Samson Family Wanted Down Under

Yvonne and David Samson have always been on the same page.

But now, nurse Yvonne is proposing a new chapter that might be

an ask too far for David.

I've got a decent job, a decent salary.

To give all that up and risk everything,

I think, is a massive risk.

It's causing major conflict in an otherwise loving relationship.

It's so many discussions we've had, it's become stressful.

This is it.

She knows David would go to the other end of the Earth for her,

and that is exactly what she is asking him to do.

I don't see the point in me coming here and taking a job that I'm not

going to be happy in, just so that you can live your dream.

If finances don't work out, then,

for me, my dream of coming here is over.

It might be 10,000 miles away,

but Australia remains the top destination of choice for those

looking for a one-way ticket to a better life abroad.

A warm climate,

strong economy and stunning natural scenery

are just some of the attractions.

Around 2,000 miles north to south,

and almost 2,500 miles east to west, it's the world's largest island

and as big as the dreams it holds for many.

Disillusioned by life in the NHS,

nurse and mum Yvonne Samson is more determined than ever

to pursue her dream of moving from Scotland

to Australia's Sunshine Coast.

But husband David is more than happy with life in Glasgow.

He's worked hard to get where he is,

and would find it difficult to leave behind.

With two daughters in tow,

the couple has just a week to find out what sort of life

they might have if they were to move down under.

The Samsons' trial week begins with 22 hours in the air to get from

the UK to Brisbane on the east coast of Australia.

The flight was long and tiring, but was smooth and no delays,

so we should be thankful for that.

It gave us time to reflect on things

and think about the task ahead, really.

Yvonne is delighted to have her feet on Aussie soil.

I'm really happy to be here,

and I'm really looking forward to the answers it's going to bring.

But I am feeling a bit nervous as well, in case it gives us

the answers I don't want to hear.

David is also well aware of what is at stake.

I'm a bit apprehensive.

We're here for a different reason this time.

There's been a lot of build-up, a lot of tension in the house.

A lot hinges on it.

Although it looks like Rebecca has got her priorities sorted.

-I just can't wait to get in the sun.

-LAUGHTER

But even she realises a move down under is far from a done deal.

There are still some things to be decided.

I think it's mainly on the jobs and the money.

Yvonne is desperate for a fresh start in Australia.

The coming days will give her the chance to find out if she's right,

and convince David this is the place for them.

The Samsons hail from Renfrew, near Glasgow.

They are mum Yvonne, husband David,

15-year-old Rebecca,

eight-year-old Sarah, and Elsie.

SHE WHISTLES

Elsie, the dog.

Yvonne and David first met when

they worked together in an office as teenagers.

They parted as friends and developed relationships with other people,

but never lost touch.

He always liked me and I always knocked you back.

She kept the friendship going,

sending me letters and stuff like that.

It was inevitable we'd get back together at some point.

We just didn't know how or when.

A chance encounter at a nightclub 13 years ago reignited the spark.

-Ever since, we've been together.

-Mm-hm, yup.

Yvonne had two children from her previous marriage,

then Sarah came along eight years ago.

He is a great stepdad and brilliant dad to Sarah.

A strong family unit, life has been good in the UK.

But recently, there has been a bit of a conflict.

The Australian dream is definitely Yvonne's.

I've spoken about it on and off for years since my sister moved

to Australia ten years ago.

But we've never really been serious about it.

It has always been a discussion point, or,

"I would move to Australia in a minute,"

and that was the end of the conversation.

I wouldn't mind trying it.

And a holiday visit to her sister's made her really want to go.

I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the way of life.

But David is still going to need a lot of persuading.

I just think it would give us such a better quality of life

than what we have here.

So that's why it's just been

something I can't stop talking about, thinking about.

I think the bug has really got to her, and she really wants to

make a push to see if we can make it work.

Over the past few years,

Yvonne has become disillusioned with life in the UK.

It worries me. I think Britain has been through a lot of unrest,

and I don't see it getting any better.

But David is not convinced the grass is greener on the other side

of the world.

I don't see the doom and gloom that Yvonne does.

I'm quite settled here now.

