Thompson Family Wanted Down Under

Desperate to give your family the best life possible,

you're working around the clock.

But what if the real cost of your hard work's little time at home

and a marriage under strain?

One man believes the solution lies on the other side of the world.

Now, all he has to do is convince his wife.

Relentless working hours are destroying the Thompson's family life.

The kids need love and they need their dad there.

I don't want us to split as a family.

But while dad, James, thinks Australia is the answer,

wife, Roisin, just isn't interested.

I wouldn't want to leave my mum and my dad, I love them to bits.

When a trial week there shows the ups...

-This would be living the dream, wouldn't it?

-Definitely.

..and downs...

-Don't have a go at me.

-I'm not having a go at you.

Of course you're having a go.

..will the family sign up for a life in the sun?

If this doesn't work, I don't know where to go from here.

The sixth largest country on earth,

Australia's home to 24 million people,

just over a third of the UK's population.

But that figure's rising fast.

Every two and a half minutes,

someone arrives in the country, hoping to call it home

with Indian, Chinese and British migrants topping the list.

Brits are drawn by the lure of stunning scenery,

plentiful work opportunities

and a lifestyle that makes the most of the country's sunny climate.

James Thompson only wants the best for his family.

But trying to achieve that has seen his working hours spiral

out of control, meaning he's hardly at home.

With the situation becoming desperate,

James now has his heart set on moving his family

half a world away to a country he's never visited.

Ahead of him lies a week to discover if Australia really is the land

of plenty and persuade wife, Roisin, it's where their future lies.

The Thompson's week begins with a journey lasting

over 20 hours before they finally touch down in Perth.

On arrival, everyone's exhausted.

Absolutely shattered.

When you're used to being active it's not great sitting down for 24 hours.

Roisin's fear of flying certainly didn't make for a flawless flight.

-She had a few wobbles on the plane...

-They were going to land in the Indian Ocean.

That is really what I thought, didn't I? I was crying at one point.

Eight-year-old Josh is eager to start exploring his new environment.

I'm excited to be in Australia

because I like to look at the houses and explore new places.

But Roisin doesn't share his enthusiasm.

I'm a little bit nervous about being here.

It hasn't quite sunk in yet that I'm halfway round the world

and so far from my family and friends.

As they head into the Australian sunshine for the first time,

James is in no doubt about the challenge he faces.

Tomorrow, we'll hit the ground running.

I need to make sure it's the right move.

The Thompsons - Dad, James, Mum, Roisin.

13-year-old Taylor, ten-year-old Kieran and Josh, who's eight,

live in Blyth.

James and Roisin met as teenagers 14 years ago

in a pub in Roisin's home town of Whitby Bay.

-Up on the dance floor, weren't you?

-Yes.

-On the dance floor.

-I sent my friend over. And she pointed us out, didn't she?

-Mm-hm.

And it was every night after that.

And I love him a little bit.

Give over! You love us a lot.

And I love you a lot as well.

As much as I never really say it.

But I do.

A whirlwind romance quickly led to a growing family.

I was 18 when I found out I was going to be a dad.

I was 19 when I became a dad.

-Josh!

-Yeah?

-What do you want on your sandwich?

And ever since, the couple's life has been dedicated to

-raising their children.

-Ham and cheese? OK, then.

It's been a big part of our life being parents,

all our adult life really.

All I've known is having the kids.

All we've really cared about is raising the kids.

James works every hour he can to ensure his family's well provided for.

It's huge to give the children a good future.

That's all I work for, that's all Roisin works for, is for the kids.

Everything we do is for the kids, really.

Take a little bit off the top. Just to square that.

But working around the clock has left him with little time at home.

Leave the house seven o'clock in the morning,

sometimes I don't get in until ten. That's seven days a week.

Can be seven days a week. I miss quite a lot as well.

There's days I don't see them at all because I'm gone before they get

up for school and they're in bed by the time I get in.

I love coming to watch Kieran play football.

I think he's a really good little player.

After years of relentless shifts, family life is suffering.

The kids are missing their dad and they're asking where Dad is.

It's not fair as a family.

Money's not everything.

The kids need love and they need their dad there.

