Woman realises home dream in UK after quitting Aus

An Aussie woman who packed up her family and moved overseas says the bold call has made the dream of homeownership far more attainable.

Jade Lennard and her Welsh Partner were living in Perth last year with their newborn daughter and a combined income of $250,000.

From the outside the couple had it all: Good salaries, a growing family and dreams of building their first home.

But the reality for Ms Lennard was anything but as Australia’s chaotic property market and cost of living pressures made the couple fell as though they were surviving week to week rather than living comfortably.

Earlier this year the 29-year-old and her partner made the call to move to Cardiff in Wales.

“We didn’t want that daunting feeling of living week-to-week, and we started to feel that pressure even as a family earning in surplus of $250,000,” Ms Lennard told the Daily Mail.

“We lived in Perth and my sister and mother live on the east coast. Even being able to travel to them was over $1,000 for a return flight for just one of us.

“Factor that in with trying to save for a home and having a baby and life starts to feel pretty expensive.”

While the initial decision to move to Wales was made around the idea of being closer to family, Ms Lennard said the extreme financial benefit they discovered upon arrival has become a huge factor around how long they stay.

The family now feel like they can afford their groceries and save for a house deposit all while travelling and enjoying their lives at the same time – a stark contrast to their experiences in Australia.

“We’d just had a baby and wanted to settle down and build a home, but the idea of doing that in the Perth or Melbourne housing market felt impossible,” she said.

“You start to think about everything, but predominantly it was driven by the cost-of-living factor. That plays into buying a home, your weekly spending, and saving for a baby. It all starts to add up.

“When you talk about paying for a mortgage and paying for your weekly grocery shop, I feel like it is considerably cheaper here (in Wales).

“We’re not having to worry about putting 30 to 40 per cent of our salary towards a mortgage each month. We’re able to save a bit more, but also use it more enjoyably.”

Ms Lennard grew up in Sydney and Melbourne before settling in Perth but has encouraged others to make the leap overseas if they feel they are suffocating at home.

“I don’t really see the housing market in Australia changing, but being able to afford a home here means we will hopefully be in a better position to remortgage and buy a home in Australia in the future,” she said.

“I feel like so much has opened up for us since moving here. Right now Wales is home for us, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Many other Aussies are already following in Ms Lennard’s footsteps.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the number of Australians departing for overseas destinations as part of permanent relocations or long-term stays rose by 13 per cent in 2024-25 to 263,000.