juliew1499 Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 just popped in to say Hello, I'm in the waiting for a house to be designed and built waiting room now. Since our grant on 30/11/2016 we have been busy sorting out our lives in Oz. Settling down has been so much easier since our stuff arrived from the UK. I can fully recommend bringing as much as possible. bed linen and towels are expensive out here and of course only come in AU sizes. bring as much from the Uk as you can. DIY tools and gardening tools are worth bringing, hubby cleaned them up, spray painted anything that looked rusty and we had no problem. We even brought a wheel barrow and that was OK. we are finding that some things are cheaper out here, electricity, gas, rates, petrol, hardly ever pay for parking. Food and eating out costs more, shoes are expensive I've just mail ordered some in from UK. Directly factory outlet shopping malls have some good bargains. This morning the exchange rate jumped upwards so that was a pleasant surprise. We have pensions paid in the UK and the exchange rate is a constant source of concern. Luckily we did our budgeting two years ago and although we are living at the lower end of our exchange rate acceptability level we are managing. I'm so sorry to hear that the waiting time is now so much longer, our visa took two years 5 months and two weeks (sorry I'm still counting) and can believe the wait is now in the realms of 3years. Let's hope that whilst you are all waiting the exchange rate improves! Good luck everyone, it seems to take ages and time drags by real slow, but when the grant comes through life become a whirl wind and flies by! Julie 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carob Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 I'm afraid I'm cheating a bit with this, due mainly due to the fact that I no longer receive anything from this thread into my emails. So I'm hoping this will resurrect the process ?? Best of luck to all of you in the queue, we thought it bad enough at nineteen months, but we are pleased we sold our house and rented for six months whilst waiting. It certainly took the pressure off whe it came the time to move over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyorksgrannie Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 7 hours ago, juliew1499 said: just popped in to say Hello, I'm in the waiting for a house to be designed and built waiting room now. Since our grant on 30/11/2016 we have been busy sorting out our lives in Oz. Settling down has been so much easier since our stuff arrived from the UK. I can fully recommend bringing as much as possible. bed linen and towels are expensive out here and of course only come in AU sizes. bring as much from the Uk as you can. DIY tools and gardening tools are worth bringing, hubby cleaned them up, spray painted anything that looked rusty and we had no problem. We even brought a wheel barrow and that was OK. we are finding that some things are cheaper out here, electricity, gas, rates, petrol, hardly ever pay for parking. Food and eating out costs more, shoes are expensive I've just mail ordered some in from UK. Directly factory outlet shopping malls have some good bargains. This morning the exchange rate jumped upwards so that was a pleasant surprise. We have pensions paid in the UK and the exchange rate is a constant source of concern. Luckily we did our budgeting two years ago and although we are living at the lower end of our exchange rate acceptability level we are managing. I'm so sorry to hear that the waiting time is now so much longer, our visa took two years 5 months and two weeks (sorry I'm still counting) and can believe the wait is now in the realms of 3years. Let's hope that whilst you are all waiting the exchange rate improves! Good luck everyone, it seems to take ages and time drags by real slow, but when the grant comes through life become a whirl wind and flies by! Julie Great to hear how you are doing Julie and at least you have some control over the design and build waiting room, exciting! We are waiting to exchange contracts on house, finalise moving dates etc., but furniture will have to go into store here in uk. We hope to then go to Australia on e600 as our daughter is expecting our second grandchild in August and we need to look after our little grandson. So lots of stress but exciting too. How long did it take your removal men to pack up? We were expecting a couple of days but have now been told a week! we are wondering if this means less men on job. Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliew1499 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Hi Sue it took 4 days of packing, 3 blokes working everyday! We had everything in store for 6 months in the Uk the shipped which was really quick and a further month in store in Melbourne. it's a thorough job export packing everything and doing an inventory, they worked very hard! Juliue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carob Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Ooh tabitha10. Still here then ?? I remember chatting to you at the start of our joint journeys. We've been here two years now, and still learning. It will seem a bit of a rush at the end, but will be worth it for you. xx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carob Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 On 11/04/2017 at 3:17 PM, tabitha10 said: Im still here..... got our 173....just waiting for the 143 now put in for that in Nov 2016...!!!! 