WTF - to sell or not to sell?

What you want:
Start getting rid of the big things like cars, houses, furniture, pets in time.

What you think:
Start early so you're not stuck with it.

What they DON'T tell you:
For my views on what to get rid of, see this post.

Don't sell anything until the VISA is in your hand! A million things can go wrong in a year - the typical processing time for a PR/Permanent Residence VISA - so patience is needed. We started by getting a quote for the furniture relocation, which then let us understand how much space we had to pack into. We then measured up everything and decided what to get rid of. We also got settlement prices for the cars, and a valuation on the house. We prepared all the adverts for the household stuff, took some digital pics, and prepared an email to circulate amongst our friends... and then waited.

and waited.

and then the panic moment arrived. The VISA came through.
We sent the FOR SALE email to our mates and most stuff went within a week - you'll be amazed how effective this is - interesting to find out who's being coveting your possessions with lustful hearts!!! ;-)

Cars went within about 3 weeks with the right price -don't expect market value if you're in a hurry, but be careful not to get shafted. If you don't sell in time you can always leave signed papers with a lawyer or trusted friend to handle the transaction. It's not a big deal.

Selling the house is tricky because it's very dependant on demand in your area, but once you have a buyer and he's paid a deposit and all is signed, very little normally goes wrong. All the paperwork after you've accepted the offer can be done remotely, so keep things in perspective.

Pets were hardest, simply because we wanted to hand-pick the new owners.

So, repeat after me - Don't sell anything until the VISA is in your hand!

WTF'kin start?

What you want:
Work & money

What they tell you:
get your PR (Permanent Residency), then relocate/migrate, then find a job - no worries...

What they don't tell you:
Get a job first! We looked at permanent residency, but the process takes ages - about 12 to 24 months - really. My brother started in March '07 and he's lucky if he's in by April '08. We were lucky enough to find employment first, which included a transfer (everything paid), and it was still very hard - emotionally, physically, and paperwork! It still took 6 months before we landed in Australia.

WTF:
Australia Immigration Site - use it! There's step-by-step instructions and if you make the effort you can DIY