Not sure if we can afford to do this anymore?

[Guest GAFFBAM]

Hi all, having got our 136 skilled visa and lucky enough to have been on a reccie i'm not sure if we can afford to do this anymore? How are you all surviving? By the time you've paid your rent, there can't be much left for anything else.

My husband is a carpenter and I sit here at this laptop for hours on end doing my research into jobs but when you see them advertised for $20 per hour it does make you wonder. We are unable to get any concrete information re salaries even though he is up at 5am sometimes, calling construction companies/agencies and anybody else on mycareer.com that maybe interested. We can appreciate how hard it is giving somebody in the UK info on jobs when we're not even out there yet but does anybody know on average how much a carpenter can earn on an average 40 hour week. Before we started this process the reason we picked Adelaide was because of the house prices but we have decided because of the current climate here we wouldn't sell our house and we couldn't sell our rental. The goal posts have changed dramatically. I am quite fussy about where I live but there are some pretty grim places out there (The Sullivans come to mind sometimes) and I know I wouldn't be happy in just anywhere. I'm even looking at 2 beds as opposed to 3 which is what I really need. We know we want to live in Glenelg/Brighton, we have been to the schools and picked them out, probably 2 of the hardest things to conquer and i'm trying to secure a winter holiday let to tie us over before we commit to anything for 12 months. I'm not giving up but financially things don't seem to stack up. All you 'newbies' out there, how are you finding it? Pls let me know.

[jo_marnes]

We aren't there yet but like you have concerns about wages and actually getting a job. However, we KNOW we can't afford to live in Glenelg/ Brighton, so we aren't even looking there. We have a 3 bed here and while we'd like a 4 bed (we have 3 kids), again we know its not realistic to expect to be able to afford that on one wage. I guess we just expect it to be a struggle until the kids are all at school and we can have 2 incomes. But we are prepared to do that in order to have a better life in a few years.

 

We will just have to do everything we can until we qualify for family benefits etc. If I have to work p/t then I will. Its all about budgeting and making sacrifices in order to benefit in the long run.

[Guest natdan]

Hi all, having got our 136 skilled visa and lucky enough to have been on a reccie i'm not sure if we can afford to do this anymore? How are you all surviving? By the time you've paid your rent, there can't be much left for anything else.

My husband is a carpenter and I sit here at this laptop for hours on end doing my research into jobs but when you see them advertised for $20 per hour it does make you wonder. We are unable to get any concrete information re salaries even though he is up at 5am sometimes, calling construction companies/agencies and anybody else on mycareer.com that maybe interested. We can appreciate how hard it is giving somebody in the UK info on jobs when we're not even out there yet but does anybody know on average how much a carpenter can earn on an average 40 hour week. Before we started this process the reason we picked Adelaide was because of the house prices but we have decided because of the current climate here we wouldn't sell our house and we couldn't sell our rental. The goal posts have changed dramatically. I am quite fussy about where I live but there are some pretty grim places out there (The Sullivans come to mind sometimes) and I know I wouldn't be happy in just anywhere. I'm even looking at 2 beds as opposed to 3 which is what I really need. We know we want to live in Glenelg/Brighton, we have been to the schools and picked them out, probably 2 of the hardest things to conquer and i'm trying to secure a winter holiday let to tie us over before we commit to anything for 12 months. I'm not giving up but financially things don't seem to stack up. All you 'newbies' out there, how are you finding it? Pls let me know.

 

Having just returned from a brilliant 5 week validating visa / reccie trip which cost so much [ wasted money ], we are more determined than ever to get this house sold and get back over there to adelaide . We consider ourselves to be fortunate to have been granted a PR visa and want to be there so much that we will do whats needed to get there. If We have to lower the house price to sell so be it , We also know its going to be a sruggle etc at first overthere, but if we work at it, it will work out eventually. we are not giong to give up on this oppurtunity.no way.

Maybe you could consider living in a different area of adelaide than Glenelg, maybe Elizibeth/ Gepps cross..LOL....and move to Glenelg when your settled... LOL

As for carpenters / joiners pay, you should be able to get by on $1500 a week.

Good luck in whatever you decide .

