Dennett Family Wanted Down Under

If you were finally reunited

after work meant you'd spent months

separated from your partner,

you could be forgiven for wanting the very best from life,

but what if one of you believes your future lies on the other side

of the world and the other feels the answer is much closer to home?

For the last five years, Karen Dennett spent ten months

of the year effectively living as a single parent.

I just... I'm worn-out, to be honest. I'm just exhausted.

Husband Wayne knows things have got to change.

If we were to continue working at this pace,

it could be quite detrimental to our family.

But while Karen believes the future lies down under...

It's just amazing, really. I don't think I would ever get bored with it.

..Wayne has his mind set on settling somewhere else.

First impressions of Australia, fantastic,

but saying that, Cornwall is fantastic as well.

In the last 70 years more than six million people have

moved across the globe to settle in Australia.

And with 80% of the population living within a half-hour drive

from the beach, it's easy to understand why.

The country's sun, sea and laid-back lifestyle all add up to

a powerful draw to those seeking a new life abroad.

Left alone for months at a time to bring up a family

and work a full-time job, Karen Dennett has reached breaking point.

Husband Wayne agrees things need to change,

but the couple have very different ideas

on where their new life should lie.

Over the next week,

they'll experience everything Australia has to offer

before deciding once and for all

if they should make the move there for good.

The 9,000-mile journey from Bristol has seen the Dennetts spend 19 hours

in the air and as the family touchdown in Perth,

there are, let's say, mixed reactions.

The flight wasn't as bad as what we thought it was going to be.

The food was barf.

The flight was very long.

It's Karen's first time on Australian soil.

I'm really excited. Can't wait to get out there

and see what it's got to offer.

But Wayne's heart is still firmly set back home.

I'm still sure we can achieve everything that we've been

looking forward to for the last 15, 20 years in Cornwall

and not Australia.

Karen's got her work cut out in the week ahead

if she is to persuade Wayne Australia's the perfect place

for their family.

The Dennetts hail from Bristol.

They are dad Wayne, Harry who's two, mum Karen,

Jack age eight and Millie who's ten.

Former soldier Wayne has spent the last five years

working in Afghanistan.

The reason why I work abroad is, obviously, for the money

the financial reason and also given my previous military experience,

there's not a lot of call for what I do within the UK.

While Wayne's job pays well, it means for ten months of the year,

mum Karen's been left alone trying to juggle a hectic work life

as a teacher with bringing up three children.

Being on my own without Wayne is a bit like being a single parent.

It is tough.

Karen is quite literally run off of her feet.

She is up at six o'clock every day, regardless.

Looking after the children

till about seven or eight o'clock at night

and then she still got marking

and quite often she's up till one or two o'clock in the morning.

To be honest it with you, I do not know how she does it.

Oh! You going to go down on the slide?

Snatching just five hours' sleep a night has taken its toll.

I just... I'm worn out to be honest.

I'm just exhausted. I want to have a life again.

While Karen's been missing out on sleep,

working more than 3,000 miles away

means Wayne's missed out on being a father.

You tend to miss out on a lot. I mean, Harry was...

You know he's only a year and a half old.

And I've missed out on pretty much all of that.

In the ten weeks...

when he's not here,

I can't remember him sometimes.

I'd like to see my dad a bit more cos like Skype you can't really...

You're not really seeing them in person.

-'I love you.'

-Bye!

-'Have fun.'

-Thank you.

-'Bye.'

-Bye.

It's definitely about time to change.

I'm fed up with having a marriage that is based on video link.

The family have decided enough is enough

and after handing in his notice, today's the last time

Wayne will be met by them after months working away.

Oh, there he is! Look!

If we were to continue for another, say, year or two years

working at this pace, especially Karen,

it could be quite detrimental to our family.

We're going to have to go to the lift.

Now the couple are desperate to be a real family once more.

I want to have a life again

and, you know, be able to do things as a family all the time -

the day-to-day stuff, not just the holidays.

The children are growing up far too quickly and I'm missing all of it.

Karen is adamant Australia is the solution.

The main reasons for going are firstly to get in the sunshine,

to give the kids an amazing experience.

