Guest sarahefyoung Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Hi, We re in Sydney at the moment and have validated our visa to come back out to live in Canberra in Feb, my husband has just been offered a job and they want him to start a week on monday!!!!! We ve just spent a week in Canberra having a look around and we spent time in Yerrabi Ponds and our kids loved it, they re Max, 10 Anna 8 and Molly 7. We re looking to live in the north Gungahlin area, have no idea what to do first, I think I will travel back the the UK as planned to pack up our house and come in November before the flights are too expensive. If anyone has any advice on anything, schools, shipping etc etc that would be great!! The kids have had lots of time off school this year and if we come in November they probably won t start school till feb, I m wondering if it s best for them to stay in the UK to have a few months schooling or won t it matter.....they don t do home schooling very well so can t imagine with packing moving etc we ll have chance to do sums!! Also I need to work asap to help with finances and the thought of having child care to organise while they re not at school I think will be expensive and near impossible!! What do you think? Thanks, Sarah x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richselina Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Hi Sarah, We're heading out in February to do our searches in Canberra for places to live / schools etc, so it'd be great if you have a few moments you could drop a few pointers for us. We have a 6 year old and have the same dilemma as you over when to pull her out of school in the UK and when to move. We've recently been in touch with Moving Partnership about our relocation and the guy Andrew, who himself has 12 years experience in relocations/moving business to Australia was very helpful. I've put the link below for you to take a look. http://www.movingpartnership.co.uk/ Be good to hear from you and keep in touch as you get nearer the move. Richard PS. Not really jealous of you being in Sydney as I look out of the window at grey clouds.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarahefyoung Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Hi Richard, thanks for that! It s all very quick but I think that s the way it goes! We ve been to Canberra twice now, first time I hated it but when we spent a week there last week we loved it! We ve found there s a north south divide, we prefer the north as it s all new, the schools are newer as the ones in the south are more open plan so distracting for learning! Our kids have missed lots of school but as there school year start s in feb I m thinking what ever they had since september is a bonus! I will have to work with them though, they ll forget how to read!! I ll keep you posted! Are you visiting in feb or moving? We could meet up and we ll talk you through what we found out!! Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slean Wolfhead Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Hi Richard, We ve found there s a north south divide, we prefer the north as it s all new, What actually is this North/South divide? It was referenced at various interviews by the interviewers who were joking amongst themselves, but there's nothing worse than a joke you can't understand, so we smiled through it and pretended we understood. Is it facilities, different ages of planning methods, roads, traffic, amounts of greenspace, naff bus services.....in fact anything material ? Or a meaningless divide where you just end up in one camp or the other and it makes little difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richselina Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Hi Sarah, We're visiting in Feb and staying in Bruce for a week. It would be great to meet up. I'll PM you with our email and phone details. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobandCatherine Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 What actually is this North/South divide? It was referenced at various interviews by the interviewers who were joking amongst themselves, but there's nothing worse than a joke you can't understand, so we smiled through it and pretended we understood. Is it facilities, different ages of planning methods, roads, traffic, amounts of greenspace, naff bus services.....in fact anything material ? Or a meaningless divide where you just end up in one camp or the other and it makes little difference? Thats pretty much exactly right, if you live Northside you have everything you need on hand & Vice-versa for those on the South so you don't seem to venture into the opposing territory very often, my standard line is that I'm not allowed "Down South" as it would breach my Visa conditions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarahefyoung Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Ha ha that s about right!! We just felt the north felt right plus it s nearer Sydney where my sister lives so a quick Friday night dash up there! There s lots to do in Canberra but it does feel empty and you wonder where everyone is but it is lovely and great for kids, I think it ll liven up when we actually live there maje friends and get busy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ralfjnr Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Hey We've just been out to Canberra and activated our visa. The reality check has grounded us. For a decent 4 bedroom house in Gunghalin, rents are around $600 a week!!! and they convert it to monthly in a different way so it costs around £1900 GBP a month with the current exchange rate (and around 10 couples on each viewing!!). Cars are a shocker as well, we could take our car from the UK and it would be almost double in ACT. That said, great place to bring up kids and the lifestyle is amazing. Good luck, we'll be coming out soon once our house in the UK goes through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 What actually is this North/South divide? It was referenced at various interviews by the interviewers who were joking amongst themselves, but there's nothing worse than a joke you can't understand, so we smiled through it and pretended we understood. Is it facilities, different ages of planning methods, roads, traffic, amounts