Guest cricketbackinengland Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Hello everyone and anyone thinking of moving back to the UK. We moved back to England from the Gold Coast, August 2009. I have absolutely no regrets, I am very happy to be back home. I think the UK has just got so much that matters to me and my kind of lifestyle. I almost kissed the ground when I first got back, I'd missed the green and freshness of the countryside not to mention ordinary things like sticky toffee pudding, stilton cheese, marmite and real sausages. The life is just so much more real here. It's different for everyone and I know how hard it is for a lot of people to make any decision to swap their life for another life but I didn't ever want to leave England, I only went to Oz because I was following an Australian husband. Long story which I won't go into but I am just so glad to be back home again. I am posting today just to say that since I've been home, I have no regrets at all. But, I do live in a nice area and I have a very good business plus I kept my UK bank so moving back was relatively easy. If you are thinking of moving back, it's important to prepare the way first and save as much as you can. It took me 6 years to find the funds to get back because I knew I wouldn't have a credit rating for at least a year. I haven't got a bad thing to say about the UK because in my observation, whatever is the downside here, it's pretty much the same anywhere. One thing I can say is that I find it cheaper to live in the UK. My food bill is a third of what we used to pay and I find most other things are much more affordable too mostly because you have more choice because there's a lot more competition. Petrol is still high but I have a lot more money left in my pocket than I ever did in Australia. Good luck with that flood levy by the way Julia :-) Anyway, I am home and after 17 months, I can honestly say we are very happy. The white Christmasses have been fantastic! Best of luck to everyone still trying to decide. I hope my post gives you some inspiration and optimism if you're leaning towards making the decision to return back to England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Cold very cold.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongrel Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Just tell about ya power bills ,but thgat will be a different tale . £ 400 gas and 300 lekky say it at is is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cricketbackinengland Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Just tell about ya power bills ,but thgat will be a different tale . £ 400 gas and 300 lekky say it at is is It depends who your supplier is. My husband is an electrician and knew how to work out the cheap rate. When we got back, we were bombarded with telesales utility companies all wanting us to sign contracts for electricity, gas and phone. We got a really good deal on all. You have to shop around. My bills are not bad at all but I imagine after such a cold, long freeze this year, people will have high bills. It's only to be expected. My electricity bill is around 70.00 per month. Don't have gas. Phone and broadband 35.00 per month. I'm lucky, just husband and myself, no children at home so we no longer have those big bills coming in. :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 My household bills here in the uk are almost double that of friends and family in Australia, as is my rates and petrol is double, we aren't getting a pay rise for 4 years either, but i will say food is cheaper than it was in Australia. I am glad you are happy back in the uk, it does have alot to offer, but we have been in a very long recession and millions are on a 4 year pay freeze. It shouldn't stop anyone coming back to the uk, if you have a skill in demand or you are willing to graft, you will make it anywhere, its just alot harder here at present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 It depends who your supplier is. My husband is an electrician and knew how to work out the cheap rate. When we got back, we were bombarded with telesales utility companies all wanting us to sign contracts for electricity, gas and phone. We got a really good deal on all. You have to shop around. My bills are not bad at all but I imagine after such a cold, long freeze this year, people will have high bills. It's only to be expected. My electricity bill is around 70.00 per month. Don't have gas. Phone and broadband 35.00 per month. I'm lucky, just husband and myself, no children at home so we no longer have those big bills coming in. :biggrin: Agree you have to shop around and you can get some good fixed deals, your internet and phone is a bit high though, I switched and get free calls at any time plus unlimited broadband for £19 a month as I haggled on the phone for a good deal or I was leaving them, it is only for 12 months but the guy said ring up when your contract is up and we will do you the £19 instead of the normal £29 a month, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 My husbands utility bills in Australia are higher than ours are here for a similar size house, so I suppose it must depend on your supplier. He's in Melbourne so needs to use heating in winter although only at night as he's at work all day. I have the heating on here most of the day. He was amazed at how inexpensive it is here when he was over at Christmas, especially things like cinema tickets and grocery/clothes shopping. He went back laden with work clothes (along with wine gums for him and kilos of chocolate and marmite for the English dogsitter!