McGuinness Family Wanted Down Under

At some point,

we all believe there's a better life to live somewhere else.

But moving your family halfway around the world to find it

takes a big leap of faith,

especially if your partner has some serious concerns.

The McGuinesses are desperate for a better future.

If we can't make ends meet, what kind of upbringing will that be for the children?

But can they agree what it is?

My mind's made up, I want to go to Australia. This, to me, this is the dream.

Especially when one of them is far from convinced.

We'd have to cut all of them down.

It's just too small.

I just wouldn't buy this house.

-So it's a no.

-It's definitely a no.

Now, they have only one week

before they face the biggest decision of their lives.

Australia's famous laid back way of life, sunny climate

and almost 30,000 miles of coastline

have long made it THE favourite destination for Brits looking to move abroad.

But life down under doesn't always deliver the paradise new arrivals may picture.

The McGuiness family have one week to experience life in Australia.

At the end of it they'll have to make a life-changing decision -

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

After 24 hours and having crossed three continents,

the McGuinesses land in Brisbane.

The sheer distance from home has dawned on Jeanette.

-I was awake all of the flight.

-The rest of us three had a sleep.

-Yeah.

SHE LAUGHS Yeah, you three slept.

You know when you look at the in-flight map?

You're watching that and you see how many countries you actually fly over

and you realise just how far away it is, don't you?

The family have their home in Liverpool.

They are 36-year-old David, his wife, Jeanette, who's 31,

and their children - Gabrielle, aged four, and two-year-old Sean.

13 years ago, before he met Jeanette,

David went on holiday to Sydney.

He's now convinced his family's future

lies on the other side of the world.

I've been to Australia myself, I've seen the place,

but Jeanette hasn't, the kids certainly haven't.

I want them to see Australia through my eyes.

The food's great, the lifestyle's great.

Even though I only went on a holiday,

I got a good feeling from the country.

However, Jeanette is reluctant to move anywhere.

Cos I'm used to Liverpool, I love Liverpool,

it's where I was brought up.

I get homesick if we go away for the weekend. I phone up to see what's happening at home.

It's not just a holiday fantasy that's driving David

to uproot his family.

With his carpentry business struggling in the recession,

their finances are under pressure.

Two or three years ago I was flying. I had lads working for me,

I was earning... I was on a good wage.

Now, the last year and a half, two years,

all my prices have gone down a third, but I've still got

the same bills. In fact, I've got bigger bills now than I did two years ago.

It's just no lifestyle for the children, to bring them up in.

If we can't afford to make ends meet, what kind of upbringing is that going to be for the children?

On top of this, they worry about increasing crime rates in the area,

which they've both lived in since childhood.

'It's getting worse.'

When we were younger there was drugs and everything around,

but they have guns now and stuff, and I don't want my kids going to areas

where they could potentially mix with that type of people.

With the employment situation in this country now,

we won't be able to afford a better area than where we live.

Born and raised in Liverpool,

they both have lots of family living nearby.

Jeanette is especially close to her mum.

'She's with her mum every single day, I'd say.'

If she's not with her she phones her.

Her mum is her best friend - they do everything together.

I really will miss me mum because it's just having that support there,

a friend to go out with, to take the children out for the day.

'If David's in work, phone me mum, "Want to go out for the day?"

'David, I don't think he's realised how hard it is going to be for me,

'not being able to see me mum and dad.'

And the prospect of being in another country,

so far from family and friends, is really scaring Jeanette.

I had a nightmare - well, it was a horrible dream -

a few weeks ago, where I was on me own

and I was pushing Sean in the pram with Gabrielle,

and I was on this road in the middle of the city on me own.

And I'd never walked down this road before and just the feeling,

it was just a horrible feeling,

just being totally alone in the world and not knowing where I was

or who anybody was around me.

Didn't recognise any streets, didn't recognise the road signs.

It was horrible.

For David, the move doesn't hold any fears.

My mind's made up, I want to go to Australia.