Like to open their eyes up to the world.

To actually be able to go out and do things as a family.

I would really like to work part-time

and be able to spend some good time with the kids.

And I want to step back a bit and enjoy my life.

But Wayne, who grew up in South West England,

believes the answer lies much closer to home.

I'd prefer to move to Cornwell. It's not such a gamble.

We can achieve everything that we're...

Karen wants to achieve in Australia quite easily.

And moving to Australia could be a massive risk

given none of the family have actually been.

We have no idea. We've only seen pictures

and we've only got other people's accounts of it.

And it sounds amazing, but we need to get that experience ourselves.

The couple aren't underestimating the importance of the week

that lies ahead.

This is one of the most difficult decisions that we will make ever

for the children's future.

Are they going to be better off in England or Australia?

I have to convince Wayne that it's worth trying and, you know,

if we can do that this week,

then I think, you know, we could be up there by next year.

After years of separation for months at a time,

the Dennetts have already taken steps to gain more time together.

Now the only question that remains

is where in the world they'll spend it.

The Dennetts will be spending their trial week in Perth,

capital of Western Australia. It's a vibrant, energetic city.

And with an average of eight hours of sunshine every day,

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

Home for the week is the popular coastal suburb of Mandurah,

45 miles north of the city centre.

First impressions of the four-bedroom town house

are promising.

-Oh, this is lovely!

-This is nice, isn't it?

Wow! Look at this, Harry.

And upstairs lies a small hint of the lifestyle

the Dennetts could be enjoying.

Wow! What a lovely view.

Oh, I love the surfboard table.

Look at that!

Nice big outside area.

Wayne's already planning parties.

Can you imagine the amount of sausages I could burn on here?

And Millie and Jack seem to have settled.

I feel pretty relaxed.

Karen suspects their accommodation may have already worked

in their favour.

Wayne's possibly more convinced than I am.

You know, he's seen the beach and we are opposite,

and he's like, "Yep, I'm happy."

Not sure he's been won over quite yet, Karen.

First impressions of Australia?

The area we are in now is fantastic, beautiful coastline,

but saying that, the coastline in Cornwall is fantastic as well.

But one thing the couple do agree on

is what's at stake in the week ahead.

It is a hell of a big decision to make.

To move, uplift everything, move halfway around the world.

I think I've had my mind set on it for such a long time

and I think if we get here and we realise it's not for us,

then what next?

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

near Bristol.

It's quite a nice house, well, we think it is.

We've spent a lot of time making it look nice

and making it our home.

-If we could have this house...

-By the sea.

..by the sea, it would be perfect.

They have a budget of £450,000

and clear ideas about what they'd like from an Aussie home.

The dream property for us would be four-bedroom house, detached

with a nice garden or a nice swimming pool

and very close to the beach.

Open plan, quite modern and a lovely outdoor area.

Karen is determined to find the perfect Antipodean property.

If we get out there and we can't afford what we want

in terms of our house, then we'll just have to find better jobs.

-Which means longer hours working.

-No. We will find somewhere.

If we get out there and we can't afford what we want,

I would say, possibly, the dream would be over.

Karen's hopes of a move to Australia could rest on finding

the right property at the right price.

To give the family an idea of what their money could buy in

and around Perth, we will show them three homes.

Two on budget and one which should match their vision

of a dream home.

House-hunting begins in Mindarie.

It's a family-friendly, beach-side suburb,

which could be a perfect area for the Dennetts.

It's also popular with expats, but property here can be pricey.

This modern, four-bedroom, two-bathroom home

is within walking distance of the ocean and as they arrive,

one family-friendly feature grabs everyone's attention.

-Oh, my God!

-Oh, my God, yeah.

-That's all right, isn't it?

-Oh, look!

-Nice pool.

-Nice, little pool. Wow!

-I love the pool.

Look at that, Harry, you could splash about in that.

It might be all right for Harry,

but Wayne can't see himself doing many lengths in it.

I really like the pool, but it's a bit small, isn't it?

It is a bit tiny, actually. You'd...

You jump in in it, you're out of on the other end.

