Two years in Adelaide

[kar]

Interesting you've done the reverse to me

I'm originally from Adelaide and when/if we go back to Australia we'll likely go back to Adelaide to settle. Characterising it as a 'sleepy town' seems funny to me, since I grew up in Port Lincoln and always saw Adelaide as the 'big smoke'.

After having been in the UK for nearly 7 years, I can kinda understand that label though.

Which bit of Adelaide have you settled down in?

 

[ntg]

I'll confess, it's been a little tougher than it looks in the photos. If you've ever tried paying a mortgage on government benefits, you'll know where I'm coming from.

Surely being able to afford a mortgage on benefits signals that the benefits system has something going wrong?!

Don't get me wrong, good for you and well done on achieving what you have achieved and I'm sure you have worked hard for it. But I'm just thinking that a system that allows people on benefits to afford mortgages has to be "wrong", especially when there must certainly be people on low incomes who cannot afford a mortgage (?).

 

[Guerrilla]

Great photos! Glad it's all going well!

Was lucky enough to visit Australia earlier this year, only stayed in Adelaide a few days though.
Fingers crossed I will egt to go back someday, not sure I will ever get an oppotunity to move there though.

 

[Sankari]

Interesting you've done the reverse to me

I'm originally from Adelaide and when/if we go back to Australia we'll likely go back to Adelaide to settle. Characterising it as a 'sleepy town' seems funny to me, since I grew up in Port Lincoln and always saw Adelaide as the 'big smoke'.

After having been in the UK for nearly 7 years, I can kinda understand that label though.

Which bit of Adelaide have you settled down in?

Yeah, I'm a Perth boy so Adelaide feels slower to me. Spent nearly 6 years in the UK (West Midlands). Birmingham's a funny place. You hear all the hype about it being Britain's second largest city, then you get there and it's smaller than Perth. LOL.

We've settled in the northern suburbs (City of Playford). Very ordinary, but a good place to start while I'm studying. Long term plan is to end up somewhere like Vista or Banksia Park. My dream location is Houghton, but I doubt we'll ever have the money for it!

 

[Jamrasta]

My mate is living in Norwood Adelaide and is getting married in February, i'm seriously considering going, i've booked the month off work only thing that puts me off travelling is the flights.

 

[Sankari]

Surely being able to afford a mortgage on benefits signals that the benefits system has something going wrong?!

It might if we'd never worked all our lives and only ever sponged off the taxpayer. But in our case it's an indication that we've been very careful with our money after many years of hard work in full- and part-time employment.

I've never heard of anyone in Australia buying a house while living solely on benefits. It's simply not possible.

Don't get me wrong, good for you and well done on achieving what you have achieved and I'm sure you have worked hard for it. But I'm just thinking that a system that allows people on benefits to afford mortgages has to be "wrong", especially when there must certainly be people on low incomes who cannot afford a mortgage (?).

Let me make one thing clear: we did not buy this house while on benefits. We bought it in in 2007 with a 30% deposit while we were still in the UK and both working. At the time I also had an investment property in Tasmania that I'd bought before moving to the UK.

In 2008 I sold the Tassie property and tipped the profit into our Adelaide property, which massively increased our equity while driving down the mortgage (currently ~£103,000). I have switched it to interest only for 24 months at a fixed rate of 6.94%. This reduced our monthly payments to ~£590, which is less than most people pay for rent in the UK. Our equity is ~45%.

My wife still owns a house in the UK, which we are renting out. The rent covers the mortgage and leaves a little over for maintenance. The Australian government considers this 'foreign income', which reduces our rate of benefits.

Our combined annual gross income is ~£20,000 not including the rent from the UK property. I don't think this is an outrageous figure. The money stretches further because our tax free threshold is ~£10,421.

I hope this clarifies the situation.

 

[Sankari]

Great photos! Glad it's all going well!

Was lucky enough to visit Australia earlier this year, only stayed in Adelaide a few days though. Fingers crossed I will egt to go back someday, not sure I will ever get an oppotunity to move there though.

Thanks. Enjoy Adelaide! It's well worth another visit. Give yourself at least a week or two to see the main sights.

My mate is living in Norwood Adelaide and is getting married in February, i'm seriously considering going, i've booked the month off work only thing that puts me off travelling is the flights.

Norwood is a very tasty suburb, your mate must be loaded.

 

[Jamrasta]

Thanks. Enjoy Adelaide! It's well worth another visit. Give yourself at least a week or two to see the main sights.



Norwood is a very tasty suburb, your mate must be loaded.

His Austrailian gf's family are from Norwood so they have decided to settle there. He's on about 60k, not sure about his other half.

Funny you should say that, there's a guy who is originally from where i live, he moved to Adelaide in his early 20's now in his 60's and lives just north of Moonta, he said the same thing about Norwood. I am very tempted to go, just need to start saving a little more wonga

 

[ntg]

snip.

That was much more info than required! Thanks for answering as it seemed very odd to me when I read your post. It makes perfect sense now.

Well done on going for your degree and all the best for the future!

