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Thinking of moving a small startup/consultancy to Melbourne from London. Would be interested to know about - real estate prices - How does healthcare compare

Thinking of moving a small startup/consultancy to Melbourne from London. Would be interested to know about - real estate prices - How does healthcare compare to UK - is it as painful as in UK to get kids into kindergartens/schools - corporate taxes and regulations, anything one needs to pay special attention too - is the market for jobs/contracts similarly fluid as London, where I find it relatively easy and quick to find clients - are there a lot of different tech niches in AU or is mining/finance where most jobs come from

brad0 9y ago
Real estate - terrible. Most young people believe they can't afford a house ever. Healthcare - is London healthcare similar to Scotland? Aus isn't as good as Scotland but it is very close. Niches - there's a lot, especially in Melbourne. Australia is a pretty remote country so we have a lot of our own websites. REA, seek etc.
cylinder 9y ago
There are lots of agencies as well as recruiters in Australia which will push out contracts. You can use that as a springboard into selling into enterprise / business if you want. Can't speak for UK healthcare, Australian healthcare is good but has a private component. you will probably buy private for the tax incentives. there are also going to be out of pocket costs which may be unusual for a Brit but comical to an American. Schools... in Melbourne I haven't heard of that kind of competitiveness. Sydney, sure. You should figure out visas and ensure you can get on a path to PR. You should also visit if you never have before bringing your family all the way over. You want to be 100% committed to the move or else you will probably give up and move back.
shrewduser 9y ago
Melbourne ranks top of the livability index almost every year, so while locals will grumble about this and that, most of them really have nothing to compare it to. on the whole it's the most liveable place on earth if you believe the data.
askvictor 9y ago
Real estate is bad. Renting is very expensive, house prices too. There are, however, a few affordable pockets here and there. Health care is pretty good, though not quite as good as UK (dental, for example is not covered by Medicare). Some doctors charge more than the govt rebate, so you may be out of pocket if you have a particular doctor you want to see. YMMV. Schools are pretty good. There will be at least one state school in your zone which you are entitled to enroll your child in; beyond that it depends on demand. Childcare (i.e. the years before school) is a different matter, and you sometimes wait for a year or so for a place in a particular centre (apply early). Private childcare providers tend to be pretty bad; community/council centres tend to be good.

brad0 9y ago

Real estate - terrible. Most young people believe they can't afford a house ever. Healthcare - is London healthcare similar to Scotland? Aus isn't as good as Scotland but it is very close. Niches - there's a lot, especially in Melbourne. Australia is a pretty remote country so we have a lot of our own websites. REA, seek etc.

cylinder 9y ago

There are lots of agencies as well as recruiters in Australia which will push out contracts. You can use that as a springboard into selling into enterprise / business if you want. Can't speak for UK healthcare, Australian healthcare is good but has a private component. you will probably buy private for the tax incentives. there are also going to be out of pocket costs which may be unusual for a Brit but comical to an American. Schools... in Melbourne I haven't heard of that kind of competitiveness. Sydney, sure. You should figure out visas and ensure you can get on a path to PR. You should also visit if you never have before bringing your family all the way over. You want to be 100% committed to the move or else you will probably give up and move back.

shrewduser 9y ago

Melbourne ranks top of the livability index almost every year, so while locals will grumble about this and that, most of them really have nothing to compare it to. on the whole it's the most liveable place on earth if you believe the data.

askvictor 9y ago

Real estate is bad. Renting is very expensive, house prices too. There are, however, a few affordable pockets here and there. Health care is pretty good, though not quite as good as UK (dental, for example is not covered by Medicare). Some doctors charge more than the govt rebate, so you may be out of pocket if you have a particular doctor you want to see. YMMV. Schools are pretty good. There will be at least one state school in your zone which you are entitled to enroll your child in; beyond that it depends on demand. Childcare (i.e. the years before school) is a different matter, and you sometimes wait for a year or so for a place in a particular centre (apply early). Private childcare providers tend to be pretty bad; community/council centres tend to be good.