Burnley Wanted Down Under

Hello and welcome to Wanted Down Under,

the show that catapults a British family right across to the other

side of the world to help them make the biggest decision of their life -

whether to stay in the UK or to move to Australia.

Martin and Andrea Burnley from Leeds are considering swapping

their daily grind in the UK for a new, more relaxed life down under.

I've always wanted to go to Australia, ever since I can remember.

But Martin has taken a while to get used to the whole idea.

At first, I didn't want to go. I wouldn't entertain it.

So I think she's more up for it than what I am.

Will they be able to leave the stability of a large family and a young granddaughter behind?

If I had to leave both my children behind and my granddaughter, I'd be devastated. I really would.

It would make the move a lot harder.

There will be plenty of tears. Plenty of them.

I'm going to miss you and I love you.

Can the Burnleys make the move to where they're wanted down under?

Around 150-people a day migrate to Australia in search of a better life.

And anyone who's under the age of 45 and on the skills shortage list

could be heading down under at the head of the queue.

But for all these families, how hard is the decision? And do they find what they're looking for?

20 British families have been pushed to breaking point

as they find out about real life down under and,

after just one week, they'll have to vote one way or the other.

Whether to stay in the UK or to move to Australia.

Martin and Andrea Burnley live in Leeds with their son Michael.

Andrea has always dreamt of living somewhere with a better climate.

I've always wanted go to Australia, ever since I can remember.

And we tried a few times to go and something's always got in the way.

44-year-old husband Martin would be the main visa applicant and would

have to find a good job as a satellite dish fitter.

-But he's taken some persuading.

-Originally, it were Andrea's idea.

She's always wanted go there.

Recently, I seem to have come round a bit, over the last four or five years.

I like the look of the country and what have you, so, yeah, it seems to be appealing to me more.

Andrea wants to go more than me.

19-year-old son Michael isn't sure about the move.

I've got a lot of mixed thoughts about Australia.

I don't know what to expect. I'm just hoping to find some

new friends, hopefully get into sports that I'm playing now and have a bit of a better lifestyle.

He and older brother Paul play rugby league for Middleton Rovers.

And rugby's a big part of the family's social life.

Dad coached me when I was about five-years-old to 12-years-old.

And all we do in our family is play rugby, so I'd definitely have to try and find a team out there.

I'd definitely give it to go, playing rugby in Australia.

Andrea hopes that her eldest son Paul will also want to eventually make the move down under.

Paul lives with his girlfriend and he's got a three-year-old daughter.

And he's finding it increasingly difficult to find work over here.

And his girlfriend's actually at university studying to be a teacher

and their plan is to come over as soon as she's qualified.

But what they say and what they actually do when the time comes... That is the one thing.

I think if they definitely said they wasn't coming, that might sway me.

I'd be devastated if I got over there and loved it and they said they weren't coming.

Andrea's played a huge part in bringing up Honey-Lily so far.

She's three now and I do worry that she'll forget the closeness. I know she won't forget me.

But the closeness that we have.

I mean, the minute she walks through the door,

she's just screaming my name, looking for me. Big hugs and kisses.

And that's what I'll miss. And I am scared that she'll forget that.

She wouldn't just be leaving her son and only granddaughter.

The whole family lives nearby and would be hugely missed.

My dad's got cancer, but he's a fighter.

And he just tells me I must go.

He applied to New Zealand before I was born and got in, but they never got round to it.

He says it's one thing that he really, really regrets.

That's probably where it's come from, this emigrating,

because I know he's always wanted to do it and never did.

And Andrea's got a phobia which she's never faced up to.

I'm concerned about the spiders.

-It's a big worry for Andrea, more than me.

-I can't touch them.

I can't go anywhere near them and I can't be in the same room as them.

They have to be removed. So I don't know how I'm going to cope.

Having brought the children up, Andrea and Martin are now looking to downsize.

Martin's 44. The cut-off for applicants on the skilled migrants'

visa list is 45, so this is the Burnleys' last chance.

It's now or never because if we don't get through by this time next year, we're never going to get there.

We're sending the Burnleys to Darwin for a chance to experience life down under.

It's a small city with a warm climate and has got some of the best rugby league in Australia.

In Darwin, they can still say they're northerners, but will they fit in?

We found three different lifestyles for the family.

Each one offering a brand new way of life for them to try on their budget.

But, which one will be the most suitable?

Coastal living will provide Andrea

with the peace and relaxation she's looking for

and Martin's job will see him travel all over Darwin.

There are plenty of activities for Michael,

so life on the coast should suit them fine.

But the Burnleys' budget of £225,000 might be stretched in this area.

Three bedroom houses cost around £340,000 on average,

so a dream home on the coast might be pushing it.

So, very different from their life in the UK.

But what about the second option?

City life in Darwin is cosmopolitan

with plenty of classy shopping

and eating out.

But property prices have risen sharply in recent years.

Average prices for three-bedroom apartments and houses are in excess of £300,000,

although if you shop around, you can find cheaper options.

It would suit Martin by reducing his morning travel times

and son Michael would be close to Darwin's buzzing social scene.

That all looks very inviting.

But what about the third option?

Life in rural areas of Darwin

would provide the Burnleys

with plenty of outdoor activities.

