Emigrating from the uk to Sydney - any stories?

[Maybemoving84]

My DH has been offered a transfer from London to Sydney. He hasn’t accepted it yet, we’re still deciding. We have primary-aged children and family in London, and we’re excited about the prospect but also apprehensive. (I’m a bit terrified to be honest!) I’m worried we’ll miss family as it’s so far and the kids will lose the close bond they have with their cousins.

But the quality of life looks far superior!!! And we’re an outdoorsy family (although not beach people necessarily) so that looks amazing.

Please tell me your stories about emigrating to Sydney! How was it?

Of course we can give it a year and see. But our kids are at an age where I don’t want to move them around too much - I want them to find a safe, happy base of childhood places and friends - if that makes sense! Whether it’s here or abroad.

Have you visited Sydney?
I have been looking at this as we've been deciding if I'll move there or my partner will move to UK.

If I can present the other side to the Aussie dream we tend to have in the UK:
Housing is incredibly expensive, general shopping etc is expensive, gas /electric cheaper but home and car insurance much more expensive.

Less product range in shops.
Houses don't really have insulation or double glazing so very cold in winter (was down to single figure Celsius indoors when I was there in winter). And obviously very hot in summer! Which limits the ability to enjoy the outdoors.
It is a very long way away, obviously, and realistically if you only get 5 weeks holiday a year you may spend all of your holiday travelling back to UK to see relatives.
There is stunningly beautiful countryside though. I'd love to spend 6 months or a year there to experience it more.

We’ve visited - it’s such a long way!

We live in a cripplingly expensive part of the uk right now (family centric part of London), so that part we know we’re used to (even though it isn’t nice). The other points are interesting!! Especially that it gets very hot in the summer and cold in the winter because of no double glazing etc. I’m guessing you’ll need aircon everywhere?

My biggest worry is family back in the uk if I’m honest. I also weirdly like autumn and winter in the uk (though not Feb - April!).

And we have beloved pets - a dog and a cat - and all the complication that brings.

I’m torn between an adventure and its emotional cost!

Can you go for a year's adventure, rent your London house out? Or is it a permanent transfer?
It also depends on your kids ages....they find it tougher as pre teens so from 11 on it's a lot harder for them to adapt, although at least it's an English speaking country.

I emigrated with two primary aged children many years ago (not to Aus!), and to be honest although in many ways it was amazing it was a bit of a disaster, it worked out so differently for each kid, and now I am in UK with one adult child here and the other plus a grandchild over there and hence the family is permanently split up. Permanent emigration is very tough on family life. Adventures are great though.

If you can do it for a year (and then decide, with the option to come back without having lost too much here) it would be a great opportunity

What do you mean "the quality of life looks far superior"?

I live there several years ago. Quality of life is the same as the UK. More bogans in Australia.

My husband’s working hours / the sun / access to the beach after school / being outdoors etc.

Our current life sometimes feels a bit like we’re on a treadmill!

Yes a year adventure feels more palatable! But then, we have the problem of our pets and I want the kids to feel settled etc. I don’t know what the implications would be for DH and work - it is a permanent transfer but of course they may allow him to come back, or he could find another role.

If this had been pre-kids, we’d have gone without much of a backward glance!

What will you do, will you be able to get a job?

Well I'm West Coast, not East, but my standard of living is immeasurably better since moving to Oz, I'd say that's probably true for most people who emigrate, or they wouldn't do it!

However one major disadvantage to Sydney IMO, is housing is ruinously expensive! Also, horses for courses and all that, but I found it a fab place for a holiday but I wouldn't really want to live there, but that's just my preference, its a beautiful city. As for prices of groceries etc, I don't find there to much difference with the UK now, and wages here are generally a lot higher.

But it is, as others have said, a huge move, and Oz is very far away from the UK, especially if you are leaving a lot of family behind. For me, the advantages have certainly made all the sacrifices worthwhile though, I absolutely love Australia, I feel home at last.

I work for myself now and will be able to keep some of the same business, but not all because of the time difference. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to work at about 50%, which would be good as then I can be around to help settle the kids, make new friends, just make the most of it really.

I genuinely feel very split. I don’t want to look back and wish we’d done it - but conversely, I don’t want to wish we hadn’t!

As much as I like sunshine, I’m not someone who likes intense heat. So that’s a weird worry of mine!

So I’m Australian so if you want answers to specific questions I can probably help.

Housing is expensive here yes. You could look on a website such as realestate.com.au to get an idea of rents in various parts of Sydney.

I’ve spent a bit of time in the UK and have close family there, so have an idea of prices, esp in London.

Supermarket groceries, toiletries, clothes etc may be a little more expensive here. But I’ve never found things like restaurant meals or drinks in bars, pubs cheaper in the UK. Especially if you factor in the exchange rate.