The pool might be slightly on the small side,

but will indoors have the space the family want?

Ooh, this looks nice, doesn't it?

-Oh, I like this floor. Lovely. JACK:

-Very posh.

That's a good initial reaction.

This is nice.

Oh, wow! Interesting... Wow. Bathroom, open with the bedroom.

See, I'd like a bath like that

where you can have all the candles around the outside.

-JACK:

-This is epic!

Well, it's a nice room. I like it.

The open-plan living area doesn't disappoint.

-Oh, wow, this is a lovely, open space, isn't it?

-Oh, yeah!

Wow, look at this kitchen, Wayne.

This is nice. This is beautiful.

This is the kitchen that I would like.

Wayne, you could do all the cooking.

Well, if you are working full-time,

I'll happily cook in here all the time. How about that?

KAREN LAUGHS

Wayne would like to surf all day and me work constantly.

But, I'm slightly... Actually starting to come around to the idea

to have everything done when I get home.

Beats doing that and everything at home by myself, so...

Be careful what you wish for, Wayne.

A really nice space used quite well.

I do like the open-plan living.

The Aussie-style design is going down well,

but they're something missing.

-There is no TV.

-That's good.

It's not a living room without a TV.

Just wait and see to you see what's next door, Jack.

Let's have a look. Oh, it's a cinema!

-Ha-ha!

-Wow!

-Cool!

This is funky.

-We can live with a TV.

-So, there is a TV, Jack.

We can live!

THEY LAUGH

That's Jack sold.

And one outdoor luxury's got Millie bubbling with excitement.

Mum!

Oh, wow! Look at that! A hot tub!

OK, this is nice, isn't it? Could you imagine having one of these?

-JACK & KAREN: Yeah.

-No.

-No? Why not?

It's too good to be true.

You might be right, Millie.

-It's a nice house. A really good-sized house.

-Yeah.

But the only thing it lacks for me is a decent size swimming pool.

There might be a big swimming pool nearby.

Not interested in using the local swimming pool.

I want a swimming pool.

If we're going to come here it's got to be worthwhile.

This property's impressed,

but the pint-size pool means it isn't enough to tempt Wayne.

But could he be swayed if the price falls within their £450,000 budget?

-What do you reckon?

-Optimistic.

I think it's going to be about 485,000.

-British?

-British, yeah.

I reckon it's going to be...

around about 350,000.

-That cheap?

-Yes.

-You hope.

-I'm worried if it's over, put it that way.

-Yeah.

Right. Flip it over then, Jack, let's have a look.

-Oh, my God!

-That's cheaper than I thought.

-430,000.

That's cheaper than I thought.

-MILLIE:

-We've got to buy this house!

I don't think that's going to be happening, Millie.

It may be more affordable than anticipated,

but this house just doesn't have everything Wayne wants.

You want to have a swimming pool that you can swim in?

But also right next to the beach.

If we're going to do it, make it worthwhile.

Going halfway around the world, you why everything don't you?

You want it all.

Wayne's sticking to his guns.

If Karen's dream is ever to come true,

the family will need to find a home that satisfies all his needs.

Will property two deliver?

It's in Dawesville, home to the largest inland waterway

in Western Australia.

With easy access to the ocean and plenty of options

for outdoor activities, it could be the perfect location for the family.

Will this modern, four-bedroom house win Wayne over?

-This door's fantastic, isn't it?

-Oh, wow! Look at this entrance.

-Quite bright.

-A lovely mirror. And this is a lot...

-It's more like it.

-A lot better. Yeah.

-A lot better, yeah.

-It's nice, isn't it? It's beautiful.

-It is pretty. Nice view.

Bathroom's fantastic.

This is better.

Wow, look at that in there, Wayne.

So far, this house is a hit and it's got Wayne thinking.

I can just imagine when it's 40, 50 degrees,

I'll be sat in here, air con on, fans going, nice, comfortable.

Wow, look at this! You could sit here for hours.

Just looking at the... Watching the ducks.

Wow. Look at this, kids! This is fantastic! What a view!

Wayne may be able to picture this house as a home for,

but now it's Karen who has doubts.

