Brisbane Susan Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 I would be interested to hear from anyone who lives some months in Australia and some in the UK. I am looking at ways to do this. Do you rent/house-swap/buy and then rent out for the months you are not there? What do you do car-wise? Do you have to submit tax returns for both countries? Any advice and tips would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeman Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 (edited) I assume from your user name that you are in Australia? We would also be interested in this as we have looked into it and it seems it would be quite expensive to do. Then there is the cost of accommodation in both places and a car. I think you would have to decide in which country you wanted to be resident for tax purposes and then you would do a tax return for that country. I think there are rules about how long you can stay in UK/Oz before you become resident for tax purposes. We are in Australia. One of the problems we found was getting insurance for a car. Not sure if you are in the UK or Australia but it is difficult to get insurance for an English car on an Australian licence. Not sure how we could go about getting a UK licence renewed without a permanent address. We looked into house swaps as well, but it is difficult to find a long term swap and then it would have to be in a place where you wanted to go. Also we are not sure about medical cover. I assume you would have to get insurance in one of the countries if you were not a permanent resident? I hope someone else can come along with a few helpful practical suggestions! Edited February 5, 2017 by Bridgeman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane Susan Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 Hi Bridgeman, Yes, we are in Brisbane but are having to look at caring for our elderly parents, one of whom has become quite sick. Our kids/grandkids are here. We are just trying to work out what to do. This must be a common problem. Unfortunately, it is not possible to stay with said relatives due to space restrictions. Lots of friends have offered to put us up, but we would prefer our own space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 (edited) Not in this position but what about a park home in one country? It would need to be non-residential I expect to enable you to rent it out but the management company would almost certainly then deal with rentals for you or you could I'm sure get another owner to do it for a fee. Definitely an option in the Uk but I imagine in Brisbane too. Just Google 'park homes' for the area of the UK you are interested in. We are looking at a second home in Scotland and were considering this sort of thing http://m.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/42639676?search_identifier=72f8704998baebd8e6306d42218155b4 Ideally you want one which is freehold so you own the land too. Edited February 5, 2017 by Lady Rainicorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane Susan Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 That is a fantastic idea. Thank you so much for suggesting – and for the example link. We had talked about a caravan, but this sort of thing is much more homely and less likely to blow over in a gale ha ha! Again thank you very much that is very helpful information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfromdublin Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 A couple of my relatives go over to Europe for a few months most years. They are resident in Australia though so they can claim the Australian pension. They stay with friends/family so not quite the same as your situation. Airbnb is another option. If you own a flat that is likely to be a popular location then you can rent it out for the periods you're not there. You should be able to cover any costs/mortgage if the vacancy rate is low enough, but you can retain the flexibility of not renting it out for the time you're there (unlike a long-term rental). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfromdublin Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Health care shouldn't be an issue as UK/Australia have reciprocal agreements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 A couple of my relatives go over to Europe for a few months most years. They are resident in Australia though so they can claim the Australian pension. They stay with friends/family so not quite the same as your situation. Airbnb is another option. If you own a flat that is likely to be a popular location then you can rent it out for the periods you're not there. You should be able to cover any costs/mortgage if the vacancy rate is low enough, but you can retain the flexibility of not renting it out for the time you're there (unlike a long-term rental). The challenge is how to manage the rental - who does the cleaning, key handover and deal with emergencies (burst pipe at 2am). I found it challenging enough with a standard rental. I have stayed in Airbnb's a lot and in the vast majority of cases the standard of service has been very high, to a level that would be difficult to achieve with someone you are paying to do it. Actually the one not so positive was when the host had a friend do the handover - mostly it was the level of cleaning but also I was just given a key code, no personal welcome. Airbnb is all about reputation so if the first couple of guests aren't impressed it could be dead in the water. Of course if u have someone you can trust to do this then it is certainly an option. I'm not sure with companies like 'Country Cottages' how it works but they will do full management for you. I think you may be restricted on your own use though. We looked at similar schemes in France but could only use it two weeks for ourselves. The upside of buying a property is likely capital gains over the long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 I knew a couple who lived in Canada for summer and Aus for winter but, he was Aus and she was Canadian. They owned two homes one in each country and did not rent them out, just closed up the one not in use. There are problems with that now though as insurers will not insure holiday homes that are vacant. If you have a lot of loot I guess its easy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Just wondering how someone can afford to live partly here and frequently go over to Europe-- and still get an Australian pension ???? Good work if you can do it, but I don't know how. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfromdublin Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Just wondering how someone can afford to live partly here and frequently go over to Europe-- and still get an Australian pension ???? Good work if you can do it, but I don't know how. Well I don't know their financial situation but they aren't wealthy. I just checked here and the pension is $661 each per fortnight! https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/age-pension I had no idea it was so generous. They don't drink or smoke, and they own their own home and grow a lot of food. You could easily save airfares with that and they have a lot of hospitality at home so it's doable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 I knew a couple who lived in Canada for summer and Aus for winter but, he was Aus and she was Canadian. They owned two homes one in each country and did not rent them out, just closed up the one not in use. There are problems with that now though as insurers will not insure holiday homes that are vacant. If you have a lot of loot I guess its easy Second home insurance is available in the UK - lots of different providers http://www.money.co.uk/home-insurance/second-home-insurance.htm I guess the problem arises for the OP with the Brisbane property if it is left empty longer than the insurance allows but that said when my dad's house was empty it was just a case of getting a difference policy - more expensive of course! It required the property to be checked weekly but no-one had to stay there, in our case it was up for sale so the estate agent did it. Could always get a house sitter in Australia, it was quite common in Perth when people decamped from the heat in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunbury61 Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Not in this position but what about a park home in one country? It would need to be non-residential I expect to enable you to rent it out but the management company would almost certainly then deal with rentals for you or you could I'm sure get another owner to do itfor a fee. Definitely an option in the Uk but I imagine in Brisbane too. Just Google 'park homes' for the area of the UK you are interested in. We are looking at a second home in Scotland and were considering this sort of thing http://m.