n111kkx Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 A long road!! After waiting nearly 3 years for our visa, we have sold a flat in preparation to go and will have £30,000 to get us started - I dont think we will go!! My husband is a qualified electrician and I am a mum of an 8 year old. My sister already lives in Manly and has a new 10 week old baby. Our plans are to visit in Oct and validate the visa and then move over in March/April 2012. We are still going in October but I have started to look at the cost of living and I really dont think we can afford to go. The cost of living in Sydney is so high even earning around $100,000 it will not cut it. I do realise we want to rent in Manly which is expensive, but if we are going to give up our fab life in the UK we want to live the dream. Maybe we will just have to wait and see if the exchange rate improves and my husband needs to do further training to be classed qualified in Australia so this doesnt help!! All this time and money - gutted x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 If you validate you will have 5 years to think about it and a lot can change in that time. So don't look at it as giving up just being on hold x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Hi, I would agree with Kate, validate your visa and see how things go. Yes Sydney is expensive, does it have to be Sydney you move to, would another state or city be any good. You will probably have about 4 years left on your visa after validation. you never know what will happen in that time. I would also add, that you must feel secure in your move or you will never settle. In the end it will all come down to what you and your family feel happy doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Does it have to be Sydney for you? Other capitals like Brisbane are much cheaper and there are some very nice places to live around. Even the Sunshine Coast, which is gorgeous, is cheaper than Sydney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n111kkx Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 My sister lives in sydneyand I would want to be very close to her. She has a 10 week old baby and I want to support her. Her lease is up in 3 weeks so gonna have a long talk with her as she is in the uk today for a holiday. My husband would be happy to not go as he is not the adventurous one and thinks if it's not broke don't fix it. Maybe my sis and her hubby will come back to the uk?????? If not then lots of holidays I guess, and like u say we have 5 years x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaraBond Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have read your message with great sympathy. I know how you feel and I wish I knew beforehand all I know now about living in OZ. Brisbane is cheaper than Sydney but unfortunately, it is is now on 13th most expensive city in the world list compared to London, which is the 30th. At first we liked it here in Brisbane but the company was paying for the first month in a nice aparthotel. It is a nice city, not too big, not too busy and not too far from the sea – only an hour drive from the centre. Our first shock was when we went to a supermarket - double the UK prices, poor choice, no our favourite foods, fruit (that grows here) is sometimes unaffordable. Second shock - cost of car - 50% more and there are NO cheap second hand ones – car depreciation is much slower here. We can't afford a second car here. Plus you pay tax on buying any car and a road tax we pay about $760 per year. Petrol is only slightly cheaper but going up now. Third shock - cost of housing. You will need a good half a million £ not $ to buy an average house on the outskirts of Brisbane. Look on this website: http://www.realestate.com.au for both to buy and to rent prices. We are renting on the outskirts and paying $550 for a 3-bedroom brick house. There are some timber Queenslanders which are cheaper but generally of poor standard and foreigners don't like them. Bills are dearer too. But it is the cost of medical care and especially dentists that makes you really think twice. See the link to the dental price list: http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/healthinsurance/whatiscovered/averagedental.htm . We have no children but we are about 50 and go to the doctors often and we have to pay every time. GPs charge for every visit AND for the duration of the consultation – we paid $60 last Saturday. And although my husband is on a good salary of $100K plus there is nothing left to enjoy yourselves, to go out, to travel, to see the sights, which is defying the object of coming here. Plus we feel that our lifestyle has gone down in terms of having to shop at the markets, garage sales and car boot sales and ALDI - we didn't have to do this back home. In the UK we used to go the theatre, concerts, exhibitions, National Trust properties and gardens – we can’t afford it here. It costs more than in London to go out here. And if you like your clothes, I feel really sorry for you. They are so expensive here, probably 2-3 times depending on the store. And there is no TK Maxx either! If you do decide to come, bring with you as much as you can, as cosmetics and toiletries cost 3 times here. We generally feel that we lost by coming to OZ, and it makes you feel down to the point that no amount of sunshine will compensate. We can’t wait to go back. If you are looking forward to sunshine – you will definitely get it here and it will be too hot in the summer to stay outdoors. If you are looking to improve your lifestyle overall, you will be greatly disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masken Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I would see how your validation trip goes