In fact, I'd go tomorrow. I'm there already.

With so much at stake,

Jeanette is torn about the decision ahead of her.

The main reason to go is to give the children a better life,

or the best life we can possibly give them.

And I don't know whether that life is in Australia

or here, surrounded by their family

and their loved ones who they know, giving them that security of family.

It's just a hard decision for me to make, very hard.

I don't know which is best.

The McGuinesses face a decision

that could leave one of them heartbroken.

Jeanette knows leaving the UK would be the hardest thing

she's ever had to do, but David's convinced Australia will offer

not just him but the whole family a better future.

Their quest starts in the city of Gold Coast in eastern Australia.

Situated near Brisbane, Gold Coast offers all the benefits of city life

with plenty of sandy beaches for families to enjoy the Australian lifestyle.

And, with a thriving business community,

there are good job opportunities for both Jeanette and David.

However, the Gold Coast's popularity does come at a cost.

Properties prices here are amongst the highest in Australia.

Their base for the week is this three-bedroom house.

Close to the city and beaches, hopefully it should impress them.

Wow! Look where you're staying.

-I don't like wooden ceilings.

-I love wooden ceilings.

-It's nice, but...

-It's my type of house, not yours.

-Yeah, I know.

HE LAUGHS

-No, it's nice. It's lovely and clean.

-Yeah.

-It's just...

It's all one level, isn't it? It is nice.

Jeanette sounds like she's being a bit polite.

Perhaps the rest of the house will get her excited.

That's OK.

SHE LAUGHS

-What's in there?

-The toilet.

-Is that the only toilet?

-I don't know.

It's not going well.

Maybe the outside space will win them over.

Oh! It's got a swimming pool. I don't think it's in use, though.

-It's winter.

-Yeah, I know.

HE LAUGHS

Come on, then.

Wow! This is nice, isn't it?

Hey...

And there's the barbecue.

Oh, watch these. Oh, I don't like those steps.

HE LAUGHS

Come on. One, two, three.

They've got holes in.

Oh, isn't that a nice pool? Look.

Would you like a swimming pool, Gabrielle? In your own house?

It would be nice, wouldn't it?

The swimming pool has got everyone's vote.

However, it's not the steps that have Jeanette worried.

Could be too many spiders hiding underneath. That's what she doesn't like.

I'm petrified of spiders...

especially ones that can kill you.

In my garden I haven't really got any plants because I don't like spiders,

and plants house spiders.

I just won't come out here.

HE LAUGHS

It could be a problem if she's that scared of spiders.

I've been trying to get Jeanette in Australia for 12 years,

and now she's here, so it can't be bad.

As long as I just stay away from plants and trees I'll be fine.

And everything.

David's got just one week to persuade Jeanette their future lies here...

spiders or not.

Back in the UK, the McGuinesses live in a four-bedroom detached house

in the Walton area of Liverpool.

David and Jeanette have spent time

and money making their house into a family home.

They're hoping they'll be able to afford a house that fulfils

all their needs within a budget of £200,000 in Australia.

I don't want complete luxury,

I don't want an American-style Cribs house

with Jacuzzis, swimming pools.

I'm looking for the type of house that I've got -

detached, three bedrooms at least,

a nice garden so that the kids can run around,

and in a nice, safe, secure area.

My dream house, ideally, if we could afford it in Australia,

would be a two-storey house with four bedrooms, front and back garden,

enclosed back garden, with a playroom downstairs.

If David is to persuade Jeanette to move to Australia,

finding the right house will be crucial.

They'd love a home with wide open spaces in a family-friendly area,

but can their wallet keep up with their dreams?

We're giving the McGuinesses a taste of the property market.

We'll show them three houses

based on what they want from their ideal home,

what they can afford, and the real price of property down under.

After seeing what's on offer,

we'll reveal to them how much each house costs.

First up is Biggera Waters,

just five miles north from the centre of Gold Coast.

This is a quiet area, popular with families.

Property one is a modern three-bedroom townhouse set in a residential complex.

