Possibly moving to Brisbane, spouse staying in Canberra - advice needed!

[significance]

Hi everyone,

I am considering accepting a job I've been offered in Brisbane. I live with my spouse in Canberra and he will be staying in Canberra, so there is going to be a lot of travel involved, plus the expense of a second household. At best, I may be able to negotiate a $25K or $30K pay bump for myself so after all the extra expenses, I think we are likely to be financially worse off, but there are other appealing aspects of the job offer that make all this worth considering anyway. I might also be able to negotiate to spend, say, one week a month working from home in Canberra, with the rest of my time based in Brisbane. My spouse may be negotiate a similar arrangement for his job, with say one week a month in Brisbane, and the rest of his time in Canberra. The job would be a three-year term and I would expect to come home after that.

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done something like this before. For example:

• If I'm to be flying between Brisbane and Canberra regularly, is there a way to get a discount for flights bought in bulk?
• How far in advance should I book the flights, to get the best deal?
• Is it worth being loyal to one airline, or should I book each time on the cheapest fare?
• What are your best tips for keeping a relationship healthy in these circumstances?
• Should I rent or buy a flat in Brisbane?
• Are there any tax breaks for the costs of living "away from home" for work? If so, how long can Canberra be considered my home?
• What sort of professional should I consult for advice about this sort of thing? An accountant or financial advisor?
• Where in Brisbane should I consider living, having regard to frequent trips to the airport but also distance to a regular workplace near the CBD?
• Should I buy a second car in Brisbane, or is there some sort of car sharing service that might work better?
• What's the best way to get to and from the airport in Brisbane? Train? Uber? Driving myself?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[froggerADL]

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done something like this before. For example:

• If I'm to be flying between Brisbane and Canberra regularly, is there a way to get a discount for flights bought in bulk?
• No
• How far in advance should I book the flights, to get the best deal?
• When they hit a low price that you are happy with
• Is it worth being loyal to one airline, or should I book each time on the cheapest fare?
• Be loyal, as long as it's QF and you can get to at least Gold!
• What are your best tips for keeping a relationship healthy in these circumstances?
• Shag his brains out whenever you see him
• Should I rent or buy a flat in Brisbane?
• Depends on your financial circumstances and appetite for risk
• Are there any tax breaks for the costs of living "away from home" for work? If so, how long can Canberra be considered my home?
• Depends on the circumstances of the transfer
• What sort of professional should I consult for advice about this sort of thing? An accountant or financial advisor?
• No comment
• Where in Brisbane should I consider living, having regard to frequent trips to the airport but also distance to a regular workplace near the CBD?
• No idea
• Should I buy a second car in Brisbane, or is there some sort of car sharing service that might work better?
• Wouldn't one car in Brisbane be enough?
• What's the best way to get to and from the airport in Brisbane? Train? Uber? Driving myself?
• Best? Cheapest is train, most comfortable/quickest is probably a limo.

Thanks in advance for any advice!
You're welcome

 

[Caversham04]

• Are there any tax breaks for the costs of living "away from home" for work? If so, how long can Canberra be considered my home?
• Should I buy a second car in Brisbane, or is there some sort of car sharing service that might work better?

You should be eligible for the Living Away From Home Allowance ("LAFHA") - I got this when I was commuting from Adelaide to Sydney on a weekly basis and was renting an apartment in Sydney. Key points:

• It is (or at least was) only available for one year - it can definitely be used if you're renting, but not sure about buying......
• The allowance is paid as part of your salary so whether or not you can get it is at the discretion of your employer - what happens is that you provide evidence of your rent payments to HR / Payroll, and they then pay this as an non-taxed component of your salary (so the value of LAFHA depends on your marginal rate of tax).
• There is also a separate food component to LAFHA (normally a fixed amount per person), so make sure you get this too

For cars, I'd suggest looking into something like Go Get or other similar car-sharing.

Check the threads on it, but if you don't already have status with QF or VA, it's probably worth asking for a status challenge (or similar), probably best once you've got a few flights booked to prove your forward plans......

 

[Caversham04]

• How far in advance should I book the flights, to get the best deal?
• Is it worth being loyal to one airline, or should I book each time on the cheapest fare!

