Moving to Australia

[broken1982]

Hi, I wasn't sure where exactly to post this but think this will do.
We (myself, DH, 2DC) are looking into moving from the UK to Oz.
Looking for any key advice from families that have done it and how much ideally we need to do it from flights to upfront rent to sending over our belongings. We currently have £20k in savings. How much more are we going to need to set up 'home' comfortably?

[DramaAlpaca]

Sorry, I can't advise on specifics but just thought I'd say there's a Living Overseas section on MN where you might get focused advice. Best of luck with your plans.

[ispepsiok]

Do you have a visa already?

How many people are migrating? Where are you looking to live when you arrive?

[Longdistance]

We lived there for two years as dh qualified under his work transferring him. We were on 457 visas so only temporary.
What are your work statuses?

[broken1982]

Thank you DramaAlpaca. How do I ask for it to be moved to that forum?
My husband is Australian therefore as far as we know we are able to go with him as his wife and biological children. We have family over there looking into visas and such we'll still need, especially for myself as my husband is able to just move back and work as he would if he hasn't have left.
We are looking into the Gold Coast, Queensland. We have family in Sydney & Melbourne. Sydneys too expensive (although I adore it there) and Melbourne is god awful

[DramaAlpaca]

Just report your post to MNHQ & they'll move it for you, or start another thread over there

[Pillowcase99]

Your dh will be able to apply a spousal visa for you, and your dcs should get their citizenship/passports before they go. The visa is AUD7000 for application, so not cheap. Children's citizenship and passport will be around AUD500 each.

The cost for us to move, shipping a 4bedroom house in a container was around GBP6000. We didn't bring our car fyi.

Bought our mazda cx5 car on finance, second hand but a year old for around AUD16k.

We moved to sydney, you're right costs are crazy, not just rent/ house prices but the mortgage interest rates are upwards of 3.5% so factor that in to repayments. Rentals usually move quickly, two weeks from open day, so maybe grab an Airbnb for first 6 weeks or so in an area you like so you can look around.

Groceries and clothes cost more than uk, fuel about the same as uk. Look up your medical costs as it's common to use private gps, which medicare gives some rebate for but not 100% of costs so that's been our main "additional" expense item that we're still grappling with, along with private health insurance (not mandatory but more common than uk) of around aud600-700 a month for a family.

I'm Australian and dh is british but i haven't lived here in a long time so felt like a newbie doing all the set up, and much more used to the british systems so happy to answer other questions!

[broken1982]

Pillowcase99 I'm unsure how to actually tag on here so I hope you still see this reply.
Thank you so much for your help. This is just quite a new thing we've decided to 100% go for now.
My husband hasnt lived in oz for many years now.
Oz was always on the cards someday just didn't think we'd decide on so soon.
So we are looking at maybe £7k gbp just for visas (I've just found the official site). Perhaps £3500k flights just to get there. I think we're going to need more than the £20k

[Cantbelieveit101]

I live on the Gold Coast if you have any questions.

[GADDay]

Brisbane is great, but the summer is hideous - very hot & humid (well IMHO).

You will need to budget for 4 weeks bond + 2 weeks rent up front. Rental varies - in a good area, with good state schools, you should budget at least $850 pw for a 4 bed house - depending on the type of house/area this can go up to $1300 pw.

White goods are expensive, as are TVs, electronics. Washing machine - about $1800, Fridge, $2k, Dryer $800.

In Brisbane, many expats choose private secondary. The most expensive Grammar schools cost $28k per year per child, if you are happy with religious/Catholic Ed it varies - $12k-$25k per year/p child.

Public transport is good but there are many areas only serviced by bus, not train.

Medical insurance is an additional (tax incentivised) cost to the Medicare/subsidised system. This costs $200 + for a family of 4.

Last thing - if you want to head to the UK at Christmas time, you will need to budget at least $10k for the tickets.

Hth

[Mummaofmytribe]

Melbourne and Sydney are realistically as expensive as living in london. Some things are cheaper here, some dearer. Depends on your income like anywhere!
I came on a partner visa with my DH many moons ago.
We used GoMatilda who were a great help, dunno if they're still going.
You really would be wise to come check things out in person before making the move. I couldn't and I think I've been very lucky. It's not for everyone.

[broken1982]

We go yearly for a month. I'm aware this isn't exactly living there but we have a fair idea of what it would be like. We also have lots of family there which would be a great help feeling less homesick and more settled.
I love Christmas for the kids so as long as they are with me (which they always will be) I wouldn't come to the UK for Christmas as without kids I bloody hate Christmas lol

[Pillowcase99]

No worries, happy to help. Just to add my costs were in aud not gbp!

[LilyMumsnet]

We're just moving this over to living overseas for the OP.