 

Wyne n Louise

[Guest GAFFBAM]

We moved from London to the Isle of Wight 7 years ago and made huge financial sacrifices. We would now like to progress financially which we haven't been able to do whilst living here. Whilst it's not all about money, for us it would be very important that we made enough to live on comfortably, otherwise we personally wouldn't be happy. The Isle of Wight is quite rural, very quiet, with not a lot happening, especially in Winter and we now want a different life. We have a beautiful home with fab sea views but it doesn't make up for the 'buzz' which we had when we lived in London. I know Adelaide isn't London but you get the best of both worlds and is a happy compromise. Personally for us, where we live is a major factor and although I know there are cheaper suburbs we want to be central. We are very clear about where we want to live having made 2 visits to Oz. I appreciate that everybody is different but we made our sacrifices 7 years ago and now we are ready to move on if we can? $1500 per week would be fine to live on but that's not the figure we're getting when talking to agencies. We've been told around the $25ph ($1000) and some even advertised at $20ph, less taxes, which is a lot less than my husband is earning now.Tax I believe is around the 30% mark . If there are any chippies out there working who could give us some info that would be great. Thanks!

[Guest thebaddeleys]

Hi,

 

I thought I would add to this tread as I was in a similar boat to you before we came out here!

 

We managed to get a great house in Glenelg north (eventually) but we had to pay over the odds on the rent to secure it as there was so much competition. People were securing the houses before they had even seen them on the open day! There is alot of competion and you will need to fast when you see one you think you like.

 

Our initial fears have come true for us, its a struggle every month so far! Luckily my husband can earn commission of he hits targets etc so we are praying ever month that he gets some deals in! Not a nice way to live as he feels so much pressure knowing that if he doesn't get some deals we are going to struggle alot.

 

It came to the point a few weeks ago where it seemed our only choice was to come home back to the UK as we were a millions time more wealthy back home. Maybe have a read of the post I did call "going back home..should we do it?" its a long one but I think It may help you decide what to do.

 

Good luck, takecare,

 

Kerry x

[Guest Bakers]

Hi all thought i'd add few thoughts we were quite the opposite had great house 4 bed back in UK but were living on the breadline week in week out & couldnt afford holidays etc but we were lucky & sold house at right time just before the crash (sept 08) & arrived in Adelaide 21st Oct we had short term rentals at first which cost alot of money & it was hard finding rental as everywhere got snapped up so quick & we wanted somewhere decent we could settle for year,but my hubby had job offer in first week & started work in our 4th week here (he's a butcher) & the wage isn't too bad about $1000 a week so $800 ish take home i don't work at present with having the little one but we were lucky enough on our visa to qualify for family tax benefit (our family allowance not means tested) & also get rent assistance which is great we found rental in Seaford about 30 min drive south down coast from Glenelg as it's quite a bit cheaper & we managed to get 5 bed for around what you'll pay for 3 there & alls good,obviously we have to be careful with money especially as things havent got as bad here yet as back in UK but we can afford to have days out,pay bills,live & still have small amount left think it all depends on your circumstances but i feel i would rather be here in this beautiful country where the sun shines most days & beaches don't cost (they are amazing) kids can be kids & so much to still explore & breaking even then back in the UK doing it & thats only after 3 months here surely it can only get more enjoyable.

Good luck with whatever decisions you make but hand on heart i can say we made the right one it was worth all the sweat,worry,heartache & tears just to stand out front & catch that glimpse of the ocean every day all the best to your family & enjoy the rollercoaster Tess x:)

[Guest Nick11]

[we can? $1500 per week would be fine to live on but that's not the figure we're getting when talking to agencies. We've been told around the $25ph ($1000) and some even advertised at $20ph, less taxes, which is a lot less than my husband is earning now.Tax I believe is around the 30% mark . If there are any chippies out there working who could give us some info that would be great. Thanks!

 

I think $1500 a week is a lot. The chippies we know are on a lot less than that.