This means access to a shared swimming pool and tennis courts.

But does the resort-style setting make it more appealing?

It seems safe enough.

I saw neighbourhood watch signs as I came in, which makes me think,

"Well, is there a lot of crime round here?" Don't know.

Hopefully the house will impress more.

-Living room, dining area.

-It's too small.

It reminds me of a compact flat.

Yeah, it just reminds me of holiday accommodation.

I guess Jeanette doesn't mean a dream holiday by that!

-Garden's big enough.

-It's a shared garden.

-Does that go onto the road?

-Yeah.

-That's dangerous, isn't it?

-Yeah.

So you've got no private area in the back.

Is David's chance of persuading Jeanette already slipping away

-with this house?

-Like it, then?

-It's just too small.

The upstairs is the last chance to win her over.

No, it's nice, it's a nice size.

-Do you think we can fit a double bed in here?

-Yeah.

"Nice size, can you fit a double bed in here?"

Yeah, and you'll fit a double bed in this one as well.

It's sounding more positive,

although the layout has them puzzled.

So, what, has it got a bad architect here? Two doors.

That's what it's for.

-You close the bedroom door.

-And it's an en-suite.

THEY LAUGH

Then someone else can get in from that side anyway.

The upstairs has certainly given them a laugh,

but has it convinced them about the rest of the house?

-I wouldn't leave our house in the UK to come to this house.

-No.

If this house was in the UK I definitely wouldn't buy it.

It's just two small for a family of four,

especially with all their toys, isn't it?

So the McGuinesses haven't been impressed by the size of this house

or the garden. Will the price make them think otherwise?

Come on, then, let's have a look.

-155,000.

-Same as our house was in the UK.

Yeah.

It does worry us a bit as to what...

whether we could make a life out here, the lifestyle that we want.

We definitely want a bigger house.

And we're not going to get it...

-..at these prices.

-We'd have to have two jobs.

That's a huge blow.

If they're not going to be impressed by the properties

they can afford, David's dream of moving could be in trouble already.

Hopefully property two can make a better case for living in Australia.

It's situated in the Nerang area.

It's a popular neighbourhood, close to the countryside

but not too far from the all-important beaches.

This house should offer the McGuinesses

the peace and quiet they want.

But will they actually like it?

Wow! Nicer than the last one.

Yeah. It is, it's bigger.

I think the views are fantastic. Lovely views.

I could see me sitting here.

-Bouncy!

-Don't jump on the beds.

-This is a nice bedroom.

-En-suite.

-That's a bonus, isn't it?

It's a good start, but Jeanette has found a downside.

-I don't like the kitchen.

-Why don't you like the kitchen?

It's very basic. Obviously, you'd have to put a new kitchen in here

if you bought this house.

-Would you block it off?

-No, cos then it would feel too cramped in here.

But I could take this wall off. It would be a lot bigger kitchen.

I don't know whether... It's just the layout. I don't know what it is,

-I can't put me finger on it.

-Is it because it's separate? Do you need this blocking off, the doorway?

-I wouldn't buy this house.

-Why wouldn't you buy it?

What's wrong with this house? It's better than the last one.

David's trying really hard to convince Jeanette.

However, with so many Australian homes being open plan,

her dislike of this layout could be a big problem.

Go on, kids, push her out!

There's just nothing.

You can climb up the rockery.

-And then jump off?

-There's a nice little decking area along the top.

See that? He would do that, he would climb up there and try to jump off.

I need somewhere with outdoor space so the kids can run their energies off.

I don't particularly want a pool.

If you want to go swimming you can go out to a swimming pool,

you don't NEED a pool.

But you do need a bit of outdoor space for them to run round in.

If the garden is mainly for the children,

what does Gabrielle think of it?

Hmm. That's a no, then.

Time to find out the price.

The good sized rooms and views

seemed to get the thumbs up from Jeanette.

But the garden changed all that.

Will the price convince them to consider this house

or will it be out of reach?