before you decide not to go. As others have said you still have time on your Visa if you decide to go later. I might have got it wrong but I noticed on your timeline that it says that you applied for a 176 with Vic SS so surely this means you have to go to Victoria for the first two years anyway. Obviously I've only just started this whole visa process so I've probably missed something. I know you want to be close to your sister but it might be worth looking outside of Sydney where renting etc would be cheaper. If you think of it another way wherever you go in Australia will be closer to your sister than you are now so if you have to travel a couple of hours by car or even live further away and have to wait until holidays at least you will still be able to see so much more of each other than is possible right now. Obviously you are gutted that you may not be able to go and if that is how you are feeling then surely it is worth giving it a try, even if you decide not to go for another 3 years. Your OH can try to find a job doing anything whilst he takes the exams he needs to complete and if you are working as well then it might be possible. Hopefully your sister can help when you chat to her later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 A long road!! After waiting nearly 3 years for our visa, we have sold a flat in preparation to go and will have £30,000 to get us started - I dont think we will go!! My husband is a qualified electrician and I am a mum of an 8 year old. My sister already lives in Manly and has a new 10 week old baby. Our plans are to visit in Oct and validate the visa and then move over in March/April 2012. We are still going in October but I have started to look at the cost of living and I really dont think we can afford to go. The cost of living in Sydney is so high even earning around $100,000 it will not cut it. I do realise we want to rent in Manly which is expensive, but if we are going to give up our fab life in the UK we want to live the dream. Maybe we will just have to wait and see if the exchange rate improves and my husband needs to do further training to be classed qualified in Australia so this doesnt help!! All this time and money - gutted x I see you are limiting yourself to one of the most expensive places in the whole of Aus, Manly. Brilliant place but expensive. If you earn $100,000 there are plenty of places you could rent close enough to Manly. If you have 30,000 pounds as a start you shouldn't be too far off of being able to get a mortgage. My Son is an electrician, finished his apprenticeship about a year ago and to earn $100,000, without going up North, he would have to work a lot of overtime. It really is a pretty good salary. To be fair, you are expecting to move to a fantastic area on an electricians wage. It's a bit like expecting to move to somewhere like Oxshott in the UK from wherever you are, without having the income. You have to be realistic and if you want to emigrate badly enough (you seem to have done all the hard work) you would have a choice of lots of places where 30,000 pounds start up and $100,000 a year would be ample. The streets aren't paved with gold.:cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steen1976 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I don't think it's the exchange rate which will make much of a difference for you. Once here you earn local money. We came with a lot less and got set up with no worries. But the cost of living is high - well housing really. We have had to move from a large 4 bed victorian town house to a small 2 bed flat (and pay double for the priveledge). Happy enough with that trade off to be here though as we have so many more opportunities here. Most people have to make sacrifices to get here. All depends how much you want it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I guess family in Sydney makes a big difference but the cost of living there seems to be around double what I spend here, at least for rent/house purchases. In UK terms it would be like trying to move from someplace in the sticks and trying to live in central London. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest36187 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Brisbane is cheaper than Sydney but unfortunately, it is is now on 13th most expensive city in the world list compared to London, which is the 30th. to be honest, I never look at those surveys...I like to make my own judgement on somewhere. Our first shock was when we went to a supermarket - double the UK prices, poor choice, no our favourite foods, fruit (that grows here) is sometimes unaffordable. Not everything is double prices. You cant compare prices. If you earn dollars you spend dollars. Second shock - cost of car - 50% more and there are NO cheap second hand ones – car depreciation is much slower here. We can't afford a second car here. Plus you pay tax on buying any car and a road tax we pay about $760 per year. Petrol is only slightly cheaper but going up now Sorry but I do disagree in respect of Brisbane. New cars are not 50% more. Second hand cars are dearer but due to the slow depreciation, it all weighs up. Petrol (according to local paper of where I used to live) is same in dollars as it is in pounds. When we first came here (2005) petrol was 77c per litre so it has doubled in our time! Third shock - cost of housing. You will need a good half a million £ not $ to buy an average house on the outskirts of Brisbane. Look on this website: www.realestate.com.au for both to buy and to rent prices. We are renting on the outskirts and paying $550 for a 3-bedroom brick house. There are some timber Queenslanders which are cheaper but generally of poor standard and foreigners don't like