I’m not a huge fan of Sydney, but most people seem to like the weather there, it doesn’t have the extremes of the north and south. It’s warm but not overly humid in summer, and not nearly cold by UK standards in winter.

Re insulation in homes, older homes yes will have single glazing, but newer builds will have double glazing and be well insulated. Most new builds will have gas central heating and air con.

Not sure if you would intend to work, but we do have a worker shortage here in a lot of industries so it wouldn’t be too difficult for you to get a job. Post covid, lots of workplaces are very supportive of working from home.

The weather in Sydney was cooler and a lot windier than I expected. It took me about a year to actually start dressing appropriately. 😂

I understand what you are saying about the treadmill, and, for me, Sydney was much less of a treadmill than London.

My standard of living is generally better than in the UK.

I am a big fan of the healthcare system here (Medicare plus private health insurance = much more choice).

House prices are fucking ridiculous although that is subject to correction at the moment, but I am not sure it will be enough.

Moving is easier with younger kids so don’t think about for too long!

I've lived 20yrs Sydney, 18yrs London, 2 yrs living 2hrs outside London and another 3yrs elsewhere.

Sydney, of all Australian cities is expensive housing wise. More expensive than parts of London! One thing to look into is school fees. From watching that show 'Wanted down under' it seems that some people need to pay fees for schooling that locals don't. I would hope such fees are covered by DH's job, but worth looking into. It would be worth watching some of the wanted down under shows. I find that very few actually show moving to Sydney though- I think due to the increased costs to live there.

Also check what healthcare is provided by DH job- if any. Although not as horrendous as USA healthcare in terms of NEEDING to be insured, when I lived in Aus- it was pushing towards more private insurance. Things were covered on medicare (similar to NHS) but you got a tax exception for having private insurance. Ambulances weren't covered unless you had insurance and waits were longer if you went down the public route. Waits were no where near as long as the UK though- even for public healthcare.

Does the job come with any housing? There is a vast difference between the temperatures of living near the coast in Sydney, as opposed to inland near the base of the hills- despite this being less than a 1hr drive! Inland is FAR hotter and colder than the coast and has far more extremes. The house prices generally reflect this though. Inland tend to have more new build areas area- but there is new and old all over.

If you have an area in mind to live- how far is the job for DH? Although Sydney does have public transport, its nothing like central London. Majority of people have a car to commute, unless you are extremely central or near an easy train/bus route.

The al fresco lifestyle is great. Having friends over for a BBQ in the garden, eating out, swimming in the sea and work/life tends to be more relaxed. Internet shopping isn't as diverse or vast as the UK, but its improving.

I agree with renting out your Uk house. I recently looked into taking my dog to Sydney. I was advised that the whole process could take 8mths to organise due to rabies vaccination, testing, further papers and vet checks. I can't recall exactly, but was quoted several thousand £'s for a 6kg dog! That was one way. They said I'd need to find an Australia transfer company for the return journey. IF you are considering taking pets- look into that NOW!

Best of luck with whatever you choose to do. Its a fantastic opportunity, and if you can rent the house it- you have somewhere to return if needed.

I moved to Sydney 6 years ago from London and am now a citizen with an Aussie husband and daughter and 2nd on the way.

Pros -

1. Weather. The last 3 years of la Nina haven't been ideal and the bushfires were terrifying but generally the weather is so much better than England. It can be hot but sunshine and 18 degrees is standard. When it rains it pours but I'd take that over drizzle any day.

1. Lifestyle. Aussies generally take better care of themselves. Eat well and exercise more. Most people I know hike or swim at the weekends and do bush walks with their dogs most days. Long hours are typical in some industries but I personally have found it less acceptable for people to be in the office out of hours although you're usually expected to be contactable. Kids are definitely more outdoorsy and sport is very popular at grassroots level

1. Healthcare. I love the Medicare system. Can get a doctors appointment same day, dentists are great and my mat care was exceptional and free. You may pay a small gap but generally the standard is so much better.

Cons -

1. It's a bloody long way from anywhere and travel in aus and locally is very expensive. We use our annual leave to go home or have visitors here and covid was pretty miserable for feeling trapped. Aus has some beautiful spots to visit but it's really expensive and if you're used to multiple weekends away to Europe you'll be shocked by prices for things like trips to the central coast.

1. Culture. I do find Sydney a bit barren vs Melbourne and miles apart from London but you can still go to gigs and exhibitions if that's your thing. Generally if the weather is poor there's not heaps to do.

1. Cliques. Most Sydney siders stay here. They don't go away to uni and they have big networks of friends and family so aren't always super open to outsiders. Wasn't an issue for me at all as there's so many ex pats and my partner has a built in social network but I know others have struggled.