1 minute ago, carob said: Ooh tabitha10. Still here then ?? I remember chatting to you at the start of our joint journeys. We've been here two years now, and still learning. It will seem a bit of a rush at the end, but will be worth it for you. xx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarrisL16 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 1 hour ago, juliew1499 said: Hi Sue it took 4 days of packing, 3 blokes working everyday! We had everything in store for 6 months in the Uk the shipped which was really quick and a further month in store in Melbourne. it's a thorough job export packing everything and doing an inventory, they worked very hard! Juliue Hi Julie glad things are going well for you, can you tell me where you stored your furniture etc. In Melbourne and how much it cost (if you don't mind ) . We will need to store our things for a few months when we get there and we could at it to our list of expenses thanks Lorraine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabitha10 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 2 hours ago, carob said: Hi there Carob, How are you getting on then? wow 2 years that has gone so quickly !! Yeah we waited until the last minute really to go for it.. still got lots to sort here. Just decorating etc at the mo in prep for selling. ill PM you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanaJan Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 7 hours ago, juliew1499 said: Hi Sue it took 4 days of packing, 3 blokes working everyday! We had everything in store for 6 months in the Uk the shipped which was really quick and a further month in store in Melbourne. it's a thorough job export packing everything and doing an inventory, they worked very hard! Juliue Hi Julie, Good to hear from you. We've just got some quotes and will be going through them over Easter. Who did you use and would you recommend them? We will also be storing here until our visas are sorted as we have also decided to go out on tourist visas in June. Another Easter job is to book the flights Another question is how long a visa to book? When we fly in June it will be over 30 months since we lodged!! We are meeting up with @Geoffandgill on the South Bank as they are coming over on a visit in June. Maybe you would like to pop up from the Peninsula so we can all exchange notes and share a nice bottle of wine....or 2. Anyone else in the Melbourne area in June/July fancy meeting up? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyorksgrannie Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 8 hours ago, juliew1499 said: Hi Sue it took 4 days of packing, 3 blokes working everyday! We had everything in store for 6 months in the Uk the shipped which was really quick and a further month in store in Melbourne. it's a thorough job export packing everything and doing an inventory, they worked very hard! Juliue Thank you for the info Julie, whenever we have moved house before we have done our own packing so finding it difficult to hold back now when we want to sort and clean cupboards, lots of things will be going in plastic boxes I think until the packers arrive. I have been stocking up on good bed linen and towels too as it is so easy to buy in the sales on line. I just wish we could get on with mecicals etc., but will just have to try to be patient. Good to hear the exchange rate has improved, we have just got back from a driving trip round Scotland where wifi isn't reliable so I didn't know. Keep posting - its nice to hear when things come together for people after the struggle getting there, it gives us all hope. Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliew1499 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 3 hours ago, NanaJan said: Hi Julie, Good to hear from you. We've just got some quotes and will be going through them over Easter. Who did you use and would you recommend them? We will also be storing here until our visas are sorted as we have also decided to go out on tourist visas in June. Another Easter job is to book the flights Another question is how long a visa to book? When we fly in June it will be over 30 months since we lodged!! We are meeting up with @Geoffandgill on the South Bank as they are coming over on a visit in June. Maybe you would like to pop up from the Peninsula so we can all exchange notes and share a nice bottle of wine....or 2. Anyone else in the Melbourne area in June/July fancy meeting up? Hi we made our enquiry thro Anglo Pacific, they then had one of their partner companies contact us (chudley International in Somerset). Chudleys were great, we were visited by the Owner and he and his staff were excellent, price was the best as well.The Oz side was dealt with by OSS who were very efficient. Please pm me when you know the date for meet up on South Bank, we would love to come and share a bottle or two! Julie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carob Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 18 hours ago, tabitha10 said: Hi there Carob, How are you getting on then? wow 2 years that has gone so quickly !! Yeah we waited until the last minute really to go for it.. still got lots to sort here. Just decorating etc at the mo in prep for selling. ill PM you Thanks for the PM Tabitha 10. I will respond to it, but I'm still trying to resurrect this thread, as nothing is coming into my email; apart from the one you just sent. best of luck with the decorating! xx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathss56 Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 2 hours ago, carob said: Thanks for the PM Tabitha 10. I will respond to it, but I'm still trying to resurrect this thread, as nothing is coming into my email; apart from the one you just sent. best of luck with the decorating! xx Hi think since re vamp you need to into settings and then notifications - click email etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 On 11/04/2017 at 11:38 PM, nyorksgrannie said: Great to hear how you are doing Julie and at least you have some control over the design and build waiting room, exciting! We are waiting to exchange contracts on house, finalise moving dates etc., but furniture will have to go into store here in uk. We hope to then go to Australia on e600 as our daughter is expecting our second grandchild in August and we need to look after our little grandson. So lots of stress but exciting too. How long did it take your removal men to pack up? We were expecting a couple of days but have now been told a week! we are wondering if this means less men on job. Sue Congrats Sue - we're expecting our second grandchild end of August ... if we haven't sold by then I'm going on my own for a month to help look after the two year old. Complicated isn't it??