The "Virgin Australia Promo Codes" thread / wiki is worth a look if you don't know about it already - you can normally get a 10% discount or thereabouts, as long as you book > 21 days in advance.

There are also threads / posts which discuss the benefits of purchasing flights using QF or VA vouchers, as these avoid the credit card fees that would otherwise be charged. If you're going to buy vouchers for VA, buy an Entertainment Book as it gives a 5% discount on these.

 

[Hvr]

Wait until Johnk responds. He basically does this now. Except his flights are SYD-BNE.

 

[JohnK]

I have been doing SYD-BNE for close to 9 years and my biggest regret is not buying an apartment. Second was not pushing employer for travel allowance.

In my experience airfares are cheapest when they first come on sale 6-9 months out. I don't like commiting further out. Once a period has been on sale the price goes up incrementally with subsequent sales. Say October is on sale this week for $99 at next sale it will be $109 and the sale after $115 and then $125. Some airfares in May are now $125 while the rest are $163. I think CBR-BNE will be much worse.

Note Christmas, Easter and School holidays used to be on sale once approximately 6-9 months out but that has stopped the past 3-4 years. If you see a reasonable airfare grab it today and don't worry about the airfare going down $10 in future.

I don't know what sort of travel you do but if only this commute then I would stick with Qantas and you would get Gold status after 35 returns on the cheapest airfares where as Virgin could be cheaper but Gold would be after 50 returns as CBR-BNE is 10SCs with QF and only 5SCs with VA.

I have been paying between $14,000-$16,000/year in rent. This is my second apartment in 9 years and it is in Milton very close to transport to get to/from airport and 2 stations from office. It is a studio with a separate kitchen and I negotiated the rent down to $260/week. The apartment needs work but I don't really care. Price is important to me. I now have wife and baby daughter living with me and it should be ok for another 2-3 years until daughter is ready for school.

I can't stress enough how important it is for me to be able to get to/from airport quickly. When I'm tired I don't like to travel too far. Somewhere between Eagle Junction and Milton is Ok. Any further and it takes too long. Also within that zone you can use ConXion to get to/from airport. You should be able to get a furnished studio from around $250-$350/week depending on your tastes.

I am not eligible for LAFHA. Confirmed with accountant. I should have negotiated a travel allowance with employer when I first started so that part of my travel was tax free. Too difficult to do now. I am losing ~$25,000/year of my after tax dollars on travel/accommodation which doesn't leave me much to pay bills and travel but it's a job. Another year and I get long service. Redundancy would be nice even if no payout but a little tick to say I have been made redundant.

And regardless of what people tell you commuting is tiring. Leave BNE Friday afternoon after a full week of work and then a full weekend in SYD to return Sunday afternoon tired and be ready fof work the next day. If I had my time over I wouldn't go back every week. I'd try fortnightly.

But I have to say it has been an experience and it continues now with my young family. My daughter is the most important thing and everything is for her to ensure she has a good start in life.

 

[SuzieQ68]

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done something like this before. For example:

• If I'm to be flying between Brisbane and Canberra regularly, is there a way to get a discount for flights bought in bulk? Not that I'm aware of.
• How far in advance should I book the flights, to get the best deal? We always booked the peak times as far in advance as possible (ie school holidays). Other times of the year, we just kept an eye out for sale fares.
• Is it worth being loyal to one airline, or should I book each time on the cheapest fare? Definitely loyal IMHO, we went with VA (as QF didn't fly out of OOL at that stage) and partner was VA Plat pretty quick. I was Plat for awhile, but both now SG (and so far managing to keep this status even though the commuting has ceased).
• What are your best tips for keeping a relationship healthy in these circumstances? Talk every day. Communication is key. We saw each other every weekend (so that was good), and we made sure that the times we were together were (in the main) our time. We caught up with friends/family etc, but made sure we have our own space.
• Should I rent or buy a flat in Brisbane? Can't help with that one. Partner had family in ADL so was able to stay there.
• Are there any tax breaks for the costs of living "away from home" for work? If so, how long can Canberra be considered my home? Can't help with this one either - we ran our own business in ADL so didn't get this benefit.
• What sort of professional should I consult for advice about this sort of thing? An accountant or financial advisor? We always deferred to our accountant - a good one.
• Where in Brisbane should I consider living, having regard to frequent trips to the airport but also distance to a regular workplace near the CBD? Really depends on your lifestyle. Me personally, I like to be where there are places I can easily get a bite to eat, drink etc at night.
• Should I buy a second car in Brisbane, or is there some sort of car sharing service that might work better? Will probably depend on where you are living to be honest. The cost of purchasing/maintaining a vehicle versus public transport needs to be considered. Cost of purchasing/maintaining a vehicle versus less rent/costs should also be considered.
• What's the best way to get to and from the airport in Brisbane? Train? Uber? Driving myself? Again, depends on where you are living. I'd base myself close to a train line that got me to the airport, but then again, I do like to have a couple of drinks in the lounge......

