Hi,
im just wanting to hear about australian expats abroad and what their motivation to leave was?
For me the obsession with housing market and home ownership is just insane.
I know other countries are like this and particular capital cities but it just seems so engrained in the culture here. What do other people think?
The live and work to get a mortgage mentality.
Moved to Netherlands for work. Found the people I met here to live much more balanced lives and have a variety of hobbies. I now find most of my Australian friends quite boring, in that they just work and go out for meals and go to the beach.
I think at a certain age property becomes quite a big topic, but it’s not as big in NL as in Aus.
No plans to move back anytime soon.
I just wanted adventure? I feel like that’s a common reason for Australians to move abroad.
I live in Amsterdam. I just got bored of Melbourne and I prefer Europe (& Asia). I have noticed sometimes when catching up with Aussie friends I haven’t seen in years all they talk about is property - it’s a bit basic imo
I go to Greece a couple of times a year instead of Queensland
London or Paris instead or Sydney
Antwerp instead of Ballarat
Basically the same. Wanted to be able to spend the weekend in new countries. Eventually though the desire started to wear once I’d been to a few dozen places, so I moved back. Also I can’t see myself living long term in cold/rainy climates. Need vit d in my life
It’s into its fourth week of practically continuous cloud and rain…
Moved to the US. Original plan was do it a few years and then move back. The housing market and cost of living in Australia keeps getting worse each year, and life in American financially has been significantly easier.
Now am at the point where we could move back as culturally for the kids there are some benefits, but the 60-70% salary cut each + housing being triple the cost has us staying in the US. The difference is simply too large.
I met a girl. We moved so she could study in Sweden, now I am studying in Sweden. We will leave when I’m finished but where to next is still a mystery.
The problems you mentioned are not unique to Australia at all.
I moved to the UK mostly so I’d be closer to other countries I could go on holidays to… There also just seemed to be so much more here than back at home. It’s still expensive though, similar to living in Sydney.
Feminism, anti-male culture, and the women are too entitled when it comes to dating.
In Australia ?
Title checks out
Canadians are the same. Obsessed about home ownership. If you don’t own a home you are a massive failure. Sigh!
Yeah that’s what I feel in aus And now I’m not living there - maybe it’s cus I’m an expat but I don’t feel people where I am have the same obsession
I’m a expat who moved to Aus. Been here most of my adult life now. It’s a great place to raise kids tbf. But the distance from everything always kills me. I’d agree, Aussies have an unhealthy obsession with housing but the world is catching up on that. Career (or lack of) kills me too.
I agree with the live and mortgage mentality. The housing market here is a mess. We gave up on a house because it would mean a very large debt hanging over us every single month until our late 60s. Not much room to pay off either. Everyone of our friends just seem to accept this. It’s absurd.
Australia is becoming an Asian country. You can see it slowly happening due to immigration.
However, Australia is still a bloody decent place compared to a lot of places expats recommend. No place is without its faults. But if you want culture, proximity and lots of things to do then there’s better places imo.
We will raise the kids here and retire elsewhere. Probably Europe.
Australia is becoming an Asian country. You can see it slowly happening due to immigration.
However, Australia is still a bloody decent place compared to a lot of places expats recommend. No place is without its faults. But if you want culture, proximity and lots of things to do then there’s better places imo.
Australia has always been closer to Asia than Europe, the whole white country thing is just a colonial delusion. You should be more worried about Australia becoming more authoritarian and acting like a police state than a bit of cultural diversity.
Australia has always been tolerant to a police state so I’m not sure why you are worrying about it because it’s already happened. It’s one of the most policed places I’ve been in my life.
its interesting how you list out the negatives, among them being that there are more asian people here now? im curious why that is an issue to you
Netherlands for me. I’m a mechanical engineer. When I graduated, it felt like I was hitting dead ends trying to gain employment. I eventually moved to Germany where my career took off.
These days I’m married to a Dutchwoman and have a one month old baby. Also I own my property here.
I can’t see me moving back to Aus in the near future.
It got fucking boring when everyone is just talking about the real estate all the damn time. Also hate real estate agents and property managers.
There’s also not much to do with regards to history and culture.
Housing was not an issue for me. I moved abroad just because I’ve never been the type to stay in one place for long (3rd culture kid) and it was always the goal to work in various countries. Currently 3 years into my first jump and looking to do another 2 before my next jump.
I left 25 years ago to experience a bigger world away from where I grew up. I love property and now you’ve got me worried I took my obsession with me 😂. Flipping property in U.K. enabled early retirement in Greece.
The Aussies I’m meeting in Greece who have left Australia recently have done so because of the fear of totalitarianism. Mostly Melbournians who don’t like the nanny state, vax mandates, the snitching culture etc. their experience, not mine.
The world is a big place. Go wander.
Currently in Aus but plan to leave in the next 3-4 years (ironically when we’ve paid off our apartment, so I completely agree with you with the property obsession haha).
We like Melbourne but it’s just too small and too far away. If it was a 4 hour flight from Europe we probably wouldn’t leave but it’s so isolated which is reflected in the attuites and opportunities here. It’s a slow, comfortable life but we just want a bit more than that.
I moved just to experience life somewhere else and just ended up loving Canada. While Canadians are still a bit obsessed with the housing market I find that it’s not the main topic of conversation constantly, especially in BC.
People I know in Canada seem to still have hobbies and interests as they get older and don’t just talk about property and kids which is something I’ve noticed with my circle of friends in Adelaide whenever I go back.
I still like Australia and I miss some aspects of it but overall I just love Canada and feel at home there.