-It's nice to have all the family together, isn't it?

-It is.

And the situation's put a strain on James and Roisin's relationship too.

Things have got really bad between me and James.

At worst, we've had heated arguments.

Come on, then, boys.

'I don't want us to split up. I don't want us to split up as a family.'

-You cold, Kieran?

-I'm all right now.

For our future happiness, something's got to change.

Seven years ago,

James spotted an advert recruiting skilled workers for Australia.

Ever since, he's been convinced moving there could

give his family the time together they're desperate for.

I think in Australia I might be able to address the balance

a little bit by working less hours for more pay

so I'll be at home a lot more to do better stuff with them.

But Roisin is reluctant to relocate to the other side of the world.

When he first started talking about Australia, I kind of said,

"If you make us your wife, I'll move over to Australia."

Obviously, I never thought he'd go ahead with it.

We've been married six years and I'm still dragging my heels now.

Close to her family, she sees her parents at least three times a week

and that's a bond she doesn't want to break.

I wouldn't want to leave my mum, my dad, my brother and my sisters.

I love them all to bits and I think it's important the children

do get to spend time with their grandparents.

And they agree.

My grandparents, I'd miss them loads,

and the whole family because we see quite a lot of them.

If I moved to Australia I'd miss my cousins,

aunties, grandads

and Granny and Grandma.

Despite never having been, James is firm in his belief

his children would benefit from Australia's outdoor lifestyle.

It's a better way of life to start with.

It's more outdoorsy and not stuck in playing on video games.

And that could leave Roisin with a difficult dilemma.

It's worrying for me that when it comes to the crunch time,

if I can't leave my family and decide against it, I'm going

to feel I've let them down, the children as well as James.

Despite her deep reservations,

she's willing to give a trial week in Australia a go.

It's something James obviously really wants to do.

And I don't want everyone to be ten years down the line thinking,

"Maybe I should have given it a try."

James has one week to find out

if Australia can meet his expectations and persuade his wife.

Something has to change.

If this doesn't work, I don't know where to go from here.

Ah!

The Thompsons are spending their trial week in Perth.

The capital of western Australia,

the city enjoys more sunny days than any other Australian capital

city, so should suit the outdoors loving family to a T.

Just seems everybody's going at a nice easy pace.

The gardens could do with a bit of work.

The family's base for a week is a modern four bedroom home

in the suburb of Doubleview.

Will their first taste of Aussie living go down well?

-Two storeys. I wasn't expecting two storeys.

-It does look big.

-Yeah.

A quick tour reveals Roisin is far from won over.

I don't like it.

There's no way I'd move here to live in a house like this.

I think it's all right.

James has built Australia up to be a lot

and from what I've seen so far, it's not all that.

It's not the start James had been hoping for.

I feel quite a bit of pressure.

I've dragged them round the world to have a look

so if it doesn't come good, it's all on me.

While Taylor's looking forward to some rare time with her parents and brothers..

I get to spend time more with my family

and I get to have a look at schools.

I don't like the garden, it's way too small.

For Roisin, the distance they've put between themselves

and family back in the UK is already hitting home.

I don't want to move at all because I don't...

I don't think I could handle the reality of moving

halfway across the world and being away from my family.

James could have a tough time on his hands

persuading her to change her mind.

Put it this way, by the end of the week I wouldn't like to put

any money on whether she wants to stay here or go home.

Back in the UK, the Thompsons live in a three bedroom semi

in Blyth which they bought for £91,000 in 2007.

I love it. We've lived in this house for eight years now.

Roisin's in no doubt,

going up the property ladder would be the option in Australia.

I'm not keen to go to Australia.

But if we did, it would have to be a better house

than what we're leaving behind.

I don't think I would be willing to move to the other side of the world

to settle for less.

Fear not, Roisin, James has high hopes, too.

I'd like a swimming pool and quite big.

Bedroom for everybody,

an annexe, maybe, for people coming over to stay.

Space for my speedboat and man cave, cinema room. The works!

To find out what kind of house the Thompsons could buy in Australia,

today we'll show them three properties.

Two on budget and one which could be their dream home.