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Partner did OOL-ADL twice weekly for about 5 years. Definitely a challenge, but financially has allowed us to (in effect) semi retire now.

We knew going into this that it wouldn't be an easy ride, but decided it would be worth the effort as we both had good earning roles - and we put a max 5 year limit on it.

Have commented on what I can above, but it's a decision that you need to make together and take all the factors into consideration before committing either way. It can definitely work in your favour, but you need to be conscious of the challenges that will arise.

Cheers, Suz

 

[mooingchicken]

• Should I rent or buy a flat in Brisbane?

There is a lot of apartment construction right now, which means the market is saturated with inner city apartments, especially around Valley/teneriffe areas which means lower rent and little growth if buying. If you are planning long term investment its a good thing. If you are thinking of buying and then selling after 3 years, dont expect a big return on investment and you will probably be better off renting.

• What's the best way to get to and from the airport in Brisbane? Train? Uber? Driving myself?

On the car front, if you work in the city and get a place walking distance or near public transport you can do without a car in brisbane there is alot a lot of good bike paths around the river into the CBD and surrounding areas if you are fine with riding. and most work places have showers and lockers now.
On the odd time you travel to the coast or such you could hire/car share service.
If you want to live in the suburbs away from train station a car would be more convent.

Getting to the airport from the city will be easy train is around $17 one way. Uber will be around $35-40 i believe, but haven't caught one there for a while.

 

[puppysparkes]

If you decide to rent I highly recommend Newstead near gasworks. It's roughly $28-$35 to the domestic airport, obviously cheaper to the international terminal. It is 10-20 minutes to the city on the glider (bus) to the city and costs $3.20. Uber costs $8-$11 which is very economical for my gf and I. Or you can walk or peddle along the brown snake into the city if you are keen. There is a high vacancy rate here and there is more stock coming online as construction finalises. The retail and dining is also on point. I have a choice of two micro brewers within the suburb.

Good luck and feel free to join us for a beverage at the BNE AFF drinks.

 

[Milefest]

I did this for about 18 months. I lived in Newstead, Brisbane and Waterloo, Sydney, both renting. I commuted with Uber to/from the aiport. Newstead is generally around $25 to the airport. If you don't already have status, I'd recommend buying a lounge membership, you'll need it until you reach status as cancellations/delays are inevitable. In terms of how I bought flights, I only bought during happy hour (I flew with VA). Generally if you're prepared book 12 months in advance, a years worth of happy hours should cover the 12 months ahead in flights. If there are any gaps the specials don't cover, you can fill them in with the 10% off coupons.

 

[andyhui01]

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done something like this before. For example:

• If I'm to be flying between Brisbane and Canberra regularly, is there a way to get a discount for flights bought in bulk?
• How far in advance should I book the flights, to get the best deal?
• Is it worth being loyal to one airline, or should I book each time on the cheapest fare?
• What are your best tips for keeping a relationship healthy in these circumstances?
• Should I rent or buy a flat in Brisbane?
• Are there any tax breaks for the costs of living "away from home" for work? If so, how long can Canberra be considered my home?
• What sort of professional should I consult for advice about this sort of thing? An accountant or financial advisor?
• Where in Brisbane should I consider living, having regard to frequent trips to the airport but also distance to a regular workplace near the CBD?
• Should I buy a second car in Brisbane, or is there some sort of car sharing service that might work better?
• What's the best way to get to and from the airport in Brisbane? Train? Uber? Driving myself?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Been doing this for 24 months and counting. MEL-SYD