I've got a decent job with a decent salary, um, a nice house.

To give all that up and risk everything on something that might

last two years, and we end up

coming back home to effectively start again,

I think, is a massive risk.

# Happy birthday to... #

There is one thing they do agree on - their busy working lives

in the UK means little time for family.

But a move will mean sacrifice.

Yvonne also has a 21-year-old daughter, Shannon,

who lives close by.

Shannon, I'll miss the most.

Shannon will break my heart if I go.

You're leaving me, you're abandoning me.

She'll always have a place in our home

and our home will always be hers.

And I do hope that one day, she does come over.

And then there is Yvonne's mum and dad.

Mum and Dad, they're really keen we do go to Australia,

but they don't want us to go at the same time.

It will mean David breaking close bonds with loved ones at home, too.

What do the girls make of it?

I feel quite excited,

and at the same time I feel a bit sad, cos I'm leaving

my friends and family.

Rebecca is a bit more into the idea of it.

She sees the positives, I think, she is willing to go and give it a go.

If we were to go over there, we could go to the beach or whatever

and end up having good family time,

cos we don't spend a lot of time as a family.

But...

I think it would be really difficult if we did move,

to leave my family, cos my dad's over here,

and my gran and my grandpa, and my big sister.

That'd be harder. That'd be hardest thing for me.

So what's riding on the week ahead?

Jobs are the biggest things for me.

I've said this before, if we get the jobs that we want or that we're

used to, I think the financial side

of things will take care of themselves.

From that point of view, if the jobs and the finances work, we're going.

If they don't work...

SHE LAUGHS

For their trial week, the Samsons are staying in Mudjimba,

a seaside village that typifies

all that is Aussie Sunshine Coast living.

And it's looking good as they reach their temporary home.

Oh, wow. What do you think?

It's nice, isn't it?

It's nice. It's really nice.

Really modern. That's what I like.

It looks like things are off to a positive start,

but although David likes what he sees so far,

it's going to take a lot more than a nice kitchen to get him to move to

the other side of the world.

I do feel a wee bit of pressure, yeah, cos I know

you and the kids are well up for this.

And a wee bit of me is as well,

but it needs to be right or I can't do it.

I don't want to see you back doing a job that you hate.

So that's the big thing for me as well, jobs and money.

There's no point struggling here for money or for jobs.

We can do that at home.

If we're going to come here, it needs to be right.

They've just arrived and Yvonne is already feeling the pressure.

So many discussions we've had, it's become stressful.

This is it.

She knows it's her last chance to turn her sunshine dream

into reality.

This week, coming to Australia to see if things work for us,

is definitely make or break.

If finances don't work out, then, for me,

my dream of coming here is over.

Back in the UK, the Samson family live in a four-bedroom semi

in Renfrew, near Glasgow.

They have a budget of around £280,000 for a home in Australia.

We could probably stretch a bit more, but for comfort, I think,

that would be the upper limit.

Yvonne has very clear ideas of what she's looking for.

Has to have four beds. We need a bedroom for Shannon.

That's a must.

A big thing for me is probably a low-maintenance house.

The kids would love a pool.

I would quite like a pool, as long as it was low-maintenance.

And for David...

I'd like an outdoor, but, you know, one of these patio areas that

I could see myself sitting out there with my bottle of beer

at six o'clock at night in the dark.

SHE CHUCKLES

Good luck with that one, David!

Oh, and one other thing...

Close to the schools, the public transport.

I don't want to be stuck out in the middle of a field somewhere and have

to get a tractor up to the main road and stuff like that.

It just doesn't appeal, doesn't appeal.

Joking aside, the perfect pad's a must if David's

ever going to be won over to a life down under.

It's absolutely critical for me.

I don't want to move into a pokey wee home.

I don't see the point in downgrading from what I have

at the moment, which is a comfortable home.

It really needs to wrap itself around me and make me feel wanted.

I read that in a book.

SHE LAUGHS

Finding the right house at the right price down under will be key

if Yvonne's dream is to become a reality.

Today, we're giving the couple a chance to see just what their

£280,000 budget could buy them around Brisbane.

We've lined up three houses - two close to their budget,

and a third which could be their dream property.