Where you live will make a huge difference. I loved neutral bay and the north shore for proximity to the city and the beach but traffic and public transport in Sydney is woeful so be careful when you consider commutes. We're in the suburbs now because it's the only way we could afford to buy and sometimes it takes me 3 hours per day.

I have nearly emigrated to Australia twice in my life. Finally got there for a month in 2019, it was stunning, everything I had dreamed of, space, freedom, genuinely friendly, straightforward people. I so regret not emigrating, too late now, don't be me! On your death bed they say what you regret is what you didn’t do, not what you did do.

"Houses don't really have insulation or double glazing"

Yeah na that's not true, insulation & double glazing is standard stuff

Living near the water tends to be very expensive. Those trips to the beach could include an hour in traffic!
Sydney has had record breaking amounts of rain this year.

I say jump in and do it. I assume your moving costs are covered. Australia is great. give yourself and your family a new experience . nothing is forever. Primary school kids are adaptable and will be just fine. Try and imagine yourself looking back on your life and how you lived it. I suspect ion you dont give it a go, you will look back and regret it. I live in Australia and missing family is hard but what a great life experience its been . You have very little to lose. Try not to focus too much on what you leave in the UK . Focus on the new experiences that you will have . The Uk will still be there .

This is not from me, but from an Aussie friend who's lived here for 20yrs. She says the thing she notices about Australia now when she goes 'home' is its insulation and it's isolation. She also says that their politics and social attitudes are also not as progressive as ours (notwithstanding what a mess our government is right now!) She says there are things about Australia that she misses but that she would never leave Europe now; there's just more opportunities here is her major thing. She also has chosen to have her kids here and bring them up in the UK because of the insular/socially not as progressive attitudes there.

Houses don't really have insulation or double glazing so very cold in winter (was down to single figure Celsius indoors when I was there in winter). And obviously very hot in summer! Which limits the ability to enjoy the outdoors.

Utter bollocks. Most homes are insulated - a few years ago the government subsidised it - and double glazing is common in newer builds.

Heating is standard and cooling almost as common, only people on extremely tight budgets would be sitting around the house in cold temperatures with no heating on.

Also re social and politically progressive attitudes.. maybe when it comes to immigration (although I'd argue there's plenty of brits who oppose immigration cough brexit) the current PM is definitely more progressive than previous Aussie gov and then the current conservative party. His new budget is about making childcare more affordable, extending parental leave and investing in climate initiatives.

We moved 12 years ago from Liverpool to Sydney. Definitely not like for like, but we absolutely love it.
Housing is a massive issue but we have resigned ourselves to renting and salaries are significantly higher than the UK. I work as a PA and I don’t have qualifications higher than a-levels but I’m on the equivalent of £56k pa.
our lifestyle is very outdoorsy and the main thing is (until the last 2 years) that the weather is predictable so you can make plans and usually stick to them. For example, birthday parties in the park.
Sydneysiders are notoriously cliquey, they all have their school friends and it can sometimes be difficult. We are church members so that makes a difference, and also part of the large “expat” (hate that phrase) community.
There are pros and cons, as there are everywhere but we have no regrets.

Give it a go, OP. Rent out your house and agree to give it a couple of years. I've lived in London and Melbourne so I'm aware of the differences. The quality of life here is better in a lot of ways - it's family friendly and a healthy lifestyle.

You will not have as much choice over travel (no Europe on your doorstep) but there are other places to go.

You can always go back.

I get the deliberation. Is the salary much higher than here? I ask as you say you are in expensive area here, Sydney is too so you’ll need an increase to feel it. If you want more useful advice maybe put the salary and people can say what it’d be like to live on it.

If that’s good then you’re one step closer. If you go for a short period what will you do about schools when you return, that might be ok too

I lived in Sydney for 10 years and just moved back to Ireland 2 years ago.
Sydney has an amazing lifestyle. But the main reason we moved back is that we couldn't afford to buy a house less than 1.5 hours drive from work. Buying or renting in the beachside or City centre suburbs is very very expensive and commuting by car or public transport can be a nightmare.
So I'd figure out your budget and look at the property websites to see where you could live, then figure out the commute.
But you'll have a great time as expats, it's easy to make other expat buddies if you live in the popular suburbs. The food is great. As another poster mentioned, you should check how much you'll need to pay towards schooling.

My friend moved from London to Sydney five years ago. It slightly amazes me but he hates it and wished he hadn't emigrated (although his wife is Australian).

He has struggled to make friends as he finds Aussie men (in his words) simplistic, old fashioned and a bit misogynistic. He misses the culture of a London and being able to fly a couple of hours and have a wide choice of city breaks.

He's had to move two hours out of Sydney to afford a house (and the houses aren't particularly pretty architecturally and have tiny gardens. Work-wise he finds Australia a bit of a backwater so he feels it limits his career progression.

As I say, not my views, but he hates it there.