Properties here are spacious and more affordable,

with an average house price of £250,000.

However, Martin may face a half-hour commute

and Michael would have to travel into the city for socialising.

And there's one thing you get a lot more of in the country,

which Andrea may find hard to handle.

Three very different possibilities for our family to try.

So which one did we decide would suit them best?

We think the Burnleys are most suited to life in the city,

so we're sending them to the suburb of Larrakia.

It will give Martin the flexibility for work and Michael won't be too far from the action in the centre.

And for their £225,000 budget,

they should be able to get a reasonable three to four-bedroom property.

-We've got Martin a job to try out...

-Hello, Martin. I'm Mark. Welcome to Darwin.

Found some properties to show them...

-I don't like it at all.

-Don't you?

No. I expected from Australia a bigger house, a bigger garden.

And give them a taste of the Aussie lifestyle.

-That is absolutely fantastic.

-Will it live up to expectations?

-Quite a shock, were that.

-Yeah.

It's time for the Burnleys to take the plunge.

The journey takes them across three continents and 8,600 miles.

They're used to flying to Spain on holiday - the flight to Australia's a world away from that.

I feel better for getting here now. Tired.

Looking forward to it, actually.

Looking forward to it.

It'll be good. I hope.

It's the first time any of the Burnleys have ever been to Australia.

It's midwinter and 32 degrees in the shade.

Not a bad start, then!

The Burnleys will be staying in a three-bedroom apartment

on the second floor of a block in the Larrakia district. So what will they make of it?

The apartment is classic Aussie city-living, open plan and designed to create space and light.

This is nice, isn't it?

But Martin knows what's important.

-It's got a nice big telly.

-That's what you notice first.

-That's nice, isn't it? Look at that the air-con.

-Smaller than I thought, though.

-Is it?

-Yeah. It's why they've got the mirrors everywhere.

You expect Australia to be massive, don't you?

Yeah. Super.

The master bedroom has a little surprise.

We've got en-suite, as well.

Did you get that, Andrea? And en-suite.

-Very good.

-Through the shared utility and bathroom is the second bedroom.

Looks like your room, Mike.

You can have this one because you haven't got an en-suite.

-This will do me nicely.

-Where's our en-suite?

-We've got our own en-suite.

-We haven't.

-No, it's not. We've got an en-suite.

-We haven't.

Do you want to have a look to prove it? Have a look, then. We've got an en-suite.

Oh, dear. Do we see our first disagreement already?

Left.

-What's that?

-See, I told you there were an en-suite.

I think the word you're looking for is "Sorry, Martin".

Sorry, I didn't catch that, but at least Martin's looking beyond the TV

and appreciating the open-plan layout.

I want an open kitchen like this, just bigger.

-Onto a garden.

-Nice, isn't it?

-It's massive.

-It is for an apartment.

And it's got a view! Of sorts.

-Nice water tower.

-It is, isn't it? Lovely.

The boys seem to like the apartment's functionality.

I think it's very nice. I like it.

Plenty of space, loads of room.

I'm not very keen.

It's an apartment. I never considered an apartment at all.

Lots of traffic.

Yeah, there's the main road there.

An industrial building over the road, and a motel.

And a big water tower.

-But Andrea has high expectations of life down under.

-No sea-view.

Is this a taste of things to come or will she find her a perfect home?

Back in the UK, the Burnleys live in a four-bedroom semi in south Leeds.

It's a good-sized house next to the park in an area they love, but they want more.

In Australia, they're looking for a spacious three or four-bedroom detached house

with a pool, but their budget is a modest £225,000 with a mortgage.

So, can they stretch their budget and get something that they really want?

We've found the Burnleys three properties to examine in Darwin.

Let's hope they live up to Andrea's exacting standards.

First up is a fully furnished two-bedroom unit

overlooking the park and has views of the beach.

It's on the market for £220,000, so should be within their budget.

But there's a small catch. It's on the fourth floor and there's no lift.

I don't like that at all. Don't like all them steps.

It's no good.

-It's too warm. Too warm for steps.

-So not a great first impression and they haven't even made it inside.

What will they make of it?

Small, but nice. Nice view.

Needs some of your DIY skills.

-Yeah, you'd have to get a bit of work done. What do you reckon?

-Bit cramped.

-It is a bit.

Perhaps they'll have better luck in the master bedroom.

Not a bad size,

-but I expected bigger.

-Yeah.

Oh dear. It's not getting any better and size appears to be a problem with Andrea.

Martin's got issues with the bathroom.

I don't like that at all. It would have to be ripped out and refurbed.

You've got to have a proper shower cubicle and a bath.

And a garden.

Yeah. And a garden. And a pool.

Uh-oh. Our wish-list seems to be getting longer.

Maybe the open-plan living area is enough to persuade them about living in an apartment.

-This is nice. I like this.

-I like the open-plan.

-Like the open-plan.

It needs a new kitchen. If you think what we've got at home, this is our kitchen and dining room in one.

-That's all.

-No.

-It is.

-No, it's not. It's bigger than ours. Miles bigger than ours.

There's more room in here than what there is in ours.

-It's bigger than ours.

-It's not as nice, but it is bigger.

-But we've got the conservatory

and the living room as well as the dining kitchen. This is just it.

-You've got a balcony.