of greenspace, naff bus services.....in fact anything material ? Or a meaningless divide where you just end up in one camp or the other and it makes little difference? The N/S divide is a very serious issue, you are either a northsider or a southsider and the rivalry is immense. You tend to be whatever you start out being so there is no way on earth I would ever move Southside (Northside is far better, especially the Inner North!!!!) I choose north for facilities, convenience, access, proximity to Mt Ainslie etc. It refers of course to North or South of Lake Burley Griffin. Dont ever joke about it!!! You may even find an office poll to see which side takes preference. At one stage our office was almost all Northside but then the Northsiders all left and it became a Southside office and that was very uncomfortable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Thats pretty much exactly right, if you live Northside you have everything you need on hand & Vice-versa for those on the South so you don't seem to venture into the opposing territory very often, my standard line is that I'm not allowed "Down South" as it would breach my Visa conditions... You actually need to take your passport and your packed lunch!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarahefyoung Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 You actually need to take your passport and your packed lunch!!! Hi all! That is serious!!! It is expensive but when you earn dollars is fine, I spoke to a lady yesterday about rentals etc and she said it s not as bad as people make out, there's a house for everyone, after rent all you have to pay for is electric gas water and phone, all are much cheaper than the uk. She also said if you work out 20 or 30 % of your monthly salary that s how much rent you can afford. We went in December and were shocked and thought living here was impossible but it seems fine! Hope your house goes through ok! Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ralfjnr Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Hi all! That is serious!!! It is expensive but when you earn dollars is fine, I spoke to a lady yesterday about rentals etc and she said it s not as bad as people make out, there's a house for everyone, after rent all you have to pay for is electric gas water and phone, all are much cheaper than the uk. She also said if you work out 20 or 30 % of your monthly salary that s how much rent you can afford. We went in December and were shocked and thought living here was impossible but it seems fine! Hope your house goes through ok! Sarah Hi Sarah we have just got back after a month of viewing rental houses. Unless you live in London and the South East of England it is a lot more expensive for bills, and rentals. A 4 Bedroom house for a family in Leeds / Manchester would rent for approx £800 per month, yet Canberra its £1700 a month ($600 a week); and the salaries are not that much higher. Even ACT announced last week that there is no affordable housing left http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/housing-stress-hits-renters-hardest/2333166.aspx I guess it really depends on finding a well paid job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Hi all! That is serious!!! It is expensive but when you earn dollars is fine, I spoke to a lady yesterday about rentals etc and she said it s not as bad as people make out, there's a house for everyone, after rent all you have to pay for is electric gas water and phone, all are much cheaper than the uk. She also said if you work out 20 or 30 % of your monthly salary that s how much rent you can afford. We went in December and were shocked and thought living here was impossible but it seems fine! Hope your house goes through ok! Sarah Hmm, there is a house for everyone, probably, but whether you will want to live in is another question altogether - if you want to live out at Woop Woop and dont mind the commute or living in Bogan city in a place that hasnt been decorated since the 70s then you will be just fine. You will find that many Canberra families are spending well over the recommended 30% on rent/mortgage - hence the prevalence of two income families, they need it to make ends meet. If you are on a double average Canberra salary then you will be just dandy We are an elderly couple, no mortgage but pay everything on credit card then pay it off each month. Without too many expensive vices (damn that knitting wool and stitching stuff) our expenses average at least $5k per month - in cold hard cash that is $60k pa for not terribly much out of the ordinary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarahefyoung Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Hi SarahHiwe have just got back after a month of viewing rental houses. Unless you live in London and the South East of England it is a lot more expensive for bills, and rentals. A 4 Bedroom house for a family in Leeds / Manchester would rent for approx £800 per month, yet Canberra its £1700 a month ($600 a week); and the salaries are not that much higher. Even ACT announced last week that there is no affordable housing left http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/housing-stress-hits-renters-hardest/2333166.aspx I guess it really depends on finding a well paid job Hi! We thought that when we went in December but this time seems better, my husband was told he would earn 60k which meant it impossible but has managed 110k that s a huge difference and it s worth going through recruitment agencies to get you the best deal. I m so glad we gave Canberra another chance as I m sure now we ll be fine. My husband has no job in the uk so this is just what we need! Fingers crossed it all works!