UK to AUS Work Relocation

[BMRed]

Been with the same company for 11 years now, a couple of promotions along the way. A senior leader randomly approached me about a potential opportunity in Oz – bigger role, more responsibility, and better weather they promised.

Our company offers full relocation: visas, temp housing, flights, shipping for the two of us. We’d get to choose between Sydney or Melbourne (leaning heavily towards Melbourne). Salary not confirmed yet but ballpark is about 35% up from what I’m on now, and work covers all public transport commuting costs.

The biggest wrench is probably having to rehome the dogs, which is heartbreaking to even think about.

Just wondering – has anyone on here made the move or know someone who has? Worth it? Any regrets?

[G111MDS]

Haven’t done it, but would absolutely love to. We were due to emigrate back in 2015, but relocated in the uk instead. Worked well for family reasons but we travel to Australia as much as possible.

If you’ve got the chance, and your employer is helping, I’d go for it.

[turbotoaster]

Yes, ive done and internal transfer with the company I work for.

I moved from Stoke on Trent to Sydney in January 2024

They also paid for all visa(family of 4) flights and 6 weeks rent inc deposit.

Im doing the exact same job, over here my company work vehicle has no driving restrictions(such as private mileage, nor company car tax) so I use it for going on holiday, we have been on holiday to different states in it for example

My salary has doubled
Rent is about $3k a month, so double my UK mortgage
Food in supermarkets are about double the UK price
Eating out is cheaper in OZ

To be able to tell you if this is worth it, I do need to ask some questions


If your talking about public transport then that makes me think you wont drive?
Where in the UK do you currently live? As that will have a dramatic effect on how you view the costs
I know you mention 35% more money but what roughly are you earning in the UK, as the amount you get over here will determine whether its worth it.
Will your partner work, what is their profession?

Housing is a massive obsession over here, its forced down your throat on the radio, every youtube advert, on the news, its pretty bad.

Up to yet ive been saving half my salary per month and putting it to one side so that I will be in the position mid 2026 to pay my UK mortgage off if I so choose.

But we dont really know if we will stay forever, we will get our permanent residency and citizenship which should take until mid 2028, then likely go back home, treating it as a big long holiday with extra money.

This is because im currently 41 and houses here(90mins away from sydney) are $1m(£500k) which is just to much for me to be able to pay verses basically no mortgage in the UK.

As said depending where you live in the UK, you might think £500k is cheap or expensive

[Doofus]

Why can't you take your dogs?

[BMRed]

[quote=turbotoaster]

Thanks for the quick reply. Both of our offices will be within the CBD in Melbourne so public transport makes sense for commuting, likely to get a car second or third month (work covers a hire car for a the first few weeks).

We re on the Chester/Wirral border, total package in the UK for me is just over £100k mark but I do regular travel to London. Mrs will work, she s in shipping and all her customers are based in Melbourne. She s been offered a role but it s three months the to early ($80k - total package $100k).

Great news on saving up enough to clear the UK mortgage. We re debating on permanent residency and path to citizenship and likely to sell our UK house (online valuation just shy of £500k) and buy in AUS and focus on retirement in AUS vs UK.

On the dogs spoke to Jetpets they have advised a minimum of 10 months prep of injections paperwork (we would likely be relocated within 90 days) and estate agents have said it would be a very limited pool of properties to rent with animals and no rental history.

Edited by BMRed on Tuesday 24th June 11:14

[turbotoaster]

BMRed]urbotoaster said:

Thanks for the quick reply. Both of our offices will be within the CBD in Melbourne so public transport makes sense for commuting, likely to get a car second or third month (work covers a hire car for a the first few weeks).

We re on the Chester/Wirral border, total package in the UK for me is just over £100k mark but I do regular travel to London. Mrs will work, she s in shipping and all her customers are based in Melbourne. She s been offered a role but it s three months the to early ($80k - total package $100k).

Great news on saving up enough to clear the UK mortgage. We re debating on permanent residency and path to citizenship and likely to sell our UK house (online valuation just shy of £500k) and buy in AUS and focus on retirement in AUS vs UK.

On the dogs spoke to Jetpets they have advised a minimum of 10 months prep of injections paperwork (we would likely be relocated within 90 days) and estate agents have said it would be a very limited pool of properties to rent with animals and no rental history.

Edited by BMRed on Tuesday 24th June 11:14

If your going to have a total household income of $370k then you will have an easy life in Melbourne(much better than myself), say rent near the CBD and then buy further out once you have your PR, im guessing they are bringing you over on a 482 TSS 4 year visa?

One benefit in OZ is employer pay 12% pension, while you do loose 15% of that value when it gets paid in, its still better than most UK pensions.
Its the opposite way of the UK in that you pay tax on the way in but nothing on the way out, so its a bit like having an ISA.
OZ pensioners have it pretty good here now, you can pay your UK NI contributions so that you still get UK state pension ontop also

[shirt]

BMRed said:

Been with the same company for 11 years now, a couple of promotions along the way. A senior leader randomly approached me about a potential opportunity in Oz bigger role, more responsibility, and better weather they promised.

