Ramoth Family Wanted Down Under

Your partner has spent years trying to sell you a life in Australia.

Now you've finally come round to the idea, they've changed their mind.

So, how do you convince them that moving your family almost 9,000 miles from home

really is the best thing for your future?

Ten years ago Lee Ramoth was prepared to pack up for a life down under,

but wife Lauren had her feet planted firmly in the UK.

I just thought, well, why do we want to leave this and move to the other

side of the world when what we've got going on here is great?

Fast forward a decade, though...

I am desperate to go.

For me, it's just not really an option at the moment.

The shoe is on the other foot. But when a trial week down under doesn't go to plan...

If I'm not convinced, how can I then try and convince you?

..where the Ramoths' future lies is far from certain.

With an average temperature of 22 Celsius

and more than 10,000 beaches to enjoy the sunshine,

it's not hard to understand why Australia's a magnet for Brits

seeking a new life down under.

But life on the other side of the world doesn't always live up to the dream,

and latest figures show almost half of those making the move return to the UK.

Ten years ago, Lee Ramoth tried to convince wife Lauren

their life would be better on the other side of the world.

Now the tables have turned, though, and Lauren's trying to persuade Lee

to give up a successful business and close family ties in the UK to pursue

the future he once dreamt about in Australia.

The coming week will be a chance to find out if the country lives up to

Lauren's expectations and if so,

whether she can reignite Lee's passion for making the move.

The journey to Perth has taken the Ramoths nearly 9,000 miles from home

and after almost 20 hours in the air, they're feeling the distance.

The flight was really quite long!

It took a whole day and night.

Having finally arrived, Lauren's got mixed emotions.

I'm really, really stupidly excited that we're actually here,

but I feel there's also quite a fair bit of pressure on me

because I've built it up into something really special

and if it doesn't materialise into that then...

While the kids are looking forward to the wildlife...

I want to see the scorpions.

I'm looking forward to seeing koala bears.

Lee's anticipating some answers in the week ahead.

It's really got to show everything,

that I'm going to be able to afford to give my kids and family the lifestyle that they so deserve.

The next seven days will determine which side

of the world the family's future lies.

Meet the Ramoths, dad Lee, mum Lauren,

eight-year-old Noah and Lulu, who's five.

They hail from Leeds in Yorkshire.

It's not Daddy's, it's yours, Bibi.

Lee first dreamt of moving down under ten years ago.

Back then, Lauren was disinclined to ditch a comfortable life in the UK.

We had a nice house, a nice car each, both had a steady income.

so I just thought why do we want to leave this

and move to the other side of the world

when what we've got going on here is great?

Lee's dream was put on hold.

Two years on, however, recession hit.

Just months into a new carpet fitting job,

Lee was made redundant and had no choice but to set up on his own.

Going self-employed was a massive risk,

I wasn't sure how I was going to get work.

I didn't know what I was doing from one day to the next.

With a young family now in tow,

the couple saw little prospects for a future in the UK.

Thoughts turned once more to Australia,

this time with Lauren on board.

When you have kids, your mind-set changes.

The more that I researched into it,

the more I liked the idea of emigrating.

With a view to securing a job down under,

Lauren returned to university to study midwifery,

but with just one wage coming in and Lee's business struggling to get off

the ground, things hit rock-bottom.

It really was...

hard, and we really were hand-to-mouth.

I think when it really did it for me was having a week where...

I only earned £30.

The next few years were tough,

but while Lauren was busy upping her skills

Lee had a breakthrough in the flooring business with his.

I've hit a bit of a niche in the market which has made me get really busy here.

I don't have to go out and look for work.

The work's there all the time.

With business booming and Lauren now working full-time as a midwife,

cash flow concerns have been carpeted,

but success hasn't come without sacrifice.

So when I'm at home, he's not. And vice versa.

We seem to have fallen into this pattern where we're like passing ships.

Lee's long hours and Lauren's shift patterns leave little time for the children.

I feel sorry for 'em. It's always either their mum or their dad.

