Swain Family Wanted Down Under

All of us have a dream,

but if you've been

through the torment

of seeing your biggest one vanish,

how far would you go to ensure your next one came true,

especially if you had to convince your partner

to sacrifice everything they love

for a new life on the other side of the world?

Former Olympic diver Ben Swain

is desperate to carve out a new life in Australia.

There's more things in Australia that appeal to me

that I could be doing

that I just don't have an opportunity to do here.

But happily-settled-in-the-UK wife Kate's far from convinced.

For me to kind of have the same enthusiasm as Ben is difficult

because I've got a lot more to lose than he does.

When a trial week down under shows them both

what moving could really cost...

I don't think we'd be able to afford that anyway.

It's not looking good so far.

..will Ben see his dream come true or watch it sink forever?

Famed for its laid-back lifestyle,

spectacular scenery and a buoyant economy,

Australia's been the number one destination for Brits moving abroad

for the last two decades.

On average, every day, 23 families from the UK

arrive in the country to start a new life in the sun,

so it's no surprise 5% of the country's total population

were born in Britain.

Ever since representing Great Britain

at the Commonwealth Games in 2006,

former Olympic diver Ben Swain

has dreamt of setting up home in Australia.

Forced to retire from the pool,

Ben's now desperate to carve out an exciting new life

in the country that's captured his heart.

First, though, he'll have to convince wife Katie

to give up everything she loves in the UK

to start again in a country she's never even visited

and he's got just one week to do it.

The couple's trial week begins with 26 hours on the move

flying from London to Brisbane via Dubai and Singapore.

And when they finally touch down in Australia,

Ben's feeling the effects of the mammoth trip.

I'm really tired. It's been a while since I've done that journey.

He may be exhausted, but he's upbeat about being back down under.

I haven't been here for so long.

I want to get out, see what it's got to offer.

I've never been to Brisbane.

The weather. I'd love to get out in this weather.

Katie, though, has more than the sun on her mind.

It's a bit of a challenge.

One, the flight was very long

and also leaving all my friends and family back home.

Ben's already got a plan for getting her onside, though.

I'm looking for Australia to convince Katie rather than me.

I think I'm going to try and take a back step

and not be too pushy and just get an honest opinion

from what you think of it.

Whether that'll work

and be the springboard to the future he wants

will be revealed in the next seven days.

Back in the UK, 28-year-old Ben and 26-year-old Katie Swain

live in Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire.

The couple met in 2005 at a party in Katie's home town in Scotland.

I was visiting friends and then you also knew the friends

and then we ended up spending New Year's Eve together.

Yeah, and thought I'd never see him again

and then, ten years later, we're now married.

THEY LAUGH

Ben was passionate about his career,

representing Great Britain as a professional diver.

Diving was my life.

There was nothing else that I did or could do

cos you're training so much.

It's intense, there's pressure, there's excitement,

there's highs and lows,

so it really consumes you, engulfs you.

Competing all over the world,

Ben made his Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008

and won his first international gold medal in Mexico a year later.

Meanwhile, supportive girlfriend Katie stayed home alone.

It was very exciting, though,

cos you get to watch him on TV and compete.

I remember one competition, when I was sat in bed on my own

at three o'clock in the morning watching and he won gold.

I was so excited, I had to phone my brother and be like,

"Oh, my God! He's won gold!"

And my brother was like, "Oh, my God, Katie. Get a grip."

Ben was at the height of his career

and when London was lined up to host the 2012 Olympic Games,

he couldn't wait to be part of it.

But his plans were blown out of the water

and a crippling knee injury destroyed his career.

A couple of months later,

they reconstructed the inside of my knee,

which resulted in about a year's rehabilitation.

The day I retired was actually the qualifications

for the London Olympic diving team.

It was literally he went from having this amazing career

that he had a passion for to it being gone.

With his dream dashed, three years later,

Ben's chasing a new one - moving to Australia,

a country he first fell for

while competing in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Within a week, I was like, "Oh, this is the life. This is brilliant."

He's always raved about how much he enjoyed it.

Everything about it, he just seemed to love

and he has never really stopped talking about it since.

Ben believes Australia's the place to satisfy his thirst for adventure.

