Guest TheGillams Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 Hi everyone We are expecting to be moving to Perth soon and am looking for some information on what the cost of living will be for the Perth region. Apologies if this has already been asked before, but from doing a search on here I can’t see that anything has been asked specifically about Perth. I am not too worried about the exchange rate between the dollar and sterling as we don’t have much money to bring into Oz. At first we will just be settling in, so will be renting etc.. so am looking for more info about what to expect when we are settled. We (2 adults) are coming over on a 457 visa and our annual income is expected to be about $115,000 per annum gross. In the future we would like to run a family home (Northern Perth suburbs, 4x2 with pool) of about $500,000 with a $100,000 deposit (so a mortgage of about $400,000) when we have got our permanent residency. 1 x family car, normal household bills - gas, electric, water, telephone, internet, council tax, food etc. Does anyone run a similar household (including children if you have them) – is £115,000 enough to have a comfortable lifestyle? I know everyone is different but, I would be grateful if you can share your general experiences with me. Thanks Yvette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moirclan Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 i would think a $115,000 would be comfortable , have you looked on www.aussiemove.com to find out expenditures there is info on there if you go to www.reiwa.com.au they have house prices and mortgage calculators on there for you to work out payments etc, keep the house 500 thousand and under and you get free stamp duty etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taylor72 Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 Hi For food shopping you could do a dummy shopping list on the coles.com.au website, so will give you some idea on your weekly shopping costs. I was really sad and did it the other day haha !! I think your gross incomes will be ok Annette x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyman Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 Hi For food shopping you could do a dummy shopping list on the coles.com.au website, so will give you some idea on your weekly shopping costs. I was really sad and did it the other day haha !! I think your gross incomes will be ok Annette x good idea Taylor......my mother was a Taylor.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheGillams Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 Moirclan - Thanks - I will check out those sites - will be great to work some kind of budget and these should help. Annette - Thanks - I will be 'sad' too and see what a normal weekly shop would be for the two of us. Will be interesting to compare with UK as a percentage of salary (more meaningful for me than just straight forward exchange rate) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 Hi everyone We are expecting to be moving to Perth soon and am looking for some information on what the cost of living will be for the Perth region. Apologies if this has already been asked before, but from doing a search on here I can’t see that anything has been asked specifically about Perth. I am not too worried about the exchange rate between the dollar and sterling as we don’t have much money to bring into Oz. At first we will just be settling in, so will be renting etc.. so am looking for more info about what to expect when we are settled. We (2 adults) are coming over on a 457 visa and our annual income is expected to be about $115,000 per annum gross. In the future we would like to run a family home (Northern Perth suburbs, 4x2 with pool) of about $500,000 with a $100,000 deposit (so a mortgage of about $400,000) when we have got our permanent residency. 1 x family car, normal household bills - gas, electric, water, telephone, internet, council tax, food etc. Does anyone run a similar household (including children if you have them) – is £115,000 enough to have a comfortable lifestyle? I know everyone is different but, I would be grateful if you can share your general experiences with me. Thanks Yvette Hi Yvette from my experience wages in Australia are based on an exchange rate of about 2.2 dollars to the 1 pound. Totally ignore the current exchange rate, because the uk has been in financial meltdown and most of the worlds currencies are fairing better and Australia is one of the few countries in the world that haven't gone into recession. So based on an exchange rate of 2.2 your wages will be worth about £53,000. This gives you then the true cost of living, imagine living on £53,000 in the uk and the costs of items are then very similar to the uk, maybe overall things are slightly dearer in Australia, but not by much. Rates, gas, electric, petrol are all alot cheaper in Australia, its swings and roundabouts. All the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest burgledad Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Australian salaries include a 9% superanuation component which has to be taken off to get your basic salary before doing any comparisons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 Not necessarily, it depends whether the advertised salary is 'base' or 'package'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest milliemoo Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 With current mortgage interest rates averaging