Go steady.

It's a bit slippy.

It's not really fair, it's not family time.

Their relationship's feeling the strain, too.

I can't even remember the last time that we went out and did something, and that's really quite sad.

Lauren's decided enough is enough.

I don't think that that's something I could cope with long term and it

isn't something I want to continue on with.

Determined to improve the situation

she's pushing to get the Aussie dream back on track.

I am desperate to go.

I think that it would be the best opportunity for us as a family.

But having sown the seed ten years ago, Lee's now refusing to yield.

For me, it's just not really an option at the moment.

It's taken a lot of hard work to get to where I am and now for Lauren to

want me to get rid of all that and start again, is it a gamble?

Yeah, it's a massive gamble.

And it's not just work stopping Lee.

His parents recently moved back from Cyprus to be with their grandchildren.

There's only me with kids, and to take their grandkids away,

from them...

..you know, it's just...

It's not something I'm wanting to do.

If we live in Australia I'm going to miss my granny and grandpa

and grandma and grandad.

But Lauren's determined things have to change,

so Lee has agreed to give Australia a go,

but he's going to take a lot of persuading.

To come round to Lauren's way of thinking and to actually make that plunge,

it'd have to have everything in place.

I'd have to just go and things just blow me away for me to move.

As the trial week approaches,

they're both all too aware of what's at stake.

I feel extremely pressured that I'm the one

ultimately holding our lives and futures in my hands, really.

I'm the one that's been pushing it like crazy for it to happen.

And if things don't pan out the way that I hope,

then that could just potentially upset everything.

The Ramoths are spending their trial week in Perth,

capital of western Australia.

With more sunny days per year than any other Australian city,

there's plenty of opportunity to enjoy its 26 parks and reserves.

Home for the week is the coastal suburb of Mindarie,

just 30 minutes north of the city centre.

It's getting dark as the family arrive at their base,

but will the week get off to the bright start Lauren's hoping for?

Wow, this looks nice, doesn't it?

-And this is our...

-Wow!

Whoa!

-LEE:

-Very nice.

First impressions are good.

It's lovely and modern. It's really light and bright.

There's loads of space, absolutely loads of space!

More than big enough for us.

The Aussie style bathroom's got them enthused.

Oh, yeah, nice.

I like the big shower.

-Your sink.

-His and hers sinks. I was just going to say that.

-Yeah.

Things seem to be off to a positive start, but as the family settle in,

Lauren knows she's got a long way to go before she can call this country home.

And she's banking on the week reviving Lee's old vision.

Obviously, you know we have got some common ground.

There must be something there for us to kind of reignite, to try and

help push it forward.

But Lee's giving nothing away just yet.

It was my dream ten years ago, right up till...

..maybe two years ago.

If it just doesn't quite cut it, though, I'm afraid,

the dream could be over.

Back in the UK, the Ramoth family live in a three bedroom

semidetached house five miles outside Leeds.

I love this house. I think it's been really good to us.

It's taken us a long time to get it to how we wanted it to look.

The couple have a budget of £250,000 for a home down under

and they have mixed opinions on what they want.

You know, main concern is a good area for schools, for the kids.

I'd compromise on size of property and everything else just to have the

-right...

-Would you?

-..area.

Really?

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

This house is not the biggest but I wouldn't want anything any smaller.

No, no, no, no. Definite.

That's Lee told. So what is on Lauren's wish list?

Four good size bedrooms, that would be my dream house.

This is Lulu's bedroom.

As you can see, it's quite small,

so it would be nice if we could have a room with a bigger space

so she could have her toys in, have her own space

and do her colouring in and things like that.

I'd love another bathroom.

I am just absolutely sick of fighting for the bathroom.

-And for Lee...

-Cos I do the cooking in the house, I would like

a big island so I can still look out onto the family and things while I'm doing the cooking.

I think I'm ready to move into something that I wouldn't have to do anything with.

To find out what kind of house they could have in Australia,

today we'll show the family three properties.