-There's no separate rooms to get away from the kids.

You want be told, will you? It's a lot bigger than ours.

Still not impressed?

Well, how about the sea view?

This is nice. I like this area.

-Lovely view. You can see the sea.

-It is a nice view.

You can just see the sea.

-Just.

-Need a garden, definitely.

It's not much for your money, though, is it?

-Not really.

-In Darwin, even a sea view this size is going to cost you, so what's the final verdict?

I like it, but I don't like the fact it's up four flights of steps.

And I've got no garden.

-I don't like it at all.

-Don't you?

-No.

I think the sleeping area is very small for a sleeping area.

I don't like the decor of the kitchen and the bathroom. But they're things you can change.

I like the area. But no, I definitely want a house, certainly not an apartment.

And more space. More bedrooms.

I expected from Australia bigger house, bigger garden.

Not a lot right with this property, then.

Let's hope we do better with property number two.

This is a three-bedroom house in a quiet cul-de-sac.

It has uniquely-designed indoor and outdoor living space and some hidden extras.

It's on the market for around £275,000, so over their budget.

But maybe it's what they're looking for.

-This is nice, isn't it?

-Yeah, this is better.

Good-sized nice kitchen.

It is a big kitchen. Wide.

-Nice big open room.

-Perhaps this is the spacious living Andrea was after.

I like the area.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah. I can sit and watch telly while I can see you cooking.

I like the quietness round here as well.

-Typical cul-de-sac, isn't it?

-But she's not keen on getting to know the current inhabitants.

I don't like all these cobwebs.

No.

This property's won awards for its unique design.

It's split over two buildings, joined in the middle by an open-plan conservatory.

I like how you come outside to tables and then you've got your bedrooms.

Unique.

You can cook outside, you can eat inside undercover if it's too hot or if it starts raining.

It goes straight down there and joins straight back on to it.

I like this. It's like two separate houses.

It is, isn't it? Good-sized rooms.

-Are these cupboards under here? Yeah.

-This is nice.

-They've made use of all the space, haven't they?

-Yeah.

You've got a little office here. It's quite deceiving from outside, this.

-You wouldn't expect it to be this big, would you?

-Yeah, it's definitely got some space in it.

The bathroom is laid out over three separate areas.

Where's the bathroom, then? That's a strange one.

Try this. That's a shower room.

Yeah, toilet. Separate toilet.

Outside, Andrea begins to notice some problems.

-No swimming pool.

-No pool.

-Or even hot tub.

-There's just cobwebs everywhere.

-I guess the garden's out for you, then.

-You wanted a garden.

-Yeah, nice and open. Nothing here.

-If you want coolness, you put an umbrella up.

-It's a garden.

Just round the corner is a surprise which might just persuade her.

-Wow!

-Shaded.

We've got a pool.

Oh, that's nice. I like that.

It's unusual that it's completely separate. This is better.

-That's just made it all better now, has that.

-Yeah.

Definitely.

-Really nice. I do like this.

-It's nice, isn't it.

This is what you want to come to Australia for.

That's what you want to come home to after work.

So how did they find property number two?

I would change the bathroom, make it a bit more modern. Certainly flatten out the garden

and hopefully you don't have to have as many trees as this.

Andrea's already moving in and planning those improvements, so what do the boys think?

It's nice and quiet and secluded. It's cool that it's out the way.

It's a cul-de-sac.

The previous apartment was on a main road and you could hear cars up and down every 10 seconds.

Here, you can't. You can even hear the pool from here.

-Which is really good.

-Yeah. Very positive about this house.

Definitely way better than the last one.

Before the Burnleys get too excited, we've got one more property to show them.

Property three is another apartment, but this one's on a resort and is

fully serviced with a gym and pool to add to its three double bedrooms.

It's in a nice older suburb of Darwin and is five minutes' drive to the city centre.

It's on the market for £320,000, so is over the Burnleys budget,

but it might just give them something to aspire to.

There's even a cunning solution for all those stairs.

This is nice, isn't it?

-I like this.

-Lovely.

-I like the shape of it.

-Very nice kitchen.

-My kind of kitchen. Your fridge.

-Beautiful that, isn't it?

Already, Martin's looking out for his favourite feature,

but there's more to it than meets the eye.

Is that a television screen?

Don't know.

-Don't know.

-It says control system.

It controls all the lights and stuff and music and that.

That's clever, isn't it? I'm impressed with that.

Temperature for today and tomorrow.

-Good. Isn't it?

-That's clever.

This property is obviously pushing the boys' buttons, but Andrea doesn't seem so sure.

Living area is small.

I don't like these tiles.

You don't?

They're nice to look at, but they're not nice to clean.

It looks comfortable.

-I think it looks quite small.

-Newcastle Knights.

Andrea's not impressed with the living area, but maybe the view will change her mind.

-This is nice.

-Yeah, this is nice, isn't it?

Apart from the scrap yard, it's a beautiful view.

Yeah, the scrap yard's very good, but yeah, it is nice. Lovely view.

Well, it seems to be winning points.

But Andrea still has a problem with the size of this property.

I think it's quite small.

-Do you?

-I love the kitchen. But I just think this is slightly smaller.

Because this is everything.

Still, it is more modern, so probably that's what makes it a little bit smaller.