House-hunting begins in Cooroy,

a pretty town 15 minutes inland from Noosa

and the Sunshine Coastline.

Nicknamed Heart of the Hinterland, it has a laid-back feel,

making it popular with young families.

So, what do you think of the street?

The street's beautiful, isn't it? Nice houses in it.

-A lot of space between the houses.

-Mm-hm.

-Yeah.

I quite like the cul-de-sac feeling.

What will they make of this three-bedroom, single-storey bungalow?

This might be it here. Yeah, yeah.

We could live in that house. It's quite big.

Yeah, let's go see what it's like, then.

Kerb appeal, very positive. But will it last?

Nice house. Looks very modern.

-I'm assuming this is the living space.

-Yeah.

Right in from the front door. I'm not overly keen on that.

It's dark, isn't it?

-This wouldn't be us.

-No. Not happy.

-No. Nope.

All right, well, this looks like it might be the kitchen in here.

And things don't look any better in the kitchen.

-Very small.

-Yeah, it's a very small kitchen.

Are there any takers for bedroom number one?

-So, who would want this room? Would you fight over it?

-No.

She can have it.

Well, let's hope things improve in the next bedroom.

-This is obviously the master room.

-This room's OK.

It's still not massive, but it's acceptable. It's definitely OK.

Oh, en suite.

-Oh...

-It's a bit dated.

It would need upgraded.

OK, no worries. Here's another one.

I think if there's only three, we've got a problem.

All right, come on, we'll have a look and see what else there is.

See if we can find another one.

That's your lot, David, I'm afraid.

But outside may have something that will blow you away.

Oh, what's that?

But not much room to chill

with that cold beer as the sun goes down, David.

For me, there's not a lot of space out here to just sit and relax.

The pool takes up most of the space.

-Yeah.

-So, I don't think I'd use it as much as I would like to.

Let's see, even though they don't want it, if they could afford it.

They've got £280,000 to spend.

It frightens me that this might be the only thing we can afford.

And if this is our budget...

-..this isn't a house that we would fit into.

-No.

-And be comfortable in.

-No.

I think this will be worth about 220,000.

I think it actually might be dearer than that.

I think it might be about £250,000.

-OK.

-Shall we find out how much it's worth? Shall we?

-OK.

YVONNE GASPS

£292,000.

That's quite disturbing, actually.

I'm shocked.

-I'm shocked at that.

-Yeah.

I don't think it's worth it at all.

-No.

-This is frightening.

Just one house down,

and Yvonne's dream of a fresh start in Australia looks like

it's already slipping away.

Perhaps property number two will be more in-line with what the family

are looking for.

It's in Caloundra, 40 minutes' drive south.

A stunning coastal town with a surfing dude atmosphere,

filled with families having fun in the sun all year round.

This four-bedroom property is on a new estate still under construction.

All right, come on in, ladies.

Oh, this is better, isn't it? Nice and new looking.

Really bright, modern.

Positive start.

Always a good sign when they imagine themselves nice and comfy.

Oh, this is really nice.

Next, the kitchen. Open-plan, just what they're after.

This is ticking more of the boxes.

-But do you think it'll be more expensive?

-Yes.

All right, what's down here, Sarah?

-Wow!

-Would we fight over it?

No, it would just be ours, Rebecca.

Before you get any ideas.

-That's nice and clean, modern. Can't go wrong.

-Yeah, modern.

David is definitely coming around.

This place has plenty of room for everybody, and overseas guests.

Wow, bedroom number three.

-That's nice. That's nice.

-Really nice room. Very modern.

Come on, we'll check the rest of the house.

OK. Inside is pretty perfect. What's it like outside?

Let's see what's out here.

-This bit's nice.

-Yeah. What have we got?

We've got a grass area.

It's not hugely big.

In comparison to the house, just a wee bit small.

It wouldn't be enough to put me off.

So, Yvonne, house number two.

How did we get on? Did it sum up?

Great. It ticked most of the boxes.

So, what are you thinking this house is going to cost us?

Probably 400,000.

I think £310,000.

OK.

Will it come in on their £280,000 budget

the family has set themselves?