Two on budget, and a third which could be their dream home.

Only after they have seen each one will they discover its value.

House-hunting begins in Clarkson.

Just five minutes from the ocean,

and a half hour commute to central Perth,

the area's popular with young families.

This modern four-bedroom home should have the space the Ramoths are looking for.

That looks nice, doesn't it?

Thumbs up so far, but inside it's a different story.

I'm not a big fan of walking straight in from the outside,

straight into somewhere to sit.

I would have hoped for it to be a little bit different.

I think our house is better than this house.

Oh, dear. Not quite the reaction Lauren wanted.

Let's hope things improve.

-Oh! This is a nice space, isn't it?

-I like this kitchen.

-LULU:

-Look at the lights on the kitchen!

They're a bit posh. Got a good dining space.

That's more like it, but on closer inspection...

I'm not sure about these tiles.

It's not just the wall tiles under scrutiny.

I think kind of terracotta colours are not my thing.

-It looks a bit cheesy.

-It's a bit dark.

-I'm not feeling the vibe at the moment. I don't think it's right for us.

-No, I'm not feeling it.

Things seem to be going from bad to worse.

Do you know what? If I'm honest, I'm feeling really disappointed.

I thought we could get something that would be kind of nice and bright and airy.

I don't think this was my idea

of a property that we would be able to afford.

Lauren's disheartened. And the children...

Mummy, I'm bored.

Time to call in the childminder.

As Lulu and Noah head off to do more interesting stuff,

Mum and Dad continue the tour.

Oh, right, yep, bedroom one.

This isn't too bad a size, actually.

Bit lighter in here.

Could you imagine our stuff in here?

No. I think you get a feel for a place.

It either works or it doesn't.

And I just don't think it would work for us.

It does have one pleasing feature.

Walk-in wardrobe. That's put a smile back on my face.

THEY LAUGH

But the en suite's wiped it off again.

Don't get me wrong. It's nice that you've got an en-suite.

That's something that we don't have at home.

But again, it's just, yeah, too boxed in, I think.

I'm not feeling it. I'm not feeling it at all, really.

Despite having the required four bedrooms,

this house just isn't hitting the spot with the couple.

Perhaps outdoors can lift their spirits.

It's a nice outside space, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-To be fair, the garden is actually a really good size.

That's more positive.

-I'm not sure about the big metal box, though.

-Yeah.

It is quite private.

Yeah, it's definitely not overlooked.

The garden may be more appealing, but is it enough?

If I'm expecting you to make a move to Australia...

..what happens if this is all we can afford?

I'm actually really worried at the moment.

I wouldn't want to leave home for this.

So you're saying this is a deal-breaker?

You wouldn't move?

I wouldn't move, no. No.

This property is falling far short of Lauren's dream home.

And if it's over their £250,000 budget she could be on shaky ground.

I feel a bit nervous. It's like the moment of truth.

With it having the four bedrooms,

I think it's going to be pretty much at the top of our budget.

I think you're looking around £245,000.

I think it's going to be worth about £213,000.

I think I'd be devastated if I found that this was all we could get for our money.

£239,000.

It's £11,000 under budget,

but still more than Lauren was hoping it would be.

I feel a bit disappointed.

-I'm pretty close. Pretty close.

-Yeah, you were right.

I think the only bonus is that we are not quite at the top of our budget,

so I'm just hoping and praying and keeping everything crossed that that is enough

to make a significant difference as to what we could get.

With Lauren's plan to convert Lee off to a crumbling start,

the couple continue their search.

Property two is in Quinns Rocks, a popular residential suburb,

23 miles north of Perth.

Just a stone's throw from the beach,

will this modern new build help get Lauren's dream back on track?

It's got a lovely big drive.

-It has, yeah.

-Look at the front garden, as well.

Right, kids, shall we get out and have a look?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Right. Now look at this space.

Ah, this is more like it.

It feels more light and airy, doesn't it?

And it has more of a modern feel to it.

It's much lighter than the other property.

