Handed in notice - Oz here we come!! A few Q's
Discussion
Having been thinking a lot about emigrating and got a 461 visa, I finally lost my rag at work and handed in my notice - big deal for me - I have been a company director here for 10 years.... Feeling a bit scared but a bit excited too!
We're heading out to Perth or Sydney at Easter, so I've got a bit a time to sort everything out.
I've had a company car, mobile, laptop etc for 20 years, now I need to go out and buy some gear. I would like an 850 or V70 T5 for a few months until we go, so I can haul stuff around, that's the easy bit.
Mobile phone - I would like an iphone - am I better off buying one here or in Oz? I obviously don't want to commit to a long contract over in UK, but are they cheaper in UK or Oz and what about contract vs PAYG?
Laptop - having been windows all my life, I am thinking of Mac - everyone who has one reckons they are so much better and no going back. Am I better getting one here or in Oz? are plugs / power compatible?
We're heading out to Perth or Sydney at Easter, so I've got a bit a time to sort everything out.
I've had a company car, mobile, laptop etc for 20 years, now I need to go out and buy some gear. I would like an 850 or V70 T5 for a few months until we go, so I can haul stuff around, that's the easy bit.
Mobile phone - I would like an iphone - am I better off buying one here or in Oz? I obviously don't want to commit to a long contract over in UK, but are they cheaper in UK or Oz and what about contract vs PAYG?
Laptop - having been windows all my life, I am thinking of Mac - everyone who has one reckons they are so much better and no going back. Am I better getting one here or in Oz? are plugs / power compatible?
SGOxon said:
Having been thinking a lot about emigrating and got a 461 visa, I finally lost my rag at work and handed in my notice - big deal for me - I have been a company director here for 10 years.... Feeling a bit scared but a bit excited too!
We're heading out to Perth or Sydney at Easter, so I've got a bit a time to sort everything out.
I've had a company car, mobile, laptop etc for 20 years, now I need to go out and buy some gear. I would like an 850 or V70 T5 for a few months until we go, so I can haul stuff around, that's the easy bit.
Mobile phone - I would like an iphone - am I better off buying one here or in Oz? I obviously don't want to commit to a long contract over in UK, but are they cheaper in UK or Oz and what about contract vs PAYG?
Laptop - having been windows all my life, I am thinking of Mac - everyone who has one reckons they are so much better and no going back. Am I better getting one here or in Oz? are plugs / power compatible?
Welcome to the world of indecision.We're heading out to Perth or Sydney at Easter, so I've got a bit a time to sort everything out.
I've had a company car, mobile, laptop etc for 20 years, now I need to go out and buy some gear. I would like an 850 or V70 T5 for a few months until we go, so I can haul stuff around, that's the easy bit.
Mobile phone - I would like an iphone - am I better off buying one here or in Oz? I obviously don't want to commit to a long contract over in UK, but are they cheaper in UK or Oz and what about contract vs PAYG?
Laptop - having been windows all my life, I am thinking of Mac - everyone who has one reckons they are so much better and no going back. Am I better getting one here or in Oz? are plugs / power compatible?
I have an iPhone and hate it despite the fact that I have successfully integrated it into our Cisco voice and collaboration environment. Maybe it's just the everyone hates apple thing but the phone sucks balls big time, IMHO it's rubbish. ( I design and build voice networks for a living )
As for the lappy, I would stick to a windoze device because that is the OS of choice for the corporate world and at the very least you must be able to handle MS apps.
As for buy here or there, here in Oz most manufacturers treat us as an exotic country and charge accordingly so buy where you get the best deal that you can live with and then buy a local power pack to suit.
WeirdNeville said:
If you do choose to buy an iPhone, buy it direct from Apple. You can't get them (legitamately) cheaper elsewhere anyway as they control the price, and from Apple they're unlocked.
I bought one for my wife sim free a few month ago, and now we've landed here I can confirm that they are unlocked and you can just drop a SIM in and away you go when you get here.
Not sure if you're intending to try and bring the car over? You won't be able to import any car you haven't owned for 12 months (about to extend to 15 months?). Cars are silly expensive over here, so it's a real shame. I had to sell my 10 month owned £5k Impreza which would have been £13-£15k's worth over here.