Time to find out.

Turn it over and see what it's worth. Let's go.

317,000.

Wow.

It's over our budget by a fair bit,

but I think if that's the kind of house we wanted,

we'd be able to find that.

It's actually helped seeing that.

It's giving me a bit of hope.

It looks like a Yvonne's dream could be back on track.

For the final property of the day,

we found what could be the Samsons' dream home,

but it may require them to stretch their budget even further.

It's in Bells Reach, just ten minutes from the beach.

A fast-growing area with a true village atmosphere.

It's the perfect gateway to the Sunshine Coast,

and with shops, schools and parks,

easy to see why it's popular with families.

I think the whole area fills me with confidence that we could get a house

here, and that possibly I'd own a boat at some point.

Right, you're just being too ambitious now.

Oh, there's a few boats in the street. I'm enjoying that.

Do you think this area's right for us, though?

I think this area is lovely. It's got a right feel about it.

This spacious home should have everything they're looking for.

-Well, that's impressive, isn't it?

-Wow. That's huge!

That's a big house.

They're loving this property.

-Oh, wow.

-Wow.

-Look at this!

-Yup.

-Wow.

Absolutely beautiful.

I love the look of it straight away, the feel of it.

I'm thinking this might be their dream house.

Wow!

Oh, huge, big open-plan area.

And it opens out to the patio.

That's beautiful, I like that. That's really nice.

There is nothing they don't like about this.

The kitchen's nice.

It's a bit darker, though.

Oh, have I spoken too soon?

Upstairs, it's back to the wow factor.

-Oh, goodness.

-Look at the size of it!

It's like a hotel suite.

Wow.

You could live in here.

Four bedrooms - exactly what they wanted,

and here's something they didn't expect.

Oh, here's another lounge area. It's absolutely fantastic, isn't it?

I think it would be ideal if guests were coming.

All right, come on, I'm getting depressed.

Inside is winning the family over,

but will the outside space be what they're after?

-I mean, that's nice, isn't it?

-Wow.

It's a nice big space when you open it up and everything's there.

Can you see yourself here?

I don't know.

I still think it's a wee bit out of our price range, but maybe one day.

-Rebecca?

-I could.

You could. Without any doubt, you could see yourself here?

-Yeah.

-Do you like it here?

Time to find out how much.

All right, so, this is house number three.

Um, good, bad?

Very good, but I think a way outside our budget.

I reckon about 450.

-410.

-I think about 418,000.

418? That's very precise.

£418,000, I think.

Could they afford it on a £280,000 budget?

-You were spot on.

-Wow, Dad got one right.

£450,000.

I do think it's a dream house,

but I'm not surprised at the price at all.

Maybe if we get the dream jobs, we'll come back to it one day,

but I think...

I think it's priced itself out the market this time.

It's been an interesting day on the property front.

House number one was a traditional three-bedroom Aussie home

complete with pool, but lacked the space and open-plan Yvonne wanted,

and at £292,000 was sadly over budget.

Property two was a modern affair with a bright,

stylish interior, more to the family's taste.

Outside was on the small side,

but having no green fingers, that was a plus for David.

Over budget, but not worryingly so.

House number three was a brand-new, turnkey property with all mod cons,

and it took their breath away.

At £450,000, it was well over budget,

and this time, well outside their reach.

So, based on everything they've seen today, when it comes to properties,

will the Samson family choose home or away?

Australia!

-No-brainer?

-Absolutely.

And for you as well?

Um, yeah.

I didn't think the houses were going to be a problem when I came here,

but I'm pleasantly surprised

at the standard I think we can afford.

So, one up for me?

If you want to play games, yes. Yes, one up for you.

A full house for Oz,

a huge step in the right direction for Yvonne's dream

of a new life down under.

But she knows securing the right jobs for both her and David

will be crucial if her hopes are to be fulfilled.

Back in the UK, Yvonne's the main visa applicant.

She's a qualified nurse currently working within the community with

patients with learning difficulties.

It's a job she loves.

My dream job, if I moved to Australia,

would still be working with adults with learning disabilities.

So, today we're going to have a wee chat about your health...