Only after they've seen each one will they discover its value.

The family would have around £230,000

to spend on a home Down Under.

For their first viewing, the Thompsons head north to Alkimos,

30 miles from the city centre.

It's a new suburb currently under construction which means

facilities, while planned, are still in the pipeline.

-It's lovely down here.

-Much nicer.

With the beach nearby, will this property win Roisin round

and get James's week off to a good start?

-Could you see yourselves living here, kids?

-Yeah.

-Mm-hm.

Hopefully, a good night's sleep has helped Roisin see things

in a more positive light.

-Yeah, looks lovely. Nice and modern, isn't it?

-Looks really nice.

Sounds like it could have.

Wow! It goes dead far back.

-You don't realise how big they are from the outside.

-It's amazing.

So far, so good. And the bedrooms keep the positive vibe going.

It's quite small but it's bright.

-Bathroom. It's lovely.

-Hey, this is really nice.

-Could you see yourself using this?

-Yeah. Oh, wow.

And top marks to whoever designed a house that could end

the argument of all arguments.

Three kids, three same sized rooms. Save any fighting.

Much better than my first impressions when we arrived yesterday.

Yeah. Much happier today.

Roisin is seriously impressed and the open plan kitchen

and living area has her stunned.

-Oh, wow!

-Wow!

-Oh, it's absolutely beautiful. I love it.

-I love this.

-Absolutely in love with it.

I can see this working for us.

I love the fire.

On closer inspection, the detail doesn't disappoint.

I like the big panoramic doors and windows.

Feels like the outside, doesn't it?

In the second sitting room,

James can think of one improvement he'd make.

Nice big TV on there. Have our friends around and stuff.

It'll be a good room to entertain in, this.

-Do you like it, kids?

-Yeah.

The master bedroom seems perfect.

-Oh, my God!

-Beautiful.

-It's amazing.

With its impressive walk-in wardrobe.

All this space.

And luxurious en suite.

-Oh, my God.

-Complete with his and hers basins.

No fighting over the sink.

And a shower made for two.

-Shower together.

-Really pleased. Really happy.

So, what about the garden?

-Small.

-Very small.

It was a big sized garden we were after, wasn't it?

I think it's too small.

I mean, it is nice but for us I don't think it's ideal, this size.

Outdoors may have been a let down

but the rest of the house was a winner.

Could the family afford it with their budget of £230,000?

-What do you think of the house?

-I can see myself living here.

I think it's perfect. Obviously the garden's not.

-But the rest of the house, yeah.

-What figure, do you think?

I was thinking 255.

I was thinking more...275, 280.

Let's have a look, then.

£235,000.

It's just £5,000 over budget.

I don't think you'd get anywhere near this in the UK

-for that sort of price.

-I can't believe it.

James's day is off to a flying start.

Will property two continue to sell the Australian dream to Roisin?

It's lovely, that. Beautiful, that house.

To find out, the family head to Carramar.

Closer to Perth centre, the suburb's not as near to the beach

as property one but does benefit from having two town centres

just a ten minute drive away.

On arrival, the house's curb appeal falls flat.

It doesn't look as nice as the last house from the outside.

The last property looked better than this one.

Inside, the muted mood continues.

-Big entrance.

-A bit of a sitting area there.

-I'm not as taken aback as the last house.

-No.

A bit indifferent with this one.

The layout of the living room fails to capture Roisin's imagination.

It's a funny shape, it's a weird shape.

-Bedroom one...

-Good sized bedroom.

-..starts off well.

-Think it could be the master bedroom.

-Yeah.

-Until...

The front of the house on the main road.

James realises it faces onto the street.

-Oh, yeah, en suite.

-A bit more modern in here.

There's still something about it. I'm just not, "Oh, wow."

-Plenty of storage space.

-Not as big as the last walk-in wardrobe.

-No.

-Not as big as the last one but still more than we've got...

-At home.

-..at home.

-Yes.

Just a bit of a dressing room at the moment

but probably make it into a bedroom.

Family bathroom.

As the tour progresses...

I'd obviously have to do a bit of work in here as well.

..James is just thinking of the amount of work needed to bring the house up to scratch.