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyorksgrannie Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 Hi Fisher, congrats to you too, we are hoping our house exchanges contracts soon otherwise I could be there by myself too or at least for some of the time! We had thought we would go out in the Autumn if our 143 still hadn't arrived but the baby made us think again! don't think we will get a rest when we arrive so we are having a holiday in May in Italy think we will need it despite all there is to do here. Hope all goes well for you. Sue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertenhall Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 27 minutes ago, nyorksgrannie said: Hi Fisher, congrats to you too, we are hoping our house exchanges contracts soon otherwise I could be there by myself too or at least for some of the time! We had thought we would go out in the Autumn if our 143 still hadn't arrived but the baby made us think again! don't think we will get a rest when we arrive so we are having a holiday in May in Italy think we will need it despite all there is to do here. Hope all goes well for you. Sue Good for you, taking the bull by the horns. I wish we were brave enough to sell up and move out right now. The trouble is we built this house 7 years ago and love it. We'd hate to sell up and then the visas not come through. We're debating whether to take a trip out to see our daughter in November/December - but then again are hoping that something may have happened by then with the 143! Too many uncertainties to make a rational decision I'm afraid. Maybe we should just flip a coin. Good luck with everything. Zee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyorksgrannie Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 Hi Zee, good luck to you too, it is difficult to know what to do but we feel like we have been waiting for ages as I still had my Father to consider and I couldn't have left him otherwise we might have applied earlier, with both our daughters and son in laws there and our second grandchild on the way it was a no brainer. We will of course miss friends here and lots of other things but think as we are not getting any younger we need to get out there and enjoy being nearer our family, in particular our grandchildren as we have missed so much of our little grandsons baby/ childhood. I do understand though your concerns about leaving the house you love, we sold three years ago and bought a new house instead of renting so I don't feel the same attachment to it. Let's hope the 143 processing will speed up and make all our lives less stressful. I hope it all works out for you. Sue 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 (edited) 7 hours ago, nyorksgrannie said: Hi Zee, good luck to you too, it is difficult to know what to do but we feel like we have been waiting for ages as I still had my Father to consider and I couldn't have left him otherwise we might have applied earlier, with both our daughters and son in laws there and our second grandchild on the way it was a no brainer. We will of course miss friends here and lots of other things but think as we are not getting any younger we need to get out there and enjoy being nearer our family, in particular our grandchildren as we have missed so much of our little grandsons baby/ childhood. I do understand though your concerns about leaving the house you love, we sold three years ago and bought a new house instead of renting so I don't feel the same attachment to it. Let's hope the 143 processing will speed up and make all our lives less stressful. I hope it all works out for you. Sue NYsG. So many of us in the same boat and having the same thoughts ... We are going to Cyprus in May because we know it will be no holiday in September in Sydney :-) The reason we had our visa last year but didn't act on it was because we couldn't leave my mum, but had applied for the visa then because we wanted to get the medicals over with! We did begin to consider leaving mum with my sister in charge, but then events overtook us and I am so glad we stayed. So here we all are, hopefully all going to end up in Oz eventually. It's a big wrench but I love to think of being within easy reach of our daughter (only child) after all the years of sobbing in airports :-) I just wish someone would hurry up and buy our house! Zee, I don't think I'd be brave enough to sell a house I loved without a visa in plain sight ... Could you maybe rent it out for a while and sell once your 143 is through? Whatever you both do next, good luck with it - it's so nice to talk about the things with people who really understand ... Kath. Edited April 14, 2017 by Fisher1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathss56 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 3 hours ago, Fisher1 said: NYsG. So many of us in the same boat and having the same thoughts ... We are going to Cyprus in May because we know it will be no holiday in September in Sydney :-) The reason we had our visa last year but didn't act on it was because we couldn't leave my mum, but had applied for the visa then because we wanted to get the medicals over with! We did begin to consider leaving mum with my sister in charge, but then events overtook us and I am