I do like to be active.

Out in Australia, there's surfing, windsurfing,

lots of water sport activities.

Along with that, there's a lot of adrenaline in sports.

I think there's more things in Australia that appeal to me

that I could be doing

that I just don't have an opportunity to do here.

But Katie's not convinced.

Having grown up in Africa, she's moved continents once before

and the experience has left a scar.

It was very difficult and it was very hard to fit in

because I got picked on for being different, I think.

And that's made me very wary about getting up and leaving again

because it's taken me a long time

to have the network of friends that I've got.

Katie's worked incredibly hard to build her career as a scientist.

Also running a small business

and with an offer to do a law conversion degree,

she's got a lot to give up.

I've got a stable job, we've got a house,

we've got friends, we've got a good network,

so for me to kind of have the same enthusiasm as Ben is difficult

because I've got a lot more to lose than he does.

Katie's job could be the ticket to a visa for Australia,

but, as the main breadwinner,

she's cautious about risking financial stability.

At the moment, I'm supporting myself and Ben

and to be over in Australia, to not be able to do that,

would be far too difficult for me.

Added to that, there's the emotional cost of leaving her family behind.

We're all very, very close. My brother's, like, my best friend.

-We would do anything for each other.

-Mm-hm.

My dad was diagnosed with emphysema,

-so I think flying halfway round the world...

-I don't think...

..would be too much of a strain for my dad,

so that will be something I probably find very difficult.

With one dream already shattered,

Ben's desperate for Katie to buy into his vision of the couple's future,

but persuading her could be his toughest challenge yet.

There is that conflict.

I do think she'll appreciate it

and enjoy that kind of lifestyle out there.

In a way, I don't know if Ben realises

what a big decision it is.

I would have to be 100% sure that it would work for us

before I could make a final decision.

For their trial week down under, the couple are visiting Brisbane,

Australia's third most populated city.

Their temporary base is a luxury apartment in Toowong

on the fringe of the city centre.

It's Katie's first taste of Aussie living.

-Oh, this looks nice.

-That's all right, isn't it?

The living space is on the petite side,

but Ben's quick to find a selling point.

See, that's what we're missing at our place.

Yeah, OK, I get the point.

-Yeah, it's an awesome spot, isn't it?

-Yeah.

See, this feels like I'm in open countryside, even though I'm not.

And I've got a city and everything I need straight around me. Perfect.

And the pitch continues inside.

There's not much footage space, is there, compared to our house?

But it's nice.

It doesn't take long to check the place out

and overall, both Ben and Katie seem happy.

I'd ideally like a three-bedroom, but the actual flat,

-God, I've seen much worse.

-The location...

-I've seen much worse flats.

-Yeah, yeah.

With that view, I don't think you can really go wrong, can you?

But it's not long before Katie starts to think about

what she's left at home.

Moving to Australia has a risk

of not finding a career that will support us

or be a stable job for me.

Ben, meanwhile, has his own concerns.

I have got high expectations

and I think I'll be disappointed if it does let me down.

Assuming the country is everything he remembers,

Ben knows he's still got a battle on his hands

to persuade Katie to make the move.

I think the fight will be whether it's just viable

with missing family and work-wise.

As long as that's taken care of,

I think the actual country and the people and the lifestyle

will be an easy decision.

It is absolutely beautiful and it's really sunny

and so far, there's nothing to complain about,

but like I said, there's a lot of boxes to be ticked.

Back in the UK, home for Ben and Katie

is a two-bedroom terraced house in Sutton-in-Ashfield.

-We paid 104,000 for the house.

-Yeah.

-And we bought it as a new-build,

-so we were the first people to be in it.

-Yeah.

But while Ben could pack up and leave it quite easily,

Katie would find it harder to move on.

We've worked hard, put a lot of personal time into it

and it is how we want it,

so, for me, it would be difficult to give it up.

If Ben can persuade Katie to buy into his Australian dream,

their property budget for a new home down under is around £110,000.

I would quite like something similar to what we've got.

You know, a bit of space, garden,

in a nice area where we could feel comfortable and...

-Something with a...

-Socialising.