I need to enjoy it.

I'm going to speak to you a wee bit about your diet.

And a couple of things that you have eaten,

and what you think is healthy and what you don't think is healthy.

More importantly for me is that

I continue to enjoy it and continue to learn from it.

David's been hands-on in the service industry since he was 18 years old.

A few years ago, he secured a managerial position

with a company producing industrial cleaning equipment.

David needs to find similar work in Oz,

but he's got no formal trade qualifications.

It's been difficult to get to this point in my career,

and my fear would be that there wouldn't be a company in Australia

that wouldn't take that risk on me

and give me a chance to show them what I can do.

And it would take a lot to give that up.

While the girls take some time out,

David and Yvonne set off to explore potential job opportunities for them

on the Sunshine Coast.

First up, we've arranged for Yvonne to meet Annette Woodhouse,

a nursing director for the Sunshine Coast Hospital Health Service.

Hi, Annette. Thanks very much for agreeing to meet me today.

No, it's an absolute pleasure.

Yvonne is keen to know if there are similarities within the Australian

service to the UK.

So, do you have similar roles within your service?

I think there are some differences,

but we definitely have some similarities in the type of

work experience that you've got,

-and roles that we run out through our service.

-OK.

What kind of hours would I work within your service?

Currently, depending on where you work and which service,

we do an average roster, usually 7.6 hours.

You should enjoy time with your family,

and also the great lifestyle that we have up here to offer.

Meanwhile, David is feeling apprehensive about the day ahead.

I'm actually feeling a little nervous today.

I know how much this means to Yvonne.

If I get bad news today...

..it could potentially just end the whole process.

Now, it's time for David to meet with Mark Skull, who runs

a similar business to the one David works for in the UK.

This is the machine we use.

It's a regenerative air sweeper.

After a quick demo, David has some questions.

I've got lots of experience in the service industry,

but not a lot of qualifications on paper.

Is that going to be a problem for me?

If you've got experience, you know the equipment,

and you know how it all operates and how

the customer base works, I think that's probably very relevant.

I work a lot of out-of-hours, if you like, and weekends,

to try to get the job done and serve the customer.

-Is it the same here?

-We generally have regular hours, you know,

like seven till four, or eight till five.

You know, we don't very often work weekends

in the service department here.

No weekend work sounds good.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Yvonne's cutting to the chase.

Based on the skills and experiences that I have,

what kind of salary would I be looking at?

Around about £48,000 to £72,000.

Is that the sort of news that you were hoping to hear?

Absolutely, I'm really happy to hear that.

-Thank you.

-No, you're welcome.

Now, it's David's turn to talk money.

So, if I was lucky enough to secure employment over here with someone,

what potentially could I earn as a salary?

General, I would think you'd be looking somewhere from

£42,000 to £48,000 per annum.

OK. If my wife convinced me to make a move out here,

do you think there's a equivalent roles in Australia for me?

You know, David, I do.

I think they're limited, though.

But having said that, you know, there probably is people that would

use your skills outside the cleaning industry.

Mark, thanks for your time today.

I found it really useful, really helpful.

The couple meet up to discuss their day.

-How did your day go?

-Yeah.

Yeah, really good. I found out quite a lot of information,

to just kind of update my clinical skills,

which I kind of thought might happen anyway.

So... But prospects look quite good.

And how does it look salary-wise? Is it comparable?

-It's a lot more than I'm earning in the UK.

-OK.

So, it could be anything in the region to £48,000 to £72,000.

-So, quite a bit more than I'm earning back home!

-OK.

Which is really good, which is fantastic.

Well, that just makes my job irrelevant, then.

I can just work in a cake shop, can't I?

SHE LAUGHS

-So, how was your day?

-Um, interesting.

He gave me some good feedback.

He said that there could be jobs here for me.

So, if we did come over,

what kind of salary would you be looking at?

Well...we're at just about between 42,000 and 48,000,

so it's a little more than I'm on just now, but not a lot.

Although Mark did say that he can see me being employed,

through what's on my CV and my experience,

there's no guarantee that I'd get a job doing what I was doing.

Yvonne's picking up on David's caution.

