For those who moved back to the UK after living in Australia, how much was housing a factor in making your decision?
Posted by Checkout-123@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 33 comments
I’m curious to know if others were prompted to move back to the UK because of the housing situation in Australia?
I’ll preface this by acknowledging that neither country is perfect and come with their own pros and cons. However, for my stage of life and individual circumstances as a 34-year-old, owning a home of my own has quickly risen to the top of the priority list, regardless of the clear benefits that Australia has to offer over England.
After spending more than 8 years renting, working towards Australian citizenship and saving diligently for a house deposit, I’ve found the property market to be incredibly discouraging.
While I never expected to be able to afford somewhere in the city centres of Melbourne or Sydney (where my work is based), it seems to be nearly impossible to buy a structurally sound, two-bedroom starter home for under a million dollars, even when searching in suburbs several hours away.
The options appear to be limited to apartments, which I would have been open to but sadly, the build quality just isn’t there. I can’t stomach the idea of dropping my life savings on a shoddy little unit, with paper thin walls, no insulation and likely prone to mould.
Even the “town houses” out here just feel like two units stacked on top of each other.
By comparison, when looking broadly at 2-bed Homes in Towns situated in and around the “commuter belt” of London, with reasonable travel distances (up to an hour by train), there appear to be a greater selection of properties that I would consider to be more "liveable", for the same money.
Sure, they might be a bit smaller on average but it opens the possibility of having an actual house, built to good standards and often with a half decent courtyard or garden available.
Those things, for me personally, make all the difference.
Saule_pine@reddit
I’m going to argue that you’re going to find many of the same issues in the UK. I live in Cambridge, I also live in a village not even in the city centre and the average house price is half a million. If you move closer to the city it’s about 700k average price. Taking also into account that the rail services in the UK aren’t great and are very expensive compared to other European cities! Most commuter belt towns/cities in the South East will be unaffordable. You’d have to move further outside of the city to find affordable housing which means less reliable efficient/transport.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Haha yup, that’s British trains for you. I honestly have no idea where all that money from overpriced tickets goes because it certainly isn’t on improving the infrastructure.
I visited my hometown last Christmas and couldn’t believe how little had changed. Still had the same crusty ticket machines that I remember as a child.
Sydney’s public transport is really solid and in Melbourne, the tram network is free for everyone in the city centre.
Definitely going to miss that.
As for the expense in areas around Cambridge, I’m not surprised. Fortunately I’ve found some decent options that meet my budget in the Sussex / Surrey, with fast-train options as well, so I’ll probably be looking more in that direction.
Appreciate the input all the same :)
Prinnykin@reddit
I bought a brand new 2bed/2bath unit on the Sunshine Coast for $700k and it’s amazing. Not shoddy and doesn’t have paper thin walls. I’ve even got a water view.
You can find quality apartments up here, and they’re building more in my area.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Hey if it’s comfortable and works for you, that’s great!
SuzzetteyQT@reddit
I’m curious why buying a house is so important for you? Have you tried a rent vs buy calculator? In most modern cities it’s not financially prudent to buy. There may be other reasons to buy but finances isn’t usually one of them contrary to popular belief.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Did my post give you the impression I wanted to buy for financial gain specifically?
SuzzetteyQT@reddit
That’s why I asked the question.. “why is it so important to you” :) my deep apologies for exploring if renting might be easier than switching countries! All the best :)
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Sorry, I meant what part of my post gave you that impression?
el333@reddit
I think you have to think deeply about whether owning real estate is that important to you. If it is indeed then I think your plan is sound
This is just my personal opinion and it’s fine if we disagree, but I think anglosphere countries are a bit addicted with the idea of home ownership at all costs. If I like Aus more in all other aspects then I would be very content with renting and investing in other instruments instead
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Oh no Im with you completely. The stereotypical Australian mindset is that a house is an investment first and a home second. They also have schemes set up like “negative gearing” which, in my opinion at least, have convinced far too many people to become landlords, even when they can’t afford it…because of juicy tax deductions.
I’m desperate to get away from all that. I’m very been renting since I was 18, moved more times than I can count and just want some stability for once. A secure place I can truly call home, without the risk of being booted out because the owner wants to sell, or because they’ve jacked up the rent to unreasonable levels.
I have no desire to buy beyond my means and take on obscene amounts of mortgage debt either. Just a modest, 2 bedder starter house.
I think the historical obsession with “getting on the property ladder” by any means necessary might in part be due to the fact that investing in other things like the share market was no where near as accessible as it is today.
Unbelievably, mandatory workplace pensions were also not a thing back then either. So I guess people treated property alone as their main retirement plan.
ShineLaddy@reddit
Totally fair take. Australia’s lifestyle is great until you try to put down roots. The prices don’t line up with the quality anymore
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
The quality was never really was there to begin with.
The prices though have just ballooned to a point where it’s not realistic for most people.
…and as long as mortgage debt remains the most value corporate asset in Australia, prices will continue to increase further still.
I just wish property was treated as a home first and foremost, not just another asset class to build wealth from.
Brave_Worldliness685@reddit
“The quality was never really there to begin with”
Because you come from a first World country. I totally agree with your statement.
But for the ones currently coming from third world countries in droves, they will do anything to remain because the quality is utopia.
numberoneloser@reddit
The housing situation in the UK is probably on par if not worse than in Australia. You'd be jumping out the frying pan and into the fire. I mean, if you're attempting to avoid mould... the UK probably isn't for you.
You would need to jump on rightmove and send us over some links so we can take a look for you, but the costs in the south within commutable distances of London are very high. Trains are expensive, commutes can be longer than you would otherwise expect, salaries are lower etc.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Where in the uk are you based? Are you renting or have you bought?
numberoneloser@reddit
SW ~1hr30 from London via train. Sounds commutable but in reality it will depend how close you are to the train station and where your office is in London.
