Nic964

I'd also suggest you take time to look at different areas around Perth, to give you a feel for where you may want to live. Prices vary significantly across the region, and my experience was that you do need to drive around and see different areas to get a feel for them.

Its easy to buy a car with cash, as Bibbs says above, you just need a postal address. In the current climate then $7500 can buy you a nice car, it just depends on what you are after. My first car out here was a old but nice Ford Falcon, which we paid $2500 for and toured WA in it. Plenty of small cars (Hyundai Getz) are available in the $2-3K level. Best of luck Nick

From my experience as a Chemical engineer, then I'd go with the Electronic engineer (as long as its on the Skills in demand list), as generally its easier to validate a degree qualification. You don't needs an ILETS results for a skills assessment. Mine was approved in a few weeks, based upon just my degree certificate. Hope that helps. Nick

Hi there, its good that you are thinking ahead. We've been out here since 2012, and over the last 9 months or so its certainly changed here. The slowdown in mining has put pressure on people in Perth, you can see that from the news, rentals availability is going up, house sales are slowing, and there is more unemployment. Has Perth been hammered - no, but it has returned to a more normal point in my view. We are still building large estates of new houses, and infrastructure is going up, in anticipation that things will improve, which in time they will. We've got several friends who moved out here 6 months ago, and all have found work within weeks of arriving. It may not be their ideal job, but as a way of living out here, and using it as a stepping stone, then they are really happy, and enjoying the free things out here (great weather, great beaches etc. etc.). I would continue with your plans and see closer to the time, and as long as you are flexible, I cant see a problem. Alternatively look elsewhere within Australia if the Visa allows. Nick

Hi, the figures quoted above are pretty close to ours,, but there are differences depending on where / how you live. We live in one of the cheaper areas (Kwinana) in an older 3 bed house, but with 800m2 of land. There are two of us (and 8 cats, but that's a different story). 1) We own our own house $250K, so rates are lower, only $1400/year, and our mortgage is $1100/month. 2) The Rego (car tax) is around $600/yr. That does include some basic 3rd party insurance, so you don't need further insurance by law. We take that chance and save money there. 3) We pay $120 for health care and we are a couple in our 50's. Other costs are pretty similar. Best of luck Nick

Hi go onto Gumtree, there's normally a number of people wanting to get rid of boxes, and generally free. Hope that helps Nick

Like you I enjoy my cars, and since moving out here, have run both local foreign cars. Gumtree is definitely the place to go for a variety of cars. I tend to filter on the below $2K, and there's loads of choice. I'm running a 1996 Mazda Bravo ute, which I brought for the great sum of $850 needing a head gasket. 2 years later, 4 tyres and an annual service, its still going strong, in fact yesterday I drove 400K towing a trailer picking up cars and it didn't miss a beat. You always then have the Falcon vs Commodore option. I wert of a 1997 Falcon, with 4 litre straight 6. Fantastic cruising car, especially here in WA, where things are so spread out. apart from fuel consumption, and a coil that failed, we had that for 2 years, again a $2k car. Only sold it because we didn't need the size. It really depends on what you want, a big car go for something local, but if you want a small hatchback, then there is nothing local, but loads of Japanese makes that are available. Nick

Have a discussion with someone like iSelect. We found them really helpful. You don't have to have private medical insurance, Medicare does cover you for general medical, though not dental, optical etc. We didn't have medical insurance for the first 12 months and Medicare did us fine. We now have basic cover with HBF, who are not for profit health cover, so we found them cost effective. Just an option. Nick

I would both start with the major job sites, e.g. seek etc., and look at the jobs available. Those jobs are typically put on there by agents, so you can then go direct to them. Until your out here I would expect there would be limited interest. Isn't a 457 normally sponsored by an employer anyway? Best of luck Nick

Hi its difficult to generalize, as there are agents as well as indivuduals who rent out their homes here in WA. Most agents are realty (estate) agents, so they sell houses as well as rent them out on behalf of the owners, and I hear very little negative press. Most realty agents are part of large chains, so again they have to have a high standard. Private rentals can be more variable, I think however as long as the house you are looking to rent is in a good state, then that reflects the owners and the way they do business. Overall I wouldn't be too concerned, plus the fact at the moment there are a lot more rental properties on the market, so you do have plenty of choice. Hope that helps nick

I agree that the cost can vary widely depending on how you live. Our breakdown is as follows, there are two of us (and 4 cats - that's a different story) Mortgage $1100/month for $210K Cars HP $300 for a 3 year old fiesta. Car insurance $30/month Phones - BYO $40 for two (we use facetime all the time) Internet $70/month Foxtel $50/month Petrol is around $1.40/litre so you can work costs from there Gas $60/2 month Water $150/2 months Elec $150/2 months Rates (if your buying) $1500/yea Private health cover (hospital only) $100/month Food around $150/week if here careful. If your renting, then typically the landlord pays the rates, and for us some of the water bills, as we watered the garden. You can rent here now a lot cheaper than when we came. Depending on the area then $300 upwards for a 3x1. Cars cost anywhere from $1000 upwards. You can really live cheaply if you want to, we started on a lot less, no foxtel, renting a house, making all our food from scratch, using markets etc for food, no car insurance. Start with the basic and move up from there. Enjoy the free things in life as well, a walk along the beach costs nothing and remind you why you came. Nick