This is by no means a done deal.

After a thought-provoking work day, it's now time to vote.

-Australia.

-UK.

-Any shocks?

-No.

I'm not surprised you voted UK,

cos you've been very clear at saying that unless there was something

really certain and something you really wanted to do,

then you wouldn't be willing to make the move.

Um, I don't see the point in me coming and taking a job that I'm not

going to be happy in, just so that you can live your dream.

It's a bit early to dismiss it just now, just based on today.

There's still stuff to do.

So, I felt I had to be honest today.

There's no point in me giving you false hope.

I just felt that the risk is still there.

Yvonne always knew it was going to be a huge challenge getting

hubby David to believe in her dream of moving.

At least, so far, David has a vote in both the UK and Aussie camps.

But there's still that all-important reality check,

and friends and family messages to come,

and that can change everything.

But as they enter the second half of their trial week in Oz,

it's still all to play for, and play they will.

They're off to have some family fun.

First up, the family pay a visit to Bellingham Maze.

This is really good, this is like doing some exercise,

but we're all together and we're not fighting about it,

because it's quite good fun.

Yay, made it!

-Yay!

-Yay!

It's nice to do something like this for a change.

We don't do it a lot at home.

And it's been good fun to see Rebecca joining in with us,

so these are the kind of things

we hope, if we come to Australia, we'll do more.

Ah, golfer dad David should be right at home.

Oh!

YVONNE LAUGHS

I think the weather makes it easier to get up and get out and do things.

It's light, it's bright.

If we were going to do something like this back in the UK,

then it's always indoors.

And to round off the day,

the family meet up with Yvonne's sister for a picnic -

on the beach, of course.

It's nice having Yvonne and the girls here.

I had a very close relationship with them when I was back home in the UK.

Sit in the wind today and enjoy a roll, is it?

If we move here, There's less wind in Scotland!

Lifestyle-wise, I just think so much more to do,

there's so much more to do outside.

Even today, when the weather's like this.

I can see Yvonne's point on that, you know,

I think the kids would flourish here,

um, but as I've said before,

I need to be selfish about me and her

and how we're going to our lives.

I hope the vote is Australia,

because I'd really like to give it a go and move.

I've enjoyed this week, because we've done a lot of fun stuff.

It's been a perfect family day,

but as she says goodbye to her sister, Susan,

Yvonne's thoughts turn to her daughter back in Scotland.

Being on the other side of the world from Shannon...

..I just... it's a hard one.

And I think there's part of me put that to the back of my head,

but there's a lot of ways that I feel...

..that if I do move,

I'll be letting her down, cos I'm not going to be there for her.

But the other side of that is, I feel that, if we do move,

I give her the opportunity to move,

if she wants to come at some point, as well.

This week's been good for the family.

It'll give us a bit of focus.

Come the end of the week, it will do one of two things -

it will either enable us to start

making plans for moving to Australia,

or we can put it to bed and forget all about it

and move on with our lives.

After the windy lifestyle day, it's time to vote.

-ALL:

-Australia!

-Shocked?

-Why did you vote Australia?

-Because we've had a nice day out.

It's been great today to get out with the family.

It got a bit windy at one point,

but, yeah, I can see the merit in this.

The sun's out, it's a beautiful place to be.

The vote is positive,

and it's as if the folks back home are reading their thoughts.

A surprise catch-up delights the whole family.

-Hi!

-Hey.

Today's technology is great.

Nice to speak to you, too. Take care, love yous. Bye!

Bye!

But it's no substitute for a good old chat in person.

So, I guess the question is,

if we're going to be all the way over here in Australia,

that's the only way we can communicate with your mum and dad.

Are you going to be OK with that?

I don't know, that's a hard one.

I think after a while, you might struggle.

My fear is that I will struggle.

Cos I know, emotionally, it's going to tear me apart.

A mix of emotions today.

The good fun reminded them how important time spent together is,

but the call from Granny and Grandad brought it home just how far away

from loved ones they actually are.

Getting the right price for their house in the UK

would be a good start.

David and Yvonne think it's worth £194,000.

We sent two local estate agents round to see if they're right.

-Shall we see?

