Selling And other related matters.

Now, that we have gotten approval to live in Australia, we were on a mission.

One of the main jobs was to get freight forwarder to cart off all our precious belongings to wherever we have decided to live.

I made some calls and after a few visits, we have about 6 quotes. We chose Collins, because, they have relocated a certain MNC's personnel ( multi national corporation ) that we are familiar with since the figure was not too daunting for us, we went ahead and signed them on.

Now, we have a 22 foot container waiting for us. We looked around the apartment, we were living in a rental apartment, a penthouse in Eastern Singapore, with four bedrooms + 4 bathroom nice facilities downstairs. This means, we have a fair bit of stuff and some must go.

To Gumtree, I went, posting all sorts of furniture...living room set, dining..TV console, desks, chairs...plants.
Emails and calls came trickling in. Pics were posted, so were the specs. It was tedious...but I persevered. Been there, done that, with our previous move, from a house to an apartment. One by one, the items were sold. Some were giveaways...like carpets. Some were sold cheap, I just wanted it gone..all in all, it was a positive experience. I was a robot on a mission!

Plants were given away to friends. I have quite a few, money plants in cute tall jars.
The fish pond was sold, including the fish. Toys and kids clothes were given away.

Next, the car has to go. This was the Honda Odyssey, 2 years old. Placed an ad online.
Dealers started calling and visiting. We settled for a good price, ok it was great, we made a nice profit.

Then, transferring of the Laguna Golf Club membership. This club has served us well, we liked going there, they had nice pools, restaurants and a beautiful spa, which we patronized every month for our massages.
This took time, interview for potential members was carried out every last Friday of the month. Again, I advertised, a man replied. Once accepted, we had paperwork to deal with. Then, all was done. One more item on my list ticked.

Next, my business. I have been running this recruitment business from home. Took the plunge in 2007 when my second child R, was born. My dream was to keep an eye on the kids whilst working and delegating some tasks to the helper. Within 5 years, it had a good track record, we had about 10 - 20 temps working in the logistics company. Strong permanent sales recorded from various companies and a huge data of resumes. During the last 2 years, when T, ( hubby ) joined me in this business, we had taken on temps and he was in charge of payroll. This was the main draw, the cherry on top of the cake, that a company would want.

I advertised on various sites.A few people called, some came over to meet and one in particular gave me a deposit of $5000. No going back now. Tedious process of paperwork, making everything transparent and introducing the clients to the new owner. All went smoothly. The business was now sold!

In the meantime, I also sold off my Rolex Oyster watch and Chanel bag...you see, I was on a selling spree and I figured, it would be good to liquidate some items, wish I had more time but time was a precious commodity then!

It all began when I saw that my dear hubby T ( dh ) was listless, he had, about a year ago, put his hand up for a retrenchment package. He received a year's salary and company stocks which he cashed in. Then, he joined me in my little recruitment business and now, he was antsy again.

So, I said the crucial words - I am receptive to moving to Australia.

He heard me and began typing on the computer keyboard furiously...now he has a purpose! We have to research and thus, our journey began!

First on the long list -get a migration agent!
What a minefield this was. There were many online and as many practicing in Singapore.
We also knew that we ought to get one who is certified. I was 44 years old then and T was 46, we were on the brink of not being accepted. Australia's rules were ever changing on relocation of other Nationals.

Ok, so I found a few. Sent T to meet with them. One is particular was active in a migration forum, he seemed to know what he was talking about - I googled his company and found that he had an office in Perth and Singapore. T, in the meantime had met with 2 agents including an Australian one. He emailed the Oz one and did not get a satisfactory reply. Finally after a few more interviews, we settled for the Perth agent. He came across most knowledgeable, likable and mature. So, now its up to him to get do up a dossier for us. It was information gathering time. Next, all information on finances was submitted.
Months later, we got a mail from Oz immigration asking about the money trail. T submitted more forms, receipts and documents, about 4cm thick.

Good news! We received our agreement in principle.

I was a bundle of nerves. I love my country, Singapore is and always be my home. I was very proud of her achievements and of the low rate of crime, the ease in which to bring up children, the convenience, infrastructure and of course, the nuances of the culture. Being able to speak 3 languages is useful. People were flocking to Singapore and here I was, leaving.

I thought of how the children, aged 5 & 7 then, would enjoy spacious Australia, the laid back education system and living in a larger country. The children act as my compass but more so for T, he now has a purpose, he now look forward to a new life. He had been in Singapore for 22 years, he was at crossroads, to move on or to stay. He is determined to buy a business.