 

[Sankari]

His Austrailian gf's family are from Norwood so they have decided to settle there. He's on about 60k, not sure about his other half.

Funny you should say that, there's a guy who is originally from where i live, he moved to Adelaide in his early 20's now in his 60's and lives just north of Moonta, he said the same thing about Norwood. I am very tempted to go, just need to start saving a little more wonga

Typical house in Norwood:

Double storey, stone fronted; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a wine cellar, 9 foot ceilings, and room for a pony in the master bedroom (if you're that way inclined). Price: £720,000.

 

[Tummy]

Dude! Remember you leaving!

So pleased it's working out and you and family are happy (Nice to see the pups)

I'd love to visit Australia but fear I'd melt, as I'm not good in hot weather.

I'm just about to start a teaching course, primary school teaching, and I'm hopefully heading off to New Zealand for a bit next summer. I'd love to be able to nip across to Australia though mind.

How does the teaching work in Australia (I'm sure you're employed by the state and they can move you about) and is there a need of teachers?

Really pleased you're enjoying life out there too

 

[Sankari]

That was much more info than required! Thanks for answering as it seemed very odd to me when I read your post. It makes perfect sense now.

Well done on going for your degree and all the best for the future!

My pleasure, and thank you.

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

Happy 2 year anniversary! You were always one of my favourite posters for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who takes more than 2 minutes to read your posts.

Good for you, man, good for you!


fake e : how's the RWC working out for you?

 

[jas72]

It might if we'd never worked all our lives and only ever sponged off the taxpayer. But in our case it's an indication that we've been very careful with our money after many years of hard work in full- and part-time employment.

I've never heard of anyone in Australia buying a house while living solely on benefits. It's simply not possible.



Let me make one thing clear: we did not buy this house while on benefits. We bought it in in 2007 with a 30% deposit while we were still in the UK and both working. At the time I also had an investment property in Tasmania that I'd bought before moving to the UK.

In 2008 I sold the Tassie property and tipped the profit into our Adelaide property, which massively increased our equity while driving down the mortgage (currently ~£103,000). I have switched it to interest only for 24 months at a fixed rate of 6.94%. This reduced our monthly payments to ~£590, which is less than most people pay for rent in the UK. Our equity is ~45%.

My wife still owns a house in the UK, which we are renting out. The rent covers the mortgage and leaves a little over for maintenance. The Australian government considers this 'foreign income', which reduces our rate of benefits.

Our combined annual gross income is ~£20,000 not including the rent from the UK property. I don't think this is an outrageous figure. The money stretches further because our tax free threshold is ~£10,421.

I hope this clarifies the situation.

I wouldn't have bothered even replying to that question mate ... but props to you for setting the record straight. Your business is your business.

 

[Sankari]

Dude! Remember you leaving!

So pleased it's working out and you and family are happy (Nice to see the pups)

I'd love to visit Australia but fear I'd melt, as I'm not good in hot weather.

I'm just about to start a teaching course, primary school teaching, and I'm hopefully heading off to New Zealand for a bit next summer. I'd love to be able to nip across to Australia though mind.

How does the teaching work in Australia (I'm sure you're employed by the state and they can move you about) and is there a need of teachers?

Really pleased you're enjoying life out there too

Hi mate, thanks for the good wishes.

Teaching in Australia is pretty much the same as the UK. When my wife goes back to work she'll be aiming for a private school; we've already chosen one for the pups, and it's likely that my wife could end up teaching there. Teachers are in demand and there's plenty of supply teaching to go around.

 

[Tummy]

Hi mate, thanks for the good wishes.

Teaching in Australia is pretty much the same as the UK. When my wife goes back to work she'll be aiming for a private school; we've already chosen one for the pups, and it's likely that my wife could end up teaching there. Teachers are in demand and there's plenty of supply teaching to go around.

No problem Evangelion! One of my favourite posters! (no homo)

Cool, thanks for the brief information, I thought it worked a bit differently to the UK, but I'll need to read more about it.

Pleased everything is good.

 

[Jamrasta]

Wowza, very nice! reminds me of the Fresh Prince

He lives very close to Richards Park, Norwood, his gf's family are from Port Lincoln, he was home a few weeks ago saying he doesn't understand why she didn't like Port Lincoln.

 

[Sankari]

Happy 2 year anniversary! You were always one of my favourite posters for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who takes more than 2 minutes to read your posts.

Good for you, man, good for you!

Cheers fella, can't believe it's been 2 years already.

I wouldn't have bothered even replying to that question mate ... but props to you for setting the record straight. Your business is your business.

I'm a great believer in straight talking. Might as well tell it like it is.

Tummy, visit this site if you want to learn more about working as a teacher in Australia. Plenty of folks there who'll be happy to give you all the info you need.

 

[Tummy]

Cheers Evangelion!

 

[Sankari]

Wowza, very nice! reminds me of the Fresh Prince

He lives very close to Richards Park, Norwood, his gf's family are from Port Lincoln, he was home a few weeks ago saying he doesn't understand why she didn't like Port Lincoln.

645km from Adelaide; population 13,000. That's two hints right there.