-Yes.

-Quite scary.

-It is. It's funny, watching it, isn't it?

Who left the door open?

Oh, nice, bright hallway, lovely.

OK, ground-floor bedroom, from a garage conversion.

Really nicely finished. Fantastic.

Really nicely finished en suite shower room.

-Yay! That's all Mum's taste.

-Oh, yeah.

Living room. Looks good, very modern and freshly decorated.

-Yeah.

-They're saying loads of nice things,

but I suppose it's all about the value.

I didn't expect this extra space at the back of the house.

Great for families. It will certainly add value to the property.

Great, a really sharp, modern-fitted kitchen.

It's making me miss my wee house.

It's a good size, nicely finished double bedroom.

I can see the koalas on the bed,

obviously Australia's been on the cards for a while already.

-Well, this is all sounding good, isn't it?

-So far.

-It's sounding too good.

-So far.

Ah, looks like someone lucked out here with the master bedroom.

Plenty of space for furniture, move it around, it looks very tidy.

This is a really nicely finished family home in a good location.

I'd value this property in the region of £210,000 to £215,000.

Given the demand in the current market,

we would anticipate the value to be in the region of £190,000.

-How do you feel about that?

-Uh...

I think the second valuation is more realistic, in my mind.

-Yeah?

-But I think the bottom line is

we'd maybe get what we think it's worth.

The valuations are optimistic.

Time now to examine the everyday cost of living.

They start with a weekly food shop.

So, potatoes are £4.02 dearer in Australia

than what they are back in the UK.

A lot of the items are more expensive.

I'm really surprised that things like peppers are £3.25 dearer.

-Things that we would use...

-Every day.

-..every day.

-Should we total it up and see...

-Yeah, absolutely.

..what kind of scary big figures come out at the end?

I think we'll need to.

So, lettuce in Australia, £2.36.

£2.12.

£18.34.

Final number is £214.25.

Wow. That's a lot of money.

It is. In fact, it's considerably more per week,

and that's on food alone.

If we look at our mortgage...

And there's still the bigger costs to face.

They base their calculations on the second property they saw.

In Australia we would be £1,293.94.

It's a third more than what they pay back home.

The figures don't look good.

So that's frightening.

For me, right away, that's looking like...it's going to be a no-go.

And although there are some positives...

Comparing Australian outgoings to those in the UK,

the overall results are not good.

My drive for coming to Australia is getting squashed by the moment.

Yvonne's hopes are sinking first,

but there's still her salary to be factored in.

And, as a nurse, she could expect a healthy increase.

My monthly salary after tax in Australia would be £3,425.45.

-It's almost doubling my salary.

-Yeah, absolutely.

That's... That's a lot better.

Adding in David's potential earnings,

the couple discover they could

bring home over £2,000 more per month in Oz.

Per month.

-That looks better.

-It certainly does.

So, even with higher outgoings,

the final sums show they'd be better off by - wait for it -

over £1,000 every month down under.

That's quite a lot of money.

Yeah.

Yet, in spite of the figures, David's still feeling cautious.

I think it proves that, if we can find the jobs we're looking for,

then, yeah, we could afford to live there.

It's been a great result for Yvonne.

But when it comes to the vote,

will it be enough to keep her and David on the same page?

After a very interesting reality check,

it's now time to vote.

-BOTH:

-Australia!

-Wow!

-The figures don't lie, I think.

I keep harping back to the jobs,

and getting the right salaries, but if we can do that,

then it'll work out, so, yeah...

So let's just do that wee bit of homework,

-and then it's all going in my direction.

-So far, yeah.

It looks like Yvonne's dream could be within grasp,

but now it's time for another reality check.

Can she and the family survive the emotional cost of a move?

This is a friends and family DVD.

-How are you feeling?

-I'm dreading this part.

This is like my reality check for my emotions,

and whether I could actually leave people that mean so much to me.

Are you two girls OK to watch this?

-Yes.

-Yeah, you want to see it?

Quite excited.

Here we go.

-Hi, guys!

-Hope you're having a great time!

Hi, it's Granny Jeannie.

I hope you're having a wonderful time over there,

and the weather is lovely.