-Plenty of work to do.

-Next room?

-Next room.

And the kitchen doesn't escape his critical eye.

There's plenty of potential in this.

There are certain things I would do in here different.

It doesn't need to be done straight away

but definitely within time I'd make changes.

Outside, the viewing takes a more positive turn

when one of the items on James's wish list gets ticked off.

-Wow! Look at this.

-Makes the house a bit more appealing, having a pool.

-It does, aye.

-Do you like that?

-Yeah.

-I thought youse might.

-I'm ready to jump in it now.

-Oh, no, you don't, James!

First it's time to discover

if the family could afford this house on their budget of £230,000.

-What do you think of the house?

-I'm not overly impressed with the house.

I mean, I'm not dismissing it straight away.

I do like the outdoor area a lot.

But as for the house itself, I'm not impressed with it.

I wouldn't pay anywhere near as much as I'd pay for the last one

but I've got to factor in the garden.

I'd take a guess at maybe 270-280,000 maybe.

I'd have said about...250.

OK, let's find out.

258.

That's nearly £30,000 over budget.

-I don't think I'd stretch the budget for this.

-No.

I think this one is a bit of a no-go.

Let's go and see the next property.

The Thompsons head to Joondalup.

Popular with families, the area offers a good selection

of schools, sporting facilities and plenty of parks.

Plus a train line which can whisk inhabitants to central Perth

in just 20 minutes.

Oh, I do like the look of this area.

We think this four bedroom house could be the Thompson's dream home

but will James and Roisin agree?

-Much more of an estate feel to it.

-Yeah.

Right from the get go, they're making all the right noises.

-I'm impressed by the outside.

-Looks quite new and modern.

Inside, the praise keeps on coming.

-Wow!

-Oh, looks lovely, doesn't it?

-Wow!

-First impressions are good.

-Could be a games room for the kids.

-Nice.

This house is definitely hitting the spot.

-Oh, bedroom.

-This will be mine.

-Lovely and bright.

-This will definitely be mine.

Yous are going to fight over it then, aren't you?

-That's nice.

-This could be your room, Taylor.

-Same size as the other one, isn't it?

-Yes. Yeah.

This house so far,

all it's going to need is a lick of paint to get it to how we want it.

-Next up...

-Master bedroom.

The parents' retreat gets a big thumbs up from Roisin.

Look at the size of it! That's huge.

-It wouldn't need anything doing to this.

-Not at all.

-Ready to move in, this one.

-Yeah.

Can't complain one little bit about this house.

Oh, wow.

But jaws drop when they discover the open plan kitchen.

Wow! That's huge. Oh, it's beautiful though, isn't it?

-Like this?

-Yes, I do like this. I actually can see us living here.

It could be a breakthrough for James.

Oh, wow. It's a TV room, isn't it? Cinema room.

Yeah, the living room. It's lovely.

-Do you like this house, Taylor?

-Yeah, it's really big.

-You can see yourself living here, then?

-Yeah.

-Stepping outside...

-Oh, wow!

-..the family find everything

they could need for some al fresco dining.

Oh, look, barbecue area. Fridge, pizza oven.

-This would be living the dream, wouldn't it?

-Yeah, definitely.

This is one of the best things I've ever seen, this.

-It's probably the best house I've ever seen.

-Do you like it?

-I like it.

-Youse like it?

-Yeah.

But Roisin's thoughts are turning to the price tag

luxury living like this could come with.

-Can we afford it, though?

-This is the big question.

Money worries temporarily fade when they set eyes on the pool.

-Oh, wow!

-How big is it?

-Absolutely massive.

-Dear God!

-Think you'd like that, to swim in there?

-Yeah.

Absolutely amazing, this is beautiful this.

This house has everything, it's the full package.

The house and the outdoor area.

Taking advantage of Roisin's excitement,

James goes for the killer question.

Could a house like this persuade you maybe to move to Australia?

I think something like this probably could persuade us, yeah.

So, with £230,000 to spend,

could the Thompsons afford their dream home?

Time to find out.

-What do you think about the house, then?

-I love it.

-It's got everything.

-Everything?

-I've got nothing bad to say about it.