[Guest Claireg]

Hi

Just thought i would also give you my thoughts!! We moved here in Nov 08 leaving the UK behind in a very bad way and thinking what are we going too, what if Oz is going the same way with the job cuts, shops shutting, food shop going up each week, not able to go on days out because of the cost or weather. My hubby is a bricklayer and for all his job would have taken him until at least March we still had that 'what if' happens in the back of our minds.

 

So like i say we arrived in November albeit in the Gold Coast to spend at least 4 days looking for work (hubby) and we did everything, drove around building sites, contacted agencies, rang building companies out of the yellow pages and rang adverts in the paper (which had seemed to have gone straight away). As you can imagine we were worried sick what were we going to do, then my friend rang from Adelaide and she gave me 3 telephone numbers out of the paper looking for birckies, he rang the 1st one and got offered the job there and then, so we hopped onto another flight and here we are.

 

We have a rental in Hallett Cove (with the rest of the english!!) Mark has worked since we arrived and to be honest we are a little betteroff. We get family tax beneift and rent assistance and i wont lie to you i do find the fruit and veg here expensive but as for the rest of the food shopping its the same price somthings differ but as we were leaving the UK my weekly shopping was going up by £20 a week give or take a few pounds! Kids clothes too seem expensive and bed sheets! So stock up on kids clothes from Asda etc my container is full of clothes for our daughter!!

 

And as for spending like others have said it costs nothing to go to the beach, we take the cool box full of food and spend the day there or the park and there are loads of parks. Even a day at Marion pool doesnt cost the earth.

 

We love it here and wouldnt go back to the UK just seeing how much our daughter has changed she has become more independant, and sure of herself and the other thing is we hardly see her! 6 going on 16!!

 

I dont have any advice for you, only you know what you really want to do and whats in your heart. So I'll leave it there and hope you make the right decisionfor you and your family.

 

Good luck with whatever you do

 

Claire x x x

[Guest cornish Busdriver]

G,day.

Dont know if this helps but this was my budget when i fiorst got here: Buget $20,000 or 9K uk.

 

HOUSE:

$1980.00 Bond

$660.00 First 2 weeks rent

$2640.00 8 weeks back up rent

$5000 Furnishing

 

CAR

$4000 + rego + insurance

 

TOTAL $14,280.

 

Leaving $5,720 for shopping, paying bills and going out with for 8 weeks.

Im now working and earning so my budget worked out well for me.

[catherine.c]

Hi

We live in Glenelg - pay $370 a week rent for 3 bed townhouse 2 streets away from beach. We are not in building game but hubby brings home approx $800 a week and I bring home approx $1000 a week. About 3 weeks out of 4 we manage to save my wage (need to for Uni fees and few other things) but we are manageing to live perectly well. We go out more than we did in the UK. Sometimes round to bbqs sometimes out for meals, go to the beach, hubby plays golf often, go to frequent events round glenelg and the city, am gong to wildlife park this weekend, and moonlight cinema, will go to winery for lunch, curry with friends in evening, thinking about going on dolphin 'cruise' so surviving very well on our income.

We came out with very little money and watched our cents closely, buying furniture etc from ebay and similar. I cycle to work to avoid the expense of a second car which is a bit of a drag! Especially as I work shifts (nurse).

We still have property in the UK as with the current climate we did not think it was worth selling - also the exchange rate at the moment is pretty crap. We did however have jobs to go too and I know hat this makes a big difference.

We also do not have young children at home with the expense that they bring. We do however have a 23 yr old daughter (the one going to Uni) who, although working casually now, was needing money to build up a social life etc.

Incidentally after applying for many posts my daughter did not hear anything for a while then received I think 4 offers of jobs - all at $20 an hour. This might be a standard wage for casual work? not sure. She is currently in finance office in city but will be staring new positions next week coaching sport with kids and also working in leisure centre so quite different roles but same money.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is that you can live moderately cheaply without much sacrifice - just look at it as being for the short term, dont take your financial worries out on each other and look for better paid jobs when you are out here.

Good Luck

Catherine

[Guest GAFFBAM]

Thank you to everybody for all your stories and your support it really helps to hear about all the different experiences everybody has.

We started this process 2 years ago with our visit to the East Coast and I think everybody is in agreement, Australia isn't as cheap as it used to be!

