Help! Can i have some quick advice about currency/moving to Perth?

Hi,

My wife and I are leaving the UK for Perth on 8th Jan (to work for a
year before coming back). There are only7 working days left before I
leave and I haven't been very organised because of heavy work pressures
so have a few questions in different areas and would be grateful for
answers to any or all of the following questions;

1=2E Money: I've opened a Commonwealth Bank of Australia account in the
UK but have not transferred any money into the account yet. I will do
so asap
a=2E anyone know how long it takes for the money to reach my Australian
account when I transfer it electronically from my UK Natwest bank a/c
to the Commonweatlh London a/c?
- when i activate my account in person at the Perth office - will they
issue me a cheque book/card immediately or will i have to wait a few
days?
b=2E I think the current tourist exchange rate is =A31 =3D 1.38 AUS$ - is
this good or bad? - I was hoping to transfer between =A33000 -=A35000 -
should i transfer the most I can or transfer a smaller amount and wait
for a better rate??

c=2E how much money will i need to splash out (before my first pay check)
on
- a rental deposit
- furnishing a rented property in a basic fashion,
- rental utility connections (or do rented flats come already
connected?) -how long will it take to get utilities connected?
- car taxes/insurances
- pay-as-you go simcard for my mobile phone

- are there any other expenses that i need to consider in the first
month?
- how often do most people get paid in Oz - is it monthly like the UK?

2=2E Car: I've bought a car (Honda accord, 10yrs old) via the net from a
work colleague to pick up on 17th Jan
a=2E can i use my UK driving license in Oz
b=2E how much will the cheapest most basic car insurance cost me (can i
organise it v.quickly from the UK?)
c=2E do i need to pay an Aussie equivlent of road tax and MOT?

3=2E Arrival:
We arrive in Perth at 12.40am on Mon 10th Jan and need to get to the
Royal Perth Hospital:
a=2E How much does a taxi cost from the airport to the hospital at that
time of night, will it be easy to find one and how long is the journey
(is it better to try and book one before arrival)?

4=2E My flat in the UK:
I will be letting my 2 bed flat in the UK to students. I haven't had
time to make changes to my mortgage/house insurance
a=2E what kind of home contents insurance should i buy for the students?
b=2E is it ok if i don't tell the mortgage company that i'm letting the
flat for a year and just leave the mortgage unchanged?

5=2E Accomodation:
I have very basic hospital accomodation (with no aircon) booked for the
first week only.
a=2E Where is the best place (particular agency/newspaper?) to find
immediately available year-long rentals in Subiaco or Cottesloe
b=2E is it usually feasible to find a rental accomodation to move
straight into within a couple of days?
c=2E if i can't find long-term rental acomodation within a week where
should i stay? - are there immediately available furnished apartments
available near the hospital and roughly how much do they cost?
d=2E wheres the best place to cheaply furnish a rented flat - do most
places/people deliver to the rented accomodation or do you usually have
to arrange pick-up yourself (how do you transport a bed for example)?


6=2E Admin:
As I don't have any proof of address is Perth -will this be a problem
when i try and get car insurance/license, rent a flat etc??
Thanks for any advice

Simon

On 26 Dec 2004 10:12:12 -0800, "Simon3000"
wrote:

Hi,

Post to:

misc.immigration.australia+nz



Cath

The exchange rate was worse about a
month ago, (from your perspective),
but is again very slowly getting worse again
(ie getting better for us).
Official rate at moment is around 0.39997 AUD to 1 GBP
or 2.5018 GBP to 1 AUD
Might also be a good Idea to set up electronic
access via the comm bank website while you
are doing the other things.
Then as you move around you can access
your account online.
Freda
--
Please reply to the list as my email address is a fake
"Simon3000" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

My wife and I are leaving the UK for Perth on 8th Jan (to work for a
year before coming back). There are only7 working days left before I
leave and I haven't been very organised because of heavy work pressures
so have a few questions in different areas and would be grateful for
answers to any or all of the following questions;