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Agree you have to shop around and you can get some good fixed deals, your internet and phone is a bit high though, I switched and get free calls at any time plus unlimited broadband for £19 a month as I haggled on the phone for a good deal or I was leaving them, it is only for 12 months but the guy said ring up when your contract is up and we will do you the £19 instead of the normal £29 a month, We love having unlimited download again. With three kids at school, having to do homework it was a pain and we often went over the limit. Here we have unlimited download and free phone calls. No more frustration as it takes 3 hours to download a piece of work because we've reached our limit. Even at school the girls had a limit and we had to pay for anything over that, which they always did because of the amount they had to use. Here we don't have to pay for any of that. I like living in Australia, but it isn't cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 We love having unlimited download again. With three kids at school, having to do homework it was a pain and we often went over the limit. Here we have unlimited download and free phone calls. No more frustration as it takes 3 hours to download a piece of work because we've reached our limit.Even at school the girls had a limit and we had to pay for anything over that, which they always did because of the amount they had to use. Here we don't have to pay for any of that. I like living in Australia, but it isn't cheap. No it's not, but if you shop around for deals you can make life easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingpongpom2 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Hi cricketbackinengland:smile:..it's always good to hear when someone finds their place and is at peace with it, whether it is england, aus or anywhere..if everything like weather, utility bills or whatever also goes along with it that's even better..but at the end of the day you could argue the toss about everything..all that matters is where you feel your heart is..i love Aus and miss it, but i don't ever like to see people in turmoil over this England/Aus thing..we've been through it and it can be so hard for families..so all the best to you and yours.. terri:cute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Good to hear that things are working out so well for you. Lucky that your Aussie husband would return with you too - how did you manage to persuade him? Was it the duct tape and cricket bat method for recalcitrant spouses? (Mine wont go full stop!). It must be fabulous to get your life back and to start living again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Glad it is working out for you, there is a great deal to love about the UK and to be fair being cheaper to live is sort of like the cherry on the cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bod Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 My household bills here in the uk are almost double that of friends and family in Australia, as is my rates and petrol is double, we aren't getting a pay rise for 4 years either, but i will say food is cheaper than it was in Australia. I am glad you are happy back in the uk, it does have alot to offer, but we have been in a very long recession and millions are on a 4 year pay freeze. It shouldn't stop anyone coming back to the uk, if you have a skill in demand or you are willing to graft, you will make it anywhere, its just alot harder here at present. How about I come and fit you a new super fuel efficient condensing boiler Jim. That'll help your bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sh7t man no way Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 How about I come and fit you a new super fuel efficient condensing boiler Jim. That'll help your bills. thats what i love about you john your so pro active,and forward thinking:notworthy:rather than whinging about it you will solve the problem--excellant thread op--glad to here you have settled back down in the best country in the world--to me it dosent matter where you live,as long as your happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 How about I come and fit you a new super fuel efficient condensing boiler Jim. That'll help your bills. Always ways to save money and help the planet :jiggy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cricketbackinengland Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Thanks everyone. I'm glad if my post helped anyone currently in the dilemma of thinking of leaving or returning to the UK. I perhaps should add that having enough money is absolutely paramount to how successful moving to or from anywhere is. Plus having a proper plan and time scale. I wouldn't like to think I've encouraged anyone to just get on a plane and take off without making all the right preparations. I could never settle in Australia because I missed England far too much so I always knew where my heart was. BUT! I have always lived in a nice part of England and had a nice Vicar of Dibley life. I can fully understand why some families want to try and move their children out of towns and cities and head towards what they hope will be a better life. I fully appreciate the concerns that some parents have. If you are a family with children, then obviously your options to move are not as flexible as ours were. My children have grown up so there was only my husband and myself to consider. We came back to England making sure we had a plan and we had a good sum of cash on which to survive until the plan took off. This was just as well because after 12 months of being out of the country, you lose your credit rating so you can't borrow any money. It's a good idea to try and keep it going if you think you might be back. Proving who we were was a nightmare too. I hadn't realised all the new money laundering laws meant you had to make sure you could produce ID. I had remarried my husband in Australia so when a solicitor refused to do the conveyancing on a property matter because she could not trace my married name in England, I had to quickly dig out my marriage certificate and documents. Luckily, I had them with me, not on the container. Lesson learned? Don't change your name until you get back to England. It just makes life easier. Or at least, make sure you can produce a paper trail of proof. Like I explained, it took me nearly 4 years to dream up a plan, create an income, decide what kind of life I wanted to live, how much I needed to earn and where I wanted to be. I knew I could not come back to nothing so I had to plan while I was still in Australia. Obviously the timescale turned out to be 4 years before I was able to come back. I think we got everything right because if we'd come back on a wing and a prayer, we would have definitely struggled. Despite the economy and all the politics, we have been fine but I would not recommend anyone just dropping everything and moving anywhere without a plan or