Millions who migrated out during silly season are now left paying the price for this madness. Migration programs do not care about people. The object of getting people to migrate is to bring in as many taxpayers as possible to make the rich richer only. It worked in Perth.