Good news on the Iphone front then - can you get reasonable bundles in Oz for phone, text and net usage?I bought one for my wife sim free a few month ago, and now we've landed here I can confirm that they are unlocked and you can just drop a SIM in and away you go when you get here.
Not sure if you're intending to try and bring the car over? You won't be able to import any car you haven't owned for 12 months (about to extend to 15 months?). Cars are silly expensive over here, so it's a real shame. I had to sell my 10 month owned £5k Impreza which would have been £13-£15k's worth over here.
On the car, I won't be bringing over an old Volvo shed, but I do intend bringing over my '89 Carrera 3.2 - she is pretty mint and I have had her 4 years+
I need to start reading up on all those threads.Just be aware that when you get here it's very much a press of the reset button.
You can't get a contract - because you have no credit history so they decline you. So you have to get a prepay sim. It's not too bad actually - $30 gets you ~200 mins calls, ~200 txts and 500Mb data on Vodafone. So pretty rubbish compared to what you might get on a UK contract but it's a start at least.
Search for "Telstra" or "vodafone" as a rough guide to what you can get.
But it's a bit of an eye opener suddenly not having a credit card, an overdraft, any credit rating, any of the things you take for granted as available to any working UK citizen when you first land.
I think it gets better fairly fast, I know people have got contracts and hire purchase cars within 3 months, Credit cards too, and bought houses in 6 months, but on day one you'll be shocked.
And you'll need start up funds. Rentals here (well, Perth at least) are mental. They have 10+ people turning up to open house 15 min viewings, fighting over application forms and not even looking at the house. They can demand a few months rent up front plus bond - so look at having a good solid cash buffer behind you.
Nice weather though!
You can't get a contract - because you have no credit history so they decline you. So you have to get a prepay sim. It's not too bad actually - $30 gets you ~200 mins calls, ~200 txts and 500Mb data on Vodafone. So pretty rubbish compared to what you might get on a UK contract but it's a start at least.
Search for "Telstra" or "vodafone" as a rough guide to what you can get.
But it's a bit of an eye opener suddenly not having a credit card, an overdraft, any credit rating, any of the things you take for granted as available to any working UK citizen when you first land.
I think it gets better fairly fast, I know people have got contracts and hire purchase cars within 3 months, Credit cards too, and bought houses in 6 months, but on day one you'll be shocked.
And you'll need start up funds. Rentals here (well, Perth at least) are mental. They have 10+ people turning up to open house 15 min viewings, fighting over application forms and not even looking at the house. They can demand a few months rent up front plus bond - so look at having a good solid cash buffer behind you.
Nice weather though!
WeirdNeville said:
Just be aware that when you get here it's very much a press of the reset button.
You can't get a contract - because you have no credit history so they decline you. So you have to get a prepay sim. It's not too bad actually - $30 gets you ~200 mins calls, ~200 txts and 500Mb data on Vodafone. So pretty rubbish compared to what you might get on a UK contract but it's a start at least.
Search for "Telstra" or "vodafone" as a rough guide to what you can get.
But it's a bit of an eye opener suddenly not having a credit card, an overdraft, any credit rating, any of the things you take for granted as available to any working UK citizen when you first land.
I think it gets better fairly fast, I know people have got contracts and hire purchase cars within 3 months, Credit cards too, and bought houses in 6 months, but on day one you'll be shocked.
And you'll need start up funds. Rentals here (well, Perth at least) are mental. They have 10+ people turning up to open house 15 min viewings, fighting over application forms and not even looking at the house. They can demand a few months rent up front plus bond - so look at having a good solid cash buffer behind you.
Nice weather though!
We just got two $40 sims from Telstra this afternoon - 500 mins apparently, 600mb of data but lasts only 30 days. Will probably use that this month in getting things sorted and the usual admin of a new countryYou can't get a contract - because you have no credit history so they decline you. So you have to get a prepay sim. It's not too bad actually - $30 gets you ~200 mins calls, ~200 txts and 500Mb data on Vodafone. So pretty rubbish compared to what you might get on a UK contract but it's a start at least.
Search for "Telstra" or "vodafone" as a rough guide to what you can get.