money. In this current climate, you never know what's coming next so you do need to a strategy for the unexpected. Money in the bank helps carry you through the tricky times. Since last September, the UK has been in a bit of a downturn with all the spending cuts, but I've seen all this before and I know it is only temporary. Uncomfortable for many and uncertain but we do get through it. Better times are ahead. I would say to anyone thinking of returning to England not to rush. If your lives are relatively stable wherever you are, stay put and wait for things to settle before you change anything, especially if you have children. If you are leaving England, keep a bank account active and set up a direct debit to keep paying a UK credit card. This will keep your credit rating going. If you come back to England, there is very little you can do without a credit rating. Even renting a house is subject to credit checks. We had to pay 6 months in advance. Now that we're back, I am living my dream. The plan is working and we are very happy. I personally love England. I'm not going to say it's 100% wonderful but I don't need to because what I love is personal to me. I don't think the UK has changed that much, not visibly anyway. I have found most things to be the same if not better. I notice the traffic calming measures are much better, there seems to be a lot more modern houses and industrial centres. One thing that makes me smile is the UK's obsession with treating me like I need help.:err: Wherever I go I often feel like I am talking to a therapist and I am the patient. Doesn't matter whether it's the library or Sainsbury's I still keep hearing the words 'now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cricketbackinengland Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Thanks everyone. I'm glad if my post helped anyone currently in the dilemma of thinking of leaving or returning to the UK. I perhaps should add that having enough money is absolutely paramount to how successful moving to or from anywhere is. Plus having a proper plan and time scale. I wouldn't like to think I've encouraged anyone to just get on a plane and take off without making all the right preparations. I could never settle in Australia because I missed England far too much so I always knew where my heart was. BUT! I have always lived in a nice part of England and had a nice Vicar of Dibley life. I can fully understand why some families want to try and move their children out of towns and cities and head towards what they hope will be a better life. I fully appreciate the concerns that some parents have. If you are a family with children, then obviously your options to move are not as flexible as ours were. My children have grown up so there was only my husband and myself to consider. We came back to England making sure we had a plan and we had a good sum of cash on which to survive until the plan took off. This was just as well because after 12 months of being out of the country, you lose your credit rating so you can't borrow any money. It's a good idea to try and keep it going if you think you might be back. Proving who we were was a nightmare too. I hadn't realised all the new money laundering laws meant you had to make sure you could produce ID. I had remarried my husband in Australia so when a solicitor refused to do the conveyancing on a property matter because she could not trace my married name in England, I had to quickly dig out my marriage certificate and documents. Luckily, I had them with me, not on the container. Lesson learned? Don't change your name until you get back to England. It just makes life easier. Or at least, make sure you can produce a paper trail of proof. Like I explained, it took me nearly 4 years to dream up a plan, create an income, decide what kind of life I wanted to live, how much I needed to earn and where I wanted to be. I knew I could not come back to nothing so I had to plan while I was still in Australia. Obviously the timescale turned out to be 4 years before I was able to come back. I think we got everything right because if we'd come back on a wing and a prayer, we would have definitely struggled. Despite the economy and all the politics, we have been fine but I would not recommend anyone just dropping everything and moving anywhere without a plan or money. In this current climate, you never know what's coming next so you do need to a strategy for the unexpected. Money in the bank helps carry you through the tricky times. Since last September, the UK has been in a bit of a downturn with all the spending cuts, but I've seen all this before and I know it is only temporary. Uncomfortable for many and uncertain but we do get through it. Better times are ahead. I would say to anyone thinking of returning to England not to rush. If your lives are relatively stable wherever you are, stay put and wait for things to settle before you change anything, especially if you have children. If you are leaving England, keep a bank account active and set up a direct debit to keep paying a UK credit card. This will keep your credit rating going. If you come back to England, there is very little you can do without a credit rating. Even renting a house is subject to credit checks. We had to pay 6 months in advance. Now that we're back, I am living my dream. The plan is working and we are very happy. I personally love England. I'm not going to say it's 100% wonderful but I don't need to because what I love is personal to me. I don't think the UK has changed that much, not visibly anyway. I have found most things to be the same if not better. I notice the traffic calming measures are much better, there seems to be a lot more modern houses and industrial centres. One thing that makes me smile is the UK's obsession with treating me like I need help.:err: Wherever I go I often feel like I am talking to a therapist and I am the patient. Doesn't matter whether it's the library or Sainsbury's I still keep hearing the words 'now Clicked too soon. I keep hearing the words 'now are you sure you're OK? Or 'do you need any help'? It's nice because it shows that England hasn't lost it's caring and polite reputation. Anyway, I hope all this helps anyone stuck in limbo wondering whether to stay or go. For what it's worth, I love England and having