I also didn't need to provide any proof of NCB. They just asked me how many years I'd had a license and if I'd claimed in the last 5 years. It isn't expensive here, your Rego already comes with a 3rd party insurance, which covers the cost of personnel injury if you hit someone, so they don't have to hike up costs like the UK. You also don't have to have separate insurance because of that, but if you hit someone / something the rego insurance only covers injury to a person, so repair costs of their car (if it was your fault) is up to you. Nick

Insurance here is optional. You pay for 3rd party insurance with your rego, which isn't great, but it means that you don't have to panic around insurance. We found insurance here is really cheap, we didn't bother with our UK NCB but fully comp on a new Ford Fiesta was only $300 a year. Hope that helps. Nick

We used electric heaters last year when we had visitors and the cost was high, so I would suggest Gas will be cheaper. Nick

We are a couple in our 50's who moved out to WA about three years ago. We have a newly renovated 3x1 in Kwinana (SOR), which apart from when our kids are over (once a year), we have two empty bedrooms. One is a double bed, the other single. Rather that just leave them empty 50 weeks of the year, we're offering them as short term accommodation, if people want somewhere to start finding their way here in WA. We are clean non-smoking people, quiet, and just enjoy being out here in WA. We have a large back garden, full of gumtrees etc, so in the evening its great to sit out and just chill. Its only 20 minutes walk to the train station, and easy access to bus services etc. Anyway its an open offer, we can discuss rent, timing etc if anyone is interested. Oh yes we do have 4 cats, so as long as you don't mind lots of attention from them, then everything's great. Nick

Its easy to open a bank account before you arrive in Australia. We went with Commonwealth bank, but there are a number of others. We deposited money from overseas, but didn't receive any cards till we arrived, which suited us fine. The account typically has a monthly fee, so its a good idea to add some money, we tended to do it as a lump sum. Easy to do and they are really helpful I find. Nick

I'm not an official mechanic, but with 30 years car servicing and rebuilds I know my way around cars. If your struggling to find someone (I don't know anyone specifically in Mandurah), then let me know, I'm happy to come and have a look. What car is it, and what's the problem? Nick

I wouldn't bother myself. We picked up antique wardrobes on Gumtree for next to nothing, and in fact one was on the side of the road for free!!! Australia seems to have a very migrant workforce, and with WA in recession, people are moving away. That means there's a lot of "stuff" being given away, people just sell up and go. So only bring what you truly want, ans the rest pick it up when you here. Best of luck. Nick

Hi, I'm a Chemical engineer, who moved out to WA in 2012, when things were at a high (25 years experience). Unfortunately, the market here has changed dramatically, as construction projects have now either been finished, or scaled down, and the mining industry specifically looking at cost cutting. I work on the Kwinana strip, which is the major industrial area within Perth, and for professional people, we are seeing typically 100+ applicants for each vacant position. It doesn't mean that positions are not available, but try looking at websites like seek and search for jobs. Other areas of Australia are not in as bad a shape, so if you don't want to risk WA, then looks elsewhere. sorry to provide a downbeat answer, butt his is the reality, at least for a few years. By the time you get your Visa approved, things may change, but that is how it is at the moment. Hope this helps

WA is slowing down, the mining industry is slowing down, with redundancies happening all the time which is hurting. Multiple new housing estates are however still underway, supporting the longer term growth in WA. I think that activity will also slow down, but still ongoing. Try gauging Gumtree for people looking for work, that gives a feel for where the quiet areas are. Hope that helps a bit. Nick

I use Justin Smith in Rockingham (30 mins from Freemantle), when we first arrived, and he was helpful, not pushy. would use him again.

Well done, I found them really helpful, when I got my skills assessed. Keep going, its worth it. We've been here 3 years now, and luv the Perth lifestyle. Nick

I did the whole process without an agent. Skilled migration tends to be easiest, as the criteria are clear. I had to do an ilets, just to get sufficient points which was fun, but overall everything was straightforward, and saved a fair amount. I'm an engineer. Nick

Look at Gumtree, there's loads of both for sale as people move to / from Perth, so you will have no problems picking them up when you arrive. Perth has at times a real throw away society, so bikes esp are cheap. Cars can be expensive, however if your not fussy, then an perfectly good car can be had for around $2K. Best of luck and enjoy. Nick

Ours are slighty different, so thought this may be worthwhile, as we have a simpler life, no aircon, but this is for a 3 bed house Water $200 at most every 2 months Elecricity $150 every 2 months Internet $70/month Gas same Foxtel - we have the medium spec package (not a sports fan) only $50 Mobile phone - same, if you use your old phone its only $40 No Gym, lots of lovely walks instead. Council rates around $1500 Nick