But it's a bit of an eye opener suddenly not having a credit card, an overdraft, any credit rating, any of the things you take for granted as available to any working UK citizen when you first land.
I think it gets better fairly fast, I know people have got contracts and hire purchase cars within 3 months, Credit cards too, and bought houses in 6 months, but on day one you'll be shocked.
And you'll need start up funds. Rentals here (well, Perth at least) are mental. They have 10+ people turning up to open house 15 min viewings, fighting over application forms and not even looking at the house. They can demand a few months rent up front plus bond - so look at having a good solid cash buffer behind you.
Nice weather though!
Yeah, they seem really hot on the 30 day expiry for the PAYG top ups, which is a bit sneaky if you ask me. From looking at the small print of the vodafone sim, it appears that there's no rollover and also if you top up it starts a new 30 period there and then, so be careful. It sounds like you basically have to top up after it's run out to get your full value.
My mate who moved out here 8 months ago said she spent $200 on her phone in the first month looking for a place to live.
Anyway, that's the nitty gritty of PAYG phone sin Oz. We're full flow into the hunt for a rental home, we've put the car purchase on the back burner for now as we have no idea how much we (won't) have left after sorting the house, and it looks like Mrs Nevs first paycheck is still 2 weeks away so we have to live until then! I'm too knackered to go through everything we've achieved or tried to in the last 7 days!
Still, life would be dull if you never did anything like this, eh?
My mate who moved out here 8 months ago said she spent $200 on her phone in the first month looking for a place to live.
Anyway, that's the nitty gritty of PAYG phone sin Oz. We're full flow into the hunt for a rental home, we've put the car purchase on the back burner for now as we have no idea how much we (won't) have left after sorting the house, and it looks like Mrs Nevs first paycheck is still 2 weeks away so we have to live until then! I'm too knackered to go through everything we've achieved or tried to in the last 7 days!
Still, life would be dull if you never did anything like this, eh?
I start my new job the week after next so will be concentrating on that, finding a place to rent and then look at car but will hold off as long as possible. Unfortunately, no sub-1000 bargain barges but no point in looking back to what they cost in the UK (and I had a pretty good run of cars there so have tried to get that out of my system).
I forgot how huge the boot in a Camry is (when picked up from the airport yesterday) so likely will get a Camry V6 in the short term and will look at a Holden Statesman or Caprice in the long run (used of course).
Been walking around the supermarkets doing conversions (I know, I know!) but also interesting to see the price differences on things between Coles and Woolworths. Seems also to be more 'ready meals' like back in London now on the shelves. Went to a pharmacy today, looked around and thought "Boots would make a killing here"
I wonder if they do franchises....
I know a few here are in Sydney so hopefully there will be a PH gathering or two
I forgot how huge the boot in a Camry is (when picked up from the airport yesterday) so likely will get a Camry V6 in the short term and will look at a Holden Statesman or Caprice in the long run (used of course).
Been walking around the supermarkets doing conversions (I know, I know!) but also interesting to see the price differences on things between Coles and Woolworths. Seems also to be more 'ready meals' like back in London now on the shelves. Went to a pharmacy today, looked around and thought "Boots would make a killing here"
I wonder if they do franchises....
I know a few here are in Sydney so hopefully there will be a PH gathering or two
WeirdNeville said:
Just be aware that when you get here it's very much a press of the reset button.
But it's a bit of an eye opener suddenly not having a credit card, an overdraft, any credit rating, any of the things you take for granted as available to any working UK citizen when you first land.
I think it gets better fairly fast, I know people have got contracts and hire purchase cars within 3 months, Credit cards too, and bought houses in 6 months, but on day one you'll be shocked.
And you'll need start up funds. Rentals here (well, Perth at least) are mental. They have 10+ people turning up to open house 15 min viewings, fighting over application forms and not even looking at the house. They can demand a few months rent up front plus bond - so look at having a good solid cash buffer behind you.
Nice weather though!
Thanks for heads up on that,I had not even really thought about lack of credit rating and consequence of that because I have never had to! I have heard the same about rentals. It is likely that we'll be slightly out of town, so hopefully that will make renting a little easier? Best I find some cash then!But it's a bit of an eye opener suddenly not having a credit card, an overdraft, any credit rating, any of the things you take for granted as available to any working UK citizen when you first land.