• If I'm to be flying between Brisbane and Canberra regularly, is there a way to get a discount for flights bought in bulk?
• How far in advance should I book the flights, to get the best deal? You can still get VA seats about 3 months out about 20% cheaper. I enjoy spending weekends in Melbourne and do have a social life here so I don't plan my trips that far in advance.
• Is it worth being loyal to one airline, or should I book each time on the cheapest fare? Yes, be loyal somewhere VA or QF. These miles are tiring and its nice to be able to get lounge, PB and nicer seats. You will also learn the terminal off by heart, know the quirks and some staff which makes the commute more enjoyable and less stressful
• What are your best tips for keeping a relationship healthy in these circumstances? No one, inc friends or my staff understand this but I think this has made my relationship healthier as I spend quality time with the +1 (You appreciate the time together more)
• Where in Brisbane should I consider living, having regard to frequent trips to the airport but also distance to a regular workplace near the CBD? It will depend if you plan on "living" in Brisbane or are you just going to fly back to CBR every non working day.
• Should I buy a second car in Brisbane, or is there some sort of car sharing service that might work better?If you are just going to run fly straight back every chance you get, don't.

I stopped flying to SYD every chance I got after some time. I enjoy Melbourne and in most cases fly every alternate weekend now. My advice, buy a car in Brisbane, live in a nice area and enjoy living and exploring in a new city. It will always be enjoyable.

I am not sure if there are arrangements in BNE or CBR but in MEL, I have a permanent car park in one of the parking places around the airport for a fixed annual fee. It just makes the experience so much easier. Jump in the car from the office, get to the car park and straight into their van.

 

[Lemon_Party]

My few comments:

• Should I rent or buy a flat in Brisbane?

There has been an incredible amount of unit construction in the last 5 years and some large projects are still underway. Rents have dropped as vacancy rates have crept up. Its definitely a good time to pick up cheap rentals. Friends looking in Newstead were routinely offered first two weeks rent free as incentive to sign up. With the amount of new builds going up, a lot of the 70's and 80's block units of 4-8 apartments have flattened or come down in price and you could probably get somewhere for $300-$350k not too far from the centre. You may not see much capital growth over 3 years but if you know you will be there 3 years, $300 per week in rent is $46,800 you pay to someone else...

• Where in Brisbane should I consider living, having regard to frequent trips to the airport but also distance to a regular workplace near the CBD?

If you know you will be back and forth to the airport a lot, train line is best as parking at the airport for a week will quickly add up. Milton/Rosalie, Windsor, Clayfield, Wooloowin, Albion, West End, Spring Hill, Fortitude Valley would all be good. Teneriffe, Newstead and New Farm would be excellent spots, but would involve a bus to the train station.

• Should I buy a second car in Brisbane, or is there some sort of car sharing service that might work better?

Buy a car if you will be spending 3 weeks out of 4 in QLD. There is so much to see and do on weekends in the area, and without a car it becomes harder. SEQ is a fantastic region - Sunshine Coast & Hinterland, Gold Coast and Hinterland, Byron and Northern NSW, Stradbroke Island, Moreton Island and Bay, Stanthorpe and Granite Belt, Mount Glorious and Nebo and even further afield like Rainbow Beach and Fraser Island - all easy within 2-3 hours of Brisbane. If you can stretch to a used reliable 4wd I'd strongly recommend it, being able to drive 80km uninterrupted on Cooloola Beach and camp next to the ocean is a great weekend trip and there's also Moreton and Fraser that are only accessible by 4x4.

Its not quite North Yorkshire, but the South East of QLD is a pretty great spot to spend a few years.

• What's the best way to get to and from the airport in Brisbane? Train? Uber? Driving myself?

All depends on where you live. Parking at airport isn't outrageous, but its still cheaper to uber both ways if you live anywhere close. Train was $14 last time I took it, but that was a few years back now...

 

[significance]

Thank you all for the replies! Lots of useful advice and experience here.

I won't be flying to Canberra every weekend as I do want to establish a life and social circle in Brisbane. Besides, Canberra is cold for much of the year, so weekends in Brisbane sound pleasant. Instead, I'll focus on negotiating the option for regular weeks working remotely from Canberra, with my husband doing the converse with his job. I'm pretty confident we'll be able to negotiate this with our employers.