1. Money: I've opened a Commonwealth Bank of Australia account in the
UK but have not transferred any money into the account yet. I will do
so asap
a. anyone know how long it takes for the money to reach my Australian
account when I transfer it electronically from my UK Natwest bank a/c
to the Commonweatlh London a/c?
- when i activate my account in person at the Perth office - will they
issue me a cheque book/card immediately or will i have to wait a few
days?
b. I think the current tourist exchange rate is £1 = 1.38 AUS$ - is
this good or bad? - I was hoping to transfer between £3000 -£5000 -
should i transfer the most I can or transfer a smaller amount and wait
for a better rate??

c. how much money will i need to splash out (before my first pay check)
on
- a rental deposit
- furnishing a rented property in a basic fashion,
- rental utility connections (or do rented flats come already
connected?) -how long will it take to get utilities connected?
- car taxes/insurances
- pay-as-you go simcard for my mobile phone

- are there any other expenses that i need to consider in the first
month?
- how often do most people get paid in Oz - is it monthly like the UK?

2. Car: I've bought a car (Honda accord, 10yrs old) via the net from a
work colleague to pick up on 17th Jan
a. can i use my UK driving license in Oz
b. how much will the cheapest most basic car insurance cost me (can i
organise it v.quickly from the UK?)
c. do i need to pay an Aussie equivlent of road tax and MOT?

3. Arrival:
We arrive in Perth at 12.40am on Mon 10th Jan and need to get to the
Royal Perth Hospital:
a. How much does a taxi cost from the airport to the hospital at that
time of night, will it be easy to find one and how long is the journey
(is it better to try and book one before arrival)?

4. My flat in the UK:
I will be letting my 2 bed flat in the UK to students. I haven't had
time to make changes to my mortgage/house insurance
a. what kind of home contents insurance should i buy for the students?
b. is it ok if i don't tell the mortgage company that i'm letting the
flat for a year and just leave the mortgage unchanged?

5. Accomodation:
I have very basic hospital accomodation (with no aircon) booked for the
first week only.
a. Where is the best place (particular agency/newspaper?) to find
immediately available year-long rentals in Subiaco or Cottesloe
b. is it usually feasible to find a rental accomodation to move
straight into within a couple of days?
c. if i can't find long-term rental acomodation within a week where
should i stay? - are there immediately available furnished apartments
available near the hospital and roughly how much do they cost?
d. wheres the best place to cheaply furnish a rented flat - do most
places/people deliver to the rented accomodation or do you usually have
to arrange pick-up yourself (how do you transport a bed for example)?


6. Admin:
As I don't have any proof of address is Perth -will this be a problem
when i try and get car insurance/license, rent a flat etc??
Thanks for any advice

Simon

The exchange rate was worse about a
month ago, (from your perspective),
but is again very slowly getting worse again
(ie getting better for us).
Official rate at moment is around 0.39997 AUD to 1 GBP
or 2.5018 GBP to 1 AUD
Might also be a good Idea to set up electronic
access via the comm bank website while you
are doing the other things.
Then as you move around you can access
your account online.
Freda
--
Please reply to the list as my email address is a fake
"Simon3000" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

My wife and I are leaving the UK for Perth on 8th Jan (to work for a
year before coming back). There are only7 working days left before I
leave and I haven't been very organised because of heavy work pressures
so have a few questions in different areas and would be grateful for
answers to any or all of the following questions;

1. Money: I've opened a Commonwealth Bank of Australia account in the
UK but have not transferred any money into the account yet. I will do
so asap
a. anyone know how long it takes for the money to reach my Australian
account when I transfer it electronically from my UK Natwest bank a/c
to the Commonweatlh London a/c?
- when i activate my account in person at the Perth office - will they
issue me a cheque book/card immediately or will i have to wait a few
days?
b. I think the current tourist exchange rate is £1 = 1.38 AUS$ - is
this good or bad? - I was hoping to transfer between £3000 -£5000 -
should i transfer the most I can or transfer a smaller amount and wait
for a better rate??

c. how much money will i need to splash out (before my first pay check)
on
- a rental deposit
- furnishing a rented property in a basic fashion,
- rental utility connections (or do rented flats come already
connected?) -how long will it take to get utilities connected?
- car taxes/insurances
- pay-as-you go simcard for my mobile phone

- are there any other expenses that i need to consider in the first
month?
- how often do most people get paid in Oz - is it monthly like the UK?

