A couple who bought a two-bedroom house in the suburbs to live out the ‘Great Australian Dream’ gave it all up to move overseas – and they haven’t looked back.
Ashlee Campbell, 34, and Alex Mogilevski, 35, had stars in their eyes when they bought their $636,000 Brisbane property in 2018, thinking it was ‘the right thing to do’.
But when an opportunity presented itself to relocate to London, they jumped at the chance.
‘Like most people in Australia, we grew up thinking buying a house is something we have to do and should do – it’s like a societal success measure,’ Ash told FEMAIL.
‘I have always been career-driven, and my whole soul lit up when work asked if I wanted to move overseas. It’s always been something I’ve always wanted to do.’
Without a sense of doubt in their mind, the couple moved their lives to the UK then decided to sell the house in 2019.
And they’re not the only ones – research shows more Aussies are opting live their dream life rather than settling down.
Ashlee Campbell, 34, and Alex Mogilevski, 35, sold their property in Brisbane soon after moving to London in 2019. The couple stayed abroad for four years before moving back in December last year, and they are now renting on the Gold Coast
The couple, who have been together for nearly a decade, bought a $636,000 property in 2018 and sold it 12 months later, after moving to London
The pair didn’t want to wait until retirement to see the world. Luckily, both Ash and Alex were able to move overseas at the same time due to work and study opportunities
Luckily both Ash and Alex were able to move at the same time and initially thought they could kept the house.
But they quickly fell in love with the busy London lifestyle and decided to sell, giving up on home ownership for the time being.
‘Financially it didn’t make sense for us to keep the house. We did consider renting it out but we were living off only my income at the time because Alex was studying,’ she said.
‘We could have probably struggled to keep the house and live in London, but it would have meant compromising on travel. Life is short and unpredictable: we didn’t want to wait until we were retired – we wanted to see the world now.’
To make the decision, the couple asked themselves, ‘What is really important to us right now?’ and chose career development and making the most of living in London over owning a home in Australia.
With this in mind, keeping the house ‘didn’t fit into the equation’.
The couple also aren’t married and are open to having kids in the future.
‘I guess that’s another unconventional thing – marriage doesn’t really appeal to us either. We treat each other as if we were already married; we just prioritise other things like lifestyle and experiences,’ Ash said.
‘We want to make sure we had no regrets fulfilling career dreams and aspirations before we settle down.’
Homeownership meant they needed to live in a suburb that ‘wasn’t as nice or fun’ compared to where they were renting
After relocating they considered keeping the property but financially it ‘didn’t make sense’ as they were living off Ash’s income while Alex was studying
New research commissioned by Insignia Financial and conducted by McCrindle Research found that Australia’s most common aspiration is financial independence (55 per cent) closely followed by taking regular holidays (50 per cent).
Finding a good work/life balance is also a priority (45 per cent), while owning a home dips to the equal third most common aspiration (45 per cent).
Three in five Aussies (60 per cent) have a stronger desire to live their dream lifestyle, while just two in five (40 per cent) have a stronger desire to have their dream home.
While financial independence appeals to Australians across different generations, Gen Z still hold onto the dream of home ownership with 63 per cent listing it as their top aspiration.
Though a good work/life balance appeals more to Millennials (54 per cent) while Gen X and Boomers top aspiration is financial independence (Gen X, 60 per cent, Boomers 57 per cent).
The couple travelled with friends to 16 different countries and eight islands, saying the novelty of catching the train to Paris ‘never wore off’
New research commissioned by Insignia Financial and conducted by McCrindle Research found some young Aussies are aspiring for rich, full lives over crippling mortgages
Three in five Aussies (60 per cent) have a stronger desire to live their dream lifestyle, while just two in five (40 per cent) have a stronger desire to have their dream home
Having the luxury of moving abroad with work meant Ash was able to work remotely from lush locations. In total, she visited 16 countries while working from her laptop.
‘A core pinch-myself memory was being able to work from Rhodes island in Greece for an entire month. Being in London with other expat friends meant we were all keen to work hard but also see and do as much as possible,’ Ash said.
She was able to travel to France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Croatia, and Finland while living in the UK.
Throughout her twenties, Ash said she felt a longing to move abroad, but waited for the perfect time because she didn’t want to risk ‘going backwards’ in her career – and thankfully it worked out.
The couple decided to move back to Australia in December 2022 and are currently living, renting and working on the Gold Coast.
‘Right now, renting makes so much more financial sense for us. We can see the ocean from our veranda,’ Ash said.
‘The idea of owning a house is still something we think about occasionally, but it just doesn’t make financial sense right now. Our priorities are elsewhere.’
Throughout her twenties, Ash said she felt a longing to move abroad, but waited for the perfect time because she didn’t want to risk ‘going backwards’ in her career. Thankfully it worked out
The couple decided to move back to Australia in December 2022 and are currently living, renting and working in the Gold Coast
Ash described moving back home as ‘bittersweet’ because while they were glad to see loved ones again, they were saddened by the thought of leaving the UK.
And she says Australia is on par with London in terms of cost of living.
‘It was a rude shock when we moved back. We thought we’d be saving a bit of money, but it’s about the same,’ she said.
When asked what others should consider before making the leap overseas, she recommended considering your priorities.
‘Ask yourself: “What do I really want in this chapter of my life? What do I want to try next?”‘ she said.
‘No decision is forever, but lean in to what decision feels right for you right now. We did this process as a team and London felt like the right move for us in the moment.
‘It’s normal to weigh up all the options, but turn off autopilot and any societal pressures and figure out what you truly want.’
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