I think it gets better fairly fast, I know people have got contracts and hire purchase cars within 3 months, Credit cards too, and bought houses in 6 months, but on day one you'll be shocked.
And you'll need start up funds. Rentals here (well, Perth at least) are mental. They have 10+ people turning up to open house 15 min viewings, fighting over application forms and not even looking at the house. They can demand a few months rent up front plus bond - so look at having a good solid cash buffer behind you.
Nice weather though!
SGOxon said:
It is likely that we'll be slightly out of town, so hopefully that will make renting a little easier? Best I find some cash then!
How far 'out of town'?With regards to phones, I had a helpful guy who lied on my forms and put down years, instead of months so I could get a mobile contract.
My bank waited 2 months before authorising a credit card (waited until a few pay cheques had gone in).
We also got letters from 'Land lords' (friends) and the UK estate agent who sold our house - who said we looked after houses etc. so we could get into a rental.
Dont listen to all the negative stories about rentals in Perth.
I firmly believe it is a myth, propagated by people who want to spend as little as possible but at the same time, cant accept that if you pay peanuts, you'll get a pig sty.
When we arrived, we looked around at a few properties at $400-$500 per week and it's true, you get a lot of people looking and most of the properties has issues. However, none of them were un-liveable and everything could have been fixed easily, mainly with the help of a hoover and some cleaning products.
Once you start looking at $500-$600 a week, things start getting better. There are a lot less people at the viewings (2-3 couples) but the properties themselves still have things which you'd change in an ideal world.
We pay $600 per week for a small (by Aussie standards) house in Hillarys. For the same price we could get a place that was on a much bigger plot in Quinns Rocks. However, it all depends what you want.
Do you want to live on a new estate where the houses have been designed with the copy and paste buttons and it looks like a movie set? Or do you want to live in an established suburb with nice big trees, polite Australian neighbours and the feeling of being poor because you're the only house on the street without a BMW or Mercedes?
We went for the second option. Location, location, location.
If you want to live in a copy-and-paste suburb, surrounded by people from the north of England who have nothing better to do than compare prices between Australia and Tesco/Aldi that's fine - Its just not for us.
If you have a 176 permanent visa and a job sorted, you can get a credit card from Commonwealth Bank approved before you leave the UK and waiting for you when you arrive. Finance on cars is easy to get but I hear a contract phone is more difficult.
We spent $10k in the first couple of months.
Our agent wanted approx. $3k up front which included bond (deposit,) 4 weeks rent and a pet bond because we have a dog.
Where will you be working? "out-of-town" here can mean pretty far away if you're doing it to get a lower rent. Even up in Two Rocks you still pay a fair amount for a nice house and you're well over an hour away from the city.
I firmly believe it is a myth, propagated by people who want to spend as little as possible but at the same time, cant accept that if you pay peanuts, you'll get a pig sty.
When we arrived, we looked around at a few properties at $400-$500 per week and it's true, you get a lot of people looking and most of the properties has issues. However, none of them were un-liveable and everything could have been fixed easily, mainly with the help of a hoover and some cleaning products.
Once you start looking at $500-$600 a week, things start getting better. There are a lot less people at the viewings (2-3 couples) but the properties themselves still have things which you'd change in an ideal world.
We pay $600 per week for a small (by Aussie standards) house in Hillarys. For the same price we could get a place that was on a much bigger plot in Quinns Rocks. However, it all depends what you want.
Do you want to live on a new estate where the houses have been designed with the copy and paste buttons and it looks like a movie set? Or do you want to live in an established suburb with nice big trees, polite Australian neighbours and the feeling of being poor because you're the only house on the street without a BMW or Mercedes?
We went for the second option. Location, location, location.
If you want to live in a copy-and-paste suburb, surrounded by people from the north of England who have nothing better to do than compare prices between Australia and Tesco/Aldi that's fine - Its just not for us.
If you have a 176 permanent visa and a job sorted, you can get a credit card from Commonwealth Bank approved before you leave the UK and waiting for you when you arrive. Finance on cars is easy to get but I hear a contract phone is more difficult.
We spent $10k in the first couple of months.
Our agent wanted approx. $3k up front which included bond (deposit,) 4 weeks rent and a pet bond because we have a dog.