-£217,000.

-You can get a lot of house back in the UK for 217,

but that's what you're paying in Australia.

It's over our budget, though. So this is not what we want

and this is even over our budget.

I'm not really surprised because I have done a lot of research

on the market in Australia before we came over,

so I do know things are expensive,

but it's well over what our house is worth.

This house was a disappointment, lacking the garden space

Jeanette craves for the children.

And even if she liked the house, it might be above their budget.

Everything now hinges on the final property.

Tweed Heads is 16 miles south of Gold Coast.

Close to some of the country's best surf beaches,

it's a good place to live the Australian lifestyle.

You get more for your money

but it does mean a long commute to work in Brisbane.

The third house is a five-bedroom home.

With Gabrielle and Sean being looked after by a childminder,

David and Jeanette can have a good look around the house.

-Bit dark, isn't it?

-It's dark but it's nice.

-It's cosy, isn't it?

-Cosy, yeah.

-This is the nicest kitchen.

-Yeah, it is.

That's nice, and you can fit a table and chairs there. No problem.

Bedroom.

-It's a double bed, isn't it?

-Yeah.

And a Liverpool top.

-Well, this is bigger.

-Double bedroom.

-Nice views.

-That is lovely views, isn't it?

It's a promising start.

And there's still the garden and swimming pool to check out.

Hello!

-Look at the pool.

-Nice decking area, barbecue, lovely views.

-Dive into the pool.

-Yeah(!)

It's going well but Jeanette has spotted some major problems.

-It's just not child-friendly whatsoever.

-No.

You'd have to cut all them down, all those trees.

We couldn't even consider buying a house like this.

It's not child-friendly at all.

-It's not very well built.

-God, that's awful!

HE LAUGHS

He's insured. Kick him off.

The gym and rooms downstairs would give Jeanette

the two-storey house she wants.

-How do you get down to that bit?

-Walk down, downstairs.

-Under all those trees?

-Yeah.

-No.

-You coming?

-I'll stay up here.

-I'm not going down cos there'll be loads of spiders.

-Look at all the spiders everywhere.

You know what? I'm going in.

HE LAUGHS

Burn the house.

Yeah, there's more rooms downstairs.

-Jeanette...

-And you've got to go to them down an outdoor stairs?

-Yeah.

Look. Just watch out for the spiders.

You know what? I don't even want to see it.

THEY LAUGH

Oh, they're everywhere!

This is lovely. This could be another little living area

or a bedroom.

-Look.

-David, put it back!

HE LAUGHS

Get lost. Get away from me now, get away from me. Go away.

And David's joking around isn't really going to help

change her mind.

This house would give them all the room they need.

However, the state of the downstairs has got Jeanette wanting out.

This would be like my bush tucker trial, staying in this house.

-Shall we stay for the night?

-No!

-I love it, I want to buy it.

-I could live here with the lads.

-I couldn't even say that I could

do this house up and live in it, cos I just couldn't.

-So it's a no, then?

-It's definitely a no.

Come on, let's get out of here.

SHE LAUGHS

Oh! Something's just touched me.

HE LAUGHS

After another promising start,

this house hasn't gone down well with Jeanette.

Can the price turn things around if it's within their budget?

Go on, let's see how much it is.

Let's see how much we're spending.

HE LAUGHS

-223?

-Is that all?

-So we're definitely not moving to Australia, then.

-Why?

Cos we can't afford nothing.

HE SIGHS

-We can't afford anything that you'd...

-Yeah, but there's other houses.

You've seen some on the internet.

It seems house prices have really blown away Jeanette's hopes of finding a dream home.

When we first got here and everyone was dead friendly, I was thinking, "Oh, I like it here."

-I went to the beach. I don't like beaches, but I love that one.

-Got to love beach.

-And I thought, "I do like it." And the kids were made up.

-You'd love the weather.

-Yeah.

And then I was actually going more for Australia

and then this has just totally put me right off.

It really has, it's totally put me off.