Perhaps they'll be more impressed with the bedroom.

-Well, this is nice, isn't it?

-Yeah, I like this.

-And this one is full of hidden surprises.

-Straight out onto patio.

You can go in there.

-See if there's any spiders.

-Walk-in wardrobe. Wow! Look at that.

There you go, Mum. What more do you want?

-Where would you put your clothes, Martin?

-I don't know!

Suddenly opinions start to change.

Yeah, I like this. I like that walk-in wardrobe. It's brilliant.

For an apartment.

-It's very good, isn't it?

-I never considered an apartment at all.

-I like this.

I like that. Superb.

Really good, isn't it?

Very nice.

I've never seen a man so impressed by a walk-in wardrobe!

-That's another good-sized room, isn't it?

-It's got its own balcony. Look.

-Nice view.

-Isn't it? They've all been good views, every one we've been to so far.

The master bedroom has a balcony and view of its own.

If you liked the look of apartment blocks.

-This is nice.

-Sea. Again.

-Sea again, yeah.

-You can just see the sea.

The pool looks very inviting. Considering that we don't like apartments, it's nice this, isn't it?

It is, yeah. Nice swimming pool. Well, paddle pool. Maybe.

Yeah, I'm impressed. I like this. It's nice.

This property's based around a shared environment and facilities,

which includes the pool, a barbecue area and even a putting green.

-This is all right, Mike, isn't it?

-I do like this. I could be down here for hours.

-I could sunbathe here.

-No. This is a golf area.

-Very nice.

-It is nice.

So, how does it match up?

Very nice. I liked it.

Good design. All modern.

A lot better than the other apartment. Definitely.

-A lot more room than the other place.

-More amenities.

It's just not for us. We want our own little plot of land and little house.

You couldn't say there was anything wrong with it,

apart from the fact it's an apartment and not exactly what we're looking for.

The Burnleys have seen three very different properties.

Property one was affordable, but for Andrea it just didn't hit the mark.

Perhaps the sea view was a little oversold.

-I don't like it at all.

-Don't you?

No. I don't like the decor of the kitchen and bathroom.

But no, I definitely want a house, certainly not an apartment.

I expected from Australia, bigger house, bigger garden.

Property two really hit the mark with its clever design and secluded outdoor spaces.

But it was £25,000 over their budget.

-This is better.

-That's just made it all better now.

-That's sold it, hasn't it?

-I do like this.

-It's what you want to come home to after a hard day's work.

Property three had the wow factor, but life in a resort wasn't

for them and apartment living just didn't push Andrea's buttons.

It's just not for us. We want our own little plot of land and little house.

So, how will they vote?

Based on the properties that we've seen here in Darwin, our vote goes to...

-Australia.

-UK.

What's all that about?

-What's with you with UK?

-At least I've made a vote. You haven't.

I can't make my mind up.

-Why have you gone UK?

-Because I think the properties are quite expensive over here.

They're big enough, though.

-Yeah, but they're still expensive.

-Yeah, but you're not paying for it, are you?

-I will be at some point.

-It's all right for you. I'll just live at home with my mum and dad.

Obviously the apartments were expensive, but we didn't want an apartment anyway.

I'm quite surprised how expensive the bungalow were.

But Darwin is quite expensive anyway for properties from what we've seen.

So, yeah, bit cheaper in the UK, I think.

The Burnleys will be really stretched if they want their dream home.

Martin will have to maximise his earning potential if this move is really going to happen.

Back in the UK, Martin earns around £30,000 as an aerial and satellite-dish fitter.

If I can find the work, I think I'd be able to do it.

It would probably take a while to get into it because they'll work different ways and things.

I think they use a lot bigger dishes than what we use, but I think I should be OK with it.

This often involves long hours and weekends.

We work five over sevens, so we work a lot of weekends.

It would be nice if I could get some weekends off. That would be really good.

In Australia, he's looking for similar work, so we've set up a meeting with Mark Sellers,

boss of a satellite installation business.

Martin knows this could be the make-or-break for his family.

I feel nervous because obviously it's going to be an interview as well

as doing some work in another country.

But also, this is very important because if I don't get a job,

obviously I won't be able to come to this country,

and we're seriously thinking about migrating to Australia if possible.

So it's very important.

Martin gets on to the skilled migration workers list as an electrician

and would have to do a further test in Australia as proof of his skills.

After a quick introduction, it's straight round to the back of the workshop

for a look at what life could be like down under.

OK, this is where we do our repairs and put all our equipment together.

-James is just here repairing one now.

-Unlike his job in the UK, they also do repairs here.

-And that's not the only difference.

-What size dish is that?

This is an 85 centimetre dish, our standard size dish in Australia.

This is a lot bigger than what we use. We tend to just use a 43 centimetre dish.

Yeah, you tend to have a stronger satellite in your part of the world and more satellites to come off on.

But there's no time for idle chat. They've got to get down to work.

Mark takes Martin to their latest job.

And this project isn't a small one.

It's a 33-storey building with a faulty dish and Mark's been called in to fix it.

Only thing is, it's right at the top.

You won't need to worry about gym membership doing this job!

With different dish sizes and a whole new list of rules and regulations to follow,

will Martin be qualified enough to do the Aussie version of his UK job?

That dish is aligned really well now, so we can now put it back together.

