Transferring money from AU to UK

Things didn't quite go according to plan with transferring our money to the HSBC account we've set up in the UK.  It was mostly my own fault but as it's turned out it has worked in our favour.  On Tuesday I went to the branch where we set up our accounts.  We filled in a telegraphic transfer form to have the funds transferred from out Australian HSBC account to the UK one.  I got to the branch at 3.35pm only to discover that the cut off time for TT's is 3.30pm.  I left the completed form with the very helpful staff and they would ring me the following morning to tell me what exchange rate they were offering.  We could then decide whether to go ahead or not.

The next problem we encountered was that I filled in the form for the exact round amount that we had sitting in the account.  There was no money left to pay he fee of $25.  I intended to transfer some extra into the HSBC account that night, hoping it would be there in time for the morning phone call.  My brother and his wife took me out for dinner when I went to stay with them and when we got home I was so tired I went to bed soon after.... forgetting all about transferring money to HSBC.  Next morning when the phone call came, it was with the problem of the fee again.  There is no HSBC branch outside of Melbourne and I couldn't go down there again for the sake of a $25 fee - I was at work!  It would have to wait another day. 

I decided to have a look at what rate HSBC were offering that day for internet transfers.  The guy at the bank had shown me how to do it - by setting up a transfer and just cancelling it when the rate comes up rather than accepting it.  There was one thing he'd forgotten to tell me - you have to choose an amount in GBP, not in Aussie dollars.  My mistake meant that no rate came up and the $10,000 that I'd typed in as the amount was sent off to England!  I emailed him but it was not possible to cancel it.  Even worse, there was now $10,000 less in our account so the problem with the form was a whole lot worse.  He suggested I just transfer the money in smaller lots each day (to keep under the threshold for daily transfers) and when it was all sent he would refund the all but one of the transfer fees. 

Next day I decided to check what rate (yes, again) they'd give me and compare it to Ozforex before agreeing to his suggestion.  I wasn't going to do it this way if we couldn't get a good rate.  At least at the branch there was some room for discussion.  I logged into Ozforex and got a rate and set up a transfer on HSBC (using GBP this time).  The rate was better than Ozforex so I went ahead and processed the transfer.  Now I just have to do this a couple more times and we'll be all set.  Happily the exchange rate has crept up in our favour over the last week or more.

A weekend of rest

Our routine has well and truly gone out the window.  Things we didn't need to think about before have suddenly become important to consider.... everything from choosing what to cook for dinner (using our very basic cooking facilities), to carting a bag of rubbish with us to work or to visit someone (we only have an industrial skip for rubbish and don't want to put food in it), to remembering to take our water container to fill when I go to work (we've bought new water tanks but Mick hasn't had a chance to set them up - and it's pouring rain today!).  Many things will get easier once there is time to set things up better but for now we have to persevere.

It's been the most exhausting month of our lives and we're both so tired.  They had the office so over-warm today that I was worried I'd fall asleep!  Mick managed to pick up a cold on the plane when he went to NZ so he's not feeling the best. 

We both have our birthdays in June and instead of buying each other a present we usually have a weekend away instead.  This weekend has been booked since before Christmas and as it's turned out the timing couldn't be better.  It's just what we need - a weekend of rest at the beach.

Getting back on track

Mick came home from NZ yesterday and I must say it's nice to not be on my own out here.  His mum was very glad that he flew over to see her.  She's lost her zest for life and is worn out with the whole thing.  It's been a tough couple of years for her.  We'll have to wait and see what happens from here.

We spent the afternoon sorting out some of the many things that need doing to make life more comfortable while we're living in the caravan.  The microwave is in it's final spot in the kitchen, Mick repaired the lid of the benchtop storage hole, the stove and oven are hooked up to a gas bottle and we cooked our first caravan dinner last night.  The caravan is now more stable with blocks under each corner so we don't have to live with the rattling and swaying when we walk around.

On Saturday I went to buy a couple of things and bumped into Tracey, the lady who has bought our house.  We had a coffee together and a great chat.  With many quirks around the property I'm sure we'll have more coffee chats before we leave for the UK!  Mick's a real perfectionist and with that house being the place we intended to spend the rest of our lives he had set up lots of little things that people don't ordinarily bother with.  There's a lot for Tracey to get used to.  Chances are we'll be neighbours in a couple of years (assuming we come back to live in "the house up the road") so it's nice that I can imagine us being friends.

Not part of the plan

In the midst of trying to sort ourselves out at the caravan and shed we've had things turned upside down.  Mick's mum in New Zealand had a heart attack and he's rushed off to see her - on my birthday no less!  On Wednesday night, after hearing the news, we had been thinking he should go and after another phone call from his sister yesterday morning saying they feared a more major heart attack could follow we decided to book flights.  A few hours later he was on a plane.

So, last night I spent my first night alone in the caravan after going to my mum's for dinner at the last minute.  Thank goodness for mums when you are deserted on your birthday.  Tonight I had dinner with our neighbours.  I have lots to do tomorrow with sorting out the enormous pile of stuff that we dumped in the little office in the shed.  The more major jobs will have to wait until Mick gets home.

Living in a caravan

Last night was our first night sleeping in our temporary home - a caravan!  It was a bit sad because I had to take our 4 chickens to be adopted by the lovely people in the local pet supply store.  They'll be going to live with some of the chicks we've hatched over the years (now grown up of course).  I know they'll be well cared for but it was very sad to be handing over my girls.  One of them was our very first hatched chick and she's nearly 9 years old now.  I'll really miss her. 