-I really like it.

-It's really good.

-Yeah, because it's got a pool, it's massive.

-Everything's perfect.

-I'm going for about 330.

330? I think it's way more than that.

I think it's at least £400,000.

Shall we turn the card over?

Wow! 305!

It's £75,000 over budget but that's a lot less than they'd feared.

-Can you believe that?

-That's amazing.

Today's property hunt in Perth could have given James's dream

a real boost.

Property one wowed with its slick open plan spaces

but its garden left room for improvement.

Property two required work inside but outdoors was a hit.

Property three, though, had everything the family wanted

and depending on the work situation,

there could be some flexibility in the budget.

So when it comes to the vote,

will the family choose properties at home or away?

ALL: Australia!

I didn't think you'd vote Australia.

It was really hard to decide and then when I seen this house

I realised that here you can get more for your money.

And like I say, this house is perfect.

I'm over the moon that we've got five Australias.

Puts us in a good place for the rest of the week.

A unanimous vote for Australia is a great start for James.

But it's his poor work-life balance that's behind his desire to move

so finding the right role is vital

if he's to stand any chance of winning Roisin over.

Back in the UK, James is a site foreman in the construction industry.

It's a bit out. What we want to do is take another bit off that end.

Just square it up a bit and put the hardware on and it's ready to swing.

There's never a week goes by that I just do 40 hours.

I can do 70 plus hours which in turn gives us

no time at all to be with my family.

In Australia, he'd been eager to continue working

in a supervisory role.

'All through my career I've tried to better myself,'

work my way up the ladder so I'd be looking to look forward all the time

and maybe not to take a step back.

One thing's certain,

without the right the job the potential move is a non starter.

Finding the right job in Australia, it's not important, it's essential.

If we do make the move and I haven't got the right job

or the right house, or the right hours,

and Roisin's moving away from family,

it's just going to make everything 100 times worse.

With everything resting on what he discovers today,

James heads out to investigate his work possibilities.

At a building site in northern Perth,

he meets Steve Goodrem, area manger for a large construction company.

First up, James is keen to know

if his skills would be recognised in Australia?

I think you demonstrate all the skills

that are required for the job.

Most of the building methods here are very similar to the ones in the UK.

It'll just be the managing side of things that is different.

I've had a look through your CV where you haven't managed money

between trade and suppliers, which would be one thing you'd need to do.

It would be a hurdle but you'll get through that one.

So, with some development he could continue his career in Australia.

But what about the all-important work-life balance?

What sort of hours would I be working here as a site supervisor?

Say a 50 hour week. Your start time would be around 6am

and you'd be finished by four in the afternoon.

My family would be over the moon to see us a bit more like that.

James is delighted as he can see his working week cut by almost a third.

Meanwhile, as Roisin would be a stay-at-home mum Down Under,

she's visiting Kinross College to get the lowdown on Aussie education

with Taylor, Kieran and Josh.

School principle, Rod Buckenara, gives them a tour.

This is just one of the areas that we have computers in our school.

-We have about 500 computers in all.

-500 is impressive.

That represents about one computer per student in the school.

-This way, guys, science lab.

-Lots of fun and learning in here.

And with any luck...

-Wow, that's cool.

-That's pretty cool, isn't it?

Just put that down on the mat there.

-We can see what we've done is we've turned the metal...

-Into paper.

-It's not paper, it's powder.

-Can we do it again?

Outside, Roisin and the children find out more about school life

from pupils Shaun Hoskinson and Nadine Nutter.

What is the average school day here?

School starts at 8.50 and will end at 3.04.

You get six sessions in a day.

What sports are there here?

The girls do your netball and volleyball and stuff.

The boys would do your football, your rugby and stuff like that.

-Do you like the school?

-I love it.

I look forward to coming every morning.

It's just such a great school to come to.

See you, then, see you, everyone.

Roisin and the children have enjoyed their day at school.

Back at the building site, James is getting down to the crunch.

How much money could he earn?

You'd usually go on a probation which would last you three months.

I think you'd probably start around about £33,000.

After those three months, probably go up to about 37.

Usually, within 12 to 18 months after that, it would progress again.