It's not a family home. Like there's not a proper garden.

This is what I would expect like more of a retired couple

to have as a garden rather than a family.

But again, you know, this is good.

You know, it's low-maintenance. There's not much outside.

There's no grass cos you've got to water it, I suppose.

This is definitely an older person's house.

It's nice though. Imagine having something like this every day.

Karen and Wayne may have different ideas the ideal family home,

but are they beginning to agree on Australia?

I'm starting to like the properties more and more as we go through them.

I think you get a lot more for your money out here.

I think I'm getting closer to convincing Wayne.

He definitely is warming up to the idea.

But at the same time, I think it's got to be right for all of us.

Karen has reservations about this house,

but it seems to have worked wonders with Wayne.

Will it be within reach of their £450,000 budget?

It is really nice, so I reckon it's on to be more expensive.

And I'm going to say it's going to be roughly around...

550, to 600,000 British.

I'll go 495 to 510.

If it ends up being that expensive,

then I think that we definitely wouldn't want to live here.

Where would you like to move then? Cornwall?

LAUGHING: No. Still here.

-Right then, you ready?

-Yeah.

-You think?

-Let's have a look.

-Ready?

-Let's see what it's worth.

-Go on, then, Millie, flip it over.

You're joking!

That's £67,000 under budget.

Oh, my God!

-I was...

-No chance. No chance.

Well, you know, that price, I think if you put a fence up,

and made it a little bit more secure for Harry, that it's good.

That is really cheap. I never would have expected it to be that cheap.

It might not be the perfect fit for Karen,

but this property could well have brought her one step closer

to achieving her dream life down under.

With Harry looked after by a childminder,

the family move on to the final property of the day.

We found what should be the Dennett's dream home,

offering everything they are looking for.

It's situated in Secret Harbour.

Located 35 miles south of Perth,

the area is a bit further from the city centre, but with the ocean

on the doorstep, it could offer the family a perfect setting.

Will this modern, six-bedroom family home impress?

-Oh, Wow! This is nice.

-A massive hallway.

-I like this.

Oh, my God, this is great.

Now, this is like a nice family area.

-Oh, kids, look what I can see out there!

-Oh, cool.

-This is beautiful.

-A swimming pool.

-Now, this gives me...

That's more like it. That's a good size.

The pool's got the thumbs-up from Wayne and Jack.

I can see myself lounging outside in the pool.

-Could you?

-On a float.

-Well, this is nice.

-Huh!

Ooh, I like this bathroom. It's a lot like our taste, isn't it,

-in terms of like our shower room at home.

-Yeah.

Upstairs is designed to take advantage

of the property's magnificent views.

And it doesn't disappoint.

-This is different.

-Oh, my God, this is fantastic!

-This is beautiful.

-I do like this a lot.

And there's that little balcony that we saw when we walked up.

Normal downstairs, open-plan upstairs.

Oh, my God! This is lush!

I love this kitchen.

I absolutely love it.

Karen's completely blown away.

I can't say that I've actually found a place where I've walked in,

even in England, where I've walked in

and up here it's just been like...wow!

-We could play football in here!

-Oh, my God! This is lush!

-This is lush!

-It's huge!

-This is lush.

-No bath, mind.

No, I know, but who has a bath in Australia?

They haven't got enough water.

Not all that is quite right, Karen.

This house is amazing, Mum. You've got to buy it.

The whole family can imagine living here.

Oh, wow. Look at that!

Can you see the mirrors on the wall?

-This is fantastic.

-That's a really good effect, isn't it?

-This is what we want and what we...

-Exactly.

You know, this would make it worthwhile,

-making the move to Australia.

-Yeah.

This is exactly what I was looking for.

-JACK:

-Are we going to buy it today?

Nice try, Jack. The pool is, for once, perfect.

Oh, now this is lovely, isn't it?

-See, you could get a least three strokes on this one, Wayne.

-Yeah.

I mean, look at the house from the outside, it's fantastic, isn't it?

If this was the right price, I would quite happily go home,

put the house on the market tomorrow.

Karen seems confident the move could be a done deal.