I'm currently Gold with Qantas and have a paid Virgin Lounge membership (purchased at a discount as a government employee), so I have lounge benefits either way, but if I stick with Qantas, I can work my way towards Lifetime Gold (currently lifetime silver). So I'll do that, I think, unless there is a big price difference in favour of Virgin.

A couple of you have suggested Milton as a place to live -- it does look like a good option from here, so I will definitely check it out. I'll also take the advice to call every day. I think this is going to work!

 

[katiebell]

Commuting is tiring and does need one to be eally organised. I try to make as much productive use of commute time and of time away from home in the evenings to do all those jobs that take up time at home so that when I am home I can have quality time there.
It is good if you can work from home or do 5 days in 4 and have a 3 day weekend

 

[Deleted member 29185]

• Are there any tax breaks for the costs of living "away from home" for work? If so, how long can Canberra be considered my home?
• What sort of professional should I consult for advice about this sort of thing? An accountant or financial advisor?

Definitely an accountant. From what you wrote, I get the impression that the job offer is from Brisbane, not from a Canberra based company asking you to work in Brisbane?

My understanding (from accountants advice) is that if you choose to accept a job in one city but live in another, the job is not classed as a "live away from home" arrangement. The travel costs and "2nd life" costs are not even tax deductible, if it's your choice to live so far away from your job. If however you were employed in Canberra and was asked by that company to work out of Brisbane, then it's a different story and living away from home and travel expenses may become tax breaks and/or the company should be up for those expenses.

Best bet is definitely speak to an accountant with the facts of the employment offer before accepting it so you are fully aware of the actual legalities. If it then still stacks up, speak with a financial advisor about the pro's and con's of buying over renting etc.

Otherwise, the living apart bit of the deal works for some people but not for others. I've ran my own business from home for 30+ years and I can say that business kept me away from quality family time (even though I was living in the same house) far more than my current position where I live away from home for 1/2 the time. The difference is that the time at home is quality time as I don't do any business from home now at all. It's not all plain sailing though, as there are things you do miss out on, kids school awards or if a medical issue arises and you're not there to help deal with it, or the kids need help (even a flat tyre for my daughters car the other week was problematic) so in a nutshell, it has it's benefits and it has it's drawbacks. Everyone will see it differently.

 

[theblank]

Canberra is a PITA to get to or from Brisbane, Friday after work probably worse.
But at least you can book flights well in advance.

Personally I wouldnt do it, its never good for a marriage, no matter what each persons integrity etc is. The exception would be a marriage that couldnt get worse IMO.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Personally I wouldnt do it, its never good for a marriage, no matter what each persons integrity etc is. The exception would be a marriage that couldnt get worse IMO.

I'm glad you typed IMO!

My wife and I have been together for 31 years (married for 24) and our marriage has never been stronger. Infidelity, (if that's what you are referring to), can happen with people who live under the same roof as easily as those who live part of the time apart. It's more about the relationship a couple have and I can say I have absolutely no doubt of my wife's actions nor her of mine, and I live half my life in a village where multiple wives are commonplace! In fact I only bought a wedding ring 2 years ago as a local lady was, shall we say ... becoming amorous toward me ... so I just wanted to give her the idea I wasn't interested in either her, nor the 50 pig bride price that was mentioned :shock:.

I went shopping for the wedding ring with my wife and she found it all terribly amusing (as did the various shop attendants to whom she took great delight in telling the story). My admirer even brought presents for me to take back for my "Australian" wife (which I politely refused)!

 

[theblank]

Infidelity, (if that's what you are referring to), can happen with people who live under the same roof as easily as those who live part of the time apart.

Yes of course thats true, however infidelity occurs much more easily when the couple are far apart, business trips especially because the chances of been seen by anyone you know are so much less. No matter how faithfully committed anyone is, everyone gets tempted.

I know one renowned businessman in certain circles always says "I take my wife everywhere I go, its cheaper than alimony". He is not saying he would wander, but its a pragmatic approach.

and I live half my life in a village where multiple wives are commonplace!

bule di kampung

In fact I only bought a wedding ring 2 years ago as a local lady was, shall we say ... becoming amorous toward me ...