2. Car: I've bought a car (Honda accord, 10yrs old) via the net from a
work colleague to pick up on 17th Jan
a. can i use my UK driving license in Oz
b. how much will the cheapest most basic car insurance cost me (can i
organise it v.quickly from the UK?)
c. do i need to pay an Aussie equivlent of road tax and MOT?

3. Arrival:
We arrive in Perth at 12.40am on Mon 10th Jan and need to get to the
Royal Perth Hospital:
a. How much does a taxi cost from the airport to the hospital at that
time of night, will it be easy to find one and how long is the journey
(is it better to try and book one before arrival)?

4. My flat in the UK:
I will be letting my 2 bed flat in the UK to students. I haven't had
time to make changes to my mortgage/house insurance
a. what kind of home contents insurance should i buy for the students?
b. is it ok if i don't tell the mortgage company that i'm letting the
flat for a year and just leave the mortgage unchanged?

5. Accomodation:
I have very basic hospital accomodation (with no aircon) booked for the
first week only.
a. Where is the best place (particular agency/newspaper?) to find
immediately available year-long rentals in Subiaco or Cottesloe
b. is it usually feasible to find a rental accomodation to move
straight into within a couple of days?
c. if i can't find long-term rental acomodation within a week where
should i stay? - are there immediately available furnished apartments
available near the hospital and roughly how much do they cost?
d. wheres the best place to cheaply furnish a rented flat - do most
places/people deliver to the rented accomodation or do you usually have
to arrange pick-up yourself (how do you transport a bed for example)?


6. Admin:
As I don't have any proof of address is Perth -will this be a problem
when i try and get car insurance/license, rent a flat etc??
Thanks for any advice

Simon

"Simon3000" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

My wife and I are leaving the UK for Perth on 8th Jan (to work for a
year before coming back). There are only7 working days left before I
leave and I haven't been very organised because of heavy work pressures
so have a few questions in different areas and would be grateful for
answers to any or all of the following questions;

1. Money: I've opened a Commonwealth Bank of Australia account in the
UK but have not transferred any money into the account yet. I will do
so asap
a. anyone know how long it takes for the money to reach my Australian
account when I transfer it electronically from my UK Natwest bank a/c
to the Commonweatlh London a/c?

Australian bank accounts don't really have a "branch" in any meaningful
sense. So if the London branch works like Australian branches, then as soon
as you transfer it to C'wealthy London it will be accessible in Australia.
My bank (Westpac) takes 4 days to transfer money to a foreign account the
first time you do it, then subsequently it takes less than 24 hours to that
account. The delay the first time is deliberate, to give you time to see
that the money has gone (but not received) so you can alert the bank to
possible fraud. Once you have let one transaction through to a given
account, they assume that subsequent transfer are legit and do them quickly.
You can waive the 4 days by request and make them all fast if you wish. I am
sure your bank could tell you when the money is there - I bet it is already.

Why do you want an Australian Bank account so quickly? For UK account should
work just fine over here - certainly at ATMs, and probably for EFTPOS as
well. Most ATMs here support the Cirrus and Maestro international networks -
don't Natwest cards one of these interchanges?


- when i activate my account in person at the Perth office - will they
issue me a cheque book/card immediately or will i have to wait a few
days?

Did you request a cheque account as well? If so, it will take some time
(coupla weeks?) for the cheques to be printed with your name and arrive.

Cheques are not used that much in Australia. My wife has a cheque account; I
don't. You can always get a bank cheque made up for $5 if you really need
one (eg for a rental lease?); most bills can be more easily paid by BPAY
over the internet or phone.

b. I think the current tourist exchange rate is £1 = 1.38 AUS$ - is
this good or bad? - I was hoping to transfer between £3000 -£5000 -
should i transfer the most I can or transfer a smaller amount and wait
for a better rate??