I mean, my goal would be to have something like a three-bedroom house

big enough for a small family, a garage, a big kitchen.

We wouldn't be able to get that at the start.

That'd be the end goal. That's what I'd love.

To find out what kind of house their money could buy in Australia,

today, we'll show Ben and Katie

three properties - two on budget

and a third which could be their dream home.

After they've seen each one, we'll reveal how much it would cost.

First stop is Greenslopes, an inner-city suburb

three miles south of central Brisbane.

Popular with young professionals,

it should be somewhere the Swains could blend in,

but will this one-bedroom apartment measure up?

In we go.

-So, this is it.

-This is nice.

-It's quite small.

-Yeah.

It is rather compact.

-Is that the...

-Bathroom?

-..bathroom right next to the front door?

That's a bit unusual, but it's still fit for purpose.

It's a nice bathroom, though, isn't it?

Smaller than our bathroom, but nicer than our bathroom.

-Yeah, but there's no bath.

-There is no bath.

-THEY LAUGH

-I don't use the bath anyway.

No, but I like a bath.

Katie's not convinced

and Ben soon notices something's amiss in the living room.

There is no...

..TV, but I would...

No, but you wouldn't want to be staring at yourself

on the sofa, would you, really?

The nice thing is, you're straight out onto the patio

and they've got the weather to be able to do that.

It might be bathed in sunshine,

but the garden isn't exactly spacious.

-It's a lot smaller than ours at home.

-A lot smaller.

Well, you've got enough space to have a barbecue.

Ben's determined to push the positive,

but picking up on its proximity to neighbours,

even he has to admit it's not quite perfect.

That's the thing that I'm not so keen on is having...

-People above?

-..your neighbours directly above your head.

As in, I could hold their feet if I needed to.

SHE LAUGHS

Back inside, the kitchen's a bit cramped.

I love cooking. I love moving around the kitchen.

It is very small.

And the bedroom isn't very big either.

-I mean, it works. There's only two of us, isn't there?

-Mm.

It's only one bed. There's two of us. It's done...

Like, there's no doubt about it that it's done nicely. It's enough.

It's functional.

Ben's not going to be beaten,

but it'll take more than functional to win Katie over.

With £110,000 to spend, it's time to find out

if this house is somewhere the Swains could afford to call home.

That's way more than I thought it was going to be for this.

Yeah, me too. It's quite expensive

-compared to what I thought it was going to be.

-Yeah.

But I was kind of thinking that we were going to get less space,

-but I didn't think it was going to be for more money.

-No, I didn't.

I thought, for the same money, we'd probably get less space.

I didn't think it would cost us more.

I don't think we'd be able to afford that anyway.

-That does shock me.

-Yeah, it shocks me a little bit.

That really does shock me.

Yeah, I think we've got some more to see.

-But, at the minute, we wouldn't be able to afford to move here.

-No.

The realisation they'd be paying more for less has been an eye-opener

and with Katie already questioning the affordability of a move,

Ben needs the next property to be much more promising.

The couple head 40 minutes west of Brisbane to the city of Ipswich.

Offering a cosmopolitan mix of shops and restaurants,

the area has plenty of appeal

and being further out could mean better value for money.

But will this two-bedroom house just off a main road

be somewhere Katie could call home?

-This is the...

-Spare bedroom.

-..spare bedroom.

-That's quite cute.

-Yeah, it's nice.

-Little window colours.

There's certainly more space

and the master bedroom's a hit with Ben.

I could see myself sleeping and living here.

But the big question is can Katie?

-Yeah, it depends on how noisy the main road is, though.

-Yeah.

Hmm. Next up, the bathroom.

This is nice.

-It looks like a holiday theme, doesn't it?

-A holiday theme?

-Yeah.

-What do you mean?

-It's got stars and shells and stuff all round it.

-I quite like it.

-THEY LAUGH

OK, moving on, the open-plan living area is a hit

with both Ben and Katie.

-Wow.

-This is cool.

-This is better, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's massive.

-It is really big.

The modern interiors are winning Katie round.

-It's really nice.

-And this...

-I'd be happy living here.

-Yeah.

That's a result.

When Ben spots the spacious kitchen, he's happy too.

