StraighttothePoint

Good to understand the dream.... If it is the bigger house that is part of the attraction then good on you. Not sure if I agree with you totally about the last bit though. You do not need to be here to see how you stand financially, you can get a rough idea now. At the end of my post I offered to send you a spreadsheet that would help you work out what your income and expenditure would look like and help you see what you would have left over at the end of a week, month etc. after outgoings. If you put the figures into that then you would at least get a rough idea of how realistic your Perth budget would be. Offer still there. If you want a copy just PM me and I will send you it. Anyone else wants it as well just PM me.

Spot on. Back in the day you bought a block that let you have both, i.e. a good sized house with a big garden, out door area. Now you get lost in these new houses and are squashed outside. Weird. Computer nooks? What the flipping heck are those for? Corridors that have seating areas in them? What the.... Mind you I suppose the one good thing is that because they are so big every family member can sit in their own area of the house and over a period of time lose complete contact with each other!! Who says the art of conversation and human interaction is dying?

Yeh but for our $10 a beer we can get views out of the windows onto cystal clear blue ocean and cloudless skies. What do you get in a working man's club for 1.70? A bunch of old farts in tweed caps, playing dominoes, reading the Sun and talking about how much you could buy for a fiver back in 1952!!

The wonder of the web.... Just go to Google and type in "how to get a taxi license in perth" and it all comes up for you. There is a site with everything in it you should need to while away the hours:biggrin: As with anything in Perth of course it probably takes about 10 years to process!! http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/taxis/15457.asp

Nah.... I have the dream house here in Joondalup. A typical, suburban, non flash no mortgage type dream house!!

Living in the UK brings with a lot of poor weather and so we spend more time indoors than here in Oz. It is our main base, place of entertainment and for the folk below the border, their castle". (Never understood that one, anyway moving on.....) In many cases in the UK houses are smaller, cramped and older style. This explains why housing, for many, is important if you have been brought up in the UK. It is seen as a priority. You try to get a better house, bigger and more comfortable and you work towards that over the years. So if you have these thougts in your head and then you come out here and see what is available including some of these brand new, shiny, big, modern homes in a new estate for example you could get easily exicted. You think compared to what you currently have they are great and the opportunity must be the same for all because everyone has one. You are immediately caught, trapped like a rabbit in the headlights. You do not appreciate that they are only a few blocks banged togther, with some timber and sheeting put on top and are way over priced for what they are. But hey the showhouses look great eh.... We do not know as Ali says, yet anyway, why ceyclaire says "if living the dream life in the dream house really is just a dream"? What is the dream? Maybe she thinks that the dream is a big, new, shiny house in an estate in the middle of nowhere? Maybe it is that for $450k she thinks you get a lot for your buck? Maybe it is because she is currently living in, what she thinks, is a poorer environment or maybe she just uses these terms because it is, after all, a dream for many to leave and have more in what they consider to be a better life or a better house or both or something else? Dreams are different things to different people. Like Goat however, to me the dream stuff is sort of nonsense. The reality is unless you come here to retire, or semi retire, or you manage to set yourself up with no major debt (like no mortgage) then you will end up working as hard, if not harder, to maintain whatever you get yourself into. And for $450k, with a large chuck of that being debt and with more needed on top to live, you will at times certainly feel was it worth it. But what you face is no different to the thousands of others that are arriving here from all over the world. It is what it is and if you come here knowing the current state, and these threads are full of reality checks, then good luck to you and go for it. As for the question, do I need to lower my sights? It is an economic decision I am afraid. If you want to budget $450k, with a big chunk being mortgage, it will get you a new house in a new estate or an older style house in older suburbs. (Does the $450k include the stamp duty by the way? If not then you can only buy an older house for circa $430k because the governemnt stamp duty takes care of the other $20k.) Again you do not say where you would like to be so hard to comment on suburb options if you want to buy an existing house. In addition how much disposbale income will you need on top of the mortgage? Have you roughly worked that out yet? If you work out the other expenditure and work backwards then you will see the "real" figure you have available for a mortgage. Of course you can scrimp and save on everthing for the sake of being able to pay a bigger mortgage. All up to you really and as I say an economic decision. if you need a excel spreasheet to help you put together a budget PM me and give me your e-mail address and I will send you a copy.