OK.

As Mark and Martin leave the boys to finish off,

Andrea is somewhere far below them, doing something most girls love -

shopping.

She's taking the opportunity to buy some presents for granddaughter Honey-Lily.

These are lovely. Honey would love these. If I bought her anything like this, Gemma would go mad.

Noisy.

She loves music and dancing.

-I bet that looks really great.

-It's not only Honey-Lily that's on her mind,

she's also worried about Martin's work prospects.

Martin's work is the biggest factor, because he loves his job, but he hates working on a weekend.

But, more importantly, I want him to be able to enjoy it.

-Thank you very much.

-Have a good afternoon.

-Thank you.

Andrea's hoping they might be able to persuade Paul, Gemma and Honey-Lily

to follow in their footsteps,

but they wouldn't come immediately.

If we decided to move and move quite quickly, it would be at least

three years before Paul and Gemma decided to come over here, if they did.

And we'd just miss so much of Honey.

And I'm very worried that even if they did make the move,

I wouldn't have the same bond that I have with her now. I don't think you could ever get that back.

Andrea's a devoted grandmother. Leaving Honey-Lily behind could be a real deal-breaker.

If she gets upset when I leave, then I don't know if I'll be able to get on that plane.

She still has to persuade Martin if it's the right move for them.

It's all down to the job. Will he get the hours and conditions he wants?

Generally, we will work Monday to Friday.

-Most of us have our Saturday and Sundays off because of our outdoor lifestyle.

-OK.

-What's the pay structure like?

-The pay structure is 55,000 a year. Plus there is a bonus system.

Depending on the project, you'll get a certain percentage of that project.

You've got a good bonus for your Christmas break.

We do close down for two weeks for Christmas and of course we have a superannuation

system in Australia which is your pension system, which you would get 9% on top of your annual salary.

That's very good.

Any overtime that you do, from 4.30pm is time and a half

and then after two hours, it goes to double time.

Well, that sounds very reasonable.

Just one other question. When can I start?

Hold on a minute, Martin! You haven't even made your mind up to move to Oz yet.

But it looks like he'll fit right in.

It was nice to meet you. Good luck with your move to Australia.

Hopefully it all works out well.

Thank you for your time. Very much appreciated. Thank you. Bye.

I wonder how he'll vote!

Based on the work that I've seen in Darwin, my vote goes to...

Australia!

Well, work seems to have sold the move to Australia for Martin, but does he think his wife Andrea

will be willing to take the risk of not seeing her granddaughter for long periods of time?

You can't put a price on watching your granddaughter grow up.

There's no price on that.

And obviously, I don't know, I don't think we wouldn't even consider

the money side of it. We'd just say, "Look, we're not prepared to not see Honey growing up,"

and I'm confident that she'd want to go back, she really would.

And we'd just sell up and go back.

Andrea Burnley has worked hard to persuade her husband to make the move down under.

He turned me down a few times when the kids were little.

Martin's getting a bit old now, so it's now or never.

He's 45 and this is their last chance to emigrate on the skilled worker visa.

Their look at Aussie properties didn't go according to plan.

-I don't like it at all.

-Don't you?

-No.

But at least Martin could find work.

I'm feeling very confident about Australia.

Everything just seems to be pointing in the right direction for me.

-But what happens when they hear from their loved ones back home?

-We miss you and we love you.

For the Burnleys, this decision is much harder than they ever thought.

You never know what's round the corner.

Yeah, there will be tears, without a doubt. There will be plenty of tears.

Martin's job could provide them with a steady income,

but if they're going to afford that dream home, they have to get a good price for their house back in Leeds.

Martin and Andrea bought their four-bedroom semi in Leeds 10 years ago for £70,000.

They now believe it to be worth around 205,000, but has it held its value?

We sent two estate agents round and showed Martin and Andrea the footage of the valuations.

It looks strange, doesn't it?

This is the sitting room.

Nicely presented. Good-sized room with a gas fire and wooden floors.

So strange.

Nice new-looking open-plan kitchen

with modern appliances, leading on to a conservatory overlooking the garden and barbecue area.

Nice-sized master bedroom. Plenty of room for furniture and a good-sized double bed.

I think we're in Barbie heaven here. Obviously, a very proud little girl's room. Fairly small room.

Just enough for a single bed, but perhaps also good for an office or just a normal single bedroom.

This would be the child's second room, but a good-sized double bedroom.

Clearly decorated for a child at the moment. But with potential to convert it to a main adult's room

with a lovely view of the garden.

This is an attic conversion room.

Currently used as a spare room. Little bit tight on the headroom there to be used as an everyday

bedroom, but probably fine in case of emergencies and guest visitors.

Also perhaps good as an office with a nice dormer window.

I think this is a very well-presented property. It's been redecorated recently

and is presented very well, with a nice modern feel internally.

I would value this property at £189,995. For a quick sale.

A little less than they'd expected, but will a second opinion be any better?

Losing space from the second bedroom where the staircase goes up for the loft conversion

is a bit of an issue.

People do like to have the two double bedrooms on that floor.

Probably between the region of

160,000-165,000 is achievable within a relatively short period of time.

Wow! That's a lot lower than they'd hoped for.

-Not impressed with that.

-No. Very shocked, considering what the others have gone for in the area.