I think that things may be slightly different for us as this will be our 'huge' second move. I know the Isle of Wight isn't Australia but as far as lifestyles and people go, compared to London, it may as well have been as it is completely different to, as we say 'The mainland'. The average salary here is around £6ph. I came from working in the City, in the Banking Industry, to earning £6 per hour and because of our naivety/lack of research we didn't know that the salaries were so low and because of 'transport costs' accross the water everything is much more expensive. Thankfully my husband earned the same money as he did in London so we survived. I pretty much have stayed at home with my 2 children on and off but we now want to move to the 'next' level, personally and financially. I want to be able to enjoy all Australia has to offer. My children have had a wonderful time growing up on the Isle of Wight. It has been safe, wonderful beaches on my doorstep and my 12 yr old daughter even surfs. It is very beautiful here and very scenic but I know that you can't live on fresh air, sea views and beaches.

I loved Glenelg, the lifestyle, cafe culture, restaurants, marina and everything that it has to offer. I think we may need to take a leap of faith and just go for it. If anything, I know that I'll earn more than £6ph! Thanks again everyone for all your comments and watch this space, hopefully we'll get there............

Angela

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Thank you to everybody for all your stories and your support it really helps to hear about all the different experiences everybody has.

We started this process 2 years ago with our visit to the East Coast and I think everybody is in agreement, Australia isn't as cheap as it used to be!

I think that things may be slightly different for us as this will be our 'huge' second move. I know the Isle of Wight isn't Australia but as far as lifestyles and people go, compared to London, it may as well have been as it is completely different to, as we say 'The mainland'. The average salary here is around £6ph. I came from working in the City, in the Banking Industry, to earning £6 per hour and because of our naivety/lack of research we didn't know that the salaries were so low and because of 'transport costs' accross the water everything is much more expensive. Thankfully my husband earned the same money as he did in London so we survived. I pretty much have stayed at home with my 2 children on and off but we now want to move to the 'next' level, personally and financially. I want to be able to enjoy all Australia has to offer. My children have had a wonderful time growing up on the Isle of Wight. It has been safe, wonderful beaches on my doorstep and my 12 yr old daughter even surfs. It is very beautiful here and very scenic but I know that you can't live on fresh air, sea views and beaches.

I loved Glenelg, the lifestyle, cafe culture, restaurants, marina and everything that it has to offer. I think we may need to take a leap of faith and just go for it. If anything, I know that I'll earn more than £6ph! Thanks again everyone for all your comments and watch this space, hopefully we'll get there............

Angela

 

CHASE YOUR DREAMS, CATCH THEM, HOLD THEM TIGHT AND NEVER LET THEM GO !!!

 

We landed in Adelaide with not much more than £10k and we have just passed our 9month mark, yeh we have had some real crap times, we could write a book about our roller coaster ride.

 

I am a toolmaker and have had 4 jobs in that 9 month period, the mrs is at work doing split shifts which isnt great but she loves it, we have not got a massive wage coming in but it keeps us going with a little bit left for treats every now and again.

 

I am looking at a total career change to get some extra money coming in.

 

Just dnt lose the faith and the reason for doing what you are about to do, you have to change when you get here and forget about whatever has gone before this is all new adapt to it and you will be fine.

 

Good luck.

[wizzywozza]

I'd love to have a job that pays $20 or more an hour!

 

I'm a machine setter/operator on under $17 an hour, and hubby is on a very low income at the mo, and we live perfectly well on that. Of course, despite our low incomes and the fact I've paid taxes here for 18 years we are not entitled to any rent assistance so my rent is 60% of my take home pay.

 

We could live like royalty on some of the wages I've seen mentioned in this thread.

[cormcvcr]

Hi all, having got our 136 skilled visa and lucky enough to have been on a reccie i'm not sure if we can afford to do this anymore? How are you all surviving? By the time you've paid your rent, there can't be much left for anything else.

