GETTING DOWN UNDER

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Comment by Lesley Jennings on August 2, 2009 at 1:41pm

Hi I can't believe it will take you that long to get the visas something seems wrong there. Is that what the agents are saying? I know they have slowed up due to the recession, etc. so perhaps thats it. It is 2 years this August since we applied although we did get the visa over a year ago we just haven't managed to sell the house. We have put it on again this week with a new agent and hope that now things seem to be going up rather than down we may have more luck. We would love to get there by Christmas but hey ho we are not banking on it. Trouble is you get the visa suddenly and unexpected and then it's panic mode and you can't sell the house. Good luck x

Comment by jennifer salter on August 1, 2009 at 1:32pm

Thank you for your comments Lesley - I will ask our agents for the telephone number and see if we get any joy. I hope you have now had viewers for your house and are close to selling - they says that things are imrpoving with the property market so fingers crossed for you. We have removed our house from the market as it does not look as though our visas will be looked at before June 2010 - which will be 23 months from when we applied! (on priority 4). We are glad that we did not get a sale before we found out about all the delays because our money would have been wasted on renting and we love our house which is across the road from childrens school, so would have been devestated if we were left without the house or visa! we have resigned ourselves to the fact that we may not get to oz til 2011 if at all ! we will review the housing market in January and see if any further news is available from DIAC at that time. Good luck for you all - sure you will be there before 2013 though. I will update you after we telephone them.

Comment by Lesley Jennings on July 19, 2009 at 6:26am

Hi Julie, many thanks for your comments, hope you get your visas too. Melbourne is a great city but so is Brisbane, I think they are definitely the best two apart from Sydney if you are single and young! We went to Melbourne in April for a month to validate our visas and find a place to live, etc. We talked to loads of people about jobs and all sorts. We don't think there will be too much problem getting jobs (hubby is electrician) but we are planning on building a house and some holiday cottages to let out as the area we want to live in is a holiday area. We hope this will give us enough income to live on and Warren will have less pressure to work. All the people we have met on poms in oz have all found jobs easily and all settled really well (including kids) and have never looked back. Just wish someone would come along and buy the house and we can start the adventure!

Comment by Julie Durie on July 18, 2009 at 10:22pm

Hi Lesley, Thanks for your reply. It is nice to hear of someone local getting in and i really hope you sell your house soon.Things do seem to be picking up a little bit, but we have also had our house on the market for 9mths and still haven,t sold.We are quite pleased though ,as we have no idea when we might get the visa. Thanks for the advice on medicals,i've never been sooo inpatient to see a doctor !!What did you think of Melbourne and do you think you'll find jobs quite easy,are they in demand in that area?We have family in Brisbane so thats why we decided to settle there and we haven't been to any other places.We haven't been to any meetings but i will look at poms down under as it will be nice to get to know some other people in oz.I'm really pleased you've got your visa and wish you all the best with the house and move. Julie.

Comment by Lesley Jennings on July 18, 2009 at 4:16pm

Hi Cal, thanks for your comments I know we will get there eventually we shouldn't be so impatient! Also, like you I keep thinking of all the things we need to buy before we come over (M&S knickers & Primark'd up)!! - lol to keep us going for a few years!
We have just put up a board of our own and have taken off the market with estate agents. We have had lots of calls but no one to view as yet. Probably due to the fact we are higher price bracket so not as many people around to afford it. We are prepared to drop - already gone down £50k it's either drop or stay here we think. Anyway, whereabouts are you and when did you go, etc.?

Comment by Cal on July 18, 2009 at 10:40am

Hi Lesley hang on in there you have plenty of time yet. Easy for me to say ,i know but make the most of the time you have left. We migrated in a rush really and i would have loved another few months to ''prepare''(or shop!). Oz is going nowhere and you have the golden ticket so fingers crossed the house sells soon and you can stop living in limbo. Have you tried advertising the house privately on websites, i know this has worked for a few english familys i have met over here. Lots of Luck
Cal x

Comment by migrationangel.com on July 18, 2009 at 1:34am

Hi Lesley,
It's a familiar story though.
Where have you decided to settle?