Discussion
Well the deed has been done, my resignation was submitted today with a view to move back in early March.
I've mostly enjoyed my time living in Australia, just a shame the work side didn't turn out as was originally sold to me when I was recruited. The London market has really picked up of late, so all in all as a household, we'll be better off financially there.
If anyone is interested in buying a nice black 2009 Land Rover Discovery 3 then let me know!
I've mostly enjoyed my time living in Australia, just a shame the work side didn't turn out as was originally sold to me when I was recruited. The London market has really picked up of late, so all in all as a household, we'll be better off financially there.
If anyone is interested in buying a nice black 2009 Land Rover Discovery 3 then let me know!
Mattt said:
Well the deed has been done, my resignation was submitted today with a view to move back in early March.
I've mostly enjoyed my time living in Australia, just a shame the work side didn't turn out as was originally sold to me when I was recruited. The London market has really picked up of late, so all in all as a household, we'll be better off financially there.
If anyone is interested in buying a nice black 2009 Land Rover Discovery 3 then let me know!
I've mostly enjoyed my time living in Australia, just a shame the work side didn't turn out as was originally sold to me when I was recruited. The London market has really picked up of late, so all in all as a household, we'll be better off financially there.
If anyone is interested in buying a nice black 2009 Land Rover Discovery 3 then let me know!
Bring boat and a English /polish/ Romanian phrase book, and very sharp elbows!!!!
Seriously are you sure money is more important the south east is an overcrowded s
t holeUnless you are very wealthy ,oh and it looks like we are having a labour gov next time ..
It's non of my business but !!!!
UFO MATT said:
I agree are you crazy! I am trying to get to perth to get away from this place
My 2 cents is you wont find much fun in the TVR in Perth, although a blast down to Marg River area might make it worthwhile 
Also agree for me it would be the best financial move to go back to the UK IF I could get a job. A week of 40 degrees sounds as crappy to me as a month of torrential rain! Horses for Courses
powerstroke said:
Bring boat and a English /polish/ Romanian phrase book, and very sharp elbows!!!!
Seriously are you sure money is more important the south east is an overcrowded st hole
I thought it mostly a very pleasant place, I certainly miss it and am financially worse off in Australia by some margin.Seriously are you sure money is more important the south east is an overcrowded s
t holeSorry it's not worked out Matt.
Interested to hear people think they are financially worse off here. Everyone I know who came over from the UK tells me they earn roughly the equivalent of double their UK salary and thats certainly the case for myself and my wife too. It more than makes up for the increased cost of living.
I have found the work place culture here difficult to adjust to but thats cos I come from a different culture and I'm slowly understanding the mindset.
Having said that, with every weekend here feeling like a short holiday, I'd be happy to earn less but appreciate everyone's different.
Interested to hear people think they are financially worse off here. Everyone I know who came over from the UK tells me they earn roughly the equivalent of double their UK salary and thats certainly the case for myself and my wife too. It more than makes up for the increased cost of living.
I have found the work place culture here difficult to adjust to but thats cos I come from a different culture and I'm slowly understanding the mindset.
Having said that, with every weekend here feeling like a short holiday, I'd be happy to earn less but appreciate everyone's different.
Our issue is being on one income living in Sydney. I earn decent money but there is none left at the end of the month and we're not exactly living The Life!
When the wife returns to work later this year 70-80% of her income will go on childcare at $2k plus per kid per month. Things could improve with PR in two years (I think there's a rebate) and then we'd be laughing when the kids go to school in 2017 and 2019 respectively. Seems a bloody long slog to me.
Then there's the property market which is a big issue for anyone looking for a place to settle down. I know three couples in their early-mid 30s who've upped and left Sydney in the past six months or are about to because with the latest round of rises they just can't see how they'll ever afford a family home. One back to the UK, one to Qld and one looking back to the Middle East to save some more cash for a few years.
I had a bizarre chat with a friend who's a Director at a Big 4 firm the other week about ways to save money - seems baking your own bread, taking in lunch and not buying fruit are the winning strategies in his household. Austerity Sydney!
When the wife returns to work later this year 70-80% of her income will go on childcare at $2k plus per kid per month. Things could improve with PR in two years (I think there's a rebate) and then we'd be laughing when the kids go to school in 2017 and 2019 respectively. Seems a bloody long slog to me.
Then there's the property market which is a big issue for anyone looking for a place to settle down. I know three couples in their early-mid 30s who've upped and left Sydney in the past six months or are about to because with the latest round of rises they just can't see how they'll ever afford a family home. One back to the UK, one to Qld and one looking back to the Middle East to save some more cash for a few years.
I had a bizarre chat with a friend who's a Director at a Big 4 firm the other week about ways to save money - seems baking your own bread, taking in lunch and not buying fruit are the winning strategies in his household. Austerity Sydney!