Every house is going to be different. We've only seen a couple.

You have to admire David's positive approach

but he's just not convincing Jeanette.

Although property one was well within their budget,

it just wasn't big enough for their needs.

The second house had room inside but the rather odd garden

didn't offer Jeanette the outdoor space she wants.

And the third seemed perfect on paper, but it would stretch their budget to its limit.

So have Australian houses won them over

or will they vote for the UK instead?

Compared to the houses in the UK

and what you can get over there for the same price,

my vote goes to...

-..UK.

-And my vote goes to...

..Australia.

David's remaining upbeat, but even he would have to agree

that the house they want might be out of their reach.

It only depends on whether we can earn more money out here,

put our budget up to afford a better property.

If we couldn't earn more money and that's our budget, full stop,

if that's the three houses we've seen today, we wouldn't be able

to bring the kids up in them, so it's all based on what we could earn.

Jeanette's disappointment with Australian homes

firmly put the brakes on David's dream move.

But with any future being an expensive one,

it's vital David and Jeanette find good work prospects.

Back in England, David has his own carpentry and joinery business

and Jeanette works part-time in pay-roll.

A shortage of building work across the UK

has pushed his business to the brink.

Work has dried out a lot in the last year, two years.

Everyone's struggling to get on a job.

Two years ago I had five to eight lads working for me,

now I'm struggling to find work on me own.

With no real opportunities on the horizon,

David is hoping that his skills will be in demand down under.

It's a job that I love. I do love it, I wish I was in constant work.

But there isn't the work to cover what I want to do in the UK.

Hopefully there will be in Australia.

WHIRRS DRILL

We've arranged for him to spend a day

working on a Gold Coast building site.

Everything hinges on his work prospects.

The object for me is to get loads of work, continuous work.

I don't want to have to worry about where the next job is.

Hopefully there's plenty of it about.

This is supposed to be one of the biggest builders,

hopefully I'll get contacts while I'm here.

This is David's chance to show what he's made of,

and they've thrown him straight in at the deep end.

-I'll get you to hold the level.

-Brilliant, thank you.

-We don't use levels in the UK, we guess.

-Oh, do you?

HE LAUGHS

-We do it properly over here, mate.

-Oh, here we go!

THEY LAUGH

-It's nice and muddy like home, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-No, normally it's about that deep in water.

-Yeah, true.

-Normally I have wellies and waterproofs.

-This is all right, isn't it?

Well, I don't think David is going to struggle to fit in

with the Aussie banter!

Back in the UK, Jeanette earns just over £13,000 a year

working part-time in a pay-roll office.

After her disappointment with Gold Coast property,

her job prospects could make all the difference for their lifestyle.

We would be primarily dependent on David's salary,

but if I could work part-time also,

it might give us a better lifestyle for the children

and we'd be able to buy a house in a better area.

So we've sent Jeanette to a recruitment agency

where she has one very important question.

Is there work available?

Yes, there is, particularly if you want to temp first.

And I think, with the skills that you've got,

and particularly having a degree,

I don't see that you'd have an issue getting work.

I'd sign you up, that's for sure.

-Well, that's positive.

-Yes, it is.

That's a promising start for Jeanette.

And back at the building site, David's getting the low-down

-from the site manager.

-Is there plenty of work?

Plenty of work, mate.

The Gold Coast is a little bit quiet at the moment,

but in the region in general, within driving distance,

there's plenty of work.

That's exactly what David had hoped to hear.

But what about the most important question?

What is the salary for a carpenter and joiner in Australia?

Depending on the site that you're on,

and also the hours you'd be doing,

you could be earning, as a starting point,

anywhere between 85,000 to potentially a hundred grand.

Australian dollars, obviously.

That's a £60,000 starting salary,

far more than David's earned in recent years.

-But what about Jeanette's pay?

-Have you got any idea of what your salary expectations are?

At home, my job's worth 24,000 full-time,

so pro rata, that's over three days. That's in pounds.

I think that you would be very happy.