them. Bills are dearer too. Sorry I disagree here and think that Brissie is being misrepresented. I bought my house for $350,000. I live in a good area of the western suburbs and houses average about $440K. But it is the cost of medical care and especially dentists that makes you really think twice. See the link to the dental price list: http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/healthinsurance/whatiscovered/averagedental.htm . We have no children but we are about 50 and go to the doctors often and we have to pay every time. GPs charge for every visit AND for the duration of the consultation – we paid $60 last Saturday. If you find a GP that bulk bills then there is nothing to pay. I have never paid for a Drs visit in almost 7 years. And although my husband is on a good salary of $100K plus there is nothing left to enjoy yourselves, to go out, to travel, to see the sights, which is defying the object of coming here. Plus we feel that our lifestyle has gone down in terms of having to shop at the markets, garage sales and car boot sales and ALDI - we didn't have to do this back home. In the UK we used to go the theatre, concerts, exhibitions, National Trust properties and gardens – we can’t afford it here. It costs more than in London to go out here. Concert tickets are definately dearer. You can average at least $99 per person for a concert or show. Things like footy (NRL) are great for families and season tickets are available. And if you like your clothes, I feel really sorry for you. They are so expensive here, probably 2-3 times depending on the store. And there is no TK Maxx either! If you do decide to come, bring with you as much as you can, as cosmetics and toiletries cost 3 times here. Not all clothes are dear! You can shop in places like Susane Grae, Millers, Katies and Rockmans and buy tops for $20. Is that dear??? We generally feel that we lost by coming to OZ, and it makes you feel down to the point that no amount of sunshine will compensate. We can’t wait to go back. If you are looking forward to sunshine – you will definitely get it here and it will be too hot in the summer to stay outdoors. If you are looking to improve your lifestyle overall, you will be greatly disappointed Im glad that you have been so honest about how you found everything. With my comments I hope it shows that everyone perceives things differently. Please know that I have commented how I found things and it is not any kind of criticism. Everyones different, we all find things different. I hope that we all find what we are looking for whether we are in Oz or the UK. GOod Luck, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gail2010 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have read your message with great sympathy. I know how you feel and I wish I knew beforehand all I know now about living in OZ. Brisbane is cheaper than Sydney but unfortunately, it is is now on 13th most expensive city in the world list compared to London, which is the 30th. At first we liked it here in Brisbane but the company was paying for the first month in a nice aparthotel. It is a nice city, not too big, not too busy and not too far from the sea – only an hour drive from the centre. Our first shock was when we went to a supermarket - double the UK prices, poor choice, no our favourite foods, fruit (that grows here) is sometimes unaffordable. Second shock - cost of car - 50% more and there are NO cheap second hand ones – car depreciation is much slower here. We can't afford a second car here. Plus you pay tax on buying any car and a road tax we pay about $760 per year. Petrol is only slightly cheaper but going up now. Third shock - cost of housing. You will need a good half a million £ not $ to buy an average house on the outskirts of Brisbane. Look on this website: http://www.realestate.com.au for both to buy and to rent prices. We are renting on the outskirts and paying $550 for a 3-bedroom brick house. There are some timber Queenslanders which are cheaper but generally of poor standard and foreigners don't like them. Bills are dearer too. But it is the cost of medical care and especially dentists that makes you really think twice. See the link to the dental price list: http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/healthinsurance/whatiscovered/averagedental.htm . We have no children but we are about 50 and go to the doctors often and we have to pay every time. GPs charge for every visit AND for the duration of the consultation – we paid $60 last Saturday. And although my husband is on a good salary of $100K plus there is nothing left to enjoy yourselves, to go out, to travel, to see the sights, which is defying the object of coming here. Plus we feel that our lifestyle has gone down in terms of having to shop at the markets, garage sales and car boot sales and ALDI - we didn't have to do this back home. In the UK we used to go the theatre, concerts, exhibitions, National Trust properties and gardens – we can’t afford it here. It costs more than in London to go out here. And if you like your clothes, I feel really sorry for you. They are so expensive here, probably 2-3 times depending on the store. And there is no TK Maxx either! If you do decide to come, bring with you as much as you can, as cosmetics and toiletries cost 3 times here. We generally feel that we lost by coming to OZ, and it makes you feel down to the point that no amount of sunshine will compensate. We can’t wait to go back. If you are looking forward to sunshine – you will definitely get it here and it will be too hot in the summer to stay outdoors. If you are looking to improve your lifestyle overall, you will be greatly disappointed. Wow glad someone else feels the same as me!! Its a big shock you think