Can't you access your Natwest account over the internet? Why not just move
funds as you need them?

c. how much money will i need to splash out (before my first pay check)
on
- a rental deposit

The rental deposit - the "bond" - is typically 4 weeks rent. You get it back
at the end. Plus you pay either 2 weekds or 4 weeks in advance, so its 6 - 8
weeks rent.

- furnishing a rented property in a basic fashion,

Similar to the UK, I would have thought.

- rental utility connections (or do rented flats come already
connected?) -how long will it take to get utilities connected?

Unless te property has been vacant for some time, they are usually connected
and you just need to have the meter read and account transferred. Except for
the phone, they will all be connected and working; the phone may take 24
hours assuming it is connected.

- car taxes/insurances

www.aami.com.au for insurance.

The second hand car should have its rego and 3rd party insurance paid
already; you will just need to pay stamp duty. This is a state tax, dunno
what it is, preobably 1% or so.

- pay-as-you go simcard for my mobile phone

Depends how much you use it. A starter card is $10.

- are there any other expenses that i need to consider in the first
month?
- how often do most people get paid in Oz - is it monthly like the UK?

The more senior the job, the less frequent the pay. Blue collar jobs tend to
be fortnightly, professionals monthly.

2. Car: I've bought a car (Honda accord, 10yrs old) via the net from a
work colleague to pick up on 17th Jan

I remember you asking whether it was worth $12k (?). How much did you end up
paying for it?

a. can i use my UK driving license in Oz

Yes.

b. how much will the cheapest most basic car insurance cost me (can i
organise it v.quickly from the UK?)

Third party personal (CTP) is compulsary, and is part of annual
registration. The next most basic is 3rd party property - you are insured
for damage to somebody else's car in an accident, not your own.

The cost of insurance varies according to where you libe (and about a
billion other variables), so you need to have an address at least in theory
before you can organise insurance.

www.aami.com.au
http://www.nrma.com.au/pub/nrma/motor/index.shtml


c. do i need to pay an Aussie equivlent of road tax and MOT?

Part of annual rego.

3. Arrival:
We arrive in Perth at 12.40am on Mon 10th Jan and need to get to the
Royal Perth Hospital:
a. How much does a taxi cost from the airport to the hospital at that
time of night, will it be easy to find one and how long is the journey
(is it better to try and book one before arrival)?

Dunno, I live 3,000 kms away.

But Perth isn't a big place, its an international airport so there will be
taxis, and you can't organise one before you arrive because you don't know
when you will clear immigration and customs. Worry about a cab when you step
outisde the airport - I would be surprised if it was more than 10 quid.

4. My flat in the UK:
I will be letting my 2 bed flat in the UK to students. I haven't had
time to make changes to my mortgage/house insurance
a. what kind of home contents insurance should i buy for the students?
b. is it ok if i don't tell the mortgage company that i'm letting the
flat for a year and just leave the mortgage unchanged?

5. Accomodation:
I have very basic hospital accomodation (with no aircon) booked for the
first week only.
a. Where is the best place (particular agency/newspaper?) to find
immediately available year-long rentals in Subiaco or Cottesloe
b. is it usually feasible to find a rental accomodation to move
straight into within a couple of days?
c. if i can't find long-term rental acomodation within a week where
should i stay? - are there immediately available furnished apartments
available near the hospital and roughly how much do they cost?
d. wheres the best place to cheaply furnish a rented flat - do most
places/people deliver to the rented accomodation or do you usually have
to arrange pick-up yourself (how do you transport a bed for example)?

Again, I don't know about Perth, but furniture stores will deliver wherever
you ask, may cost $50 or so extra.