Have you considered elsewhere in England? The further north you go the more affordable it is. Although it won't be comparable to Sydney or Melbourne.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
And you Rent?
I did a one hour commute into London Waterloo previously from my hometown and that was just about manageable but I wouldn’t do that again.
There are a fair few towns in Surrey / Berkshire / Sussex, with fast train services that get into London in about 25-45 mins. My plan would be to take advantage of those for the days that I needed to go in. Though it wouldnt be that frequent with my job being mostly WFH anyway.
I was in the midlands whilst at university but have no intention of returning. My family are all down south also, which is secondary reason for returning. Especially when factoring in aging parents etc.
numberoneloser@reddit
No chance of buying here, would need a lottery win.
The issue you're going to have is the exact some one you're facing in Aus. Anything within ~1hr 30 of London is going to come at a considerable premium.
The only thing that would work in your favour is if you could move back in with your parents so you can save on rent and build up the deposit - which you can't do in Aus.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Where are you from originally if you don’t mind me asking? (Assuming you moved from overseas)
I feel your pain on the rental front. I think I’ve moved 8 times whilst being in Australia, mainly due to the units being poorly maintained or relentless price hikes making it impossible to afford.
I get where you are coming from with the distance to London but I have scoped out a fair few places that are within my budget.
I’m very been pretty strict with myself over the last 5 years in particular and already have a decent chunk for a deposit. That being said, I will almost certainly move back in with one of my parents for at least a year, not only to readjust to everything but boost the savings further.
It’s been interesting actually, to see how attitudes have shifted about people staying at home for longer. I’d say most of the aussies under 30 at my work are still with their parents and have no intention of leaving anytime soon. Pretty much out of necessity.
Back in my day, it was almost frowned upon if you weren't out on your own at 18, proving your independence.
Kiwiatx@reddit
Having lived in Sydney & London I’d say they were similar in terms of real estate costs but public transport in London is more expensive.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
As mentioned in the post, I’m not considering living in the either of the cities themselves but the surrounding towns/suburbs to commute in from.
tuileisu@reddit
Im not sure I’d compare London and Sydney-London is a considered much more of a world city so the prices reflect that. The REAL difference is comparing house prices outside of the major cities for both countries-it is noticeable, that’s what your getting at right OP?
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Exactly this.
In England, If you go around 40km outside of London, there are a decent selection of towns you could live in, that are more affordable, with good infrastructure and in many cases, fast train services that compensate for the distance.
If using Sydney as the example, and you go a similar distance outside of the city, you are basically looking at areas that remain out of reach for most people (e.g. Northern Beaches) or western suburbs, where you are still expected to pay top dollar for houses that honestly resemble glorified sheds.
Kiwiatx@reddit
Ok so you don’t actually want to live in London, you’re talking about Home Counties or basically outside the M25.
I used to live in NW London and commuted out to Hatfield. It was only bearable because it was a reverse commute against the traffic and I could drive. Personally I think it’s soul destroying commuting in the other direction into London on any mode of transport. And I don’t think property is as cheap or of the quality as you think it is until you get clear of London, or the southeast, completely. You should do a trip back to check it out though.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Realistically, for my job, I would be in a hybrid role at a minimum, with WFH options very much on the table.
I agree that trains are way overpriced in England but I don’t mind using them occasionally to commute in. It’s relatively stress-free compared to driving.
There are also plenty of fast-train connections too, which I would intend on taking advantage of.
I went back to visit family at the end of 2024 and it only reaffirmed my views. Plenty of great option in southern and south western towns for example. Still expensive of course but the quality I’m looking for is absolutely there. It’s just my preference at the end of the day.
I’ll rejoice when I can finally step inside a home with actual insulation for once, properly sealed doors/windows…and double glazing! All of which are treated as unnecessary luxuries in Australia.
Kiwiatx@reddit
Yeah that does annoy me about homes in AU and NZ - insulation is seemingly unheard of and heating is a luxury. Not so bad these days with mini split air con / heat installations but still. IME it gets incredibly hot AND freezing cold in Melbourne and surprisingly chilly in Sydney. Then again England gets some super hot heatwaves and we had to move into a hotel for a couple of nights one Summer because it was impossible to sleep at night and then we bought a portable air con unit.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
Yeah, as I said in the post, no where is perfect. Always going to be trade offs.
I suppose for me personally I’d rather deal with those particularly hot summer nights by using an aircon unit but then be assured that for the majority of the year, the house is well suited to the outside weather conditions.
From memory it was only really at the peak of summer, for a few weeks or so where heat becomes an issue.
Ok-Information4938@reddit
Is the UK any better on this?
Comparing Sydney and Melbourne to London, $1m. £500k would also be the going rate for a two bed in the outer zones of London, no? And a flat at that, either a shoddy new build or a 100 year old conversion?
Isn't it possibly quite alike? Are you relocating back for a reason of your making?
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
As per my post, I’m not talking about buying in the major cities themselves but the commutable towns/suburbs around them.
That’s where the difference in build quality becomes more obvious in my opinion.
How long have you been working in Aus?
tuileisu@reddit
Yes I will probably move back to Uk soon where I have a chance to own a house more than Australia. That was a big deciding factor honestly as Australia has so many other positives
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
It’s also having the support network of family around you to help out with the moving process and where necessary, offer a bit of guidance.
Can’t get that in Australia.
Semido@reddit
The situation is similar in the UK.
Checkout-123@reddit (OP)
I disagree. There are similarities, certainly. But quality of housebuilds in the areas surrounding Melbourne/Sydney, in my experience, are much poorer.