-You might get up to around about 42,000.

-That sounds really good.

That's well over the £28,000 that James earns at home.

But is there actually a job with his name on it?

I would say, at this present time, it would be quite difficult to get a job.

We are experiencing a little bit of a downturn at this moment

in Western Australia.

Site supervisors are probably losing their jobs.

It's not great news.

But Steve suggests James could consider stepping back down the

ladder to become a carpenter as they're still in demand.

We would still hire good skilled carpenters.

If you went back to roof carpentry you could earn

between £45-50,000 a year.

Taking a step back in his career could actually see James earn more.

So, how will he vote when it comes to work at home or away?

After my day at work it's now time for me to vote.

Undecided.

I'm undecided because for a site supervisor

they haven't actually got the jobs here for us.

Catching up with Roisin, James shares his news, starting

with his potential salary of around £45,000.

I don't think we could afford to live out here on that wage.

When we looked into it in the past I was thinking more near on £50,000.

That's not even the bad news yet.

The bad news is they're not actually looking for any site supervisors

in the Perth, Western Australia area.

At the moment it's on a bit of a downturn.

That doesn't bother us that you can't get a job as a site foreman.

It's not the wage that we're hoping for anyway. So...

-I'm just telling you what he told me.

-I know, I'm just...

-Don't have a go at me.

-I'm not having a go at you.

Course you're having a go.

-You all right?

-Mm-hm.

-Why are you crying for, then?

-I'm not crying, just annoyed.

-About what?

-You, having a go at us.

-But you were having a go at us.

-No, I wasn't.

-No?

It's not what it sounded like.

After a positive start to the week with properties,

disappointing news on the work front has seen tensions rise.

James could be facing an uphill struggle

if he's ever to convince Roisin Australia is where they should be.

For him, the move's all about gaining the chance to spend

more quality time with his family.

So, will a rare day out together sampling Australia's lifestyle

be enough to get his dream back on track?

The day begins with a gentle bike ride along Perth's Swan River.

Absolutely gorgeous sunshine here.

I wonder what the weather's like at home?

For James, spending rare time together as a family is just

what he was hoping for.

This is the type of stuff I want to do as a family and reassuring

to know that this is how you can spend your time in Australia.

And Taylor's appreciating the day out too.

I really enjoyed the bike ride because it's warm and sunny

and I've spent time with my family. I really want to do this at home.

Next - the family swap saddles for paddles

as they get kitted out with kayaks.

Land lover Roisin, however, isn't exactly a natural sailor.

-How are you feeling?

-I feel sick.

-Why?

-Look at the water, it's rough.

-It's great when you get out there.

-We'll see.

-Yeah.

-I feel sick.

-You feel sick?

-Yes.

-You're fine. OK?

-Ready to go?

-Oh, Josh, you're splashing us, man.

I don't know which way I want to be.

Wrong way.

Once afloat, the sailing's far from plain.

Come on, we're done now!

-I don't like it.

-You'll get there.

-No, I can't do it.

After a somewhat unsuccessful attempt at kayaking,

reward comes in the shape of an Aussie classic, lunch at one of the

city's outdoor barbecues where the family bump into a couple of expats.

It's a great place to live.

I think a really good place to bring up children.

They have the work-life balance pretty much in the right spot.

They work to live and not live to work.

They've got that pretty much right.

Hearing how life could be in Perth from people who have made

the move is helpful.

But Roisin can't help thinking about the distance

she's put between family.

I can definitely see that Australia is appealing.

I can understand why James does want to move us over here.

But in my mind, I can't,

I can't stop thinking about leaving my family.

And she's beginning to struggle with the decision she'll face

come the end of the week.

I just feel very confused as to how the week's gone.

I've had ups and I've had downs.

At the minute my mind's just all over the place.

Each day has been so different.

But it has been an emotional rollercoaster for us, it really has.

For James, the family's time in Perth hasn't entirely gone to plan.

The rest of the week's been brilliant.

The houses, the lifestyle.

But the work one was the main one

and it didn't go exactly as I would have liked.

We were both pretty shocked that the research that we did

back in the UK didn't match what the expert told me here.