coming to Oz that you would be able to live comfortable and be able to afford nice things its just not the case, our original choice was to go to Houston I so wish people hadnt convinced us to come to Oz. I posted something similar and got absolutely slated over the weekend, maybe some people have come out and are on better money we are also classed as being paid well but its an expensive place to live and we are in Perth!! I feel so sorry for the original poster to wait all this time and get their visa and now not be able to afford to live here such a shame!! It has rained all weekend and rained really heavy here today and feels just like being in the Uk except Im not able to go shopping and treat myself and kids to new clothes as we just cant afford it where as in the UK we were!!! Best of luck to OP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Wow glad someone else feels the same as me!! Its a big shock you think coming to Oz that you would be able to live comfortable and be able to afford nice things its just not the case, our original choice was to go to Houston I so wish people hadnt convinced us to come to Oz.I posted something similar and got absolutely slated over the weekend, maybe some people have come out and are on better money we are also classed as being paid well but its an expensive place to live and we are in Perth!! I feel so sorry for the original poster to wait all this time and get their visa and now not be able to afford to live here such a shame!! It has rained all weekend and rained really heavy here today and feels just like being in the Uk except Im not able to go shopping and treat myself and kids to new clothes as we just cant afford it where as in the UK we were!!! Best of luck to OP. Hey gail, where in perth are you? what things do you think are expensive or do you mean everything? perth is where we are thinking of heading to. Cost of living is definitely our main worry, im definitely not materialistic and its about quality of life for us but i definitely dont want to be completely skint either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest juliemtaylor Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 are you not vic state sponsored? Julie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 You can live in Sydney without living in Manly. Why don't you discuss with your sister about both moving to a more affordable area of sydney. Bear in mind that Sydney is a city of something like 1.5 million people and most would not earn over 100,000 dollars so that proves that you can afford to live there, but maybe not right next to the beach. Once you are there and earning dollars you will survive. Remember the old truism. Later in life you will regret the things you never tried not the things you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n111kkx Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 Thank you all so much for your comments and I love this forum for peoples honesty. We live in Somerset with all our family around us have a great back up support for my daughter (8) we love to travel and do so (8 times this year alone) but we do realise that we have to sacrifice to go to Oz and are prepared to do so. But life is very good for us even in the midst of this recession. I understand that Manly is ridiculously expensive and luckily my sisters lease is up in 3 weeks but she does love it there. I have looked at the Northern Beaches in general and the costs are still high. I dont work full time and really dont want to as I want to be there for my husband and daughter. I also have a heart condition which means I have to have regular checkups and medicines. My care in the UK is fabulous. My two best friends cried at the weekend when I told them there was a chance we may not go!! I would love to have a little glass ball to see the future if anyone has one available! I think I need to have a long chat with my sister and then go and enjoy ourselves in October and do a proper reccie including schools, work, houses, living costs. Thank you all so much xx watch this space xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n111kkx Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 ooh I meant to say when we applied for our Visa and state sponsorship our full comitment was to go to Victoria. My sister and her husband were going to move to Melbourne. However, the government changed the visa rules and instead of taking 6 months the visa then took 3 years. Your commitment for State Sponsorship has to be at the time of applying. My sister now has a child and her and her husband have fantastic jobs. They are reluctant to move to Melbourne now. We want to be near them and have had to reconsider everything. They may have another thought about Melbourne as they liked the city but this is another conversation we need to have. Hope this explains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 just do whatever you think is right for you and your family :hug: you sound like you have a very good life in the UK best of luck x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmahood Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Is it that you don't really want to go? Can you not work too? There are plenty of boroughs around Sydney which are very reasonable and you should certainly have a comfortable life on $100k a year! Sydney has excellent transport links into the city so you don't have to live right in the city. Does it have to be Sydney? I think after all the effort you have spent - financially and emotionally - to decide you can't go on the basis of $100 salary!!!???