But will the price bring her back down to earth with a bump?

What we see here is going to be really important into whether or not

you can get this, sort of like, the dream in Australia.

Well, this is the dream.

If this house is way over our budget,

I would be very disappointed.

-Right, should we have a look? MILLIE:

-Yeah.

Put ourselves out of our misery.

I have a feeling it's going to be massive.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. MILLIE:

-Goodbye.

That's £193,000 over budget.

-No chance?

-No chance.

-No chance. Absolutely not. Oh, well.

-It defeats the object.

-That's ridiculous.

That would be like a 250 grand mortgage, at least.

But Karen's not giving up on the dream home just yet.

I don't think a teaching job full-time will cover the cost

of a mortgage here and living expenses.

You would have to get a job in like Perth

and you could do that Monday to Friday.

That would be better than working abroad.

-We're still in the same time zone.

-Yeah.

That's a good start straight away, isn't it?

It's all going to be down to your job now.

I'm really sorry about this,

but it's basically down to you.

Australian properties could have seen Wayne turn the tide

when it comes to a life down under.

House number one was almost perfect, but the pool was more for paddling.

The second property won Wayne round,

but was reminiscent of retirement for Karen.

House number three had it all, but unfortunately a hefty price tag too.

So when it comes to Aussie homes,

will the family vote for the UK or down under?

Based on the properties we've seen today, our vote today is...

JACK AND KAREN: Australia!

Undecided.

I expected to be undecided, but...

-What about you, Millie?

-The Australia houses are really good,

but like it kind of depends on where they are.

I think the properties are nicer here.

I mean, we've got to have a look at jobs,

job prospects, and see what we can expect to earn in Australia.

If we want to achieve that dream, then it would mean I would end up

working full-time again and that's not the whole point.

-It's to spend...

-BABY COOS

The move is to spend more time with Karen and the kids.

Isn't it, Harry? Yeah!

With Wayne unprepared to sacrifice precious family time

to afford the Aussie dream home,

finding out what exactly the career and salary opportunities

are down under will be crucial if Karen's dream's stay alive.

Back in the UK, Karen teaches business studies,

but juggling family and teaching duties has been tough.

Every night, I have to do some sort of work to be able to...

just to keep up, really. Just to sort of keep my head above water.

I've actually worked right through the night

till about 5.00 in the morning and you know, it's just...

I just feel exhausted.

Wayne's just resigned as deputy site manager

for a fuel company in Afghanistan,

but is hoping for a similar position, just closer to his family.

It'd be great if I could continue this line of work

and also be living with my family.

Today, the couple are setting off

to explore what job opportunities could await them in Perth.

First up, we've arranged for Karen to visit a local school.

Joined by Millie, Jack and Harry, she's met by Cliff Gillam

an executive at the Department of Education in Western Australia.

-Hello.

-Good morning, Karen.

-Hiya.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Welcome to Churchlands Senior High School.

-Thank you.

And Western Australia.

While the children are taken on the tour of the school,

Karen and Cliff talk jobs.

Next year, we'll be needing teachers like yourself

who were looking to come and live and work in Western Australia.

This school for example will grow by 400 students.

And having had a look at your CV and your training,

I can assure you that you do have the necessary qualifications.

That sounds really promising and that's great news for me.

Karen could be in demand.

But would she be able to reduce her working hours

to allow more time with the family?

The options for part-time work will depend upon the needs

of particular schools at a given time, but part-time...

part-time is a really real option.

That's really good news for me. I'm really...

That's exactly what I wanted.

It's sounding promising for Karen.

Meanwhile, Jack and Millie are getting the lowdown

on some important matters.

What are the school dinners like?

There's lots of different stuff you can get there.

So, sushi rolls, all that stuff.

And there's an added benefit to Aussie-style schooling.

On Fridays, today, we go to the beach, which is good, with school.

So, I like that. Yeah.

That's really cool.

It's something that would never really happen in England.

You'd be lucky with our weather, Millie.

Across town, Wayne is meeting with recruitment manager Ryan Lanzon.

-Wayne, hi. Ryan. How are you?

-Good.

