Guest cricketbackinengland Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Having read lots of posts about the dilemma of moving either way from the UK to Oz or back again, I thought I'd offer these thoughts seeing as I've recently returned from living in Australia and I'm now very happy back in England. It is a huge move, there is no doubt. Moving countries changes your life hopefully for the better but not always as it effects people in different ways and you cannot know how it might affect you until you try it. There is an old saying, if you don't go, you won't know, and if you stay, you might decay so nobody can make the decision for you except you. The best tip I could offer if you decide to move either way, would be to keep all options open until you decide if you've done the right thing. It takes approximately 2 years to grow and acclimatise into a new life and it's not always easy making the adjustments. Once the honeymoon period is over and the reality hits, that's when the homesickness kicks in and it can be temporary or permanent. It depends on the person. You need a realistic amount of capital to take to any country so you need to research how much you will need to live on realistically. It's also a good idea to work out the absolute minimum you can live on. This way you haven't inflated the costs so everything else that comes as a extra is a bonus plus it prepares you for a lean time, if you don't get a job straight away for example. Personally, I find Australia has a lot of hidden costs and prices can change in the blink of an eye so you need to make sure you do not shortchange yourself when you're doing finances. When adding up projected bills, work on the broad side. Switching on the air conditioning can rocket when it's 45 degrees and you can't breathe. People assume there are no heating costs in Australia so this will cut the costs down, however air conditioning in the heat can cost much more if you're not on tariff 33. If you don't have tariff 33, it can cost several thousand dollars to install it. :yes: A pool pump can increase your monthly electricity bill by one third so these are all unknowns until you try living the Oz lifestyle. The extras can seriously add up. You need to preserve your capital so my advice is to keep it in the bank and rent for a year or two, until you decide if the UK or Oz is really where you want to be. Yes, renting can be dead money but you're not trapped into owning a property you might not be able to sell easily and you're not paying for the maintenance that goes with owning your own home. If you don't get a job or you lose your job, you have instant access to your cash. For the first year or so, don't spend your capital, sit on it, explore your new environment and take the time to see if you like it. Don't take out loans, buy a brand new car, buy furniture on loans or take out credit cards. Basically, don't get into debt. Wait, test the water, see if it meets your expectations before you spend all your cash or get into debt. Leave options to return home if you think you might need to. Keep a bank account active with a direct debit paying a credit card off. It pays to do this because it keeps your credit rating alive. This means if you return it's much easier to get a loan, rent a house, buy a car, obtain credit, etc. Stay as flexible as possible and at all costs, keep your money where you can get to it. The first 12 months will tell you if you really want to stay or leave whichever country you're in. If you know you're not where you want to be, make a plan to return within a reasonable time frame, again weighing up the costs and keeping your capital easily accessible. I hope this helps anyone who is currently trying to decide if they should leave or return to the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Good helpfull post from someone who has got the t-shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christopher Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 My advice would also be to rent until you're sure. I've been here two years and now were returning to the Uk having to sell the house we shouldn't have bought is a huge stress we could do without. Luckily it looks like we may make a small profit but it could have easily been a loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menlow4 Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Thanks for the advice. My family moved to WA 6 years ago and we are now in the very early stages of planning our return home. We have sold our house, and some land we have at the moment is on the market. Our initial plan was to put all our money in the bank and save, save, save, with my husband also considering going to the mines for a while to save some more. We want to be in a secure financial position in the UK in case we cant find jobs straight away. Lately though my husband has been saying that he wants to invest in property here in WA in the short term as there is a predicted boom coming in 2012. I can see where he is coming from, but personally I see that as tying up our money again in Australia and I was looking forward to being free from that. In a pickle. Help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 May I ask Menlow where in WA is your husband thinking in investing in property? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menlow4 Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Mandurah. This is where we have lived since we arrived in 2005. Prices are low at the moment. I think that they are predicting a boom because of the mining over here. I don't know, I don't think I want to be tied into a property again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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