arrived back after 7 years in Oz, I have not been disappointed or felt any regret. I only feel like I am home and at peace with myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landv Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Cricket, Which part of the UK did you move back to? Wise advice about saving up to go back with money, I guess the same applies really when moving back, not just when moving to Aus, having sufficient enough funds. I knew about the credit rating disappering when not living in the country, that's why we kept our Uk bank accounts. Enjoyed reading your post, we are going to the Uk in June to visit for the first time after almost 3 years in Perth, it will be "make or brake" decision for us. Good luck with everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cricketbackinengland Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Cricket,Which part of the UK did you move back to? Wise advice about saving up to go back with money, I guess the same applies really when moving back, not just when moving to Aus, having sufficient enough funds. I knew about the credit rating disappering when not living in the country, that's why we kept our Uk bank accounts. Enjoyed reading your post, we are going to the Uk in June to visit for the first time after almost 3 years in Perth, it will be "make or brake" decision for us. Good luck with everything. Well originally, I am from the Lake District and while I still love it and call it home, it is a bit of a backwater for business so with this in mind, we chose to be more central. We live near quite near to Rutland on the borders of Leicestershire. Kind of near the border to Northamptonshire and Warwickshire with easy access to the M1. Good choice for business and it is very pretty scenery. We have a passion for the canals and waterways (we own a narrowboat) so it's perfect as it's close to the Grand Union canal. We're hoping to cruise off down towards Oxford this summer. The narrowboat has given us a new life and friends. Everything revolves around this now. Good luck for June. I hope you also are able to make your decision. Not always straightforward, I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cricketbackinengland Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 My household bills here in the uk are almost double that of friends and family in Australia, as is my rates and petrol is double, we aren't getting a pay rise for 4 years either, but i will say food is cheaper than it was in Australia. I am glad you are happy back in the uk, it does have alot to offer, but we have been in a very long recession and millions are on a 4 year pay freeze. It shouldn't stop anyone coming back to the uk, if you have a skill in demand or you are willing to graft, you will make it anywhere, its just alot harder here at present. I know petrol is more expensive BUT, I find it works out cheaper here because I don't have to drive as far. England is much smaller than Oz so driving distances are shorter. I used to think it was great that petrol over there was much cheaper until I realised how far I had to go to get anywhere. Australia is almost as big as North America. It's not till you get there that you realise nipping down to your relatives might be a 48 hour drive. I personally found there were a lot of hidden costs that sneak up on you in Oz. Sort of like back door taxes that just seem to get invented. For example, water rates on the Gold Coast have risen by 50% since 2007. Ordinary rates have jumped too. If you buy a property with a body corporate, the fees can start off small but there is no regulation when they are increased by private management. There are only 2 telephone providers, Telstra and Optus so broadband and telephone bills were huge because there is no competition. And....councils seem to have free rein at making you pay for things that you wouldn't normally be expected to pay for. Where we used to live, a bridge was being re routed and constructed for a new property developer. The locals all got bills to pay for it despite it not adding any value of benefit to them or their property. If you don't pay these bills, or your rates, the council can make you sell your house and currently in Queensland, miss one payment on your mortgage and the bank will take your house. This was announced in the news just recently. Finally, interest rates in Oz have gone up 8 times in just over a year. The banks seem a lot more mercenary than here in the UK. There was a big stimulus incentive for first time buyers to buy last year while rates were low, then as soon as they were hooked in, rates went up and up. A lot are struggling now including my son sadly. He was a first time buyer too. You do need to be so careful when buying property especially if it's in a complex or gated estate operated by a body corporate. They can just keep on raising the fees while there is little in the way of any kind of regulation. I think we all do the same comparisons between our normal, every day bills and expenses UK versus Oz but I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that it's the hidden expenses that really push up the cost of living in Oz. These are just my own observations of 7 years of living there. Just to give anyone thinking of getting a job here in England some encouragement, obviously it depends what you do and it's true, jobs are scarce in some areas. But my husband got a job easily and was offered several others at the same time. And he's 57. He had to jump through a few hoops, his pride got hurt when he was told he had to go back to college to do a couple of courses so he could meet the UK criteria but they were only short courses, three weeks at most, and he passed flying colours. You do need to be flexible and be open to different opportunities plus not take offence if you're told you have to sit a few more exams, but he just thought it was great that he got offered 3 jobs in a row at his age. I get to hear about it all the time now. He still waffles on about it.:SLEEP: One point worth mentioning is age and the time in your life when you make your decision. We're in our 50's, have grown up children, are healthy, reasonably well off and only have ourselves to think about. I think it's true to say that because we are now independent (got our lives back