My husband is a carpenter and I sit here at this laptop for hours on end doing my research into jobs but when you see them advertised for $20 per hour it does make you wonder. We are unable to get any concrete information re salaries even though he is up at 5am sometimes, calling construction companies/agencies and anybody else on mycareer.com that maybe interested. We can appreciate how hard it is giving somebody in the UK info on jobs when we're not even out there yet but does anybody know on average how much a carpenter can earn on an average 40 hour week. Before we started this process the reason we picked Adelaide was because of the house prices but we have decided because of the current climate here we wouldn't sell our house and we couldn't sell our rental. The goal posts have changed dramatically. I am quite fussy about where I live but there are some pretty grim places out there (The Sullivans come to mind sometimes) and I know I wouldn't be happy in just anywhere. I'm even looking at 2 beds as opposed to 3 which is what I really need. We know we want to live in Glenelg/Brighton, we have been to the schools and picked them out, probably 2 of the hardest things to conquer and i'm trying to secure a winter holiday let to tie us over before we commit to anything for 12 months. I'm not giving up but financially things don't seem to stack up. All you 'newbies' out there, how are you finding it? Pls let me know.

 

Hi there,

 

I understand how you feel, we too went throught the same thing ( OH a painter/decorator - self employed).

 

We did a reccie in march 07 and thought with the money we made from our house, we could afford a decent one here in the area we wanted to live. But coming in March 08 things changed.

 

Houses were a more expensive, jobs weren't as easy to come by, shopping was proving a bit more complicated than we first thought, especially trying to keep to a budget.

 

If I can offer one piece of advice, it will be to bring everything with you, even if you don't like it in the house you are in. We made the huge mistake of getting rid of pretty much everything and only bringing a small portion of our belongings with us. But our taste as it is doesn't change much just because we are on the other side of the world. You buy similar if not the same kind of things that you left behind. You pay for a container anyway....fill it!

 

Prepare yourselves for a rollercoaster ride, but remember there are people here who have went through the same as yourselves, who are on here to offer the hand of friendship.

 

Don't aim too high, accept what you can get and work on it until you get to where you want to be.

 

We have all been in situations throughout our lives where we have been through hard times and think when we have managed to surface again that we don't want to go through it again, but in all honesty, situations like that never leave us, they just turn up again in a different way. We all work through and achieve what we want and get to where we deem acceptable, then we sit back and contemplate.....what a ride!!!

 

Enjoy, embrace and think hard of how much you want it....only you can decide x

[Guest 0125dannydanny]

hi all. I'm new here and am almost 100% sure this is the right area for me to start a new life in Australia.

anyway I'd be going over and looking for a Chef job. I'm looking at starting on $20 to get a min wage idea.

To me $500 a week seems fine to start, I've seen some great places to rent for $300 a week. Would that leave me with enough to live on with whats left?

 

also what income tax and national insurance would be taken out of wage?

 

I'm looking to apply for th skills visa, is it worth paying an agent to help? what would be the total cost for that? and what good ones are out there to help out with application?

[Guest lastboyscout]

I'd love to have a job that pays $20 or more an hour!

 

I'm a machine setter/operator on under $17 an hour, and hubby is on a very low income at the mo, and we live perfectly well on that. Of course, despite our low incomes and the fact I've paid taxes here for 18 years we are not entitled to any rent assistance so my rent is 60% of my take home pay.

 

We could live like royalty on some of the wages I've seen mentioned in this thread.

 

 

I totally agree, I wish I was on that sort of money

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

I'd love to have a job that pays $20 or more an hour!

 

I'm a machine setter/operator on under $17 an hour, and hubby is on a very low income at the mo, and we live perfectly well on that. Of course, despite our low incomes and the fact I've paid taxes here for 18 years we are not entitled to any rent assistance so my rent is 60% of my take home pay.

 

We could live like royalty on some of the wages I've seen mentioned in this thread.

 

I know what your saying, its the same as those folk who say " we have sold our house in thr uk and is £350,000 enought to survive on "

 

You have to adapt, and as i have said before you have to leave the way lived behind you and start again.

 

Aussie folk seem to live ok and they seem happy enough on the wages they are getting sure some times you have to juggle the figures around but we get by on one wage.

[lorluc]

hi all. I'm new here and am almost 100% sure this is the right area for me to start a new life in Australia.

anyway I'd be going over and looking for a Chef job. I'm looking at starting on $20 to get a min wage idea.