-Very shocked at that. I was shocked at the first one, never mind the second one.

-Yeah, I know.

Even worse. 160, 165.

Andrea's convinced their house should have held its value better.

-Quite surprised at that.

-Definitely surprised. I thought it would definitely get over 200.

I would have thought 195, 200.

The climate hasn't really hit our area.

You know, because you keep an eye on the house prices over the years and it hasn't really hit.

We've seen a small decrease in house prices,

but not a massive decrease. So I didn't think it would hit us that bad,

but those valuations were quite low.

I think they were quite low.

The value of their house has come as a bit of a shock.

The Burnleys will have to take a close look at the cost of living in Darwin

to see what they can actually afford.

We've prepared a comparison between their living expenses in the UK

and in Australia to find out which leaves them better off.

It's not just the house you have to pay for when you move here.

5% stamp duty. Quite a lot, isn't it?

Yeah.

Mortgage repayments per month.

It's a lot more than what we're paying now.

That's actually quite expensive.

-Rates. Council tax. That's cheaper.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

Martin's worried about the cost of his grooming.

Manicure's going down the drain. £100 a month for a manicure?

£50 a month. 100. That's about what I pay now.

I'll have to learn to do it myself.

-Fuel price is cheaper.

-We're paying about £1.

But you travel more here. But then you're not in car jams over here.

Other motoring costs. £25 a month registration.

That's quite expensive, actually.

Compared to you can get quite a small car in the UK for £35 a year.

So, what's the final reckoning?

We spend too much at home.

It is affordable. It's just the mortgage.

It's the mortgage that was the real surprise.

But at least it's only one thing that we have to work on.

-Yeah, that's true.

-The biggest thing.

The biggest thing of all. That were quite a shock, were that.

I was quite shocked with that.

So I'd rather compromise on the property and get something that we can work to,

-rather than have a bigger mortgage.

-Yeah, definitely. You don't want a big mortgage.

-You've got to compromise sometimes, haven't you?

-Yeah, definitely. Just get a slightly smaller house.

It looks like the Burnleys wouldn't be able to get the dream home straightaway,

so on cost of living, how will they vote?

Based on what we've seen in Australia regarding the cost of living, our vote goes to...

-UK.

-UK.

Em, I think although the wages may be higher, it's just the mortgages.

If you could come to Australia completely mortgage free,

or at least to Darwin mortgage free, then the cost of living would be a lot better.

-It's just the mortgage price and the house prices.

-Yeah. Agree with that.

There's one Australian resident Andrea is desperate to avoid.

If you don't like spiders, look away now!

If there's one thing people hate most about moving down under, it's the invertebrate arachnid.

Of the 40,000 species of spider, Australia has more than 2,000

of them, but only 12 are known to be dangerous to humans.

There are four species you're likely to come into contact with in Australia.

Curator of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

Richard Cullen takes us through them.

One of the biggest spiders in Australia is actually found here in Darwin. This is the whistling spider.

Whistling spiders can reach 17 centimetres in diameter.

Their legs are covered in hairs.

And when they are irritated,

they can rub the legs together

and make quite an audible whistling sound.

They can bite.

Fortunately, it's not deadly.

The whistling spider is one of the largest of the spiders around Darwin, but it's nowhere near as deadly

as a very small spider called the red-back.

Of which the female can be fatal.

There's been no deaths in Australia from red-backs since the 1960s

because of the development of an anti-venom for their bites.

They live in areas where it's permanently dry,

such as sheds or under wood.

I've even seen them underneath the seats in the changing rooms at public swimming pools.

If you do get bitten by one of these,

you would experience intense pain at the site of the bite,

very rapid swelling.

If you do happen to be bitten by a spider,

first you should ice the wound,

place the spider into a container and then get to a hospital.

This is a male funnel-web spider

and I certainly wouldn't be doing this when it was alive.

They live in burrows down in moist areas in moist ground.

And it can deliver a very painful bite when irritated

and that bite can be lethal.

In Australia, in the cities at least, there are services now that will come

and remove a snake if you happen to have it in your house,

but for spiders that's not the case. You're on your own.

If you've found one of these in your property or in your house,

under no circumstances touch it.

One of the spiders that really causes most problems by interacting

with humans is one that's not venomous at all.

These huntsmen are very, very prevalent.

They are, all through the year,

especially in the build-up time,

which is the time prior to the wet season,

they really are very prevalent

and they'll be in every house

all right throughout Australia.

Our eight-legged friends may cause some panic,

but they have as much right to be there as we do.

In Australia, there are lots of spiders and people do come into contact with them all the time,

but we've got to realise they've got an important place in the ecology of the country.

If there were no spiders, we'd be knee-deep in blowflies and other pests.

If Andrea's going to get over her fear of spiders,

she needs to meet them face-to-face,

so for a real taste of the Northern Territory's lifestyle, it's best to hit the outback.

The Burnleys are off on a road trip deep into the Aussie Bush.

They're going to Litchfield National Park, 130 kilometres south-west of Darwin.

It's not only popular with tourists.

First stop are a field full of magnetic termite mounds.

Built entirely by termites and reaching heights of up to three metres,

they're amazing feats of architecture,

complete with arches, tunnels, chimneys and insulation.

Plenty of them.