I would say the minimum you would be looking at would be

45,000 upwards. And it can be well upwards from that.

£30,000 is much better than the salary Jeanette earns in the UK

but is it enough to make her consider moving here?

The fact that there's employment available is fantastic.

And the wages are good as well, aren't they?

It will break even, but that means that I could come out here

and afford the lifestyle that I wanted, so it is fantastic news.

That's quite a turnaround for Jeanette.

With David's first working day coming to an end,

have they been swayed by the idea of work in Australia?

Which way will they vote?

May experience today was very positive and I'm going to vote...

..Australia.

With regard to employment here in Australia,

my vote goes to...

..Australia.

SHE LAUGHS

That's a massive boost for David.

It seems his dream of moving down under is one step closer

to becoming a reality.

Hiya.

When the family meet at the house and catch up on their day,

Jeanette is quick to spot one difference their combined salary could make.

Obviously, we wouldn't have to live in any of the houses we saw yesterday.

HE LAUGHS

So that's a bonus.

So, yeah, that's positive, isn't it?

Jeanette's vote for Oz saved David's hopes of a move

from a very swift end.

But they've still to tackle the biggest reason for coming to Australia -

the children's wellbeing.

They both worry what a future in the UK would mean

for Gabrielle and Sean.

I don't think I could keep my kids from the drinking culture

that we have in this country.

Everyone loves to drink, everyone drinks.

I just want to bring them up in a better area.

I grew up here. There was nothing wrong with it, I know,

but I know what you can get up to round here.

Hopefully, the culture in Australia might be a lot more family-orientated

and there might be a lot more for the children to do.

David believes that Australia would be a better place to raise a family,

but he needs to convince Jeanette.

So he's taking the family to meet Pam, a distant relative who lives

deep in the countryside outside Brisbane.

He's hoping some inside knowledge will help seal the deal.

-G'day. You must be David.

-I'm David and this is Sean.

-G'day, Sean. How are you?

-Nice to meet you.

Tell you what, I can see the Carney in you.

-You can see the Carney in me?

-I can.

-I thought I was a McGuiness.

-No, I can see similarities for sure.

-Hiya.

-This is Jeanette.

-Hello, Jeanette. How are you?

-That's Gabrielle.

-Hello, Gabrielle.

-We brought some treats for you.

-Oh, thank you, sweetheart.

That's lovely.

They're also joined by Pam's friend, Liz.

And Jeanette wastes no time beating about the bush.

Can I just ask you about crime rates?

What's the crime like round here?

Not coming from here, I need to know about what...

I could come here and move to a really bad area, not knowing

-whether it's a nice area or not.

-There is a crime problem at the moment on the Gold Coast,

-but it's more break and enters to shops, it's petty crime.

-Right.

I think a little bit has to do with a bit of unemployment, a bit of drug use.

But as far as the residential area, I wouldn't say we've got a crime problem.

We can sleep at night with our windows wide open.

Yeah, but you wouldn't leave your windows open because of the spiders.

You've got screens.

Joking aside, with her worries about crime in the UK,

it's reassuring for Jeanette.

And then it's time for her to be put on the spot.

So do you think, after being here,

that you would like to come and live in Australia?

I'm just not sure at all. It's just the thought of leaving family and friends.

Yes, I can appreciate that.

Is coming to Australia and having an outdoor lifestyle

-more important for the children, or is being at home with the family more important?

-Yes.

I've got to weigh that up.

However, the taste of country life has had a very different effect on David.

I think today has probably been one of the best days so far.

If I can earn a lot more money, Jeanette gets a good job,

I don't see why we couldn't afford something like this in Australia.

This to me, this is the dream.

But he has to convince Jeanette,

otherwise David's plan for his family could remain just a dream.

Once again, the emotional pull of family has Jeanette

concerned about a move to Oz,

but could a taste of the Aussie lifestyle David dreams of

help put things in perspective?

To get a flavour of what Australia can offer, they're going to

a huge agricultural show in Brisbane that goes on for ten days.