after having children), it has been easier for us to experiment with moving back to the UK from a financial point of view. If you're in your 30's with young children or 40's with older children, it's probably a lot riskier and harder to think about doing a lifestyle swap because whereas we can do without lots of things if we had to, you've still got the expenses to find for bringing up a family. You can definitely do more and live life much more freely if you don't have independents.However, older people may find that that there earning power and years left working decreases their ability to recoup any losses if they make the wrong decision which is why I said earlier, you do need to think about money. Australia is very good at advertising the dream life and jobs but the job descriptions and conditions don't always match what you might have been told. You only find this out when you get there. This happened to us and others we know so again, you need to do your research and don't jump in too quick. Learn about the experiences of others mistakes first. I would say though, that Australia is a great playground for families. In many ways, children have a lot more exposure to the outdoor life and the sun makes it all the more fun. I saw a lot more dads having quality time with their children over there and families in general seemed to be able to spend more time together. I don't know if the education system is as good. The curriculum would probably miss out on a lot of UK history and culture so parents have to decide if this is something they want their children to miss out on. Again, hope this helps anyone trying to decide whether to go, stay or come back. They are just my opinions on living there for 7 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 It is without doubt far better for jobs prospects in general in Australia than the uk at present things couldn't be worse here at present, it isn't something to argue about, not that anyone is arguing. The job situation is very dire here in the uk at present with companies down sizing, where as in Australia there is no evidence of this. One or two peoples experiences in either country doesn't lead anyone to believe any different from the simple truth above. Yes you can get work in the uk and nothing should stop anyone from coming back, your experiences about Australia are simply that, your experiences and alot on here think Australia is the best country in the world to live in, when actually it is the 2nd best and the uk is in 25th place as the best country to live in, in the world, which still isn't bad, but it is quite a long way behind Australia on affordability and quality standard of living, so the experts say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christopher Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Well my wife and I have started to make the plan of moving back to the UK, although I'm not waiting 4 years as one of the posters suggested :-). it has been a very difficult decision to make as my wife (who is Australian) doesn't really want to go back, but in her own words ' I wont be as unhappy in England as you are here in Sydney' I realise I am very lucky in that she will return with me. There are a few reasons to go back (apart from me not liking living here at all!) one is financial, it's so bloody expensive here. We both have well paid jobs but we also have a hefty mortgage. We had the house valued at the weekend and luckily they have valued it at $200,000 over what we paid for it a year and a half a go, now obviously thats not the same as selling it for that price, but if we got $150,000 more than what we paid we are still in a very healthy position financially wise to go back home, we would be able to buy a nice family home in a nice area for cash - no mortgage. Family is also another reason for the move, we want to start a family and I would like us to do that with family around us (my wifes sister is here but other than that her family all live in perth!) Also with us hopefully not having a mortgage my wife wouldnt have to work or just have to work part time if we were lucky enough to have children. No I am aware of the dangers i.e finding work etc but I suppose the bottom line is, Australia just isn't and never will be my home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Very good advice for anyone making the trip in either direction, make sure you are prepared economically and emotionally. England is a fantastic country, of course some would have us believe it is all gangs and bad weather but most know the truth. I have enjoyed reading your posts, very balanced and level headed and you sound as though you are loving being home. Thanks everyone. I'm glad if my post helped anyone currently in the dilemma of thinking of leaving or returning to the UK. I perhaps should add that having enough money is absolutely paramount to how successful moving to or from anywhere is. Plus having a proper plan and time scale. I wouldn't like to think I've encouraged anyone to just get on a plane and take off without making all the right preparations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 The thing is that petrol is expensive but if you have an ordinary small fuel efficient car and pay 20-35 pounds road tax you gain a huge amount against the ridiculous registration costs here and as you say save because you aren't driving the same distances. With electricity set to go up AGAIN by 25% this year and food etc rising it's not even as if we would be better off financially here, not that I consider that am major consideration in the scheme of things but it does all add up. I know petrol is more expensive BUT, I find it works out cheaper here because I don't have to drive as far. England is much smaller than Oz so driving distances are shorter. I used to think it was great that petrol over there was much cheaper until I realised how far I had to go to get anywhere. Australia is almost as big as North America. It's not till you get there that you realise nipping down to your relatives might be a 48 hour drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 So glad to hear that the move back was what you hoped for and everything has gone well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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