That one's only small. It's all grey.

-Taller ones are browner at the top.

-They are, aren't they?

The mounds are given the term magnetic as their flat sides are constructed to face east and west,

thus avoiding the sun at the hottest part of the day.

-There's thousands of them.

-They're massive, them ones over there.

I just thought there would be one or two.

Yeah. I thought it would be just the one.

If Andrea's going to come and live in Australia, she's got to face one of her deepest fears.

-Look at that.

-Oh.

-Look at that one at back. It's massive.

Horrid.

-There's about seven there, isn't there?

-In that little space. Imagine how many's in the whole of this.

Luckily, this one isn't poisonous.

Come on.

There's just time for a look at one of the park's most stunning features - Florence Falls.

Now, you wouldn't find that in Leeds!

Wow! Look at that. That is unbelievable.

-Wow!

-Can we go swimming in there?

-Yes, please.

-Can you imagine jumping off that?

That is absolutely fantastic. What a sight!

I'd love to go right underneath where it flushes into water. Amazing.

It's no good just looking at it.

Get your cozzies on!

As the boys' cool off, Andrea has a chance to reflect on the trip so far

and Honey-Lily's never far for from her thoughts.

While we've actually been here, it's been absolutely wonderful

knowing that we're going back home.

How that will weigh on your mind, knowing that I'm not going to see her for months on end, even years,

I think when the time comes, it'll be really, really upsetting and I don't know how I'll manage.

The Burnleys are nearing the end of their trip and the pressure's on to make a decision.

There is a time restraint on going over to Australia.

It is more or now or never.

Martin's 45 next year, so we definitely have to make our minds up.

Martin may be 44, but the refreshing water's bringing out his youthful side.

-Croc!

-BLEEP.

I didn't want to get into the water. Crocodile signs.

But now they're in and it looks safe, I'm going to have a dip.

Swim!

It's time to choose between the Aussie or British lifestyles, so how will they vote?

Based on the lifestyle we've experienced so far, our vote goes to...

ALL: Australia!

The Burnleys enjoyed their outback experience, but life in a new country can be lonely.

You have to find new ways of meeting the locals.

The best way for the Burnleys to make new friends might be through

a passion they share with many Australians, rugby league.

I love rugby league, I'm a season ticket holder for my local team.

And I have coached for about eight, nine years with the local ones.

I coached Michael from being five up to him being 13. The Australian rugby league is absolutely fantastic,

they play a lot better than us. The sport's great to watch.

When I've watched it on TV, it's excellent to watch over there.

They'll miss the social scene they get from rugby back home.

So how does Michael feel about making friends in Australia?

I should make quite a lot of friends, especially if I start playing rugby.

We're taking the Burnleys for a tour of the home of Darwin rugby league, Richardson Park.

Michael's going to see how well he fits in to the local team.

Can he keep up with the Aussies?

Come on, son, show them what us Brits are made of!

Oops, butter fingers!

That's more like it.

Michael seems to be fitting in just fine.

I'm glad I found out there's rugby up here, because I didn't think there were at first in Darwin.

But I'll have to see what the level's like before I make a move,

if I ever want to play over here, because they may be too good for me.

At least I know I've got a sport up here that I love to do.

And I'll definitely think about playing up here.

Martin could see himself finding something to do on the sidelines.

Yeah, I could see myself helping out doing something if it were available to me. Without a doubt.

It would be an honour, with the facilities they've got here.

Even Andrea can see the benefits.

Definitely on the plus side, to be able to come here and know

that Martin and Michael are really enjoying it, and just to come and have a nice day out in the sunshine,

watching not only them play rugby, but the children as well.

It would be really nice Sunday out.

But she still hasn't forgotten her family back home.

We're leaving people behind.

It has weighed on my mind a lot, especially as you're walking round

seeing things thinking, "Paul would have loved this rugby ground."

And I think it's things like that that are going to hit me most.

After a hot day at a rugby ground, it's time to cool off at the bar,

where the Burnleys meet up with a friendly local.

Martin doesn't miss the opportunity to get the verdict on the Darwin lifestyle.

I can't believe how the weather is fantastic for winter. It's unbelievable.

-For the winter, it's pretty amazing, isn't it?

-It's smashing.

You wake up this morning, and you look out the window and there was

not a cloud in the sky.

Going with a prediction of 30 degrees.

No humidity to speak of. This is pretty much my apparel year round.

I don't own any jumpers.

I don't have any trackie pants.

It's usually just board shorts, a pair of sandals, T-shirt, off you go.

As the sun sets over Darwin, the Burnleys have a lot to think about.

Yeah, that is lovely, isn't it?

It's totally picturesque. The kids playing in the sand, Mum and Dad down there with them.

-It's something like you'd see off a postcard.

-It is, it's lovely.

They have fallen for Darwin's laid-back lifestyle and friendly people.

But it's almost time to make their final decision.

All week, the Burnley family have been in a quandary about making the move down under.

To make matters harder, before they make that final decision,

they'll have to face messages from loved ones they'll be leaving behind.

Hi, Andrea and Michael and Martin.

Hello, Nan and Granddad.

-Oh, he's beautiful.

-Who, Martin?

-Oh, yes!

The salt of the earth is our Martin.

-Do anything for you.

-Yeah.