But he's far from letting go of his dream.

I want this move more than ever now.

Now I've been here and seen what it has to offer

and seen how good it is and...

Staying how we are in the UK at the moment, it's not going to last forever.

Something's got to give and my family's not going to be it.

Roisin faces a tough decision come the end of the week.

But based on lifestyle,

has everyone been sold on what Australia has to offer?

After a nice day of lifestyle activities, it's now time to vote.

ALL: Australia!

-I'm surprised.

-Really?

I thought you might have been unsure or maybe undecided.

I was after the kayaking but then the barbecue...

So do you think this lifestyle and activities would get you

away from your computers, PlayStations, iPads and stuff?

Do you think you'd be able to put them down and actually spend time at the weekend with us?

-CHILDREN:

-Yes.

-I'm pleased about that.

The Australian lifestyle's been a hit with the whole family.

But if they're to afford it, the finances will need to stack up.

James and Roisin bought their house for £91,000 in 2007

and now think it's worth around £80,000.

To see if their valuation's accurate,

we sent round two local estate agents.

-Doesn't look as sunny there, does it?

-No.

Beautifully appointed kitchen. This would appeal to a lot of buyers.

-Good kitchen, done by you.

-Glad she likes the kitchen.

Good sized bedroom.

The wallpaper, end of the season will tell whether that stays or goes.

Staying for good!

Family bathroom, rather small in size.

In today's market,

I would value this property in the region of £70-£75,000.

If a quick sale was required,

I would recommend putting it in the market in the region of £70,000.

In today's market I would value this family home

at a value of around about £75-£80,000.

For a quick sale,

I would recommend the house be put on the market for 69,950.

-I wouldn't sell it for that price.

-Are you disappointed at the price?

-It's a great surprise.

-Oh, well.

Keeping a cool head with lower than expected valuations, James and

Roisin move on to compare the cost of living in Australia with the UK.

First to get the numbers crunched is the weekly food shop.

The pack of mixed peppers is a lot more expensive here.

3.72 more.

Yeah, there's quite a bit on here that's more expensive.

Look at the cheese. £4.20 cheaper for the cheese.

-And we go through a lot of cheese.

-That's good!

In total, the weekly shop would come in at...

36.68 more expensive.

It's about 30% more a week.

That's around £165 more on groceries per month.

But after a week Down Under...

-What do you think about that?

-Not great.

It doesn't come as a massive shock.

-We were kind of expecting it to be more expensive anyway, weren't we?

-Yeah.

Moving on to the bigger bills,

the couple base their sums on the second property they saw.

So, the mortgage in the UK's £455 a month.

£455.

And the mortgage in Australia would be £1,353.

Gives you minus £898.

-The gas, £100.

-£100 in the UK.

£29 in Australia.

-£29?

-Wow!

That's £71 less expensive for gas in Australia.

OK, yes.

In total they'd be spending £1,107 more every month Down Under.

-That is, erm, quite a lot.

-It's quite a hefty chunk of money.

It's a huge hike in outgoings.

When their potential wages in Australia are taken

into consideration, the overall figure comes down.

-That's not good.

-No.

-Not at all.

But not by much.

Overall, they'd be £6,000 a year worse off if they made the move.

I don't know. Just sort of puts a dampener on everything.

Had a good week and stuff so...

I think I feel just a little bit deflated at the moment.

The only thing is,

the weather and the lifestyle is better over here than back home.

We'd need to weigh it up...

whether or not it's worth the move for the better lifestyle.

Yep.

Time to vote on finances in Australia versus the UK.

-UK.

-Undecided.

I think it was pretty obvious what way I was going to vote.

It was going so well the week, you seemed to be enjoying yourself,

the kids seemed to be enjoying themselves.

We just do seem better off in the UK than we would be over here.

I just feel a little bit let down, I suppose.

But the dream's not dead yet.

While Australia has shown James the lifestyle he'd hoped for,

the financial bottom line means it would come at a cost.

It's a big set-back but there's no time to lick his wounds

as he now faces Roisin's biggest hurdle to a move.

Having first discussed it with the children, the family sit down

together to watch messages from friends and family at home.