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrspotatohead Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Move further away from the water and the houses get cheaper. I guess it depends on where you want to be. I know what you mean about being close to family etc, but even if you are withing 1/2 hour driving distance, its far easier than being 24 hrs away. :yes: I see people talking about the cost of doctors on here all the time and I cant understand it. I've been in the UK 5 years and I am returning home this year (where I have lived for the remainder of my life). I have never paid for an Australian doctor. You only pay for a doctor if you go to a private GP. Medicare doctors are free. Most medicare doctors also don't require an appointment, you just go in and wait and your seen by the first available. Sydney is my hometown, and believe me I wasn't earning $100K...although I lived South of the city so it was much cheaper than manly. I also didn't find anything particularly expensive, but that's because I was used to earning and spending the dollar. You only live once and you've come so far, so may aswell give it a fair go now. All the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarab Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I'm moving to Perth how does cost of living compare there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 A long road!! After waiting nearly 3 years for our visa, we have sold a flat in preparation to go and will have £30,000 to get us started - I dont think we will go!! My husband is a qualified electrician and I am a mum of an 8 year old. My sister already lives in Manly and has a new 10 week old baby. Our plans are to visit in Oct and validate the visa and then move over in March/April 2012. We are still going in October but I have started to look at the cost of living and I really dont think we can afford to go. The cost of living in Sydney is so high even earning around $100,000 it will not cut it. I do realise we want to rent in Manly which is expensive, but if we are going to give up our fab life in the UK we want to live the dream. Maybe we will just have to wait and see if the exchange rate improves and my husband needs to do further training to be classed qualified in Australia so this doesnt help!! All this time and money - gutted x Theres lots of us in a similar position here on PIO we are treading water, clinging on to the faint hope that the uk will show some sign of coming out of this 3 year long recession and that the dollar will pick, some of us have nearly ten times what you have, not bragging, but we are alot older than you, wealth comes as you get older, but from when we started we are down about $250,000. You don't seem to have alot holding you back, you have a decent amount of money, chance of a good income and what have you to lose? i think once you have visited you will get the zest for going again and best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc 53 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 A few People on here have mentioned about going out to treat themselves with clothes, treats, better cars etc. I am in the UK now and I cannot afford to do these things, or go on holiday, travel far (cost of fuel) etc, and that is not counting the 18% increase in fuel bills on the way. As for the NHS or education do not count on that being free outside of 10 years, plans are afoot to get private industry entranched in these sectors. Life in any western culture is now pricey,fact. I would be interested to see (I have no patience to do it) what things cost in the UK Vs OZ per unit as a percentage of average wage, I.e what percent of your wage would a litre of petrol be, a Kg apples etc. With inflation and wage stagnation I would hazard a guess there is very little in it now. I am off to Oz for an adventure, not to make my fortune. If you want a fortune win the lottery or go somewhere like Afghanistan and work at tremendous risk on convoy protection etc. Not for me though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 A few People on here have mentioned about going out to treat themselves with clothes, treats, better cars etc. I am in the UK now and I cannot afford to do these things, or go on holiday, travel far (cost of fuel) etc, and that is not counting the 18% increase in fuel bills on the way.As for the NHS or education do not count on that being free outside of 10 years, plans are afoot to get private industry entranched in these sectors. Life in any western culture is now pricey,fact. I would be interested to see (I have no patience to do it) what things cost in the UK Vs OZ per unit as a percentage of average wage, I.e what percent of your wage would a litre of petrol be, a Kg apples etc. With inflation and wage stagnation I would hazard a guess there is very little in it now. I am off to Oz for an adventure, not to make my fortune. If you want a fortune win the lottery or go somewhere like Afghanistan and work at tremendous risk on convoy protection etc. Not for me though. Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Third shock - cost of housing. You will need a good half a million £ not $ to buy an average house on the outskirts of Brisbane. Mis-information such as this does neither the forum or the recipient of the information a service. It also should make any right thinking person consider the credibility of the purveyor of such information. Off the top of my head half a million GBP is approx A$746,000. I live in a middle class suburb where the median house price is 358,000..............half of what you quote. I have a well above average 4 bed/3 garage/office/rumpus/2 lounge/3 bath with large in ground pool sitting on 850 sq which is valued at 600k, again, well below your quote and well above average. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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