It looks better than the outside of it.

And with that, Lulu and Noah decide they've had enough of real estate for one day.

Mum and Dad explore further.

The kitchen-diner has got plenty of room for the family.

You've got a good amount of space to work with.

It's definitely got the potential.

Whereas I don't think the first property had that.

But, again, it does depend on budget, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's definitely a positive step in the right direction, I think.

But it's not long before things go off piste.

Oh! This is small, this is really small.

I feel a bit deflated again.

-Take it this must be the en-suite...

-HE LAUGHS

-Do you want me to look round first and then I'll let you?

-Oh, my gosh!

That is teeny.

-I'll just squeeze round here.

-Oh, no, that's ridiculous.

No, that is ridiculous.

And size isn't the only issue.

Is that mould?

There's a fly knocking about, as well.

Hmm.

Oh, dear. And things don't get any better next door.

This is a small room.

Yeah, they are getting a little bit smaller, aren't they?

-Yeah, they are, definitely.

-I don't want to be negative about it,

cos I'm trying to think of positives,

but if it's just not working for us, it's not working.

-And you can't sugar-coat it.

-No.

Once again, though, the outside area impresses.

Yeah, this is a lovely size.

I've got absolutely no complaints with this at all.

It's giving Lee food for thought.

Is there any room to make it any bigger?

I don't know. But then that's not going to be cheap, is it?

From the outside, it looks ideal.

It's just the inside.

-Yeah.

-But it is what it is.

I think now I'm just worried about the price.

The couple have misgivings about this house,

but is it somewhere they could afford anyway, with their £250,000 budget?

-Here we go.

-I'm not going to lie.

I'm a bit scared about what this price might be.

It's going to be right at the top of the budget.

I know that there's a lot more to do with this house,

but I think the area itself is a better area.

Let's just get this over with. Let's see how much it is.

-Put me out of my misery.

-Right, will do.

-Oh!

-£250,000.

It's bang on budget.

I'm actually quite relieved.

-You're quite relieved?

-Yeah.

-It's kind of what I thought.

-It's not really surprised me.

-So it's not game over just yet.

It's not game over.

But if we can't find anything, then it would be.

Lauren's staying positive, but with just one property to go,

her chances of winning Lee round are getting slimmer by the moment.

For the final stop of the day,

we found what we think could be the Ramoths' dream home.

Like the first place, it's also in Clarkson.

Will this four-bedroom, two bathroom house finally deliver the wow factor?

-It's nice so far.

-I'm feeling happy.

Feeling happy. Yeah, it looks lovely.

Straight away things are looking up.

-Got a proper hallway.

-Ah, yeah.

This is more like it.

This is lovely. This is just everything that I was expecting.

Finally...

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Yeah, this is huge.

-This is lovely.

-And it's really open.

This is perfect.

The kitchen's got the contemporary feel Lauren's been looking for.

Yes, this is definitely what I'd envisaged.

The layout's perfect for chef Lee.

You've got definite kitchen, dining, living, but it's all open still.

There is no comparison between this and the other two houses.

This is in a completely different league.

Yeah, it's just ready straightaway to move into.

Yeah. And that is exactly what we wanted.

Lauren's blown away by this place and it looks like it could be a turning point for Lee.

If we could afford a property like this, definitely.

I think you've got me on board.

Things continue on a positive note in the master bedroom.

Oh, my gosh, wow!

This is definitely a good master bedroom.

Oh, look at the en-suite.

-Oh, my gosh, and there's a walk-in wardrobe!

-Lovely.

Must be triplets living in this house or perhaps a three-for-one offer.

There's plenty of room for the children, too.

Oh, yeah.

-Nice.

-This is a nice bedroom.

-There's loads of floor space, isn't there?

-Yeah.

Wow. Another nice big bedroom again.

Oh, my gosh, this is lovely!

Could be the perfect pad for Lulu.

Girls come with more stuff, I think.

She'll love it, her own little dressing up area.

Her mirror that she could do little twirls in.