Where will you be working? "out-of-town" here can mean pretty far away if you're doing it to get a lower rent. Even up in Two Rocks you still pay a fair amount for a nice house and you're well over an hour away from the city.
Edited by 200bhp on Monday 19th November 04:45
200bhp said:
Dont listen to all the negative stories about rentals in Perth.
I firmly believe it is a myth, propagated by people who want to spend as little as possible but at the same time, cant accept that if you pay peanuts, you'll get a pig sty.
When we arrived, we looked around at a few properties at $400-$500 per week and it's true, you get a lot of people looking and most of the properties has issues. However, none of them were un-liveable and everything could have been fixed easily, mainly with the help of a hoover and some cleaning products.
Once you start looking at $500-$600 a week, things start getting better. There are a lot less people at the viewings (2-3 couples) but the properties themselves still have things which you'd change in an ideal world.
We pay $600 per week for a small (by Aussie standards) house in Hillarys. For the same price we could get a place that was on a much bigger plot in Quinns Rocks. However, it all depends what you want.
Do you want to live on a new estate where the houses have been designed with the copy and paste buttons and it looks like a movie set? Or do you want to live in an established suburb with nice big trees, polite Australian neighbours and the feeling of being poor because you're the only house on the street without a BMW or Mercedes?
We went for the second option. Location, location, location.
If you want to live in a copy-and-paste suburb, surrounded by people from the north of England who have nothing better to do than compare prices between Australia and Tesco/Aldi that's fine - Its just not for us.
If you have a 176 permanent visa and a job sorted, you can get a credit card from Commonwealth Bank approved before you leave the UK and waiting for you when you arrive. Finance on cars is easy to get but I hear a contract phone is more difficult.
We spent $10k in the first couple of months.
Our agent wanted approx. $3k up front which included bond (deposit,) 4 weeks rent and a pet bond because we have a dog.
Where will you be working? "out-of-town" here can mean pretty far away if you're doing it to get a lower rent. Even up in Two Rocks you still pay a fair amount for a nice house and you're well over an hour away from the city.
All good points.I firmly believe it is a myth, propagated by people who want to spend as little as possible but at the same time, cant accept that if you pay peanuts, you'll get a pig sty.
When we arrived, we looked around at a few properties at $400-$500 per week and it's true, you get a lot of people looking and most of the properties has issues. However, none of them were un-liveable and everything could have been fixed easily, mainly with the help of a hoover and some cleaning products.
Once you start looking at $500-$600 a week, things start getting better. There are a lot less people at the viewings (2-3 couples) but the properties themselves still have things which you'd change in an ideal world.
We pay $600 per week for a small (by Aussie standards) house in Hillarys. For the same price we could get a place that was on a much bigger plot in Quinns Rocks. However, it all depends what you want.
Do you want to live on a new estate where the houses have been designed with the copy and paste buttons and it looks like a movie set? Or do you want to live in an established suburb with nice big trees, polite Australian neighbours and the feeling of being poor because you're the only house on the street without a BMW or Mercedes?
We went for the second option. Location, location, location.
If you want to live in a copy-and-paste suburb, surrounded by people from the north of England who have nothing better to do than compare prices between Australia and Tesco/Aldi that's fine - Its just not for us.
If you have a 176 permanent visa and a job sorted, you can get a credit card from Commonwealth Bank approved before you leave the UK and waiting for you when you arrive. Finance on cars is easy to get but I hear a contract phone is more difficult.
We spent $10k in the first couple of months.
Our agent wanted approx. $3k up front which included bond (deposit,) 4 weeks rent and a pet bond because we have a dog.
Where will you be working? "out-of-town" here can mean pretty far away if you're doing it to get a lower rent. Even up in Two Rocks you still pay a fair amount for a nice house and you're well over an hour away from the city.
We opted for "just" over the $500/week threshold as this seems to be the budget/premium threshold, and is affordable for us. We've got a relatively central 3 bed townhouse in Victoria park for that, our first application. Sure, if you want a place in Como or freemantle or subicao you're going to have to fight for it, and pay as well, but across the board it's not like that.