-Finally, a big kitchen. This is...

-This is really nice.

-I like the colour of it.

-Yeah.

Easily double the size of mine

and it's all nice and open-plan, which is quite nice.

Yeah, I really, really like this.

Outdoors is much more spacious than the last property.

-Wow. This is amazing.

-Wow.

-Garden's massive.

-That's bigger than our whole entire property to just the garden.

-Yeah.

You've got so much room to do all sorts of stuff.

You could have decking, barbecue area, a patio.

I could do my patio again.

Ben could be getting carried away,

but Katie doesn't share his excitement.

-I'm not sure...

-Ideal.

-..it would be fun maintaining this, though.

We'd have to do something with it.

She's playing it cool,

but this house has been more of a hit than the last one.

But with £110,000 to spend, will it be within reach?

How much do you think this is worth?

In pounds, I'd probably say between 150 and 200,000, maybe.

I was thinking along the lines of £200,000.

I hope this is in our budget cos I'd love to be able to afford it.

I'd love to be able to afford it too.

I can't see it being, but fingers crossed.

No way. I think that's incredible for this.

It's £20,000 over budget, but Ben doesn't seem daunted.

That fills me with hope.

But it's still expensive and it's still out of our budget.

Depending on their earnings down under,

this home could still be within reach,

though the cost of Brisbane housing is seeing Katie struggle.

Hopefully, the final property of the day will get her more excited.

Katie's keen to live somewhere that lends itself to socialising,

so we found what could be the couple's dream space -

smack bang in the centre of Brisbane.

Will it be a winner?

-Ooh, it's cute.

-This is different, isn't it?

-Is that good or bad, Ben?

-I really like it.

By far, it's the nicest decorated than anything we've seen.

It also offers the open-plan layout the couple like,

but once more, it's not big on space.

-The living area is...

-It's quite...

-..again, quite small, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's quite small.

-But at least it's...

It looks like it's had quite a lot of work done to it, though.

Trying to stay positive,

Ben points out it could be a good starting point for the pair.

I think I'd... If I had to,

I'd rent something like this for a time to live in.

Rather than investing.

Yeah, and then use this as somewhere really, really nice

-to look for somewhere to buy.

-Yeah.

Katie not sounding sold, Ben moves his sales pitch outside.

-HE LAUGHS

-So, there you go.

You have got a bit of garden.

You've got the grass out here and a barbecue,

which is typical Australian.

You wouldn't be in Australia without a barbecue, so that's nice.

He's trying hard, but Katie's proving a tough audience.

It's quite a nice view,

but I'd be worried about the shops and...

-Everything down there.

-..restaurants downstairs.

And indoors, Ben reluctantly agrees the bathroom could be an issue too.

You'll fit in the bath, but I'm not sure...

-Am I too tall?

-Don't leave dirty footprints.

-Yeah, see, that's...

-HE LAUGHS

-Maybe a little bit of an issue.

-Yeah.

-Oh, you've left muddy footprints.

-Oh, sorry.

You're going to have to clean that before we leave.

Before he cleans up, the couple check out the bedroom.

-That's nice.

-This is cute. I like this.

They've got an in-built wardrobe, which is good.

They've used the space effectively.

Hopefully, with having all the bars and pubs and restaurants,

if these windows are nice and sealed,

sleeping wouldn't be an issue.

I don't think I'm sold on that theory. Sorry.

He's tried his hardest,

but it doesn't look like this is the house

to convince Katie to make the movie either.

With £110,000 to spend,

would their budget even extend to somewhere like this?

-Shall we see how much it's worth?

-Go on, then.

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Ah. That's quite expensive.

-HE EXHALES

It... Yeah, that's way out of our budget for that and...

-HE EXHALES

-In a way, I kind of

almost expected it to be that expensive

with how close it is to the centre of Brisbane.

But, still, for this size...

-For that amount of money, I'd want a lot more.

-Yeah.

-That's ridiculously expensive.

-Yeah.

The reality of Brisbane property prices

has provided plenty of food for thought

and confirmed Ben's fear

that the three-bedroom house with a garage is a long way off.

Property one was too small in every way

apart from the asking price.

