Poms in Perth - Topic 6

Here in Perth the Poms arrived at Fremantle on the first ships and were by enlarge free citizens who had chosen to start a new life in Australia it was these free settlers who eventually asked for the prisoners to be deported here to Perth in order that they could help build the infrastructure required to have a successful settlement. These days there is no shortage of Poms in Perth but we all choose to be here and to make a life for ourselves away from Mother England. Migrants from the UK are often referred to as Poms there are very different ideas as to how this name came about and also as to wether it is actually racist to use the term. Some people say POME is short for Prisoner of Mother England and we think that is likely. We prefer to think that it is just a bit of a "pet" name given to the large population of British migrants who have been here since the first settlement. Perth is a city of about 1.4 million people and that is boosted each year by an influx of around 10,000 people who choose to migrate here, though not all are from the UK increasingly it seems Perth is becoming more popular with the POMEs!

On arrival it is quite a daunting experience for most people and it is not unusual for people to feel very uncomfortable and scared on arrival, even if you have set off to leave the UK full of confidence and looking forward to your new life. Personally I found it hard to even go to the shops alone I felt so alienated and was convinced that I must be "different" and that it must be obvious to other people! It took me some months to feel that I "belonged" in Perth even though there are literally thousands of Poms in Perth especially in the Rockingham area where we happen to have settled.

We decided to make this web site and to offer a hand with the settling in of new migrants. We are hoping to have social get togethers in the Rockingham/Mandurah area although we feel we need more interest in this before we go ahead with it. So if you are already here in Perth please post a message on the "chat board" to let us know if you would like us to do this. I know that it must be just another daunting thing to go and meet people you don't know but everyone feels the same way and you won't be on your own with those feelings. We feel nervous meeting new people too. Of course we are happy to welcome anyone to the site and it is not just for Poms in Perth but for anyone who is feeling lonely or "cut off" from friends and family.

In order to settle well into your new chosen life there are several important factors required to do this and last topic I tried to cover the schools in the area where we live. This time we are going to try to lead you a little on the real estate path this is a difficult subject since everyone has different ideas about what sort of area they wish to live in and also what kind of property they are looking to buy. Mostly of course this is dependent on income or the sort of money you are bringing with you from the UK. From knowledge we have acquired by being nosy and asking people it seems that most people feel they have managed to purchase a nicer home here in Perth and at a lesser cost than in the UK - though of course this wont always be the case. It does seem in general that first time homebuyers get a bigger, better home for their money although the cost of "first homebuyers" property has boomed in the past year or so and it is much harder for them to get onto the property ladder than it used to be. There are still cheaper suburbs within all areas around Perth and as in the UK the "first time buyers" have to look at these areas with a view to moving up the ladder after a year or two. Recently the government has finally agreed the "first timers" are finding it difficult and have abolished stamp duty on properties below $220,000 which is a substantial saving on the cost of purchase. Stamp duty is payable on the purchase of all property the government web site being www.dtf.gov.wa. First time buyers are also entitled to a grant at the present time and this is $7000 for anyone buying their first home in Australia (even if you have previously owned a home in another country) www.firsthome.gov.au.

In general most homes here are single storey "bungalow type" homes set on a block of land usually not much smaller than 450sq mtr although this is changing. In the 70's most homes were built on blocks of not less than 700 sq mtr and often more but block sizes are reducing in new land release areas. This seems to be due to several factors probably the main one being that it keeps the cost of the block down, but the builders/developers do claim that due to families often having two working parents people do require smaller blocks for less maintenance. In the Rockingham/Mandurah area it is still possible to purchase a block of land for around $190,000 although these are becoming scarce and it depends on how close you want to be to the coast - coastal land is becoming very costly because it is nearly all gone now.

Most homes are 4x2 with formal lounge and family areas they range in size from 150 sq metres upwards with the average home being about 200 sq mt. There are plenty of established homes for sale in and around Perth and lots of new land areas which often have show homes on site for you to look around. It is common here for areas to be cleared for sale, the services, roads and parks to be built before they actually put the land up for sale, people then choose a block of land and check out the builders show homes to find and order a home which suits them. It is also common to alter the format of the home to your own specifications taking out walls or adding as may be the case and choosing bricks, roof tiles or tin, interior fittings and kitchens to your own taste. Hence most homes are unique and you do not get streets of homes which all look the same as you do in the UK. It is within most peoples grasp to have a house built here if that is the way you choose to go. However you should take into consideration the cost of rented accommodation whilst this is happening. At the present time there are long waiting lists for house building although recently the boom has slowed down.

Of course there are many established homes for sale and it is worth looking at this if you don't want to do a lot of work to the home as the gardens will be established, patio built and carpets, tiling and window treatments will be included in the price. It is possible in the southern suburbs to purchase established homes for less than $350,000 although in recent times the average is probably nearer $400,000.

The main difference with buying here is the choice for your money if say in the UK you had the equivalent of $420,000 (about 170,000 pounds) the chances are you would be very limited in choice of type of house. Here you would be able to choose to buy established homes in any number of suburbs or land/house package as offered by the big home builders or choose the land in a suburb of your choice and build a home of your choice. Land varies in size and there are still 2000 sq mtr blocks for under $300,000 or if you want the country lifestyle away from the coast you can buy 5 acre blocks for under $500,000. The difference here is its your choice.

For pics and costs check out these sites

Migrants to Perth Western Australia have a great choice of lifestyles!

Eve



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