To me $500 a week seems fine to start, I've seen some great places to rent for $300 a week. Would that leave me with enough to live on with whats left?

 

also what income tax and national insurance would be taken out of wage?

 

I'm looking to apply for th skills visa, is it worth paying an agent to help? what would be the total cost for that? and what good ones are out there to help out with application?

 

HI

 

My husband is a chef and to be honest $20 is going to be a pretty good rate......and that would be at the higher end as well. But to get that kind of wage, they will want your blood, sweat and tears as well!

 

The majority of the chef jobs are casual......which if you are a family looking for security is not helpful at all.

 

There are permanent jobs out there, but not very common.

 

Jon is lucky that he has managed to get permanent work.

 

Lorraine

[Guest Jo&Phil]

Glenelg and Brighton are likely to be quite expensive for rentals but you could be within easy distance of them and still perhaps manage the same schools in Seacombe Gardens, Marion, Flagstaff Hill.

 

If beachside is a must, have you thought about Aldinga, Hallett Cove, Noarlunga Downs .... bit further south and certainly much cheaper but still quite near to city and good train access too.

[Guest Fancy a Beer]

I can only imagine those saying they are surviving on these really low wages each week dont have kids! As a standard family of 4 no matter how hard I try we cant survive on that!! We have a lovely house, 2 cars, blah blah but we do struggle financially more so here than the UK to be honest!

 

As others have commented before Glenelg is very expensive, as is Brighton think there are many on here that would love to live there, whilst I agree with that follow your dream thing there is such a line as being reasonable, and setting your sights totally out of our reach is going to lead to constant disappointment!!

 

Before you make a decision you should take a look at other suburbs there are so many that have a lot of offer!!

[Guest 0125dannydanny]

thanks for the help!

 

oh, Do you remember what stage you have to show my birth cert in the Visa application process?

[Guest ReadyPenny]

You can scan it in in colour and upload it to the visa app. You can do this at the time you complete the app or within the following 28 days. We had to get copies of our birth certs before we started the visa app

 

Mandy

[Guest Carl Hallam]

We moved from London to the Isle of Wight 7 years ago and made huge financial sacrifices. We would now like to progress financially which we haven't been able to do whilst living here. Whilst it's not all about money, for us it would be very important that we made enough to live on comfortably, otherwise we personally wouldn't be happy. The Isle of Wight is quite rural, very quiet, with not a lot happening, especially in Winter and we now want a different life. We have a beautiful home with fab sea views but it doesn't make up for the 'buzz' which we had when we lived in London. I know Adelaide isn't London but you get the best of both worlds and is a happy compromise. Personally for us, where we live is a major factor and although I know there are cheaper suburbs we want to be central. We are very clear about where we want to live having made 2 visits to Oz. I appreciate that everybody is different but we made our sacrifices 7 years ago and now we are ready to move on if we can? $1500 per week would be fine to live on but that's not the figure we're getting when talking to agencies. We've been told around the $25ph ($1000) and some even advertised at $20ph, less taxes, which is a lot less than my husband is earning now.Tax I believe is around the 30% mark . If there are any chippies out there working who could give us some info that would be great. Thanks!

HI just wondered where u ras we arein Cowes and fly 18 Aug i,m a sparky no job yet but still looking forward to it.

[Guest njacinthebox]

Hi there, just wanted to add to the thread. Good friends of ours have just returned yesterday to the Isle of Wight (Shanklin), they had been out here 18mths, couldnt wait to get back there ! Yes the wages are low my husband is being quoted $20-$25 an hour when he has been to interviews. We been here 6 months and he has not found work still and we are PR, skilled 136. We felt the same as your researching from the UK regarding areas etc. No way we could afford those areas you talk about in reality. Good luck in all you do.

Jacqui :v_SPIN:

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

HI just wondered where u ras we arein Cowes and fly 18 Aug i,m a sparky no job yet but still looking forward to it.

 

 

PM Too Easy off here mate, he is a sparky earning $30 an hour he is a good bloke who will offer you some help and advice.