Colonial said:
Property in Sydney is a joke.
But houses must be actually selling, as the price is market driven.When I lived in the UK, me and a house mate sat down and worked out what we'd be able to afford in the Reading area on one salary.
I think we found 5 properties within 5 miles.
One was a houseboat, another was a mobile home.
The other three were single bed studio apartments in the centre, with no official parking, no garage, no garden. The type of place with a toilet in the shower to save room.
At least (in Perth) a single average salary will get you a big 4x2, under an hour out the city.
Property is flying in Sydney, fuelled by (verbal from an agent) roughly 50% cash/well funded buyers from China, 25% self managed Super/investors and 25% of normal buyers - many of whome have good equity or are tying in on 2x solid incomes or interest only mortgages. Or both.
Increase in rental supply is a telling factor of the increasing proportion going to investors.
Increase in rental supply is a telling factor of the increasing proportion going to investors.
Bibbs said:
But houses must be actually selling, as the price is market driven.
When I lived in the UK, me and a house mate sat down and worked out what we'd be able to afford in the Reading area on one salary.
I think we found 5 properties within 5 miles.
One was a houseboat, another was a mobile home.
The other three were single bed studio apartments in the centre, with no official parking, no garage, no garden. The type of place with a toilet in the shower to save room.
At least (in Perth) a single average salary will get you a big 4x2, under an hour out the city.
The problem is first home buyers are being outbid by investors time and time again for the lower priced properties. When I lived in the UK, me and a house mate sat down and worked out what we'd be able to afford in the Reading area on one salary.
I think we found 5 properties within 5 miles.
One was a houseboat, another was a mobile home.
The other three were single bed studio apartments in the centre, with no official parking, no garage, no garden. The type of place with a toilet in the shower to save room.
At least (in Perth) a single average salary will get you a big 4x2, under an hour out the city.
I have no issue at all with expensive property and people being able to afford it, and supply and demand and all that.
But, negative gearing is a very damaging thing in the long term in terms of housing affordability. That is what the issue is in Sydney in particular. The average house price is say 670k, a property for a first home buyer is say 400k for a 3 bedroom un-renovated place in the western suburbs. Scrimp and save to get a 20% deposit, and at every auction and at every open house you get outbid by people who are using equity in their house and not caring about returns because "it just means you pay less tax".
The level of first home buyers entering the market is at one of the lowest points it has ever been at. The level of investors is at one of the highest points ever. According to a buyers agent mate of mine, a fair whack of the Sydney property market is investors selling to other investors. No one is actually moving house.
Hitch78 said:
Our issue is being on one income living in Sydney. I earn decent money but there is none left at the end of the month and we're not exactly living The Life!
I had a bizarre chat with a friend who's a Director at a Big 4 firm the other week about ways to save money - seems baking your own bread, taking in lunch and not buying fruit are the winning strategies in his household. Austerity Sydney!
I'm in a very similar situation, IT contracting in London allowed us to lead a very comfortable lifestyle, I couldn't spend the money I was earning. Then we had kids and moved to Australia to be closer to family in NZ. Probably now earning 1/2 of what I was getting in the UK and things are more expensive here. There is not a lot of room for fun and definitely no luxury items anymore. I had a bizarre chat with a friend who's a Director at a Big 4 firm the other week about ways to save money - seems baking your own bread, taking in lunch and not buying fruit are the winning strategies in his household. Austerity Sydney!
And yes, people do 'austerity' things which I'm just not interested in doing, I don't want to make my sandwiches for work and scrimp and save for every few dollars like so many Aussies do.
Bibbs said:
When I lived in the UK, me and a house mate sat down and worked out what we'd be able to afford in the Reading area on one salary.
I think we found 5 properties within 5 miles.
One was a houseboat, another was a mobile home.
The other three were single bed studio apartments in the centre, with no official parking, no garage, no garden. The type of place with a toilet in the shower to save room.
At least (in Perth) a single average salary will get you a big 4x2, under an hour out the city.
What about an hour out of Reading? Surely a fairer comparison?I think we found 5 properties within 5 miles.
One was a houseboat, another was a mobile home.
The other three were single bed studio apartments in the centre, with no official parking, no garage, no garden. The type of place with a toilet in the shower to save room.
At least (in Perth) a single average salary will get you a big 4x2, under an hour out the city.
And living in the endless Australian suburbia is also another type of hell.
Colonial said:
The level of first home buyers entering the market is at one of the lowest points it has ever been at. The level of investors is at one of the highest points ever. According to a buyers agent mate of mine, a fair whack of the Sydney property market is investors selling to other investors. No one is actually moving house.
Another problem is the developers knocking so many first homebuyer type properties down and rebuilding townhouses or McMansions to make the area more up market which also prices them out.
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