Property two was more spacious and closer to their budget,

but it still left Katie unimpressed.

And despite a social scene

on the doorstep,

the final property of the day left Katie cold.

So, how will discovering they might struggle on their budget

affect Ben and Katie's choice

when it comes to choosing between homes in Australia and the UK?

-They've all been quite different, haven't they?

-Yeah.

I think it's given an idea of what is out there

and it's kind of given an idea of what I would like

-and the prices to expect.

-Yeah. I think, um...

Well, I don't know. It's quite a difficult decision for me.

Time to vote.

-Have you gone for GB?

-Yeah.

-HE LAUGHS

-I thought you were going to go for Australia.

-Really?

-Yeah.

I don't know. I think it's just the fact

that it's quite unpredictable about what we could afford.

I think, from what I've seen today, I can see potential

and I think, with enough research, we can actually find something

that will look really quite good, be quite spacious,

that would give us an opportunity to develop.

That's what I liked about it.

I just think there was more negatives to positives.

-I think the one house, I would buy in a second...

-Yeah.

..whereas the other two kind of made me a bit more reserved

-on my decision.

-Yeah.

With Katie disheartened by property prices,

Ben's chances of convincing her to move

could already be in deep water.

Finding jobs that could keep them financially afloat

will be crucial if he's to keep his dream alive.

In the UK, former athlete Ben works as a diving coach

and a sports massage therapist.

They're very different.

It's nice to have both to give me some change.

Having achieved the career of her dreams,

Katie works full-time as an analytical scientist

in a honey testing lab

and runs her own business hosting science parties for children.

It's really fascinating.

There are so many different areas, different aspects you can get into.

There's research. There's working in commercial labs.

If they do make the move, Ben hopes to retrain as a paramedic

and although it would affect his short-term earning potential,

he's confident it's a risk worth taking.

Hopefully, from sort of the things that I understand,

it can pay off in later years

and hopefully, put us in a better position than now.

But as the main breadwinner,

convincing Katie to walk away from the job she loves won't be easy.

It'd be very difficult for me

because I'm leaving the stable job and that's a massive risk for me

and I've worked hard to be in the position that I'm in.

Ben's hopes for a new life down under

could live or die on what the couple discover

in their day exploring work options.

First up, Katie heads off to meet David Waltisbuhl

from Queensland's Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Now we'll come into the main lab area.

How big is the lab?

Like, do you have quite a lot of analysts or...?

We've got seven analysts working in our laboratory.

After a quick tour, Katie is keen to get down to business.

If I was to come over to Australia,

what would my kind of job prospects be to work for a company like this?

I would be looking to recruit somebody

-only if one of the existing staff left.

-OK.

Probably every three or four years we might have a staff change.

Opportunities at this lab may be thin on the ground,

but David is quick to assure her work could be easier to find elsewhere.

Certainly in some bigger laboratories around

that do similar work to ours.

-OK.

-So they would be hiring more staff.

Most of the stuff they hire are at the technician level.

-I think you'd be looking more for a professional position.

-OK.

That's more reassuring.

Meanwhile, Ben meets Sean Mutchmor

at the Queensland Ambulance emergency complex

to find out if his ideal career is a real option.

These ones here have everything from these fast response units

for our critical care paramedics.

It's an impressive set-up and Ben is keen to hear

how he can become part of it.

So, I've had a look at what I need to do to become

a paramedic in the UK.

What qualifications could I get in the UK,

or what would I need here to become a paramedic?

Well, there's two options.

You can get credentials in the UK and then come over.

We have a process here where we recognise, you know, prior learning

-and equivalent qualifications from other countries and states.

-OK.

You can go through a process that way.

Or secondarily, you can come to Australia

-and do your undergraduate education here.

-OK.

Currently, our baseline entry programme is a three-year

-bachelor's degree for the advanced care paramedic II level.

-Yep.

Then subsequent to that,

if you want to go on to become a critical care paramedic,

it's either a graduate diploma or a master's degree.

That doesn't sound too dissimilar.

Ben would hope to study in Australia. But funding could be a problem.

The NHS for paramedics at university will pay for the course.

Is that similar out here?