Interesting and you are quite right to feel anxious. Any parent wanting to do the right thing would be. Mind you is part of it just an accountant thing? In your jeans? I have worked most of my life having to report directly to Finance Directors and they are a nightmare. Risk and quick decisions never seemed to be on the agenda!! Anyway for what it is worth here's my tuppence worth. We came out here when I was 46 and we did it because my wife was born here. I have never settled and, although I like the lifestyle and the weather, in my case 46 was far too old. Way too settled in what we had, i.e. a good job, pay, lifestyle, home life and so on. My wife agreed on that at the time but for her home is home I suppose. Also the place we came from had bags more history, culture, places to go, loads of job opportunities and things to do. Have I regreted it though? Not one bit because my wife and son are happy. Happy wife, happy life. So some will be ok at this age and some will not. The only way you will know is when you get here. Schooling. By the sounds of it some of the State schools here would not suit and you will therefore need to choose your suburb carefully. With your career backgrounds, and lifestyle, suspect that you will end up in one of the better suburbs anyway and so you will get access to a better quality State school or can go private. Bottom line is if you are coming here, you need to use the schools and so worrying if they are better or not, or if you will like them, is kind of irrelevant. You will be here and committed and they are what they are. Some great, some ok and some sh+t+. As for rugby this is not really a rugby state. Aussie Rules and soccer with the latter very popular due to the continuing volume of incomers from Europe. Swimming more of a go and sure the competition will be fine. Loads of goal medal winners come from here so if your son is that good he will get the competition he needs that's for sure. Will you get good jobs? What does that mean? A job you like, a job that gives you a position of seniority and respect, a job that pays a lot or one that allows you time to enjoy life here? Or one that gives you all of that? Jobs are available and with your backgrounds they will be well paid. Liking the ones you end up with is another matter. Tactically you may do what many of us have done here and that is get a job, gain some experience and move onto another one. It is not necessarily a career making city more a making cash city, if that is what drives you and you get into the right circles. Personnally I left a career that was good and have gone backwards ever since but boy have I had some fun along the way Will you make friends? Of course you will over time. Note though that these threads are full of folk "looking for friends" and that should tell you something. It does me. This is one lonely place for some people. You will make many accquiantances but real, true friends? Nobody can tell what will happen or who they will meet until they get here and start to build up relationships. Are you not really appreciating what you already have there? Difficult one that. You probably have a good set up by the sounds of it and if you come here then that "security" may disappear for a while until you settle, get sorted and the kids are happy in school. Could take a few months, could take a year or two and again nobody has the answers to that because we are all different and re-act to change in different ways. If you want to do this, just do it and stop worrying about the line items, the individual transactions and the accurals If after you have done all the research, you must do that to get some detail around your plans, and you have worked out all the budgets then draw a line in the sand and make a decision one way or another. After all it is only a Visa invite you have at the moment and so you have time to decide. I do not think the 40+ means much other than you are getting more settled with life, and nothing wrong with that, it just means you probably realise abit more of what you actually have. Good luck.

Same as they do in an established suburb.......sit in front of their Playstations or XBOX 360's!! I suspect the answer to your question really is not a lot but then that is what it is like in these new suburbs until they are established. As for being a taxi driver I do not think it matters where you are in Perth if you have kids because they all want / need ferried around. Sign of the times:wink: It is funny how folk see things. I went to Baldivis. Drove round. Scratched my head in wonderment and came home. Reminded me of that film The Stepford Wives. All I saw was small groups consisting of a man and a women, one pushing the pram and holding the lead of the dog and the other holding a kids hand, walking to somehere. Not sure where, just somehere, perhaps the one super market. Obviously though affordable housing, property that will no doubt increase in value and once the area matures up possibly look a lot better.

Not sure if this is relevant because sure you will have sussed this already but you will know that bringing certain things into Oz, especially wood or wood related items, is a big no no. If you do not declare the tools coming in, and your bags are searched and they see the tools, assuming you are not shot on the spot you will then say I am a joiner and need them for work. They will then (surprise, surprise) ask if you work with wood. Customs, on the basis you never declared them and they stopped you, may then decide to put the tools through quaratine checks and you will not see them for a few weeks anyway. Oh and have the priviledge of paying for the checks as well and collection from who knows where. Woop woop probably (middle of nowhere). If you do not declare them of course you may get in without a baggage search. Who knows luck of the draw. As I say not sure if relevant so maybe someother joiners can help here and share their experiences?

Only 2 years? You are just getting over the jet lag Been here 10 years now but gone back "home" every year for at least 4 months each time. Cannot sustain that though with the ever increasing costs here, my decreasing work opportunities and my age!! If I can wing it then would like 7 months at "home" and 5 months here. That would be my dream lifestyle but it maybe slipping away fast and may need to re-consider the options. All this is on a very low joint income now, and virtually no pension in a few years time, has to mean a re-think surely?? Porty - Kids do not leave home after HE!! Have you not worked that out yet!! Unless you have girls that is and in that case you may have a chance!! Boys stay at home here until they are 30 at least. The houses here are just too big and they have it way too easy My one goes to uni, lives in the granny flat, pays a little rent and has a ball. As he says, "Leave what for?? You two will leave before me". And I can tell you he does not get it easy from us but we will need a tire lever up his ass to get him out We are lucky we have done the veggie, chooks and good life already and although we would like to go back to that if we do not then hey ho been there done that. Also got a job swap back in 2000 and came and lived here for a year before heading back to decide on the more permanent move so done that as well. I sound a right big headed bugger :wink: Hopefully not, more just "StraightothePoint" as always :wink: If I was you do exactly what you are thinking. Pack up and get around this country. I never have, because of other priorities, but if you have that option grab it with open arms and you will never regret it. We never looked back after taking that year away initially. Our son learned more in that time than he did from any school book. Do it for the kids and I bet, like us, you will never look back.

Sal is perhaps a bit nearer the mark. I think it is down to budget and I should have clarified what I meant when saying that above. Budget will include everything and not just the housing component. If you use all your budget on housing, to be where you want to be or to get what you think "looks" nice, then you are stuffed if there are other "hidden" costs that come along and bite you because of that decision. Buy in the wrong location and you could be hit with big ongoing transport costs, the "cost' of your family being isloated when you are out working, (e.g. if you are in a place where a second car is essential, or if you have so far to travel to a school it makes it a horrendous daily routine and if you are so far from shops etc.), having to pay high costs for Childcare because you wanted a bigger mortage and you need a second wage but there are no jobs and so on and so on. Working out a budget that considers, and covers, a range of things and not just solely housing. Folk throwing all their eggs in one basket, and simply buying a house thet think they can afford could be at the expense of thinking a bit more about the mid to long term implications, and may result in a bitter sweet lifestyle further down the track for some of us. The north or south debate is part of people's thinking here, and so it should be for a bit of banter, but there are far more complex issues to consider now. Mark is not wrong either in that you could end up where you can afford to live simply on the basis that you have "x" to spend and these are the areas that fit. The issue though is can you "afford" to get somewhere that gives you all the other problems. Probably a subtle difference but a big mistake if you cannot change the decision in the short term. Nothing easy in this city now, nothing. Complicated place to live in terms of getting around, complex in terms of where to go due to cost and schooling options and certainly difficult if your budget is tight. Getting back to the original question though North or South? Has to be North but no more that 20km north of the CBD otherwise you are in another time zone!!

Agree with that. Working out how to make your life easy here is the name of the game. Far more important for many to be near schools, work and train line than beach now. Beaches are all over the place and easy to get to. Saying "I want to live near the beach" was something I always got confused over, mind you I am easily confused, because the reality is that you are not on the flaming things for a good 4 to 5 months of the year. Too cold, windy and they are in a right state with seaweed and the like. As for the question again agree with above good and bad spots both north and south. As with everything now in this city could well be all down to budget as to where you end up.

Now that is living the Aussie Dream..... Us lot all come out, mostly all ending up living in suburbia, working long hours to get by and getting stuck in traffic for hours on end - all just like back in the UK!! Good on the guy, putting his all into something he loves and really trying to make a difference in what looks like the real Australia. A “Dream” way of life and a “Dream” location. Great show.

Jeez it will be packed here... Thankfully I am off the other way soon to miss out on the Perth winter. When I get back in October will there be any flaming room!! Anyone who came out on Emirates recently did you fly with them all the way or was it only Emirates to Dubai and then Qantas to Perth? I flew once with BA / Qantas and vowed never again. Emirates are great, and have booked direct with them for years now with no problems at all, even allow you to book your seat, meals and other stuff online yourself and everything goes with out a hitch and as planned. Now a bit worried that if they have partnered up with Qantas that the online booked services may get changed and that the quality and customer care may dip.