so glad we stayed. So here we all are, hopefully all going to end up in Oz eventually. It's a big wrench but I love to think of being within easy reach of our daughter (only child) after all the years of sobbing in airports :-) I just wish someone would hurry up and buy our house! Zee, I don't think I'd be brave enough to sell a house I loved without a visa in plain sight ... Could you maybe rent it out for a while and sell once your 143 is through? Whatever you both do next, good luck with it - it's so nice to talk about the things with people who really understand ... Kath. I'm sure we all feel the same. I have lived in my current house for 26yrs now and dread the thought of selling up. But the big prize at the end is being with my only daughter. No more empty bereavement feeling! Be brave everyone ! We have already made a momentous decision! Best wishes to you all nearly there! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyorksgrannie Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 Hi Kath, good luck with your house sale I hope someone comes along to buy it soon, and then theres no stopping you, medicals done etc., am I right in thinking you are going to NSW? Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffandgill Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 10 minutes ago, Kathss56 said: I'm sure we all feel the same. I have lived in my current house for 26yrs now and dread the thought of selling up. But the big prize at the end is being with my only daughter. No more empty bereavement feeling! Be brave everyone ! We have already made a momentous decision! Best wishes to you all nearly there! For us, selling our house, which we had lived in for over 38 years, caused us no feelings of heartache. Our eldest two children already lived abroad ( USA & Australia), so when our youngest moved to Australia in 2015, the house gradually stopped feeling like a family home, and more like a millstone round our neck. Although the house held memories, they were still with us, but we looked forward to the future more, especially our grandchildren growing up. For us, this was the best decision, but obviously everyone is different. Geoff & Gill 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 16 minutes ago, nyorksgrannie said: Hi Kath, good luck with your house sale I hope someone comes along to buy it soon, and then theres no stopping you, medicals done etc., am I right in thinking you are going to NSW? Sue Yes. It's a shame, all the parents on here just now see to be off to Perth or Melbourne. Would have been nice to meet up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyorksgrannie Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 29 minutes ago, Fisher1 said: Yes. It's a shame, all the parents on here just now see to be off to Perth or Melbourne. Would have been nice to meet up! We are heading for NSW - I don't seem to be getting everyones dates etc., at the bottom of postings since the new system and my settings look ok, maybe because I am on an ipod at the moment, is everyone having this problem? Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanaJan Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 Happy Easter everyone. Selling the home is quite traumatic but at the end of the day it is just bricks and mortar. Our offspring and their offspring are all the other side of the world and that's where we want to be or we wouldn't be on here This weekend we will be deciding on the removal quotes and booking our flights......one way! Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for our visa applications to be processed and then we will be able to set up a new home in some new bricks and mortar Does anyone know how much the e600 visa costs for 3, 6 & 12 months? All I can find on-line is 'starts from £90'. Alternatively we might get the basic visa which is valid for a year but with a maximum stay of 3 months at a time. I guess we could fly to New Zealand for a night and fly back the following day for a further 3 months. @Alan Collett are you able to advise on this? Your help would be much appreciated. @Geoffandgill and @juliew1499 look forward to meeting you soon 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertenhall Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 4 hours ago, Fisher1 said: NYsG. So many of us in the same boat and having the same thoughts ... We are going to Cyprus in May because we know it will be no holiday in September in Sydney :-) The reason we had our visa last year but didn't act on it was because we couldn't leave my mum, but had applied for the visa then because we wanted to get the medicals over with! We did begin to consider leaving mum with my sister in charge, but then events overtook us and I am so glad we stayed. So here we all are, hopefully all going to end up in Oz eventually. It's a big wrench but I love to think of being within easy reach of our daughter (only child) after all the years of sobbing in airports :-) I just wish someone would hurry up and buy our house! Zee, I don't think I'd be brave enough to sell a house I loved without a visa in plain sight ... Could you maybe rent it out for a while and sell once your 143 is through? Whatever you both do next, good luck with it - it's so nice to talk about the things with people who really understand ... Kath. Kath - had we known it would take this long I think we would have considered renting out. But now we are so far down the line it doesn't really seem worth it. The updated (updated 13th April as at 31st March) processing times now says 75% of 143 visas completed in 33 months - so that's slipped a month, but still only another 8 months hopefully for us - unless it slips again of course! It could be a nice Christmas present for us! Zee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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