I'm super jealous that yous are going to be even more tanned

than what I am.

Hi, David and Yvonne. Hi, kids.

Hello, Samson family!

They're a great family.

I'm so happy that I've got them in my life.

She's a very loving and caring person.

If you need her, she's there.

Lift the phone, she's there.

They're just a great couple,

-David and Yvonne, aren't they?

-Yeah, yeah, we love them very much.

David's not step dad, David's dad, that's just how it is.

He's always been there, so he's just, like, top dad figure.

Becky's, she's a lovely looking lassie, where she ends up,

she's going to be a WAG.

THEY LAUGH

And Sarah is just, she's just a bundle of fun.

I thought the novelty would wear off, but now I'm starting to think,

God, this really is happening.

It'll break my heart.

But I'll get over it.

We'll go and visit them. If they're all happy, I'll be happy.

I'll just missed them being there for me.

Just generally how you miss a brother, you know?

Like, my dad's no longer with us.

So...

We would absolutely miss you, and miss knowing that you're there,

and close by, and round the corner.

It's Sarah I'll miss the most, because she stays with me.

We're just so close.

And I don't want to think I wouldn't see her growing up.

If yous make the decision to go, you know...

..I'll support yous.

No matter how hard it is.

-Are you OK?

-No.

All right? Are you OK?

I don't know about you, but I'm blubbing like a child.

How did it make you feel?

I don't know.

Oh, Mum, give her a hug.

SHE SOBS

It's all right.

Shannon is a big thing for me.

At least, I think, although, you know,

she was saying throughout we need to think of ourselves.

I think she was just paying lip service to that,

and I think everything else showed us, the way she spoke,

her emotion, it is going to break her heart if we go.

Yeah, I agree with you.

Yvonne has been rocked by David's

emotional response to messages from the UK.

It's brought home to her just the enormity of the vote ahead.

The trial week has lived up to all of her expectations,

but she is aware of the dream might now falter at the final hurdle.

What would you do in their shoes?

It's time to step up and vote.

Yvonne can do no more.

I think, before we came,

it was always the jobs and the finances were the main issue.

I don't really think David had even considered the emotional ties,

and I think he thought he would be able to cope with that.

Seeing my mum like that, and the reaction of my brother,

just really got to me, and Shannon as well.

It's too much to take in.

I felt so many emotions mixed into one.

I felt guilt, I felt sadness.

It's really at the top of my mind now,

and something that will affect my decision.

I think watching the friends and family DVD was quite upsetting for

everyone, but I think it did impact the decision

that we're going to all make.

I would like to live here,

but I don't feel comfortable about leaving all my friends and family.

I think she's got a resolve,

I think she has made her mind up that this is the best thing for the

family, and I think she'll learn to live with the emotion.

It'll be hard today for her, she'll be feeling it,

but I think she'll still go ahead and vote for Australia.

That's...

We need to make a decision, and once we make that decision,

we both need to agree that's it.

And we either need to make the move or we need to put it to bed,

and that's it finished.

So, which side of the world will the Samsons call home?

After a very emotional week, it's now time for the final vote.

-ALL:

-Australia!

All Aus, except Rebecca, undecided.

Did you go for Australia?

I was really shocked.

I don't have a reason not to.

-Did we all vote Australia?

-No!

-She voted undecided.

-Did you vote undecided?

-Why?

-Because I think after seeing the family video,

I think we're needed back home more than we are here.

I'm not saying I wouldn't like to live here,

I'm just saying I think we need to put more thought into it.

You know, you don't know how life's going to pan out, so I think,

here and now, if this is what we're going to do,

then we're going to make it work, give it a go.

Oh, you're getting in between, because you didn't know what to do!

We'll work on you!

How do you feel the vote went, then?

I'm decided.

OK, so it's not unanimous, but with David voting for Australia,

Yvonne believes her major obstacle has been surmounted.

Teenage daughter Rebecca might need a bit of convincing,

but nothing Yvonne feels she can't handle.

Only time will tell, though,

where the Samsons will eventually put down their roots.

But whether they end up in the UK or Australia,

we wish them all the very best.