6. Admin:
As I don't have any proof of address is Perth -will this be a problem
when i try and get car insurance/license, rent a flat etc??
Thanks for any advice

You don't need a licence. You can buy insurance on-line, so no proof of
address is needed. However, if you need to claim, and the address on your
claim form is not the address you bought the insurance in, there may be
questions asked. Put down your address as Perth Hospital, but remember to
change it with the insurer when you move. They may want to hit you for extra
premium if you move to a higher risk area. Different landlords care more or
less about your bona-fides - if you look OK, have a plausible story, pay
up-front and can provide a work reference (that you will be in OZ for a
year) you should have no problems.

Simon

Most of these things you have talked about above shouldn't be issues. Its a
globalised economy, even in Perth. Your UK driver's licence and bank
accounts will work fine in Perth. Lots of people come to Oz to work for 12
months, and you will find that Australia is pretty well set up for people in
your position - most things will be easier than you expect.

Peter Webb

"Peter Webb" wrote in message
...
Most of these things you have talked about above shouldn't be issues. Its
a
globalised economy, even in Perth. Your UK driver's licence and bank
accounts will work fine in Perth. Lots of people come to Oz to work for 12
months, and you will find that Australia is pretty well set up for people
in
your position - most things will be easier than you expect.

Peter Webb




I think you will find that you have to get a local driver's licence if you
stay here for longer than (I think) 6 months.
Check out http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au

Gerrit

Hi
Thanks for the replies.

I forgot I could use the cirrus/maestro system - but i imagine there
are hefty charges for every transaction, as well as every time i
transfer funds electronically?

I ended up paying =A34000 for the car - i think its approx A$11000

Is there an insurance option of third party,fire and theft as in the
UK, or is it a choice between third party and fully comprehensive only?
Simon

Hi
Thanks for the replies.

I forgot I could use the cirrus/maestro system - but i imagine there
are hefty charges for every transaction, as well as every time i
transfer funds electronically?

I ended up paying =A34000 for the car - i think its approx A$11000

Is there an insurance option of third party,fire and theft as in the
UK, or is it a choice between third party and fully comprehensive only?
Simon

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 14:19:08 -0600,
wrote:

On 26 Dec 2004 10:12:12 -0800, "Simon3000"
wrote:

Hi,

Post to:

misc.immigration.australia+nz

Why? r.t.a+nz is the best group.

Dave

=====

NSW Rural Fire Service - become a volunteer today.

http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/

Re property rentals:

(As I don't know what is usual in the UK, some of the following
observations may seem redundant. If so, I apologise).

Best place for rentals is the classified section of the Saturday "West
Australian" newspaper (the only daily paper in the town anyway). On that
Monday, you should still be able to find a copy in a newsagent. You could
also check www.realestate.com.au

Most agents (in your price bracket at least) won't give you a key: you'll
have to book a time with them to see a property. For the lease
application you will need a current and previous employee reference and
one or two personal references as well. You will also need $200 or so in
in cash as an 'application fee' at the time you put the application in.

The usual length of a lease is 12 months.

For some reason, Perth has a lot of fully furnished flats to rent (as
compared with the Eastern states). If you do end up with an unfurnished
one, be aware that that is what it is. It will have carpets (or other
floor coverings) and blinds or curtains (probably venitian blinds) at
that is it. In particular, be aware it won't have a fridge!

If you have found a good looking place in the paper you will need to
allow

* 1-2 days to arrange a time with the agent to view the property (they
only do weekdays and Saturdays - not nights or Sundays)

* 2-3 days to get your application approved (or rejected!)

As long as the place you are moving into has been recently vacated, you
will probably find that utlities are still connected and all it will take
is a phone call to get them switched into your name. Otherwise it may
take a day or two ... just don't try to do it on a weekend!

If you run out of time in your hospital accomodation, there are various
'short stay' apartments around, especially in places like East Perth (in
walking distance to the RPH). One that springs to mind is Mont Clare
Apartments (www.montclareapartments.com)

Also a personal recommendation: make sure you get a place with
airconditioning! Perth summer is HOT - it is rare for the daytime
temperature to drop below 30degC for weeks on end...

Happing Hunting!

Les in Perth.