It's not the sort of thing they've experienced before.

Wave to the ice cream man.

Look at those hats. Do you want a proper Australian hat?

That's the best rainbow I've ever seen.

Wow, look at all these animals, kids.

How cute are they?

Look at them two.

Here we go. Isn't this fantastic?

Gabrielle seems to love this, although I'm not so sure about little Sean.

DAD LAUGHS

SEAN CRIES

Sean looks a bit scared, but the kids are enjoying themselves.

Aw, Look at this white one, he likes you.

He's got to get used to it, hasn't he?

We've never done anything like this before.

We normally go and see animals, but they're always behind fences,

they're never allowed to mingle in like this.

We've never found places where you can do that.

They're having a ball, they're loving this. It's a brilliant experience for them.

It's not just the show that's impressed them with what Australia can offer.

It's very child friendly, Australia, it is.

Even driving down like an A road,

there are parks on every corner, there are play areas, swings and slides.

There's one there and within a 30-second walk there's another one, 30 seconds another one.

Fantastic for the children.

SHEEP BAAS

Jeanette's realising that there's plenty for young children to do,

so she's coming round to the idea.

I knew my plan would work.

Don't get ahead of yourself, David.

It seems like it's been a great day out,

but there's one thing playing on Jeanette's mind.

It would be different living here full-time than just seeing it for a week.

The kids not having their nans and grand-dads around them

and the cousins and stuff.

There are plus sides and downsides to all of it.

I've got a lot of thinking to do.

After their day out, which way will they vote on lifestyle?

UK or Australia?

We've had a lovely day out here today. The children have had a ball.

Feeding the animals and we're going to vote...

-One, two, three, Oz, Oz, Australia.

-I say the same.

Three Australia, one undecided. Australia.

If you get the nice weather in the UK,

you can have a nice family day out as well as you can here, so...

After a taste of the Australian lifestyle

Jeanette is still not won over.

David and the children may have fallen for the Aussie lifestyle,

but Jeanette's worries only made her decision harder.

Finding out the real cost of the move could be the deciding factor.

Jeannette and David bought their house for £155,000

and have put in £20,000 fixing it up.

Will they be able to get back all the money they've spent?

We sent round two estate agents to get its current sale and rental value.

Here we go.

There's our house.

DOOR SQUEAKS

Neutral colours.

Cute kid.

Cute kid! He doesn't know him.

I like the fireplace, it's nice and modern.

I think whoever lives here has got an eye for taste and colour.

I picked the fabric.

Really nicely presented, good quality kitchen, absolutely ideal.

There you go. He said good quality kitchen. The real oak kitchen.

-My bed.

-That's your bedroom

It's a nice, warm, welcoming room for any child.

It's an ideal environment for a child, but it's never going to be this clean with a child in it.

It is!

It's a nice property.

To sell the property in the current market I would value it at:

That's more than what I expected.

To achieve maximum rental income I would value it for rental purposes

at 595 per calendar month.

In the current market we would place it on to the market at:

With a view to achieving between 140 and 145,000.

For the rental market it should achieve somewhere between 675

and £725 per calendar month.

I'm going with him.

That's a lot less than the £175,000 they'd hoped for,

but they're keeping a positive front.

I know we paid, what, 155,

but I thought the market had appreciated that much.

I'm surprised for the better, yeah.

Based on these valuations, their house is in negative equity,

meaning the McGuinnesses would rent out it out rather than sell, for the moment.

However, what they can earn from their house is only part of their money considerations.

So we've prepared a breakdown of their cost of living

in Australia to see if the sums will add up.

£372 for petrol here, £190 car insurance.

I thought fuel was supposed to be cheaper over here?

Mortgage repayments...

That's a bit different.

OK, let's do the others then.

So, yeah, total combined...

Shall we see the difference between them two?

The difference between that one...

-It's about the same.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

It actually... £20. It's £20 difference between our monthly bills

at home and the salaries we can earn. It's just the same!