Hi, James, it's Mum and Dad.

I hope you're enjoying yourselves in Australia.

Missing you guys, hope you're having a great time.

I hope it's red hot.

We're very jealous. We're all missing you loads.

Our James is nice. He's a man's man.

He doesn't have a lot to say but he's a good dad.

Very hard working guy.

Will do anything he can to provide for his family.

Roisin is just something else.

She's strong, very strong.

But she's got a heart of gold. She would do anything for you.

Always got something to say, definitely, about anything.

She could talk the hind legs of a donkey.

As a family, they're all lovely and they're just fun to be around.

Taylor's a lovely girl, she's very close to my daughter.

And Kieran's a bit quieter but that's my son's best friend.

They just love each other to bits.

And Josh is gorgeous. Full of kisses and cuddles. He's lovely.

If they do actually go to Australia, I'm going to miss them like crazy.

This could break my heart.

I think your children, you always feel for your children

but your grandchildren, they hold a special place in your heart.

It would be a massive, a massive hole for me not to see her.

Because she's just dynamic.

I would miss her massively. Definitely.

It's going to be quite hard to say goodbye.

I just want you to know that we all love you and we'll all miss you.

I hope you've worked out what's going to be best for you guys.

We don't want to see you going

but we're whole heartedly behind any decision you guys choose to make.

Listen, James, if you want to settle down there, son, just go for it.

You've got to think about the family.

Make a life for yourselves and be happy.

That's all me and your mam want, for you to be happy.

To hear them saying stuff like that...

You surprised me with your glazed eyes.

-I didn't think you'd be effected by it.

-That's the worst thing.

You're upsetting other people for your own happiness.

But you can't live your life for other people's happiness.

Taylor. Are you all right?

All right?

Are you missing your family?

-Who? Who are you missing?

-All of them.

All of them. But you'll see them soon.

There's so much going on in my head at the moment.

James had been pinning his hopes on Australia

delivering on all fronts for his family.

But while their week in Perth has shown the Thompsons

life in the country would have its up sides, it's also made clear there

would be financial and emotional sacrifices to make along the way.

So, after everything they've discovered, will the family

decide to take a leap of faith and make the move?

Or decide sticking with life in the UK's a better bet?

When the Thompsons arrived in Australia a week ago,

James was desperately hoping the country would provide

the answer to problems at home.

And in some ways it hasn't disappointed.

'I came here and I was certain'

that Australia was for me.

I got off the plane, I love it here, I think it's great.

The last few days has seen Roisin's steadfast opposition

to a move soften.

'At some points during our week here I have'

been swayed to Australia.

Seeing the houses, I was wowed by some of the houses we could have over here.

But with the highs have come lows, testing James' mettle

and leaving his dream on decidedly shaky ground.

'Finding out there may not be a job here for us.'

Everything was going really well up until that.

Look at the size of that wave coming.

'Another low point would be the reality check.'

It was like a big slap in the face.

'He's realising it's not what he thought it was going to be.'

He was a bit gutted it didn't go the way he thought it was going to go.

Messages from home have left everyone reeling.

'The friends and family DVD made us feel really sad.'

I didn't really expect to be upset

because I didn't really think of that when I was having fun.

It was quite upsetting to watch and James, I think, it got to him.

He didn't realise it was going to get to him.

So, I think he was quite surprised.

With the final vote approaching, both Roisin and James

are battling with their decision.

We're only minutes away from making the final vote.

I'm actually so confused right now,

I don't know which way I'm going to vote myself.

'It's huge this, it's massive.'

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to vote myself.

Everything now rests on these final minutes as the family decide

where their future will lie.

After a week of ups and downs, it's now time to vote.

Australia!

-Australia?

-Australia? Really?

Wow.

Until we came on to the beach and I thought,

I really didn't know what I was going to do.

-But just looking along and...

-Why wouldn't you want to live here?

-Aha.

In the end, the lure of Australia's golden beaches

and outdoor lifestyle have proved too hard to resist.

It looks like the Thompsons have some tough goodbyes

and some serious packing ahead of them.

We wish them all the luck in the world as they prepare to

embark on their new life in the sun.