Realistically,

your undergraduate programme is only funded by yourself.

Of course, here in Australia,

there's a number of government-funded systems that

help you pay for that, but as far as the ambulance service goes, no.

It's not the answer Ben wanted.

But Sean does add that he could qualify for a study grant.

Even so, the reality is

studying full-time would put more financial pressure on Katie.

So, assuming she could find a job, the big question is,

how much would it pay?

The salary we'd be looking at paying

someone of your qualifications would be around 75,000-80,000 a year.

Almost £38,000 is nearly double what Katie earns in the UK.

All in all, it's been a positive meeting.

Knowing that I wouldn't come in at a bottom level is really good.

And the salary would be amazing cos it's a lot higher

than what the UK offer.

Ben's chances of persuading Katie to make the move could be on the up,

especially if, once qualified, his salary improves too.

So, what's the actual pay like then?

Like I said, you know, there's a number of options.

But, baseline, say you're going to work in Brisbane,

an average paramedic working on an ambulance like this,

your baseline page might be, say, around 65,000.

That's a starting salary of nearly £33,000 before shift rates

and other allowances are added on.

It's been a pretty good day for the Swains at work, but how will

the findings impact on their decision between work in Australia and the UK?

-What did you go for?

-Australia!

-Australia!

-Yay!

-Why did you go for Australia?

-Erm...

I really like the people I've met out here.

It actually sounds really exciting.

-Cool.

-You?

I think knowing that I can transfer my skills over here and do

what I do back home.

And also there are jobs out here that I'd be able do.

And I think the pay would be more beneficial,

as it's a lot more than what the UK offer.

-Excellent.

-Cool.

-So, we are in agreement.

-Woohoo!

Let's go.

A day discovering work opportunities in Brisbane

may have put Katie's career concerns to rest.

Her first vote for Australia

could mean the tide's beginning to turn in Ben's favour.

With Katie a fitness fanatic,

will a day experiencing the active outdoor lifestyle

Australia is famed for prove another winner?

Making the most of Brisbane's warm climate,

the couple head for the Gold Coast

to try their hand at paddleboarding -

one of the country's most popular pastimes.

It's super easy to do. Super fun.

So, we're going to test your balance out and they're going to get

you to stand up on the board, use the paddle and paddle around.

Their instructor is Australian paddleboarding champion

Angela Jackson.

No pressure, we've got a world champion teaching us.

THEY LAUGH

Ben's competitive spirit rises to the surface

and after a quick lesson, they are ready to get going.

Normally at home in the water, Ben is soon making a splash.

Abandoning their boards, the pair head for an alfresco lunch

at the nearby Currumbin estuary,

where the scenery soon works its magic on Katie.

It's beautiful. Can't beat the sunshine. Got the water.

-I'm loving it here.

-Yeah, it's really nice. It's really pretty.

And I'd really like to try that someday.

Kitesurfing.

Probably better at that than what you were this morning.

I think I'd be awesome at that.

It's exactly the kind of life Ben dreams of.

Keen to gauge his chances of securing it,

he susses out Katie's feelings about being so far from home.

-Do you miss your family?

-Eh...

I don't really feel like I'm on the other side of the world from them.

I think if I wanted to go and visit, I think it'd be a different story

cos obviously it's not just a drive up the road,

it's fly miles.

Katie may not be homesick yet,

but that could be a real issue if she was here for the long haul.

The couple round of their day with a dip

in Currumbin's natural rock pools.

The day's definitely lived up to Ben's expectations.

I've had a really exciting day today.

I've seen a lot of Australia, the kind of Australia that I remember

and the reason why I thought I'd quite like to emigrate out here.

And after her day in the sunshine,

the benefits of Aussie living could be dawning on Katie too.

It's shown me that there's lots to do.

I don't think I'll ever get bored.

You can be outside all day.

The weather is lovely.

Yeah, I just think the whole vibe of it is pretty cool.

So will she have been convinced

when it comes to picking between the lifestyle in Australia and the UK?

-Shall we, babe?

-I think so.

-Let's go.

-What are you going for?

-Australia. That was an easy one for me.

-Yeah.

-For me too.

-Was it?