And a fourth bedroom means space for overseas guests.

Honestly, it's just getting better and better, the more we look at it.

-It is ticking the boxes, isn't it?

-I'm ready to move in. Shall we?

Hold your horses.

Oh, yeah, we need to see if we can afford it yet.

THEY LAUGH

Outdoors doesn't disappoint either.

-This is lovely.

-Oh, yeah, we can sit down here.

So the kids can still run around, get some fresh air.

-Yeah, and it's still private.

-Your own little private sanctuary.

-Yep, another tick in that box.

-Yep.

The couple are on cloud nine.

But if the price falls on the wrong side of their £250,000 budget,

they could come back down to earth with a bang.

-So, this is what it all comes down to.

-Yeah.

-Feeling nervous.

I honestly think this is going to be well over our budget.

Yeah, I'm kind of hoping that you're wrong.

I'm going to pluck a figure out and say...

280. £280,000, I reckon.

Yeah, I don't think you're too far off the mark.

I think it will be somewhere around the 300,000.

So, shall we get this over with and see how much it costs?

I feel a bit sick.

OK...

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, my God!

£314,000.

That's £64,000 over budget.

That is considerably over our budget.

That's way over budget.

Yeah. I mean, I know we can't afford that,

so I'm struggling to be convinced that we've got an affordable option with housing,

so I think if anything that's going to make my task of trying to convince you even harder.

Cos if I'm not convinced, how can I try and convince you?

It's been a day of mixed results on the Ramoth property hunt.

House number one was below budget

but it lacked the charm to convince Lee to make a move.

Although affordable, property two left little room for manoeuvre.

The final house, though, was a complete show stopper,

but with a price tag to match.

So when it comes to homes in Australia,

how will the couple cast their vote?

Based on the properties that we've seen today, my vote goes to...

-BOTH:

-UK.

Although the final property was a really nice one,

it was just way too much over budget.

I wouldn't want to move to Australia based on properties one and two.

I loved property three, but like you say,

it's just well out of our price range.

We need to see what the rest of the week brings.

This is just the first hurdle to overcome.

-Every cloud, yeah.

-Yeah.

Lauren's trying hard to stay positive,

but the reality of Perth properties

has produced a very shaky start to her dream of a new life down under.

Finding the right jobs in Australia will be key for her to come close

to affording the home and lifestyle she yearns for.

Back in the UK, Lee runs his own bespoke flooring business.

I go in-house and design the floors with the customer.

It's kind of put me in a different league

which has worked, and it's paid dividends back already.

Lauren's the main visa applicant.

Having retrained as a midwife seven years ago,

she's been hooked on the job ever since.

I think with midwifery and nursing,

they're the type of jobs that you have to have a passion for.

Lauren's confident about finding work down under, but worries for Lee.

With Lee's particular occupation, it really is unknown territory.

For me to have to take this and start all over again in Australia,

it's not something I want to even contemplate at the moment.

If he doesn't find suitable work

then he will absolutely not be on board for wanting to make the move.

There's a huge amount riding on today if Lauren's ever to achieve

the dream life she wants for her family.

To check out job opportunities for the couple,

first up we've arranged for Lauren to visit Joondalup health campus,

where's she's met by expat midwife Michelle.

-Hello.

-Hi Lauren, I'm Michelle, one of the midwives here.

-Welcome to Australia.

-Thank you.

So, this is our ante and postnatal ward.

-OK.

-We've got 30 beds here.

Working with the NHS,

a move could see Lauren transferring to the private sector down under,

something Michelle's got experience of.

I moved over from the public system into here, I've had no regrets.

Any problems at all, you go straight to the consultants,

we don't have any junior doctors here.

So, it does seem to be quite different from the UK, then.

It is.

But not in a negative way.

Sounds encouraging.

Meanwhile, Lee meets up with expat Kevin, who owns a flooring business.

-Hi, mate, how are you?

-Hi there.

-Kevin.

-Lee.

-Nice to meet you.