between 6-7% your mortgage repayments will be approx $2,500 based on $400,000. You will probably find that whilst you are renting you will be able to save quite alot so with any luck your mortgage will eventually be a bit less than $400k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest miniwing Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Hi Yvette from my experience wages in Australia are based on an exchange rate of about 2.2 dollars to the 1 pound. Totally ignore the current exchange rate, because the uk has been in financial meltdown and most of the worlds currencies are fairing better and Australia is one of the few countries in the world that haven't gone into recession. So based on an exchange rate of 2.2 your wages will be worth about £53,000. This gives you then the true cost of living, imagine living on £53,000 in the uk and the costs of items are then very similar to the uk, maybe overall things are slightly dearer in Australia, but not by much. Rates, gas, electric, petrol are all alot cheaper in Australia, its swings and roundabouts. All the best Hi, so are you saying if me and my husband earnt approx £63k in the UK, our earnings in WA could be $138600 based on your 2.2 theory? My brain is completely fried from reading so much visa info. We're no where near ready to make the move I've just been researching and this post caught my eye. Thanks :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Caveat: I do not live in WA - all figures below are from a quick google search and subject to amendment by real local knowledge WA First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) ------------------------------------------- The WA govt pays a $7,000 grant to first home owners. You only get this grant if you are a PR and claiming for the first time in Australia. "At least one of the applicants must be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident at the commencement date of the eligible transaction." Source: http://www.dtf.wa.gov.au/cms/uploadedFiles/_State_Revenue/FHOG/FHOG_Fact_Sheet.pdf Stamp Duty Exemption -------------------------- If you qualify for the first home owner grant above you also get a stamp duty exemption - will cost you nothing for a purchase up to $500,000. BUT, if you do not qualify for the FHOG you do not qualify for the exemption: "When a home buyer is eligible for the First Home Owners Grant, a concessional rate of transfer duty will apply if the value of the dutiable property is below certain thresholds. The First Home Owner Rate applies to a dutiable transaction with a dutiable value of up to $600,000 for a house and land, or $400,000 for vacant land. Rate of Duty $0 - $500,000 = Nil $500,000 - $600,000 = $22.51 per $100 or part of $100 above $500,000" Source: First Home Owner Concession Figures - With PR -------------------- $500,000 house - $7,000 FHOG + $0 Stamp duty = $493,000 Figures - On 457 -------------------- $500,000 house - $0 FHOG + $17,765 Stamp duty = $517,765 So on a 457 the house is $24,765 dearer so that PR you mentioned will be a good idea.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Hi, so are you saying if me and my husband earnt approx £63k in the UK, our earnings in WA could be $138600 based on your 2.2 theory? My brain is completely fried from reading so much visa info. We're no where near ready to make the move I've just been researching and this post caught my eye. Thanks :biggrin: Hi miniwing This is a VERY IMPORTANT piece of information for ALL would be migrants. You see alot of similar jobs in Australia such as nurses, police, prison officers, tradies teachers, IT, etc............. are paid roughly the equivalent in dollars based on $2.2 to £1. People are emigrating using the current rate of $1.6 to £1 and they use this wrong rate when they are offered a job and think that, they are getting a decent deal and when they get there, they are stunned by how dear everything is, based on the $1.6 rate and PLEASE EVERYONE BE AWARE OF THIS. If you earn £50,000 in the uk, you need to be securing jobs with wages at least at $110,000. If not you WILL STRUGGLE. Best of luck and did someone say correctly that you don't pay stamp duty on a house up to $500,000 if you have permanent residency visas and qualify for the first time buyers grant? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thehackman Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 HI, Perth is expensive to live now, used to be cheap, but it has caught up with the east coast now! My son lives in Ellenbrook about half way between perth and northern subs. The prices are still ok though, as you can do much more without it costing the earth. I have been going to Perth for the last eight winters,would not want to be any where else.,It,s a fab place to be. Good luck , enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest miniwing Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Thanks Jim that makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 HI, Perth is expensive to live now, used to be cheap, but it has caught up with the east coast now! My son lives in Ellenbrook about half way between perth and northern subs. The prices are still ok though, as you can do much more without it costing the earth. I have been going to Perth for the last eight winters,would not want to be any where else.,It,s a fab place to be. Good luck , enjoy. Your right house prices have especially gone up over the last few years, you can still get a great house though for $500,000, but just a bit further out from the city, Perth is a fantastic place, we loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest miniwing Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Hi jim me again!! So based your your previous advice your saying for about £230k you can get a nice house in Perth. We'd just about get 4 beds here in the south for that! Can you recommend any house websites and job websites. There are so many but hard to know the most reputable. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Hi jim me again!! So based your your previous advice your saying for about £230k you can get a nice house in Perth. We'd just about get 4 beds here in the south for that! Can you recommend any house websites and job websites. There are so many but hard to know the most reputable. Thanks again. realestate.com.au look at this site the houses are fantastic and.................. affordable.:yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest miniwing Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 OMG I'm sold. Where do I sign?? What parts of WA do you recommend for a family of 4 Jim? My husband is a design coordinator with degree so we're hopeful we qualify for a skilled visa. I assume only permanent residents can buy properties? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisme Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 OMG I'm sold. Where do I sign?? What parts of WA do you recommend for a family of 4 Jim? My husband is a design coordinator with degree so we're hopeful we qualify for a skilled visa. I assume only permanent residents can buy properties? Anyone can buy a property, but unless you are a permanent resident you have to have approval from the FIRB. Only permanent residents get the first home owners grant and stamp duty relief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest miniwing Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Thanks. Any advice on renting? Someone said it's a good way to save initially is this true? We have an unsecured loan that we can't do anything with so we'd have to manage it as is. All other debt would be cleared - ODs/credit cards. Getting a mortgage in the UK is tough at the moment you have to have 10+% before you start. Is this true in Oz and would the unsecured loan hamper us??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 OMG I'm sold. Where do I sign?? What parts of WA do you recommend for a family of 4 Jim? My husband is a design coordinator with degree so we're hopeful we qualify for a skilled visa. I assume only permanent residents can buy properties? We live in the Northern suburbs near Hillarys and love it. Been here a long time too. When we first came the freeway only came up as far as Hepburn Ave. It's a long way past there now. I would recommend checking out google maps and street view. You can have a virtual walk round without spending anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docboat Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Thanks. Any advice on renting? Someone said it's a good way to save initially is this true? We have an unsecured loan that we can't do anything with so we'd have to manage it as is. All other debt would be cleared - ODs/credit cards. Getting a mortgage in the UK is tough at the moment you have to have 10+% before you start. Is this true in Oz and would the unsecured loan hamper us??? First off, you would be well advised to rent in a few places to get a feel of the areas, and also to learn about our systems here. Saving for a dposit will also take time, so - yes, try renting for a period. Deposits - I think mortgages will not be any more than 90%, so 10% deposit at least - and then you willneed mortgage insurance. Better to save for 20% deposit (taking into account taxes, fees, lawyers .... save for more) and dispense with the mortgage insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest miniwing Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 We live in the Northern suburbs near Hillarys and love it. Been here a long time too. When we first came the freeway only came up as far as Hepburn Ave. It's a long way past there now. I would recommend checking out google maps and street view. You can have a virtual walk round without spending anything. Brilliant idea!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest miniwing Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 First off, you would be well advised to rent in a few places to get a feel of the areas, and also to learn about our systems here. Saving for a dposit will also take time, so - yes, try renting for a period. Deposits - I think mortgages will not be any more than 90%, so 10% deposit at least - and then you willneed mortgage insurance. Better to save for 20% deposit (taking into account taxes, fees, lawyers .... save for more) and dispense with the mortgage insurance. Sounds like we're best renting until we're PRs. Hopefully they'll still have the first time buyer packages available. Thanks for info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongrel Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Australian salaries include a 9% superanuation component which has to be taken off to get your basic salary before doing any comparisons. No , if they include super in your salary they are misleading all companies have to pay super , on the books . Most jobs are advertised xk +super Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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