And I don't think that Rockingham or Joodaloop to Perth central is a viable daily commute. People claim rockingham is 30 mins from Perth. It is, but that's 30 mins sat on the train. Rockingham station is nowhere near the nice bits of rockingham (i.e. the beach) and the door to door commute is more like 90 mins. Too far. I did a 1 hour + commute for a decade, and I'm not willing to subject my wife to that now we're here and she's the breadwinner. It's not why we got on the plane.
Beware poms in oz. I think many people who were dissatisfied enough with the UK to push them over here, would be dissatisfied with their own private island built to their exact specification. People b
h and moan about all sorts, but the fact is it's a nice place with decent people and weather, and it has a lot to commend it.Some people seem to think that 4 bedrooms and a pool is the be all and end all of existence. Personally I like some culture and vibrancy too, which is why we're moving into town.
However, it is worth being prepared for the rental market, and doing your research, because it's vastly higher pressure and pace than the UK market. Good homes in good areas are in very high demand.
Edited by WeirdNeville on Monday 19th November 05:17
Well fk me sideways.........
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two...
I know there is nothing in Two Rocks, but thats pretty much $200 a week less than we pay for a tiny 4 bed bungalow with no garage in Hillarys.
k me sideways.........http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two...
I know there is nothing in Two Rocks, but thats pretty much $200 a week less than we pay for a tiny 4 bed bungalow with no garage in Hillarys.
200bhp said:
Well fk me sideways.........
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two...
I know there is nothing in Two Rocks, but thats pretty much $200 a week less than we pay for a tiny 4 bed bungalow with no garage in Hillarys.
Looks sweet! But an hours commute into Perth is a bit strong - current commute is 30 mins, previously 1.5 - 2hrs, I don't want to regress to over 45 mins, so that probably means a pokier place for a while. k me sideways.........http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two...
I know there is nothing in Two Rocks, but thats pretty much $200 a week less than we pay for a tiny 4 bed bungalow with no garage in Hillarys.
I think pretty much any smart phone is a "world phone" isn't it?
Anyway, I can confirm our UK apple store bought iPhone 4S and UK T-mobile contract HTC Desire both work absolutely fine having had an Aussie Vodafone sim plonked in them. Plug and play, no unlocking or faff required, which was handy.
Anyway, I can confirm our UK apple store bought iPhone 4S and UK T-mobile contract HTC Desire both work absolutely fine having had an Aussie Vodafone sim plonked in them. Plug and play, no unlocking or faff required, which was handy.
200bhp said:
Well fk me sideways.........
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two...
I know there is nothing in Two Rocks, but thats pretty much $200 a week less than we pay for a tiny 4 bed bungalow with no garage in Hillarys.
Yeah, but it's more southern Geraldton than northern Perth. k me sideways.........http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two...
I know there is nothing in Two Rocks, but thats pretty much $200 a week less than we pay for a tiny 4 bed bungalow with no garage in Hillarys.
We move out of our Burswood apartment this month. Our house is in Bayswater.
A 3 bed in our building :-
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-wa...
The renters will be upset when that view has a 25 story hotel blocking the river, and a 16 story one blocking Perth, and the rest of the golf course is a car park.
Starts in April apparently.
Bibbs said:
200bhp said:
Well fk me sideways.........
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two...
I know there is nothing in Two Rocks, but thats pretty much $200 a week less than we pay for a tiny 4 bed bungalow with no garage in Hillarys.
Yeah, but it's more southern Geraldton than northern Perth. k me sideways.........http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two...
I know there is nothing in Two Rocks, but thats pretty much $200 a week less than we pay for a tiny 4 bed bungalow with no garage in Hillarys.
We move out of our Burswood apartment this month. Our house is in Bayswater.
A 3 bed in our building :-
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-wa...
The renters will be upset when that view has a 25 story hotel blocking the river, and a 16 story one blocking Perth, and the rest of the golf course is a car park.
Starts in April apparently.
Bibbs said:
How far 'out of town'?
Good question! It is easy to sit over here in UK looking at a map and thinking how commutable everything looks. Reality is probably very different. Just spoke to my brother in law and they have just moved to Cottesloe and reckons it is 30mins to the centre from there. Bottom line is I need to get there and get a job, property needs to come after that.Gassing Station | Australia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff