Aussie to UK - looking for some advice?

JasonC

JasonC

JasonC

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Joined
22 Jan 2010
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12
Hi all
this is my introduction as well as some questions! As an overclockers Australia member, I should know what to expect with a thread like this nevermind....................:)

I'm an Aussie looking at moving to the UK with the wife (also Aussie), we can both get Ancestry Visas.

We would like to relocate, NOT live or work in London and are keen for some advice as to the places to avoid buying a home and the places to look for if and when we come to England.

Any advice is greatfully received - I know its a very general request but we are just looking and trying to sort out the possibilities. I've had a look on the interweb about good and bad places to live, oneplace.direct.co.uk was an ok resource and the usual realestate websites.

Both of us have been to England before for holidays and I have relatives in England also.
When I was here I stayed with an expat Aussie in Kingston Upon Thames which was fantastic, although I can see it is very expensive and we like the idea of living and working outside of the greater London area. Both of us work in the Government and we would like to buy a place if we can (less than 130 000 pounds) if we like it and we find the right place and jobs etc......

We like the SE and SW as a start, I liked the Glastonbury area (similar to where we live now) and Pilton in particular but the missus thought the Local Government was run by the Church and that scared her off!

Obviously we wouldn't rush in and buy something straight away but we would like to do some research from here first.

Anyway cheers in advance,

Jason
 
well it doesn't have to be South, just seems to have ended up that way during our initial research and my rels live near South Hampton, we are happy to look anywhere where people think is worth relocating too really

:)
 
Well, first, would you like to explain why - as Aussies - you have decided to move to the UK? It seems to many of us that Australia is one of the relocation "Meccas" that exist to provide us with a better way of life.

I'd like to know your reasons from a real-world point of view to burst those bubbles.

Secondly, for £130,000 you're having a laugh for the South or anywhere within a 2-hour commute to London. What exactly do you want for that money? A two bed flat? A three bed house with garden? A DETACHED three bed house with garden? Do you mind living on a council estate with a four bed detached house but afraid to set foot outside?

All of these are considerations. If you want complete help, we need to know how you really want to live.
 
JasonC said:
Hi all
this is my introduction as well as some questions! As an overclockers Australia member, I should know what to expect with a thread like this nevermind....................:)

I'm an Aussie looking at moving to the UK with the wife (also Aussie), we can both get Ancestry Visas.

We would like to relocate, NOT live or work in London and are keen for some advice as to the places to avoid buying a home and the places to look for if and when we come to England.

Any advice is greatfully received - I know its a very general request but we are just looking and trying to sort out the possibilities. I've had a look on the interweb about good and bad places to live, oneplace.direct.co.uk was an ok resource and the usual realestate websites.

Both of us have been to England before for holidays and I have relatives in England also.
When I was here I stayed with an expat Aussie in Kingston Upon Thames which was fantastic, although I can see it is very expensive and we like the idea of living and working outside of the greater London area. Both of us work in the Government and we would like to buy a place if we can (less than 130 000 pounds) if we like it and we find the right place and jobs etc......

We like the SE and SW as a start, I liked the Glastonbury area (similar to where we live now) and Pilton in particular but the missus thought the Local Government was run by the Church and that scared her off!

Obviously we wouldn't rush in and buy something straight away but we would like to do some research from here first.

Anyway cheers in advance,

Jason
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The Glastonbury area is nice as long as you avoid Glastonbury itself (I live in Street BTW which is 1 mile down the road across the River Brue).

Pilton is ok although there isn't really anything there, you also have the issue of the Glastonbury festival every year (fine if you want to go, not so much if you don't).

For £130k you will struggle to get anything more than a 2 bed flat as house prices have stayed relatively stable in this area. Moving 15 miles south to Yeovil (and the surrounding area) can get you a little more for your money although you will still likely struggle beyond flats.

The local government is run by (in this area at least) Mendip District council not the church. They are ok although decidely slow sorting anything out.

If you want to know anymore about the area (including specifics) drop me a mail in trust if you like. I will be more than happy to help you. :)
 
Crikey a fair amount of the population are trying to escape from this island and you want in ? You do realise that britain is being overrun by 10 yr old knife wielding killers dont you ?

On a serious note, there are lots of nice places left to live, but if your thinking near london your cash isnt going to get you much house.
 
Seriously, why? I can't think of much about the UK that is superior to Australia bar perhaps the fact we dont get nicked for speeding all the time but thats hardly a reason to move here. Surely you must realise what a fantastic country you live in - coming over here with £130k for a house is going to get you a miserable place really!

If only we could swap Passports, I cant wait to go back out there :p
 
If you go up to the North of England or Scotland then your money is likely to go a lot further in terms of house purchasing, I don't know if that's an option you'd be willing to consider. Some of Scotland is truly beautiful and a lovely place to live, I'd suggest Edinburgh as being worth considering - one of the biggest financial centres in Europe outside of London and there's some fairly major projects going on there at the moment (new tram etc) which might mean openings in local government. However I am biased about it as it is my hometown.

You don't have to get into specifics but is your job one that has a comparable position in the UK or have you already got a job here? If you do then that will obviously narrow down where you can consider.
 
What we are forgetting is the OP might be a muslim and therefore wants to live here knowing that the goverment will bend over backwards for them :D
 
[TW]Fox;15793860 said:
Seriously, why? I can't think of much about the UK that is superior to Australia bar perhaps the fact we dont get nicked for speeding all the time but thats hardly a reason to move here. Surely you must realise what a fantastic country you live in - coming over here with £130k for a house is going to get you a miserable place really!

If only we could swap Passports, I cant wait to go back out there :p
Click to expand...

As with most things, the grass is always greener and all that. After all there are shed loads of Aussies living in the UK especially in and around London.
 
Honestly - being a Kiwi living in London - I can't think why you would want to move from Aussie to the UK to live - you have the weather, the wildlife, people in Aus are much friendlier and the lifestyle is vastly better than anything you'll get here.

The only reason we live here is to travel, earning the pound and living in central London means we don't need to deal with rural England, we get the best of the weather in the country and have Eurostar and Heathrow pretty much on our doorsteps (well 50mins on a tube). We travel 4-5 times a year all through Europe and America and doing so on the pound makes life easier. Living outside of London means your income is going to be Average or below Average and it will limit your options.

Coming here to live as a livestyle change/improvement - I have no idea why one earth you'd want to. I just wouldn't.
 
Bear said:
As with most things, the grass is always greener and all that. After all there are shed loads of Aussies living in the UK especially in and around London.
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Exactly, and people seem to forget that going on holiday somewhere is a lot different to living there. A friend of mine (actually Dandle from here's brother) lived in the Cayman Islands for 6 months and became bored of it there and moved back to the UK - giving up a job in the Caymans in the process.

Different people like different things - personally I couldn't think of anywhere worse to live than Australia, I like travelling, I like cars, I like football (QPR Season ticket holder) and I would hate the climate in Australia - far too hot. I lived outside the UK for five years and you really get a different perspective on things then.
 
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OP, seriously reconsider this move :)

Where about in Kingston did you stay? I lived in Thames Ditton - just up the road - for several years and loved it. I would never consider living there again though.
 
One piece of advice- When people say "alright" it just means hi in most cases and you can just respond with "alright" or "yeah alright you". A few aussies I know have had trouble understanding it. :D
 
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