Thats hilarious ! I know so many dumbass men in your position that have married the local, bought her here, continued offshore and then hooked up with another one. Expensive mistake resulting in a lot of wealthy divorced ladies living here. I know some blokes had kids with the new woman before he even 'left' the first wife. Idiots. if anyone here did that - the hat fits, not apologising

by the way, I have lots of IMO on this topic, I havent even started

 

[docjames]

My $0.02 below. Lived in Brisbane for 4 years (with mrsdoc so not the separated living), ex-MEL but with a lot of work and leisure trips during the time we were there, rented in Newstead for 2 years, then bought in Balmoral.

Hi everyone,

I am considering accepting a job I've been offered in Brisbane. I live with my spouse in Canberra and he will be staying in Canberra, so there is going to be a lot of travel involved, plus the expense of a second household. At best, I may be able to negotiate a $25K or $30K pay bump for myself so after all the extra expenses, I think we are likely to be financially worse off, but there are other appealing aspects of the job offer that make all this worth considering anyway. I might also be able to negotiate to spend, say, one week a month working from home in Canberra, with the rest of my time based in Brisbane. My spouse may be negotiate a similar arrangement for his job, with say one week a month in Brisbane, and the rest of his time in Canberra. The job would be a three-year term and I would expect to come home after that.

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done something like this before. For example:

• If I'm to be flying between Brisbane and Canberra regularly, is there a way to get a discount for flights bought in bulk? No
• How far in advance should I book the flights, to get the best deal? Watch the pricing over a period of time, look for sales, and you'll get a feeling as to what is "good", "poor" or average pricing.
• Is it worth being loyal to one airline, or should I book each time on the cheapest fare? Seat selection, extra luggage etc better if loyal to one ("full service") carrier so loyalty worthwhile, but even then you'll have a "price tipping point" where you'll fly the other option(s) at a decent enough discount. Dont discount lounge, better seating if you're (essentialyl) fly-in/fly-out commuting
• What are your best tips for keeping a relationship healthy in these circumstances? Dedicated time with each other (one on one) when you are together, dont sweat the minor details, regular contact so so feel a part of "each other's lives"
• Should I rent or buy a flat in Brisbane? your financial circumstances will determine, as will likely lenght of time you envision doing the orle. I'd suggest renting initially to get to know brisbane better and be more certain if/where you'd like to buy
• Are there any tax breaks for the costs of living "away from home" for work? If so, how long can Canberra be considered my home? Not sure
• What sort of professional should I consult for advice about this sort of thing? An accountant or financial advisor? Always worthwhle for a major change in cicumstances
• Where in Brisbane should I consider living, having regard to frequent trips to the airport but also distance to a regular workplace near the CBD? Depends exactly on where your office/work is, but i'd suggest somewhere iwth easy access is Fortitude Valley / Newstead where there's heaps of apartments, good transport and easy airport access. Budget will determine what and where to some extent.
• Should I buy a second car in Brisbane, or is there some sort of car sharing service that might work better? If only transitting to airport and returning to CBR every weekend, i'd personally avoid the expense of own car, parking etc and pay a bit extra for a better located apartment/house closer to public transport that will get you to work/airport as you'll be doing these every day.
• What's the best way to get to and from the airport in Brisbane? Train? Uber? Driving myself? Depends where you are going of course. The Train works pretty well if going to a central location.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[significance]

Thank you all for the additional opinions and advice. I don't intend to fly home to Canberra every weekend, though I'll see how things go in practice. Instead, I'll spend at least a week a month in Canberra (plus the weekends either side) and my husband will aim to spend a week a month (plus surrounding weekends, I hope) in Brisbane. So we'll have more than half our time together, but I will also get some weekends in Brisbane and have the opportunity to make local friends, enjoy the warm climate, and take in some theatre, music, days on the beach, etc, in Brisbane.

I am not too worried about infidelity, for those who raised that prospect. If either of us were the type to do that, we have plenty of opportunity already: I travel away from home two to three times a month for my current job (one to three nights each time), and my husband travels around once a month for his. Happily, neither of us is tempted.