Our company offers full relocation: visas, temp housing, flights, shipping for the two of us. We d get to choose between Sydney or Melbourne (leaning heavily towards Melbourne). Salary not confirmed yet but ballpark is about 35% up from what I m on now, and work covers all public transport commuting costs.

The biggest wrench is probably having to rehome the dogs, which is heartbreaking to even think about.

Just wondering has anyone on here made the move or know someone who has? Worth it? Any regrets?

haven't done oz but know people who have, and i've been an expat myself for 15yrs now. currently on a fixed net salary deal no matter where i'm based. which is handy, as i haven't seemed to work out where i want to live...

anyway, the salary/package negotiation really depends on your own ability to compare living cost vs your company's ability to do so. are they doing a full comparison of your uk/aus living costs and adjusting accordingly [and for tax]? a straight 35% uplift doesn't seem enough to me.

make sure gold plated health insurance is included. don't accept the details of this to be given after moving, you want to see it upfront.

see what you can do re: the dogs. difficult doesn't mean impossible.

[Juan B]

Sounds like your company would set you up really well, which I think makes a big difference.

I was considering Oz following on from Saudi, but always torn with family, friends, parents etc being in the UK. Otherwise I'd do it.

Ellesmere Port to Melbourne though? No brainer surely!

[Mortarboard]

Make sure you consider all aspects of any relocation package, especially for above that far.

For example, there's no point in being put up in a furnished apartment for 4 weeks while you get your own place sorted, if your furniture takes 8 weeks to arrive

M.

[shirt]

Yes a disturbance allowance is also a nice add on. To cover additional costs solely due to being new in town - paying full whack for insurance for example - as well as appliances etc.

[ocrx8]

Relocated from UK to Aus six years ago so feel free to ask me any questions.

I’m in Melbourne. Personally, I’d rather be in Sydney - warmer, more beaches etc - but Melbourne is a lot cheaper to live (rent / house prices) and the extra disposable income will help you to travel and see other lovely parts of Aus (Noosa, Whitsundays, Broome etc).

[BMRed]

ocrx8 said:

Relocated from UK to Aus six years ago so feel free to ask me any questions.

I m in Melbourne. Personally, I d rather be in Sydney - warmer, more beaches etc - but Melbourne is a lot cheaper to live (rent / house prices) and the extra disposable income will help you to travel and see other lovely parts of Aus (Noosa, Whitsundays, Broome etc).

Thank you. It’s starting to get real now, especially as we never planned this really. Do you have any regrets about the move?

[shirt]

Yes a disturbance allowance is also a nice add on. To cover additional costs solely due to being new in town - paying full whack for insurance for example - as well as appliances etc.

[ocrx8]

BMRed said:

ocrx8 said:

Relocated from UK to Aus six years ago so feel free to ask me any questions.

I m in Melbourne. Personally, I d rather be in Sydney - warmer, more beaches etc - but Melbourne is a lot cheaper to live (rent / house prices) and the extra disposable income will help you to travel and see other lovely parts of Aus (Noosa, Whitsundays, Broome etc).

Thank you. It s starting to get real now, especially as we never planned this really. Do you have any regrets about the move?

I was a bit different in that I came to Aus on a 1 year working holiday visa to work/travel (with more emphasis on the latter). Sadly, covid got in the way and I ended up staying because of, well, life stuff! My only regret is not living in Sydney.

It’s an easier life out here for sure and a better standard of living (in my opinion). Here are some things to be aware of:

• Houses are really quite cold inside in the winter. Everyone from the UK is shocked by the lack of central heating / insulation.

• The dream of everyone finishing work at 4pm and heading to the beach isn’t really a thing. Maybe in QLD but less so in other states.

• Supermarkets are expensive but eating out less so. Food quality is very high.

• If you do come to Melbourne, avoid the western suburbs like the plague. You don’t move from the UK to live in the western suburbs!

• Petrol is cheap and V8s still exist here.

[BMRed]

[quote=ocrx8]

I’ve definitely heard about how poor the insulation is on houses. We’re looking at Brighton East, Cheltenham areas if you have any thoughts?

[smack]

BMRed said:

I ve definitely heard about how poor the insulation is on houses. We re looking at Brighton East, Cheltenham areas if you have any thoughts?

I was a Melbourne local, and still have ties to the City, but only visit every few years these days. That area is nice, popular with families, and I guess appeals to you as you are after a house with a backyard for your dogs. I lived for a year in McKinnon, which is next to Brighton East in the 90's, and the area is massively gentrified since I lived there. It is a nice area, the beach is close, but if you spend your weekends going to bars and restaurants it is lacking in that area - but working in the CBD during the week you can get your fill of them there. Having a car really is a must if you live in the Suburbs, unlike the South Yarra, Prahran, South Melbourne area where everything is on your doorstep, and the tram network makes getting around the area very easy.

Old houses are going to be the worst for insulation in the winter, newer builds will be much better, but if the have been built cheap, they can be hot boxes in the summer. This is prevalent in the Western Suburbs new build areas, that have no trees compared to the Eastern Suburbs that have established tree lined streets that are a blessing in the height of summer.