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Your choice of home will be one of the most important decisions you make. Here are some vital tips for finding the home of your dreams in Australia and some helpful hints on life once you have moved in.
Plan ahead - Do as much of the initial research as you can before you move. There are always pros and cons to particular neighbourhoods and you will want to ensure that you and your family make the right choice.
If you are planning to rent when you arrive, remember that you may need some references. Australians who rent will normally have a credit check carried out on them. In the absence of a credit record in Australia, you will need to make alternative arrangements.
The buying and selling process is different in Australia. Once both sides agree an offer you have a legal agreement, so there's no pulling out at the last minute. Your sale should go through in just four weeks. Auctions are also a popular method of buying and selling homes.
If you are planning to get a mortgage in Australia you will need a larger deposit than you may be used to. This is because you wont have a credit record in Australia. Your deposit is likely to be at least 20%. The key is to choose the right mortgage advisor.
If you've ever dreamt of building your dream home, Australia is definitely the place to do it. It's very common for people to buy land and then have a house built. Because this is so widespread, there is a massive home build industry which often makes the process less problematic than in the other countries.
When you have work done on your house, even the simplest work often needs to be done by someone who is licensed. For example, in many areas if you want to change a plug you will have to call in a licensed electrician. This may sound extreme, but if you don't follow the regulations, your home insurance policy could be void.
Talking of plugs, the good news is that if you come from the UK, Australia uses 240v, which is the same. So you can take your electrical goods with you (although TVs, VCRs and fridges are not recommended) But you will need to change all of your plugs. Because of the regulations mentioned above, I would recommend getting them professionally changed. One other point, if you're a tradesman with 110V tools, you may not be able to use them in Australia for site work.
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