Bit sexist there Super!!! Fellas? :wink: Sure there are lots of good, woman golfers in the Northern Suburbs who like to play a round....... :wink: Can you play mid week, anytime or are you working and can only play weekends? I am near Carramar and like to play mid day, weekdays, when it is less busy. If you cannot manage that time, even if it is just to get you out now and again, then have a look on the notice boards at Carramar Golf Club and there are some options to get involved early Saturday or Sunday mornings, I think, with some established groups.

You were in the right thread, Education, and there are related answers on one from earlier this month. Here is the link. Lots of good stuff in that one. http://www.perthpoms.com/forum/education/10271-how-does-work.html When we came over for good, during the first week of November, we did the same as Chardy and just let our son have a long break and he started when the schools went back for the year in February. (Bearing in mind they break up in early December anway.) No harm done and to honest it helped him settle into life here. As for an address perhaps probably be best to contact the school direct via e-mail to check. Each one may be different due to increased in take numbers and high volume of newbies. Before that though here is a link to enrolment policies into WA State Schools which may have something relevant. Hope that helps because you do not say if it is State or Private schooling. http://det.wa.edu.au/policies/detcms/navigation/school-management/enrolment/?oid=Category-id-3457117 Hope this is of use.

No but there is the Entertainment Book. $65 to buy, from charitable organisations and so they benefit with the purchase, and packed with 2 for 1 meals offers in fine dining restraunts, all types of Asian, Italian and Aussie / European style cafes, pub meals and right down to MacDonalds and KFC. Also cheap cinema tickets, cheap ticklets to Rottnest, 2 for 1 entry to a wide range of places to entertain the kids and it just goes on and on. Been here 10 years now and has to one of the best deals going. Giving to charity and saving cash has to be sensible in this city. No Perth home should be without one. http://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/

It is all relevant isn't it? If I were living in poverty, in a war torn country, and read your post I would give my right arm to be in your current shoes. You rightly say about it being not good by your standards and qalso quite rightly want better for your family. If you read this thread through there is a great post by a migration agent near the end. It highlights that it is probably worth coming with little rather than a lot. http://www.perthpoms.com/forum/migration-issues/10759-real-cost-living-around-perth-wa.html You have nothing to lose. If you come over with not a lot, manage to get jobs and work hard you should do well and so you are quite right better to be here and try and make a new life. Be careful though work is not "plentiful" but there is work available so although getting a well paid job is a risk it is probably a risk worth taking given your current position. The only other thing you really need to be aware of though is that you will need start up money and at the moment a lot of it. Please do not dismiss that point and do your research so that you know what you are up for. Again many threads on this site about that but 10,000 gbp's is mentioned by some as just enough to get you started while others say 20,000 gbp's is nearer the mark that you will need. You probably just need to put togther a budget as to what you need versus what you will have to bring and see if it works out. Good luck.

And the second would be to look thoroughly through the threads / posts on this site because for many of the questions you ask there are some excellent opinions, loads of links to relevant sites and information on almost everything you need. There are good links to Perth suburbs http://www.viacorp.com/perth-suburbs-compared.html , real estate http://reiwa.com.au/home/default.aspx and try this one for holiday homes, hotels etc in WA http://www.wotif.com/search/Advanced?assumedCountry=1&region=61&stlcmpid=17032.

Oh my sides...... Nearly burst them laughing at that one Ho Ho Ho..... You should see my sons haircut!!

yeah even though we have a pool ours average out to about $100 per month which is low. On the basis that conserving energy continues to save you cash, albeit power bills go up, shelling out for a system like yours would take up to 6/7 yeasr to make it worthwhile. Then of course like you we would sell in the middle of that and the benefit is lost!! May be we need a solar panel thread to get all the views?

Not sure what you mean Goat? On the guys website, before the link was removed by the mods, it just showed double glazed, fixed, solid style windows with what looked like no screens. There were also tilt and turn ones but they were open to the elements. Could it be that the screens are simply fitted to the rear of the double galzed windows as an extra component? It must be that? Interested to see if the original poster comes back on and tells us exactly because these types of windows are not common here so much.

Gas heaters can come with bottles but the one we bought for the roughly the same price as above is one that plugs into a gas bayonet socket in the wall. It means that gas has to be piped into the rooms of the house you need to use it in. Older style houses usually have them but you can ask for a fitting to be installed in a new build. Sorry Goat just typed this without seeing your reply.