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

It was really good today and I think it gave a really good

-view of what would be available, so...

-Yeah.

-Yeah, really happy.

Much better experience than the outdoor stuff we ever

-get to do in England.

-Yep. Definitely.

-Excellent.

-Cool.

-Shall we go?

-Let's go.

Australia's lifestyle may have won Katie round,

but Ben knows keeping her on side will be a challenge

if the move would leave them out of pocket.

If they do decide to emigrate, the couple would need to

sell their house in the UK to help fund the move.

They purchased it three years ago for around £104,000.

We sent round two estate agents to get up-to-date valuations.

First thing I noticed about this property is

the quality of the oak flooring. Very contemporary feel about it.

It's a nice, spacious lounge.

I'd say it's a tad dark.

They may need to sort of brighten it up with the light.

Get rid of the dark lampshade.

It's a nice rear enclosed garden. Ideal for some entertaining.

It's a good selling point of the house.

Snookers.

I'm impressed with the number of units in this kitchen.

There are a lot of utensils out on the benches.

Perhaps some of those could be put away

if the property were to be marketed for sale.

That's a fair point, but I do live in that kitchen.

In the current marketplace,

I would value this property between £105,000

and £110,000.

For a quick sale, the property

could be marketed for £100,000.

The rental per calendar month would be £475 a month.

I'd recommend a current asking price between £100,000 and £105,000.

For a more quick sale, I'd be looking at a figure of £95,000.

The rental market remains very strong locally,

and my figure for rental purposes would be £495 per calendar month,

perhaps dropping to £475 if required.

-I thought we would have got more than what we paid.

-Yeah.

But I think I'd prefer to rent it.

I would. I'd keep it anyway.

-I don't think I'd sell it.

-Yeah.

With the value of their house lower than expected,

Ben knows what happens next could make or break his dream.

Anxious to keep Katie on side, the couple sit down to figure out

living costs in Australia, starting with their weekly food shop.

So, you've got eggs which are 1.6.

-That's 1.6.

-Mixed peppers.

-Yeah.

3.08.

-That's expensive. 3.08. Yeah.

-Apples.

-Yeah.

-0.75.

It's not looking good so far.

The couple work out they would be spending over £99 on food every week.

That particular shop is £25 extra.

That's £100 more per month.

And they've still to examine their bigger bills.

Why are you stressing?

-HE CHUCKLES

-Lots of numbers. Ready?

-OK.

-Let's do the other load.

Basing their sums on the second property they viewed

adds an instant £270 to mortgage costs.

That's the biggest... I think that's the biggest expense.

-Electricity and water is going to be a little bit more expensive.

-Yeah.

But then everything else works out.

Overall, the couple would be spending around £250 a month

more down under, and Ben is feeling the pressure.

I'm sweating doing this.

Salaries could help make up the shortfall, though.

When the couple add up Katie's increased wages down under

with Ben's study allowance and income from part-time sports massage,

the figures look more promising.

So, would the Swains be losing out or potentially living it up

if they were to go ahead with the move?

So, looking at these former numbers from how much we've got left

over at the end of the month at home, we'd be laughing in Australia.

We've got, instead of £100 or £200,

we've now got £900 to £1,000 extra to play with a month.

-So, that's good news for me.

-LAUGHING:

-Yeah.

Yeah, I know.

-That makes it... That makes me really happy.

-Aw.

After a shaky start,

it's clear moving could substantially improve the Swains' bank balance.

So, is it a clean sweep for the country

when deciding between finances in Australia and the UK?

Yeah! Australia.

Why did you pick Australia?

Because it looks like we're going to earn more money.

-THEY LAUGH

-Is that it?

-No.

It looks like we'd get a better lifestyle, I think,

and if we can be better off, even if I decide to go to university,

after I'm qualified, hopefully we'd be even better off again.

And for you, was it an easy choice?

Erm, I think it just kind of gave me

-an idea that I wouldn't need to worry.

-Yeah.

Whereas in the UK, I'd still feel like we worry about money

-quite a bit.

-Yeah.

-So...

-It's positive.

-Excellent.

With her financial worries laid to rest,

Katie could be on the way to following Ben's dream.