Lee's anxious to know if his skills are in demand in Perth.

We've been doing floors here for nearly 11 years.

There's so many new houses getting built all the time that it gets that

busy that most companies can't handle the work that they've got.

No shortage of work, then.

How would it work for somebody like me coming out on my wife's visa,

just branch out on my own?

Most of the businesses in Perth that do floors actually subcontract the works out.

That's exactly how Lee works in the UK.

But what if he needed a kick-start in the industry down under?

If you've just arrived from the UK and, you know,

you don't know the market or you don't know enough people,

there is people like myself.

There would be the option available to you to take full-time employment.

That's Lee reassured.

Back at the hospital, Michelle and Lauren discuss working hours.

There's an early, a late and a night shift.

Earlies are 7am to 2.30pm,

late shifts are 2pm till 9.30pm

and the night shift is 9pm till 7.30am the next morning.

That's four and a half hours less than the shift pattern Lauren currently works.

It does sound that that work/life balance here in Australia is definitely more achievable.

So, Lauren could get more family time. What about Lee?

I'll kind of tend to work maybe six days a week

and anywhere from sort of ten to 14 hours a day.

What are your kind of working hours?

On average, eight hour day, three o'clock sort of thing.

-Eight hours?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Right. Good.

If it's a Friday, probably finish at 12pm.

-But it's, truthfully, truthfully, truthfully.

-Nice one.

Lee can't quite believe what he's hearing.

That's why we're here. You know,

you don't want to be working 12 hours a day,

-six days a week if you can avoid it, especially if you've got a young family.

-Yeah.

So both Lee and Lauren could enjoy more time with the children

in Australia, but they still need to talk salaries.

You'd come in as a level one nurse midwife and that equates to around

68,000 a year before any accruement or any extra shift penalties.

At £36,000, that's almost 10,000 more than Lauren currently brings home.

Wow, that sounds really impressive,

that's considerably more than what I'm on in the UK.

Great news for Lauren.

But Lee will have to up his earnings, too,

if he's to contemplate a change.

Five-day week where you're working every day, you've got a job every day,

you'd be looking at about 100,000 Australian dollars annually,

so maybe in pounds, you know, I think it's about £50,000 or something,

-close to that.

-Yeah, brilliant.

That's an increase of approximately £15,000 a year.

More money for less hours is music to Lee's ears.

Just really good news, it's just kind of blown me away a bit, really.

Everything's great. Yeah, can't wait to tell Lauren.

Will her prospects be as good?

We're actually at the moment recruiting and I think internationally

there's a shortage of midwives.

That's great, so there's a demand for my job here?

There is, absolutely.

We've got a large proportion of overseas,

British midwives and nurses that work in here.

That sounds perfect, thank you so much.

When they meet up,

Lauren's anxious to find out what kind of day Lee's had.

Come on, put me out of my misery, what happened with you?

I've been thinking about you all day.

Right, with the skills that I've got I would definitely find work.

The money side of it, kind of looking at about 100,000.

-A year?!

-A year.

-That's amazing!

I think it's made me feel a whole lot better that,

you know, that everything could...

fall into place for us.

No prizes for guessing how this vote might go.

Based on what we've heard today about the jobs, our vote goes to...

-BOTH:

-Australia!

Everything that I've heard today has just ticked every box.

It's a bit of a no-brainer.

We can have a family life and still have a good living as well.

A united vote for Australia has breathed new life

into Lauren's dream of moving down under.

Longing for more quality time with her husband and children,

she's now hopeful the chance to explore the country's lifestyle options

will help keep her and Lee moving in the right direction.

The family are spending their day at an open farm.

Noah's got a question for Mum.

Mummy, imagine if there's a lion.

Well, there's not, you're not going to have a lion at a cuddly animal farm, are you?

Once inside, Lulu gets into the swing of things.

I guess that this is how baby goats cry.

SHE BLEATS

Do you think so? Yeah.

After a quick tour, it's time to get hands-on.

-Hello.

-No, put it on your hand like this, watch.