-Good. Good to meet with you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Yeah, you too.

Wayne's anxious to know

if he could carry on working in the petroleum industry in Perth.

Based on the experience you've got, I think it is realistic to expect

that market would throw up some opportunities for you. For sure.

And most importantly, if he could get the right job

without being miles away from his family.

Say for example, I also didn't want to work

within the fly-in fly-out industry and I wanted to stay...more at home.

There would certainly be opportunities here in Perth

for a logistics or an operations type role,

where you could be based here

but still servicing a project which is based offshore.

That's exactly what Wayne was hoping to hear.

Job prospects for the couple are looking good

and if the salaries are right, the quality family time

Karen has been hoping for could be within grasp.

On our current salary scale for teachers, we pay 88,000 a year.

-Really?

-Which is about £49,000.

And if, having passed, if you like, the process of assessment,

you were accredited as a level III teacher,

-you would move immediately to 106,000.

-Wow!

-OK.

-So around about £61,000.

-Wow, that is fantastic.

That's almost double.

Working full-time, Karen could double her salary.

Will Wayne's prospects be as good?

I would think, based on the experience that you've got,

you could realistically expect somewhere between 130 to 140

as a starting position

and the reality is you could probably go anywhere up to about 180, 190.

-That sounds fantastic. That really is good.

-Good to hear.

That's about £100,000. Much more than Wayne was expecting.

As the couple meet to compare notes on the day,

he can't wait to share the good news.

I found out that I could earn exactly the same money as what

-I earn working abroad at the moment...

-Really?

-..with living at home.

-Really!

-Yeah.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Fantastic.

And Karen has been doing her sums.

If I did the half week, two and a half days, I'd still get

what I get full-time...what I could get full-time in the UK.

Which means I could still do part-time and get a full-time wage.

So, looks like the odds are in the favour of Australia at the moment.

-That sounds exactly what we need, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

Back to being a family again.

No prizes for guessing how this vote turns out.

-Australia!

-Australia.

You know, I could continue with the job that I do like

and also receive a decent wage

whilst living with the family together in Australia.

I'm really, really pleased.

A lot is obviously going to ride on what happens from here,

but, yeah, everything is looking very optimistic at the moment.

So, good.

It seems like Wayne could slowly but surely be coming round

to Karen's vision of a new life down under for the family.

After five years of spending most of their time thousands of miles

apart, will a day out together in the Australian sunshine

prove another winner?

The family love the ocean

so time spent catching waves should go down well with everyone.

They're spending the day learning to surf at Scarboro Beach

where they are met by expat Jody Ballard,

captain of the local Surf Life Saving Club.

So, this is Kate and Allie

and they are going to take you in the water today.

Before they hit the waves, Millie has got an all-important question.

How usual do you get sharks that come...

like, that come down to the beach?

We don't get them very often. We're very good at spotting them

because we have a helicopter in the air.

That's a relief. Time to hit the surf.

The day's everything Karen had been hoping for.

To be able to come to this every weekend just, to me,

is just amazing, really. I don't think I'd ever get bored with it.

And when she finally gets some 'me time,' she rises to the occasion.

It's good to see Karen having some fun.

The first time for a long time, to be honest.

I mean, she's been tied up, wrapped up with the kids for almost

five years, so it's good.

I bet she's loving it!

For Wayne, it's been a reminder of what he's been missing out on.

To be able to be, you know, a really good friend

as well as a father, you know, being involved with as much as possible

with the kids would be fantastic.

And it's been an out-of-this-world experience for Millie and Jack.

The surfing was like...

..flying through heaven.

Being able to spend time with my dad was better.

And also involves having more time with Mum.

After just a taste of the outdoors lifestyle they could have,

will the family vote home or away?

After a fun day, our vote is...

ALL: Australia!

Obviously, my vote goes to Australia.

Really pleased that now, obviously, the rest of the family

at least after today are also coming round to this way of thinking.

It's great!

And Wayne's craving for Cornwall

could be becoming a thing of the past.

I like Cornwall. I love Cornwall.

I won't, you know, slate the place. It has been sunnier here.