But, as they sit down to watch messages from home,

Ben knows he could be treading water if Katie can't reconcile herself

with the idea of leaving close-knit family.

-Hey, guys.

-Hey, guys. Hope you're having a great time in Australia.

Hi, Ben and Katie. I hope you've had a superb week in Australia.

Hi, Katie. Hi, Ben. How are you doing?

I hope everything is going well for you

and no doubt we'll hear from you soon.

They're just a really nice couple. Just get on really well.

Katie's a...

We always called her our wee little feisty Scots girl.

She's lovely. She's really lovely. She's gorgeous.

She's got a lovely sense of humour.

She's grown into the most amazing daughter. She means the world to me.

But I know she is in good hands with Ben.

Ben is a super guy.

I couldn't ask for anyone nicer to be with my daughter.

I don't want Ben to go, but I would be gutted

if Ben moved to Australia, but I can't stop him, so...

Yes, we are very proud of him for what he achieved,

but I think more than that, for who he is.

Yeah.

His personality, particularly.

I'll miss them very, very much.

As I say, my daughter is very caring and she worries an awful lot

about me, which is very touching, very nice.

I will miss her contact.

It is going to be very hard.

We'll just have to make sure her and Ben build me a granny flat.

It's the beginning of their life as, you know,

a married couple together and their future and I think it's, you know...

If that's what they want, then they go with our blessing, really.

-Absolutely.

-Mm-hm.

We are here for you. We're only a phone call away.

Stay safe and we're going to miss you.

Katie and Ben, I am going to miss you so much.

But I honestly think that you and Ben will excel over there.

And one last thing, Katie.

As far as health goes, don't let it impact on your decision.

My health is going to be fine.

Whatever you do, um...

We'll support you.

SHE SNIFFS

Whatever you do, you know we love you.

Bless them.

I was shocked that my parents got so emotional.

I think the biggest thing for me,

I guess, watching the video was kind of my dad's health.

I know he says he's OK, but they're there to...

Well, and your family are there to support us.

Encouraging messages from home

may have lessened the emotional impact of emigrating for Katie,

but with the heartache it could cause his family and friends

now dawning on him, Ben has been shaken.

It's been his dream all along,

but will coming to terms with leaving loved ones mean

it's now Ben who's beginning to question the move?

For him, the couple's time in Brisbane has been

a reminder of why he's been pushing for the move.

Having the beach, having the scenery, going down to the creek.

That brought back all the memories that I had before,

years ago, since 2006

that made me want to emigrate to Australia in the first place.

Katie's seen her money concerns evaporate.

I was really worried that financially

we wouldn't be able to cope in Australia,

and I think knowing that there's such a big difference

of the finances in Australia to the UK...

I mean, £900 difference is incredible.

I'll never see that in the UK, I don't think.

And being reassured about leaving family behind.

It was really nice to see how supportive my family were and

how my parents and my dad made sure that I wasn't worried about him.

But Ben may be wrestling with conflicting emotions.

I think I know which way I'm going to vote,

although after watching my friends and family video,

it's not going to make that as obvious for me now.

I was really surprised that my dad choked up like he did.

That really came as a shock to me to see that reaction.

It's such a big thing and it is like starting all over again.

And the worries that I do have are still there a little bit.

But from what I've seen this week,

there's more positives than negatives.

As the sun sets on their week,

has Katie seen enough to completely sign up to the move?

And will Ben decide leaving loved ones is a price worth paying

to follow his dream?

-Yay! You're up for Australia?

-Yeah.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-Good.

What was the biggest thing that decided it?

-I think the reality check today...

-Yeah?

-..played a massive part in my decision.

-Yeah.

I still have a few negatives,

but from my experience, it's all been pretty positive.

I think what I've learnt is there is a lot of research we need

to do with cost of living

and what we're actually going to do out here.

-But I'm even more positive than I ever was.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Cool.

Excellent. Let's go.

Ben was convinced Australia would sell itself to Katie,

and he's been proved right.

With a potentially satisfying career and more money in the bank,

she's finally bought into his Antipodean dream.

We wish Ben and Katie the best of luck as they embark

on what should be an exciting new chapter in their lives.