Thinking of moving to Western Australia? This is my experience

Perth is in the grips of a skills shortage with construction being one of the most impacted industries. It’s largely a consequence of pandemic measures – huge economic stimulus, lengthy border closures (and therefore little to no migration) and general good fortune in avoiding the worst of the virus. The Government of Western Australia is going all out to entice people to relocate to our great state, with targets on the backs of the Brits and Irish in particular. As a Pom who has called Perth home for almost 11 years now, here’s my take on what it’s like to make the move and why I’d encourage anyone to give it some serious thought.

?

My (now) wife and I moved here in June 2012 during the last WA boom. We arrived at Perth Airport with 3 weeks booked in someone’s spare room via Airbnb. No job to go to, nowhere permanent to live. We had 2 bags of clothes each and some sentimental belongings packed into a shipping container due to arrive 12 weeks behind us. We hadn’t been to Perth, or even Western Australia before, so we arrived with an open mind. It was daunting but exciting at the same time. We knew virtually nobody here but made the effort to reach out to all of the ‘mates of mates of mates’ we had been put in contact with prior to our arrival. All of them were willing to meet up despite having never met us before, even if it was just to welcome us or give us some ‘fresh off the boat’ advice. We quickly learned that people here are prepared to give you a chance. It’s something that still rings true today, 11 years on. We’re truly grateful to the people who did give us those early chances and the opportunity to establish some roots in WA. We both had offers of work within 4 days of arriving in WA. You need to come with a positive mindset, a likeable attitude and be able to present yourself well, then you need to get yourself out there and opportunities will come. If you can transfer with an existing employer then that’s a big leg up. While qualifications are important, we have found having the right experience speaks volumes. British and Irish-gained skills and experience are held in high esteem here and are generally easily transferable.

?

There are some fantastic suburbs to live around the Perth metro area. If you are considering a move, identify the must-have attributes, the nice-to-haves and the definite dislikes before you start searching so you don’t get overwhelmed with the options. Don’t get hung up on finding a place to live before you even board the plane, it’s difficult to do so without presenting yourself face-to-face. Book a holiday let for a few weeks or stay with friends or family if you have that option.

?

We rented a home to start with so we could find our feet and try different suburbs. Renting is easier said than done at the moment but the housing market was in a very similar position when we arrived in 2012 – 50+ groups attending viewings, multiple applications, offers of higher rent than the advertised price. Local Facebook groups are a good way to sniff out off-market opportunities. Admittedly we got lucky and stumbled across a couple who were moving to Canada and wanted to break their lease and sell everything in their apartment down to the knives and forks in the cutlery drawer. Unsurprisingly we snapped up the offer. We moved 5 or 6 times over the first few years to sample different suburbs (including a 12-month stint in Sydney). Having grown up in urban central England, coastal living was high on my agenda when we moved here – Perth certainly ticks this box. We eventually settled in Karrinyup just north-west of the CBD and a few minutes from the coast. Western Australian property is some of the most affordable in the nation. You can live minutes from the coast with great access to all the other important amenities for a fraction more than the average UK house price.

?

The coastline is spectacular, accessible and so extensive that it’s never crowded. Long, hot summers and mild winters mean you can centre your lifestyle around the coast and the outdoors. It’s great to see the schools leading by example in this regard. As I sit and write this on 1st March, it’s the first day of autumn, 37c and it hasn’t rained since 13th December. You can make plans to head away camping months in advance and be highly confident you won’t have to rearrange your plans at short notice because of the weather (and there are some spectacular camping spots). The sun sets early in WA - it gets dark around 7:30-8pm in the summer months with the longest day being in mid-December. I thought this would frustrate me to start with but after a baking hot day you’re quite glad to see that sun set over the ocean. It’s surprising how you find yourself adjusting your rhythm to suit the daylight hours – you’ll be going to bed much earlier and getting up much earlier to enjoy the cooler mornings.

?

Salaries for most occupations are substantially higher than the UK even when you consider the compulsory super (pension) contributions. Depending on your employer, industry and role it is important to negotiate a package commensurate to your own experience and self-worth. Perth families earn some of the highest household incomes in the nation. Yes, cost of living is on the rise as it is anywhere else in the world, but good disposable incomes here are still realistic if you are working in in-demand industries. You have more money to spend on the things you enjoy. And that generally suits the Perth way of life – work hard, play hard.

?

Traffic on the morning commute is light by UK standards. Public transport is cheap and continually improving; there has been some huge investment in the network of late and there is a comprehensive network of dedicated cycle paths if you prefer a more active mode of transport.

?

Perth, and WA in general, have come a long way even since we arrived just 11 years ago and there continues to be huge opportunity for growth. Contrary to popular belief there is plenty to keep you occupied for little to no cost and the kids love the outdoors. The schooling system is comparable to that in the UK although we are just navigating our way around that at the moment with our eldest due to start next year.

?

Then you have all the small things that only expats tend to consider, like the ease of video calling family back in European timezones, choice of flights to get to and from the UK or Ireland, ease of travel visas for visitors and so on. Perth being on the west coast suits us Brits better – we’re only 7 or 8 hours (depending on the time of year) ahead of the UK, meaning contact with family and friends back home is much easier than on the east coast where you have 10 or 11 hours gap. The flights are also considerably shorter at 20 hours (with a stop in the middle east) or around 16 hours on the Perth – Heathrow direct service with Qantas . Perth Airport is within a stone’s throw of most of the metro area meaning collecting and dropping off family when they visit is convenient. People enjoy visiting too and hopping over to Rottnest Island with your guests never gets boring.??

?

People always ask if we’ll ever return to live in the UK. At the moment, that answer is no. I can only see unexpected family circumstances causing that to change. We miss people for sure, but not the place. Your friends here become your second family. There are not many better places in the world to live and our kids will have a great upbringing here. We’re now dual citizens and our kids are fully-fledged Aussies.

?

There is never a perfect time to uproot and start a new life - there will always be excuses not to do something. Premier League matches are on at awkward times of day and it’s still strange having Christmas in summer, but there are some sacrifices you have to make for the greater good. If you’re wondering ‘what if’ then my advice is to do your research, talk to a visa agent, make it happen, and most importantly, give yourself enough time to give it a proper go. Yes it's a risk, but inaction is the greatest risk of all.

#perth #westisbest #perthproperty #perthconstruction #westernaustralia #australia #migration #skillsshortage #seachange #expat #construction #perthlife #uk #ireland #unitedkingdom #propertycouncil