-We're £20 better off in Australia?

-We're £20 better off in Australia.

Let's go to Australia!

Hmm.

£20 better off may not sound like a lot money,

but is it enough to make a difference

when it could mean a whole new lifestyle for The McGuinnesses?

Will they vote with their hearts or with their wallets?

House prices are a lot more expensive...

Wages, it seems here you can get a lot more.

We are going to vote for...

Australia!

-That's a shock.

-I know.

-Why?

-Cos I know how important it is to you.

There's more opportunities, yeah. I could earn more money.

Seeing things in black and white

has helped push Jeanette towards Australia.

But her biggest concern has always been leaving behind a close network of friends and family.

So could seeing messages from them be another step back?

We've prepared some messages from family and friends back in the UK.

As it can be upsetting,

David and Jeanette felt they'd rather the children didn't watch it.

-You ready?

-Mmm.

Hello, Jeanette and David and Gabrielle and Sean.

We're missing you, hoping you're having a good time in Australia.

I couldn't fault David. He looks after his family,

he's a good family man,

he only wants what's best for his children.

I'm not sure how they'd settle in to the Australian way of life.

David I think would settle in a lot easier than Jeanette,

she's very homely.

David's decision will be based on Jeanette,

because he loves Jeanette so much.

So I know for a fact Dave wants to go, but if Jeanette really,

truly doesn't want to go, then David will back Jeanette up.

It would be very difficult being detached from them.

Especially around birthdays, Christmas.

I think the difficult part would be not having the children

being around each other, and growing up together.

My wife is very caring,

and she loves the bones of the grandchildren,

as all grandmothers do.

She's had a lot to do with the grandchildren.

Because of all this,

it's too upsetting for my wife to speak about it.

Oh, I love them kids.

Just the thought of...

..not seeing them every week, just taking them out,

spending some time with them, is going to be so hard.

I'm going to miss them so much.

But I am behind what decisions they make.

We want to say that

if you decide you're going to make a new life in Australia,

then we'll always be there for you, and we'll always be behind you.

But also, we would...

..terribly miss you all if you go, and we'll miss seeing Gabrielle

and Sean growing up and being there at the special times.

If that's what you decide to do, then we'll be there for you,

but our heart says we'd rather you were here with us.

That's upsetting.

When people say they're going to miss the children growing up and stuff.

Jeanette got upset seeing her mum and dad walking away from the airport when we were coming to Australia.

If she was getting upset at that, imagine getting upset

if she's leaving them for a couple of years.

It's just a load of factors you've got to consider.

As their trial week in Australia comes to an end,

it's thrown up a lot to think about.

House prices came as a shock,

and Jeanette's phobias were proving to be a problem.

However, job and salary prospects were exactly what they wanted to hear.

Now, after a week of highs and lows,

the McGuinnesses' future rests on a knife-edge.

This'd be the biggest decision me and Jeanette would make,

coming to the other side of the world, leaving everything we know.

Before we came to Australia, I was 100% sure that Australia was

the perfect place for us.

During the week, I've had my ups and downs,

but I think the goods have outweighed the bads.

You only get one life.

I have not got a clue how I'm going to vote.

There's pluses and minuses to all of them.

So I really do not know. There's opportunities...

That's the main thing - it's money and opportunities out here,

and family back home, and no opportunities.

It's time to decide.

Has David done enough to convince Jeanette their future lies in Australia?

After spending the last week in Australia

looking at lifestyle, employment opportunities

and Australian life in general,

We're going to vote...

ALL: ..Australia!

Yay!

I have come to the conclusion that there are more opportunities here

than back in the UK. I will miss family and friends,

but I'll give it a go and see.

It doesn't mean forever.

-Cos I love you so much, babe.

-Yeah, whatever!

After some real soul searching,

Jeanette has finally made her call and chosen a future in Australia -

much to David's delight!

With a tough choice behind them, the McGuinnesses can begin

the next chapter of their lives down under.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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