It's probably the first time in about...

five years we've been on the beach and we're not wearing wet suits.

Superb! But we've got to get used to the sun, haven't we?

We are all little bit pink today.

Dad, we weren't going to remind you.

-You are the pinkest of us all.

-Ha-ha!

Mirror, mirror on the wall who's the pinkest of them all? You are.

With another vote for Australia from Wayne,

Karen's dream seems to be creeping ever closer.

But if they are to avoid being burnt by the cost of a move,

the couple will need to achieve the right price

for their home in the UK.

They think it's worth £420,000.

Will two local estate agents agree?

Lovely bright hallway. Oak panel doors. Very modern and contemporary.

The lounge is a great size. Lovely and bright, big windows.

A superb, modern, white, contemporary kitchen.

And I've also noticed they like a glass of wine.

Not quite big enough for my liking, though.

Oh, God, our bedroom.

Lovely. Master suite. Really good size room.

Ah, lovely. Nice impressive wet room.

Hey! It's your bedroom!

This room really does have a seaside feel. Surfboard.

Surfing trunks on the radiator. Oh, and what do we have here?

A bearded dragon, not many of those around here.

And there's your room, Millie!

Ha, that's impressive storage, study, make-up.

You've got everything. You know, as a teenager,

you must love this room, it's perfect.

-WAYNE:

-See how lucky you are, Millie?

This is a super family home.

In the current market I'd value this property at £325,000.

For a quick sell, I'd value it at £300,000.

KAREN: No way.

Fabulous family home.

In the current market, I'd value this family home at 425,000

and for a quick sell at 399,950.

It's quite a difference in valuations.

I think, you know, 100,000 difference

between the two valuations between two estate agents within the same...

Well, he did say that was the top end, didn't he?

..they're based in the same area, you know?

Possibly, I would push for the higher end to begin with.

-See what happens.

-I mean, if we can get the higher amount, then why not?

It's like you say, isn't it? You know, let's do it.

With just one valuation close to what they were expecting,

the couple move onto examine the price of everyday living.

We've provided a comparison of costs in the UK and Australia,

starting with the weekly supermarket shop.

Looky there! Blimey! Wow! Look at baby wipes.

£3.50 in the UK, £8.32 in Australia.

-That's massive.

-That is a lot, isn't it?

Red, seedless grapes - £1.39 here, so that's something that's cheaper.

The kiwi punnet - 75p in the UK, £2.50 in Australia.

-Yeah, well, we wouldn't...

-That's surprising.

-Yeah.

I mean, you'd think close to New Zealand, they'd be a bit cheaper

-really, wouldn't you?

-Yeah. OK, right.

That's a £146 difference a month.

On top of our normal shopping per year, you know, that's a...

Fetching up to like 1,800 quid now. That's a lot.

And that's just on food.

The Dennetts have worked hard to reduce their mortgage in the UK

and their current monthly payment comes to £800.

Based on the second property they saw in Australia,

how would buying a home down under affect their outgoings?

1,154.

-So, the difference...

-Would be a difference of...

-370.

-370 a month.

-Yeah.

Which again, if you think about it, it's almost another mortgage

-back in the UK.

-So, if we extended the term,

we might make the monthly affordability cheaper.

-At the end of the day though...

-It is more expensive.

After adding together all of their costs down under

and taking their potential Australian income into account...

-We're going to be £294.77 worse off a month.

-Yeah.

..the figures are disappointing, but Karen is not going to let

her dream of a life down under slip away without a fight.

See, I mean, be fair.

Do you honestly think you could get a job in the UK

working Monday to Friday and still be able to bring that much?

I mean, with me only doing two and a half days a week?

-No chance.

-No chance.

So, you know, at the end of the day, I still think we are still

in a comfortable position and you are Monday to Friday.

I think that's fantastic.

But when it comes to voting for finances down under,

will Wayne feel the same?

Today, our decisions are going to be...

-Australia.

-Australia.

Excellent, so you don't mind that... losing that little bit of extra then?

No, not at all. I can still receive the same amount of money per month.

We could still save and plus, you know, the biggest part of it is

I will be at home full-time.