He's always there if you want him, he's there. He's round the corner.

For anything. A lift, anything, he's there.

He's a terrific bloke. He really is.

He'd do anything for anybody.

And Andrea is as well, she's really kind.

She's bonny.

Well, she'll help anybody. She helps us a lot, doesn't she?

She's a lovely daughter, she's great.

He's always there.

You can always call on him, if ever something's going wrong.

In your personal life, or 'owt.

He won't let you down.

In five words I'd say, the best family in the world, terrific people. They really are.

We had Honey-Lily when we were quite young.

So they've helped us with everything. All the time.

I think it will be very difficult for Honey, I think that she will realise that she's not just going to

be able to jump in the van and come up and see them.

When she cries, she cries for Nana.

Yeah, she does, sometimes.

When she's poorly, she cries for Nana. All the time.

You're our best friends. Actually, you're more like family to us.

Moving to Australia, it's quite upsetting for me and Neil. But we wish you all the best.

I think of Andrea as like my mum as well, I'm as close to her as I am with my mum.

They see so much of Honey-Lily. I couldn't imagine them not being here.

I do really want them to go because they really want to go.

But I just can't imagine them being here for us.

I just couldn't.

I do miss you, but I hope everything's fine for you.

I hope you the like place and I hope you can settle down

and really enjoy your life.

And if your prospects are good, you go for it, love. Love you lots.

If it's for you,

take it, with our love.

We'll always be here for you if you need us.

We love you loads, and we're going to miss you loads, so good luck.

You know we're going to miss you, you know Honey-Lily's going to miss you.

And it's going to be really difficult for us all, but I think that

you've just got to go for it.

And I hope you do it. I hope you stick to your guns and you do it.

I'm going to miss you and I love you.

Bye!

Are you having a good cry, love?

Yeah.

-Makes it a lot harder, doesn't it?

-We've got some really good friends.

We've got some lovely friends, we're really good to miss them if we do decide to move over.

Our family are our family. I know other people don't always get on with their family,

but we do, we always have.

It's so close.

It's just natural to us.

But our friends, you make your friends, and we've got really good friends.

We do everything together, don't we? We spend a lot of time together.

We don't want to have a barbecue in our garden without inviting everybody around.

We'll have Honey round, won't we?

-She's a little monkey.

-She's beautiful, she really is.

-She's going to be the hardest person to leave behind, isn't she?

-Yeah.

It's going to be difficult for us to do that.

Whether we can do it is another matter.

Yeah, I know.

Don't know.

Ah, that's always the hardest part.

Leaving behind their son and granddaughter is really tugging at the heart strings.

It's been a tough week and it's almost time to make the final decision.

The Burnleys' week in Australia has been a real mixture of highs and lows.

-I don't like it at all.

-Don't you?

-No.

-It's just cobwebs everywhere.

-I guess the garden's out for you, then?!

-Hm.

Martin loved the job so much he couldn't wait to get stuck in.

Just one other question, when can I start?!

And some of the financial hurdles came as a bit of a shock.

Mortgage repayments per month. It's a lot more than what we're paying now.

The social rugby scene shouldn't be a problem for son Michael.

I should be fine, I should make a lot of friends, especially if I start playing rugby.

The hardest thing will be leaving the family behind.

I'm going to miss you and I love you.

It's nearly time to vote.

So, what's it to be?

I know it will be hard, just leaving everything that you know behind, your family, your friends.

You need to ask questions, where to go.

You need to find everything out, where to go.

It's going to be really hard. But from what I've seen, I'm very impressed.

For Martin, the real ramifications of the move are starting to sink in.

I don't think my parents could,

I know my dad certainly couldn't make the trip, because he's just not up to it.

He's too old. His knees have gone.

It takes him all his time just walk round the house.

He's been doing walks outside to try to get himself going, but he struggles.

My mum wouldn't come without my dad. I know for certain that they're never going to come over.

And they're all leaving close friends behind.

It's going to be really tough having to start over again,

and possibly lose contact with my friends back in the UK.

There are ways, the internet, but it's never going to be the same.

I'm going to lose those friends, and have to make new friends out here,

which I should do, because it's so friendly out here.

You can talk to anyone.

So how are the Burnleys going to vote?

After spending a week in Australia and experiencing Australia, our vote goes to...

-ALL: Australia.

-It's a vote for Australia, but they know it won't be plain sailing.

This could be the last time that we have a last Christmas in England.

And my parents are quite old, so you never know, touch wood, I hope

that nothing does happen, but you never know what's around a corner.

So, with them being as old as they are, it's going to be hard.

It's not a nice feeling.

That will be hard for me. There'll be plenty of tears, plenty of them.

I think, I don't want to miss out on Honey for three or four years.

But I just think that if we don't come out here and do

what we want to do, then they could take her anywhere in the world.

They could move down south, Paul's looked at jobs in Spain.

He could just take her anywhere, he will go wherever the work is for him and Gemma.

We've got no control over that.

We've got to try to think of us for a while.

We have, we have, definitely.

The Burnleys have made a brave decision to move to Australia,

leaving behind their eldest son, his partner and, of course, their first grandchild.

Let's hope Paul, Gemma and Honey-Lily will follow eventually.

Join us again next time when we send another family where they are wanted down under.

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