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Perseus Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hey We've just been out to Canberra and activated our visa. The reality check has grounded us. For a decent 4 bedroom house in Gunghalin, rents are around $600 a week!!! and they convert it to monthly in a different way so it costs around £1900 GBP a month with the current exchange rate (and around 10 couples on each viewing!!). Cars are a shocker as well, we could take our car from the UK and it would be almost double in ACT. That said, great place to bring up kids and the lifestyle is amazing. Good luck, we'll be coming out soon once our house in the UK goes through. Hi its really interesting reading your post about your recent visit, Ive done a bit of research and the figures you have mentioned seem to be what Im finding too. We live in Cheshire so the cost of living is lower than London S.E so when I compare Canberra rental prices to Cheshire prices there is a massive difference, I think Canberra prices are more similar to London prices (its the capital so it makes sence). We think we will rent our Uk house out (so long as the rent covers the mortgage) as house prices in the UK are low and the exchange rate is not good either so we dont want to loose out twice. It means we will be coming out on a very tight budget though... eeek! Im hoping that the money will balance out in other ways ie no heating bills in autumn, summer, spring and we hope to be out more so less electricity bills. Everyone says you need a car but we are hoping to get by with just one car and live in the inner north so my hubby can cycle to work (no parking fees and good exercise too). We arrive in Canberra on 18th March 2012 and have booked a cottage in kaleen for 1 month to give ourselves time to find a long term rental. I would like to rent a newer property in the inner north but I know this is going to be really costly and as neither of us has a job yet we need to be careful we can afford to live!! we have 2 children aged 5 and 8 years too. On paper the finances do not stack up, we'd financially be much better off in the Uk but we are coming to Canberra anyway............. As my old gran used to say 'whats for you, will not go by you and if theres a will, theres a way' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarahefyoung Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hi, that all sounds good! The cost of living is higher but wages are too , I think it ll take a year or so to get over the cost of it all but think it s worth it! Just think of the opportunities for our kids! I love living in Wales but we have no jobs and no prospects so need to go where we can have a life!! It s spring here and we spend our time in parks on beaches, we re in Sydney at the mo! And there s lots of free things to do, can t do that in the uk! The rental Market in the uk is booming so go with that! My husband has just opened a bank account and we have a year free banking and good terms after that, they ve already given him a credit card so much friendlier than uk banks!! Keep in touch x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n30nra1n Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 One life, one opportunity, so live it to the max and have no regrets Everyone is right in general terms Canberra is an expensive place to live, but equally if you take the time to shop around, things such as going to the farmers markets and some of the smaller shops you can shop week on week for around the same as in the UK (we moved from the Manchester area). Things such as Internet are just plain stupid expensive and the TV is rubbish but to counter that I don't think we have had it on in around two weeks and are out and about as much as possible thus saving on electricity etc etc. Canberra is a very easy city to live in, the people are very friendly, and life just seems better when you wake up to a glorious spring morning and when you can decide to have friends round for a BBQ in two weeks time and be virtually certain you won't be the only one outside with your coat on and a brollie over you as you cremate the burgers and sausage --- I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-35.171729,149.106312 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarahefyoung Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Thanks for that!! It s good to hear nice things! I m going back to the uk on Saturday to pack with one child and leaving my husband to start his job next week and my other 2 kids with my sister in Sydney, it s going to kill me to get on that plane but needs must, I m trying to persuede the other 2 to come with me but they hate the flight and it seems unfair to make them travel twice to oz in 6 weeks! We all have to make sacrefices but it s going to be a hard month for all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunniecat Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 So nice to hear that other people out there have the same worries... we're moving in early February... shipping companies coming to quote tomorrow and now we're starting to look at things like where to stay when we arrive (preferably paying as little as possible!), getting jobs, how to get a rental property, all that sort of thing... so many little questions to work out the details! All my friends keep telling me I'm crazy, especially given Canberra's cost of living. I keep pointing out the wages are higher too, and it'll all work in the end. And if we have to live carefully for a bit, so be it! So, next on my list: find a short-term rental, start contacting recruitment agencies ready for February arrival, and prepare paperwork in order to get a long-term rental! We're thinking Woden-ish at the moment but that's based entirely on internet search and not on any actual practical experience of Canberra! One step at a time!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Perseus Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Very exciting stuff sunniecat! Do you have children? I agree with what you say about living cheaply for the beginning and then build up as you get more established. I know I could do that easily alone and even with hubby but cos we have children it makes it all a little more difficult. I've researched so much about Canberra and have decided to calm down about it now and just wait until we get there. We arrive mud march and have booked a 3 bedroom fully furnished bungalow in Kaleen for 1 month. It was the cheapest accomadation I could find, I can't remember exactly but I think it was around $2000 for 1 month. I'm really looking forward to a fresh start and I've been checking out the weather in canberra which is looking fantastic! For anyone in Canberra the Cheshire sky has been very very grey the last few days, I can't wait to see blue sky again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurls Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Hiits really interesting reading your post about your recent visit, Ive done a bit of research and the figures you have mentioned seem to be what Im finding too. We live in Cheshire so the cost of living is lower than London S.E so when I compare Canberra rental prices to Cheshire prices there is a massive difference, I think Canberra prices are more similar to London prices (its the capital so it makes sence). We think we will rent our Uk house out (so long as the rent covers the mortgage) as house prices in the UK are low and the exchange rate is not good either so we dont want to loose out twice. It means we will be coming out on a very tight budget though... eeek! Im hoping that the money will balance out in other ways ie no heating bills in autumn, summer, spring and we hope to be out more so less electricity bills. Everyone says you need a car but we are hoping to get by with just one car and live in the inner north so my hubby can cycle to work (no parking fees and good exercise too). We arrive in Canberra on 18th March 2012 and have booked a cottage in kaleen for 1 month to give ourselves time to find a long term rental. I would like to rent a newer property in the inner north but I know this is going to be really costly and as neither of us has a job yet we need to be careful we can afford to live!! we have 2 children aged 5 and 8 years too. On paper the finances do not stack up, we'd financially be much better off in the Uk but we are coming to Canberra anyway............. As my old gran used to say 'whats for you, will not go by you and if theres a will, theres a way' There may not be heating bills in the summer but you will have aircon bills, assuming you get aircon and to be honest I'd reccomend it as 30 degree heat and above is pretty uncomfortable without it if you're used to an English climate. I actually put money on my electricity and gas bill monthly to spread the costs out (as they do work out higher in winter). I worked out the amount from the last years costs. So it's costing me roughly $150 a month in electricity and $50 a month in gas. I could probably get it to be less, but we don't turn everything off at the wall all the time and I run a dryer in winter etc etc. Bear in mind if you want to live in the Inner North that the rents are much higher, but the houses are generally older, less insulated etc etc. The 3 people I've met from the UK have all opted for new builds further out because they were unimpressed with the rentals in the older suburbs. Places that have been rentals for quite a while tend to be quite dated with kitchens, bathrooms etc and then of course don't necessariy have good heating and/or aircon. The rental prices further out are better but then you probably are more likely to need a car. Having said that, there are people who cycle into Civic from Gungahlin and the like, so it is possible to live with only 1 car. I live in the next suburb to Kaleen and it's pretty well placed. Right next to the Barton Highway, pretty much between Belconnen and Gungahlin so easy to travel to either depending on what sort of shopping you want to do. Close enough into the city. My BIL lives in the same suburb as us and works in Civic, he commutes by bus, so I think it's one of the better suburbs for public transport. March is a good time to arrive imo. :wink: PS: Don't expect blue skies all the time, it's absolutely BUCKETING it down today!! :biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunniecat Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 No, no kids yet - and we don't have a house to sell either, which is making moving much less complicated than for many people! I've just this evening booked somewhere to stay for our first 3 weeks - just a bedroom in someone's home in south Canberra (booked via airbnb.com), but it seemed like a nicer idea than a random apartment, with the added bonus of having a local person to help us out when we get there and have no idea where to go for anything. And it was quite a lot cheaper than most other places I've seen - though your cottage sounds like it was a pretty good price too! Starting to feel like it might actually be real... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Perseus Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Sounds great and it will be really helpful to have people who can point you in the right direction. I've just started telling my friends about the move, it's such a relief once I've told them cos it's felt like the white elephant in the room since we decided to go. So far everyone seems to be taking it ok. We haven't told our kids yet mainly cos there concept of time is different to an adults, as soon as they know it will be 'how many sleeps until we go' everyday. We r going in march do thought we'd tell them at new year. Anyone else have kids? When did u tell them? Ours are 5 + 8 years. Wondering if we should just tell them now, what do u all think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n30nra1n Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 We have a 12 year old daughter and 18 year old son although we started the process three or so years ago and spoke to ours before we set off down the application path as we wanted everyone to be joined up and accepting of what we were doing. Woden btw is a good place to try for work as there is a large local government contingency there and a decent shopping mall. Not sure on housing though as I live in Ngunnawal and just work in Woden so have only really seen the centre. --- I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-35.171715,149.106321 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarahefyoung Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Hi All!! Thanks for all your messages! Things are going well here, we just spent a week in Canberra and it was great, we got a school and a house sorted, which was much easier than we thought! We get our house on Jan 3rd and our stuff arrives on jan 9th so hope it won t be too long before it all gets to us! It would be great to meet up when we get sorted so send me a message if you fancy it!! Sarah xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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