SHE LAUGHS This is great.

Although the figures may not have been the breakthrough

the couple had hoped for, Wayne's fourth vote for Australia means

Karen may have a real chance of persuading him to make the move.

But there's still one cost to consider -

the emotional cost of leaving loved ones behind.

The family have decided to watch a DVD of messages

from back home together.

Hi, Karen. Hi, Wayne. Hello, Millie, Jack, Harry.

Hello!

Hiya, Karen. Hiya, Wayne. Hiya, kids.

Hi, Wayne, Karen and the kidlies.

Karen and Wayne, they're fantastic parents to the kids.

They're really lovely.

Wayne is very, very laid-back. Nothing phases Wayne much.

Karen, I think, is an absolute trooper.

I take my hat off to that lady.

She just makes me immensely proud.

I mean, a lot of people usually say their mum's their inspiration,

but I think my Karen's my inspiration really.

Millie now has grown into a lovely young lady.

She's very responsible, very grown-up.

Harry just makes my heart melt.

Jack? Well, Jack's a young lad doing everything that young lads do.

My first reaction when Karen said she might be moving to Australia

was I felt really sad.

You know, I just try and look at it positively

and hope they'll be very happy.

Obviously, you want them to be close to you,

but on the other hand, if it's going to improve their life

and we are not going to be around forever.

I want them to go, but selfishly, I'm really going to miss the family.

I just love them all so much.

I know that they want to go and they have to go to be happy

and I should be excited for them really, but it's hard.

It's very hard.

Obviously, we'll miss you if you go abroad,

but having said that, we'll support you all the way.

It's going to be a big wrench to see you go,

but you don't have to think about us.

You have to do what's right for you.

I know it's your dream.

I'll try my best to support you

and I will be there for you wherever you are in the world.

SHE CRIES

I just don't know what I'll do without all of you.

It's going to be really hard.

-Nan was really sad, wasn't she? KIDS:

-Yeah.

Obviously, seeing my mum upset is not a very nice thing.

That does make me feel really guilty, you know,

but it's nice as well to see that my mum is so proud.

Little bit surprised there to see my mum a bit teary.

So, I'm sure, you know,

once she realises that she can come out any time she wants,

spend as much time with us as she wants,

she'll feel a bit better.

Hearing from home has been a difficult reminder of what

the family could stand to lose.

Australia may have exceeded Karen's expectations,

but more time together with her family

will mean long separations from loved ones at home.

Karen's been dreaming of a new life down under for years

and the trial week hasn't disappointed.

We got to spend time together as a family

and we also got to share the fun.

It has been good. It has been fantastic.

Everything that I wanted to be.

And Jack and Millie have appreciated having their dad close again.

My favourite bit about Australia is seeing my dad more.

I felt a lot more happy than I normally am.

Wayne's eyes have been opened to Karen's vision.

Oh, it's been a great week. I loved it.

The amount of time I spent with the kids this week has been fantastic.

But he's still got one foot in the UK.

Cornwall, still thinking about it, you know?

It's definitely not out the window yet.

While seeing her mum so upset has given Karen paused for thought.

It makes you think a lot, you know,

are all these other things superficial

and what we're missing is the real thing in the UK?

I'm not 100% any more. I need to really think about it.

It's decision time. Where does the Dennett's future lie?

After a very busy week in Perth, Australia,

our vote goes to...

ALL: Australia!

-Oh, we're all Australia!

-Hmm.

-Wow!

I will miss everybody, but at the end of the day,

seeing all the opportunities we have here I just can't let that go.

There's a lot more things to think about and look at,

but at the moment, I'll most certainly say,

"Yeah, let's give Australia a go."

I'm definitely going to miss my friends and family,

but hopefully they'll come out and see us every year or so.

My favourite bit about Australia is getting to spend more time

with my dad because I don't get to see him much.

Well, that's really good that Jack wants to spend more time with me

cos I most certainly do with them.

Their trial week down under has seen Karen succeed in persuading

Wayne the family's future should be spent closer to Canberra

than Cornwall. Hopefully, they'll soon be packing for

and en-route to their new life together down under.