Today we went back to the house to pack up the last bits and pieces and to clean the house from top to bottom.  We're both so absolutely exhausted and very, very glad the moving is over.  There is a lot of sorting out still to be done as the last few days we've just been dumping stuff in boxes, bags and crates and piling it up in the old office at the shed. 

So here we are on our second night in a very cosy caravan.  The bed is our own mattress so at least when we go to sleep it feels familiar.  We also have a lovely clean, newly freshened up bathroom.  Pity it's such a distance between the two! 

Tomorrow is settlement day and we'll feel we have well and truly ticked off a major item on our list.

Accomodation on arrival

We've been thinking about where we'll stay when we first arrive in the UK.  We've had a couple of kind offers from people we know to stay with them.  But, we've decided we'll book accomodation for the first two weeks and hire a car for the first 3 weeks.  It's unlikely we'll find a boat and have it ready to go within two weeks so we may need to take up the offer of staying with a friend after our two weeks accomodation is up.

We are going to spend a week in a cottage at Stoke Bruerne and a week in a farm cottage near Nantwich.  I've printed out a map of the centre of England and marked where many of the brokers are.  We chose the accomodation locations to give us good access to as many brokers as possible.

On the home front... we've had the busiest few days of our lives!  We're both complaining of sore backs and we're both so tired we can barely get out of our chairs at night. Tonight is Monday night and we're planning that tomorrow night will be our last in this house.

Mick's made up a base for our bed in the caravan, all the big furniture has been moved and today there was a huge quantity of odd bits and pieces to move.  They were all the things that are difficult to pack or that I would need again next week.  We're left with the television, a chair each, the dining table and two of the chairs, and the mattress from our bed which we've moved in front of the fire in the living room.  How nice to be sleeping in front of a crackling fire.

Recipe - Best pumpkin soup

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1kg peeled pumpkin, diced
• 1 large potato, peeled, diced
• 1 litre chicken stock 
• Salt and pepper
• Sour cream, creme fraiche, or cream to serve (optional)

 Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add onion and leek and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened but not coloured. 
2. Add garlic and spices and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. 
3. Add pumpkin, potato and stock and bring to the boil. 
4. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 
5. Allow to cool slightly, then blend in batches.
6. Return soup to pan, season and add a little more nutmeg if desired.
7. Stir through a little sour cream, cream or creme fraiche to serve (but it delicious just as it is).

UK bank account - tick!

Today in the mail we got our UK bank account Visa cards and a cheque book for the account.  Now that will come in handy very soon - we have a deposit to pay on accomodation and they don't have credit card facilities.

So HSBC came up with the goods, just as they said they would.  The account is open, the cards came to us here and there's nothing more to be done.  I'd definitely recommend it to other Aussies wanting a bank account in the UK.  Well worth the $200 fee to not have to do anything more.

One week til settlement

I've been attempting a blog entry for several days now but never got beyond the first sentence.  It's been so busy! We have one week from today until settlement of our house.  It certainly will be the end of an era but we haven't really had time to think about it.  We've done nothing for weeks now except packing and moving but there is still a long way to go.

The house is looking a bit sad now.  The walls are bare of pictures, and all the things that made it our home are slowly being taken away.  I sure hope Tracey, who has bought it, can see beyond the bare walls and turn it into her own home.  Even outside looks totally different.  There's no dog kennels or outdoor furniture and even the rusty farm stuff is disappearing.

Meanwhile Mick's done a wonderful job setting up a bathroom out at the shed and now it's finished.  He does get a bit silly about things sometimes.  The shed had separate mens and ladies toilets.  The ladies had more space so it was chosen to become the bathroom - there was room to put a shower.  The door has a small black plastic sign that says "Ladies" but whoever stuck it on there didn't get it quite straight.  Mick's decided he can't cope with that.  He sent me to Bunnings (a mega hardware store) to find a new sign that says "Bathroom".  They didn't have one!!  He made such a fuss over that crooked sign that in the end I ordered a new sign on Ebay.

Pick of the week - Shaman

This weeks pick is another from ABNB - nb Shaman.  We don't have much time for narrowboat browsing because we're too busy packing!  This week we only looked at those that came by email from brokers.

The utility area at the back of this boat really appeals to us.

Price: £57,000

Length: 60ft 3in

Builder: Heritage Boats of Evesham

Fitter-out: Heritage Boats of Evesham

Style: Semi-trad

Year registered: 2004

Certification: BSS 2016; RCD issued 2004

Engine: Isuzu 38 Diesel

Bow thruster: None

Plating: 10/6/4/4

Last out of water: May 2012

Water tank: 118 gallons integral tank

Headroom: 6ft 4in

Fit-out materials: Beech finish throughout

Insulation: Spray foam

Berths: 2+2

Berth sizes: 6ft 6in x 4ft 0in permanent double with pull out extension

Fridge: LEC based 4cu ft 12V; 2cu ft 12V Coolzone freezer

Washer/dryer: Candy Aquaviva 1300 washer dryer

WC: Tecma electric flush wc to remote tank

Shower: over bath with curtain/doors/screen

Cooker: Country Leisure hob, eye level oven and grill

Water heating: C/heating + engine > calorifier

Cabin heating: Lockgate 2000K diesel stove and Eberspacher boiler > rads

Mains 230V: 3kW Sterling pure sine wave inverter; 40A Sterling charger

Other: One owner from new, selling to change lifestyle.