[echt]

Melbourne is god awful

Don't diss the Melbs. :o

[BogglesGoggles]

Australia is s very different country. It’s not like Britain. You really do need to meet your own financial costs (especially if you haven’t got citizenship for you/your kids). While healthcare and education are cheaper there (education in particular) it’s still not a case of just rocking up without a job or savings. That just won’t work.

[echt]

OP, get yourself over to:

www.pomsinoz.com/

[JohnMayersGuitar]

Melbourne is awesome!

[SnowsInWater]

British Expats' Aus forum is another good source of advice. I made friends through their meetups after I arrived 12 years ago who are still good friends now.

[chatwoo]

I moved to Aus with my Australian partner, a few years ago.

I can't remember all the costs but keep in mind the cost of replacing things you don't ship over: ie, we didn't bring any kitchen stuff or furniture, apart from cutlery and some items that could be flat packed down. So everything had to be replaced from scratch.

We basically brought with us: clothing, shoes/accessories, books, pictures and personal/sentimental stuff - along with toiletries (me!), and some other small bits that would easily be stuffed into a box.

Also had to purchase fridge/freezer, washing machine, TV, all furniture and so on. Think of everything you use and then a) do you take it with you, or b) purchase it on arrival / gradually over time as you settle in.

It will be expensive! Think realistically about the visa costs (not just the cost you pay but the extras like requesting extra documents that may be missing (ie, birth cert), having things notorised etc... buying your friends drinks after they have written a declaration for you!). Then flights, any stop overs, the cost of renting somewhere temporary when you land (if not staying with family), groceries, all the stuff you will need - regardless if you are earning or not earning at the time. Then the admin, enrolling in Medicare, getting a local driver's licence, opening bank account, shutting down HMRC activities/opening up ATO etc. There is a whole list of stuff, none of it difficult, but something to be aware of. I

You need to do your research into the visa: the one you need is the 309/100 and you will have to jump through hoops and provide various supporting documents and written statements. It's not just a tick the box and wave the credit card type exercise. You as the applicant will have to do the most leg work, although your partner will also need to get involved (as your sponsor).

[Methyl]

Its super expensive. But also super worth it. I'm in Melbourne now, have previously lived in some of the world's great cities (London, San Francisco etc) and Melbourne is hands down the best place I've lived. Can't be topped for lifestyle, family life, schools, outdoor life. But yes, it's very pricy.
If you haven't already submitted your visa application have a look at current wait times. I think it usually takes around two years from the date you submit - which should give you time to save some more for relocation. Good luck!

[spottygymbag]

We moved about 9months ago to Sydney (but from NZ). The rental market is competitive and fast moving. You will need lots of identification points, some of which can be hard to come by at first.
If possible open an account online before you move (commonwealth bank is one that does this) as this will count towards your points.
There are two main portals that most agencies seem to run their rentals through and you need to apply through these. Start by looking at Realestate.com.au. You should be to find out the portals through the listings on there.
You have to upload documents and meet the points ie bank account, id document like a passport for each person, letter from employer, work contract to show you will have the means to pay etc.
We included a family profile too as an extra. Try to arrange for private viewings midweek as you will probably be more successful rather than going to the general open ones on weekends. IIRC you also need a local reference (boss if you have one) and past rental references too (all to uploaded via the portal). Most rentals are fixed term, bonds are not transferred between properties but are done separately for each property. You also need to sight the property (or have a local family member do it for you) before they will confirm it for you.
For Sydney try to be within walking distance of a train station and check how often the line runs- some are well serviced and others less so on weekends and at night. Parking is expensive here.
It's common for apartments to have no heating or cooling so factor that in when looking too because the 40C days can be a killer.
You need your passport to get even a pre pay sim, pointless to try without it.
Find out if you are eligible for Medicare and sort your docs if so. Otherwise sort health insurance asap.
File for your Tax file numbers as soon as you can. Can take up to 30 days but ours came pretty fast (about 7-10 days) and you need this to be paid your full salary amount or they will tax at an even higher rate. You fill ina form online then take your docs to a post office. It's pretty easy as long as you make sure you have all the paperwork.
Super is mandatory (9.5%), you can choose plans etc but be careful because some of them will charge you for insurances that you may hold privately (life/disability etc).
It's been an amazing move for us- Good luck and hope it goes well for you!

[PenelopeFlintstone]

White goods are expensive, as are TVs, electronics. Washing machine - about $1800, Fridge, $2k, Dryer $800
I have bought these things in Australia literally last month. I bought a washing machine for $800 (could've got cheaper), a fridge for $400, didn't get a dryer, got a secondhand large flat screen Sony Bravia TV off fb for $100.
Goodguys.com.au is where I bought my fridge and washer. No connection to them at all other than these purchases and another washer a few years ago..

[chatwoo]

Price of white goods will vary - yes, if you want a large capacity washer or double door fridge/freezer, yes it will be expensive. But lets not quote our version of reality as being the same as everyone else's reality!

Plus the OP has a long way to go, before she needs to concern herself with the cost of household appliances

[broken1982]

Hs