There you go.

That bunny's just railroading everybody out of the way.

Days like this are few and far between back home.

I don't get to see half of this type of thing, you know,

it's normally Lauren taking the kids.

It's just perfect for me to spend a bit of time with them.

Next up, it's time for some guzzling goats.

They all went a bit mental then, didn't they? Oh, quick, pick up your bottle. No, no!

Look at all the milky froth round their chops.

Just like driving a car off a cliff.

The goat was being very greedy.

I liked it a bit but it kept on nearly head-butting me.

-Was it a good day out, Lulu?

-Yeah.

Lauren's hoping today will help win Lee round.

I think days like today when Lee can see how lovely it can be when the

whole family's together and we can enjoy spending time as a family and enjoying the kids,

it does help bring us a step closer to obviously helping to convince Lee

that the move to Australia would only be a positive thing.

So, when it comes to lifestyle, will it be home or away?

Based on today's family activities,

we're going to vote for...

-Australia.

-Australia.

Noah, why did you vote for UK?

-Australia!

-LAUGHTER

Everything's just been great today.

Spending time with the kids, just going out as a family,

these are the sort of things we don't get to do in the UK.

With a clean sweep for the Aussie lifestyle,

Lauren's dream's well on course,

but for life down under to become a reality,

the figures will have to add up, and getting the right price for their UK

home could be make or break.

The couple think their house is worth around £150,000.

We sent two local estate agents round to give their professional valuations.

-It's our house.

-That's our house.

It's a delightful family kitchen.

I do like this room, it's a really impressive,

modern-looking room with nice brick features there.

-LEE:

-It looks nice, doesn't it? Nice and tidy.

So, this is the master bedroom.

As you can see, there's a nice feature wall there and there's a good use

of the space there with the wardrobe.

It's making me miss it a little bit.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

In today's market I would value this property at £125,000.

For a quick sale, I would put it on the market for £120,000.

-125.

-That's low.

In today's market, I would value this property at £130,000.

For a quick sale, we would put it up at £115,000.

I'm quite disappointed with those valuations.

I thought it would be worth more.

We'll just have to see what other money we can scrape together.

With the estimations lower than they'd hoped for,

finances will be key if they're to make a move.

This is what it all comes down to, isn't it?

Cos if these don't work out then that could be quite possibly game over.

We've prepared a comparison of expenses to help them work out the

difference between the cost of living in Perth and the UK.

First up, the weekly food shop.

Chicken breast fillets.

-That's 50.

-£10 in the UK, £9.50 in Australia.

OK. Milk.

12 pints, £4.50 in the UK.

Oh, look, it's only £1 in Australia.

-That's a lot cheaper, then, isn't it?

-Yeah.

So, that's £7.56 per week.

-More expensive.

-More expensive.

So, overall, monthly...

..we're out of pocket by £32.76.

That's not too bad.

The monthly food bill might not have a drastic effect on the purse strings,

but what about the other costs of living down under?

The couple base their calculations on the dream property they saw.

Back in the UK, they have a small mortgage.

In Australia, it would be almost triple.

So, it goes from £380 a month to 974.

-That's a massive amount.

-Yeah.

-But the electricity's cheaper.

-Yeah, it is, yeah.

-I reckon it's because of the solar panels,

-they must be able to...

-Well, yeah, yeah.

..extract a bit of extra energy there.

So, adding everything up,

would the couple be worse or better off in Australia?

That gives us £760.44.

-More expensive...

-More expensive.

-..in Australia.

That's a huge increase per month.

Ouch!

The figures are daunting.

Having known hard times before,

it's not an experience the couple wish to repeat.

But, both Lee and Lauren could earn more in Australia.

£1,052.07 better off...

-A month.

-That we're earning. Yeah.

That's an impressive increase to their monthly income.

So, where does that leave them?

So, we're better off by £291.63 per month,

-based on property three.

-Property number three.

That's approximately £3,500 better off per year down under.

So, how does that make you feel?