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/42639676?search_identifier=72f8704998baebd8e6306d42218155b4 Ideally you want one which is freehold so you own the land too. Deal with the general public everyday ....from 100,000 homes to £5 million . In general the happiest people I meet are in park homes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Deal with the general public everyday ....from 100,000 homes to £5 million .In general the happiest people I meet are in park homes There are some drawbacks though & that was why I said ideally to buy one that is freehold. The majority aren't and the landowner can impose some rather punitive conditions - such as you can only buy or sell the home through them. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2003/apr/27/property.homebuying There are quite a lot available in Scotand that are freehold so come without these problems but I don't know about the rest of the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 We met a couple a while ago who came from Aus to UK for three months each year. They had bought a roomy towing caravan and car, both second hand but in very good condition, and used the combo to travel around while they were in the UK. They paid for the car and van to be stored (ie just parked up not on a holiday site) while they weren't here - the storage was inexpensive and they said they enjoyed having their own space when they were over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeman Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Health care shouldn't be an issue as UK/Australia have reciprocal agreements. Hmm, yes, but the reciprocal agreement only covers emergency treatment. There are other threads on here about people who are actually returning to the UK permanently having to prove that they are habitually resident in order to register with a doctor's surgery and access the National Health system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeman Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 We met a couple a while ago who came from Aus to UK for three months each year. They had bought a roomy towing caravan and car, both second hand but in very good condition, and used the combo to travel around while they were in the UK. They paid for the car and van to be stored (ie just parked up not on a holiday site) while they weren't here - the storage was inexpensive and they said they enjoyed having their own space when they were over. That's interesting, I wonder how they managed to get insurance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Following this as we plan on splitting our time between UK and Aus when OH retires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 I would be interested to hear from anyone who lives some months in Australia and some in the UK. I am looking at ways to do this. Do you rent/house-swap/buy and then rent out for the months you are not there? What do you do car-wise? Do you have to submit tax returns for both countries? Any advice and tips would be appreciated. We are in the process of doing this as just bought a house in UK when we were over at Xmas time. When I get a little more time over the next day or two I will read through this thread and then give some opinions, ideas and questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 We thought of splitting our time and considered it very carefully but the insurance seemed to be too big a problem. Home insurance wouldn't have worried us because if you have a flat in both countries, the buildings insurance should be included in the service charges, so you are only risking burglary and squatters ... A very small risk I.m.o. If the flat is in a large block and is fairly inconspicuous - although I would hope to have someone looking in on it on a regular basis for me. Another option is to buy holiday property and let it through a management company, reserving a certain period each year for personal use. If you are leaving the country for more than three months you have to inform the (uk) govt so they can freeze your state pension. I can't see this as a huge obstacle but it would be a nuisance to have to keep telling them you were leaving and then telling them you were back ... But the health insurance could be very tricky. We have discovered that although it is entirely possible to get travel insurance until a fairly advanced age, we couldn't find any insurers willing to insure us for longer than 31 days past the age of 66. I know we have reciprocal arrangements with Australia but they do not apply during the journey from Oz to UK and back. Even though that is only a period of a few days max, we found that insurers insist on cover beginning and ending at your address in the UK - we were prevented from having a stop off in the U.S. One holiday because we would have had to insure our whole two month trip to cover America, and the cost was ridiculous. I think ink there could also be problems with the NHS as someone else has said. But it all depends on your attitude to risk, and also to the way time is divided - maybe an eight month / four month in Oz split would keep the NHS happy ... I met a couple in Adelaide who were doing six months in each country, having a son in each to mind their two houses ... But what they did about insurance I have no idea. Id be interested to know if anyone has the answer to this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Hope to do this too in retirement - escaping Brisbane summers! But concerned about health. Think I would set it up so UK resident (7 months?). Not sure how that would work if needed Australian health care though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeman Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Hope to do this too in retirement - escaping Brisbane summers! But concerned about health. Think I would set it up so UK resident (7 months?). Not sure how that would work if needed Australian health care though... Oh yes, we are finding the Brisbane summer unbearable at the moment. But not sure if we could cope with the English winter, My cousin posted that it was -6 this morning! If only the seasons weren't reversed it would work out so much easier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Oh yes, we are finding the Brisbane summer unbearable at the moment. But not sure if we could cope with the English winter, My cousin posted that it was -6 this morning! If only the seasons weren't reversed it would work out so much easier! There are quite few retired people here at the moment from Queensland and NT escaping the heat. It works the other way too as many retired Tasmanians go to QLD to get away from the winters here. My neighbours leave in May and return in September. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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