Just means that we can afford to live here in the dream home.

A really nice house.

Dream house and dream lifestyle - it could be another no-brainer.

Based on today's financial information, our vote goes to...

-Australia!

-Australia!

I think overall, it's... it's going to be Australia all the way.

Mmm. I think you're right. It's a win-win.

So, yeah, another tick in the box.

With Lee convinced Australia could give his family the financial security he craves,

Lauren's almost home and dry with her mission to move.

But, there's one final hurdle to overcome.

Lee's made it clear he would struggle with breaking strong ties at home.

While Lulu and Noah spend time with a childminder,

the couple sit down to watch messages from home.

This is the bit that I've been dreading the most, so...

I think we should...

get this out of the way as quick as poss.

-Hi, Lee.

-Hi, Lee and Lauren.

Hi, Lee, hi, Lauren.

Hi.

-Hi.

-Hi, guys, hope you're having a good time down there.

Lee's a really patient guy.

He's always been very, very thoughtful.

Lauren is...

I would say she would describe herself as high maintenance.

True story.

Lauren and Lee are a really good couple.

They're really supportive of each other.

It will be strange, especially because

Lee's always put my carpets down for me.

I'll miss that. All our family he has, you know,

that'll be a big wrench for me now having to go somewhere and pay

full price for carpets!

Oh, Joan!

I do, I do love to be with the kids.

They are very, very precious to me.

Always have been and always will be.

You know, they'll be missed,

especially on birthdays and, like Christmas times

and things like that,

it'll be hard not having him around the house.

They've been good friends over the last ten, 15 years particularly.

I would wish them well and hope that they're very happy there.

It won't be the same round here without you, definitely not,

we all know that.

We just want you to know we'd miss you lots, miss the kids,

more than anything growing up.

Wish you all the luck in the world

and have a fantastic life if you do decide to go.

I hope the decision you make is the right one.

I'm sure everyone'll be happy for you whichever decision you make.

I'll always miss them.

I just...

You know, it's upsetting, really.

Erm...

God, that was really hard.

I didn't think your mum and dad were going to get that upset.

No. Well... I kind of expected it from my dad but not from my mum.

I think it just...

hits home what you are going to be leaving.

Emotionally, there's a lot.

Messages from friends and family provided Lauren and Lee

with a heartfelt reminder of what they'd be giving up

if they make the move.

So, having had the chance to weigh up everything they'd gain against

the emotional cost of leaving,

will Lauren still feel the family's future lies on the other side of the world?

I'd made up my mind and that was that,

but I think seeing those videos

reminded me of what we're going to miss back at home.

It's kind of hit home, really, how much it's going to affect,

both my mum and dad.

It's hard to know which way to go.

Having slowly won him over,

Lauren's now worried leaving loved ones could be a step too far for Lee.

I think the biggest wrench is the emotional one.

I think that's something that he really would struggle with.

I mean, even now, still every five minutes,

I still keep sort of changing my mind.

Lauren's more convinced than ever,

but if Lee falters at the final hurdle,

she knows her dream could come to nothing.

I'm just hoping that he's...

He's completely on board and that he is coming round

to my way of thinking,

that it's the best possible move for us and the children.

It's time to decide where the Ramoths will spend the rest of their lives.

-ALL:

-Australia!

-Did we all vote for Australia?

-We all voted Australia.

Yay!

Doing things like this on the beach, spending time with the family,

if we could have days like this on a regular basis then yeah, why not? Let's do it.

I'm just really, really happy that everybody else in the family

is now seeing what I've seen for a long time

and you've finally got on board with this decision.

Yeah, you were right.

Sorry, what was that?

-You were right.

-THEY LAUGH

Their time in Perth has been enough to rekindle Lee's ten-year-old dream of a life in Australia,

securing Lauren the future she wants for her family.

Hopefully it won't be too long before Lee, Lauren,

Noah and Lulu are packing up and en route to their new life down under.

And fingers crossed, they'll enjoy plenty of visitors from the UK when they get there.