Ozblueskies Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Hi all, I´ve been a long time reader in this forum - this will be my first post, so please bear with me I plan to move to Sydney in October 2015. I have previously worked in Australia for about 4 years and managed to get permanent residency while I was living there. I spent most of my time in Brisbane which I loved. However, I always wanted to live in Sydney for a while...despite all the obvious drawbacks (like higher rents, crazy traffic etc.) - but I always loved the metropolitan "big city" feel, the beautiful beaches and national parks at its doorsteps plus there seem to be a lot more job opportunities. I work in the healthcare industry (physiotherapy) so salaries aren´t necessarily higher in Sydney than in Brisbane. Anyway, I moved back to Europe in 2012, mainly due to family reasons and also decided to enroll in a distance learning program (Master of Health Management). Things have gone back to normal and I finished my degree so I´d like to return to Australia. Generally, the job market in Australia for physios seems quite good plus I´d earn more money than here (Germany) - despite higher living costs. Also, my Resident Return Visa will expire in December 2015 so I definately want to make the move and not risk of losing my permanent residency. My only concern is if I´d be able to afford a nice place to live in Sydney. I am 38 years old, single, no kids, no financial commitments and probably will arrive with around 40,000 AUD in savings to cover my initial costs. I will also bring some of my furniture and personal belongings with me so I don´t have to buy everything from scratch. I have shared houses before when I lived in Brisbane, but to be honest, I am bit over it and definately want my own place. Nothing big, just a nice 1-bedroom-apartment. Being single, I don´t want to live too far out in the suburbs...even though I´m over the clubbing/party scene, but I like to have a few restaurants, cafes and bars at my doorstep and relatively easy access to beaches on the weekends. I had a look at suburbs like Surry Hills, Balmain or Glebe - they seem to have a fair choice from 1-bedroom-apartments. I understand these suburbs are very popular and expensive but after looking at potential rentals on realestate.com.au etc., it seems that the average rental budget for a decent 1-bedroom-apartment in a fairly central location seems to be around 450-550 AUD per week. I´d also rather spend a bit more on rent and have a nice place (tiles or wooden floors, lots of natural light, modern bathroom/kitchen). Just wondering if that´s breaking my budget, given the fact that you shouldn´t spend more than 1/3 of your net income on rent - but that seems to be really difficult in Sydney. I don´t have a job lined up yet since it´s more common to have face-to-face interviews in my industry but I suppose, I can get a job fairly quickly once I arrive. I suppose, a realistic salary for me will be around 75-80k (plus super) initially, even though I hope to step up the ladder after a year or two. So that means, my weekly income will be around 1,1000 - 1,200 AUD. As a result, I´d spend almost 50% of my net income on rent... Would that be completely crazy? I don´t have an extravagant lifestyle. Love the outdoors, occasional drinks/eating out etc. To give you a comparison: When I lived in a shared house in Brisbane, I earned around the same money and paid 240 AUD rent per week but managed to save 1000-2000 AUD a month. So I suppose, there´s some wriggle room. Initially, I am not trying to save for things like mortgages etc. I´d like to hear your opinions regarding my salary/rent-ratio. Anybody in a similar position? Or any hints on "hidden gems" suburb-wise? Thanks for reading all this 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Hi, I know a few single people in their late 20s - early 40s on that sort of salary, who live in the inner west, as well as in the Manly area and in North Sydney. (Two of whom are physios for government health / non for profits, actually). They all seem to share a 2 bed apartment with another professional. I'd say that most people in this situation would find it a bit of a squeeze to afford to live by themselves, and it's quite common for people who aren't sharing the rent / mortgage and bills with a significant other to be sharing it with a house mate so that they can live where they want. It would be great if you don't need to run a car - that could keep living costs down a bit. Marrickville could be a bit more affordable if living on your own is a priority. Also try Summer Hill, if it isn't too quiet and far from the coast for you? (It's a bit of a village feel and would be about 30mins drive from the Eastern. Beaches). Have a look at the suburb profiles here: http://www.cityhobo.com/sydney/sydney-maps Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
movingback Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Agreed with Naomi. You could likely afford to live by yourself but would have to either sacrifice living in a nice area, or being able to afford to go out regularly and enjoy what Sydney has to offer (which is why you're here in the first place). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Have a look on http://www.domain.com.au for flats in your price range and in your desired suburb. You can probably get a flat in Surry Hills for around $500 to $600 per week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) I was well over sharing at age 38 too so I can understand you not wanting to do that. I think this does mean you might need to spend a bit more than a third of your income on accommodation in that case. You seem to have picked out some very expensive areas there though, perhaps you can save a bit by living a bit less central. Manly maybe or somewhere else in Northern Sydney or Northern Beaches, Dee Why perhaps to go frpurther afield? Edited May 26, 2015 by Bungo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) I am living on my own, in a very small house, and am spending half my take-home pay on rent. I'm in a nice house in a great area (Rozelle) and have a short journey to work, so I'm willing to take the hit right now. Cheaper places are out there, but of course involve some kind of trade-off. It's always harder to find somewhere that's good value for money when you first arrive and don't know the area. No reason why you couldn't move to somewhere better/cheaper if you get lucky and come across somewhere once you've been here a while. Edited May 27, 2015 by mungbean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 How much to spend? Well it depends on whether you also want to save and/or have a social life. It also really depends on what you want and what area you want it in. You could pick up a self-contained granny flat in a landlords garden quite cheaply. I saw a really nice large looking one on the Northern Beaches last week for $250 per week, bills included. By the same token, you could easily spend $700 per week in an inner city unit. http://www.realestate.com.au/rent http://www.domain.com.au/home?mode=rent Do whatever makes you happiest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozblueskies Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) First of all, thanks a lot for your input, greatly appreciated! I definately want to have my own place - I am well over that sharing thing. Don´t need much space but need my own little oasis... I´d rather spend more money on rent so I can live in a nice place in a decent location rather than saving 100$ more a week but spending most of your time commuting back and forth... Also, saving money won´t be a priority initially. I´m ok to spend a bit more money in rent and socialising, nothing too crazy, and besides, I`ll have my savings as a buffer. I hope to move up the salary ladder after a year or two so I wouldn´t have to survive on this salary forever... It´s true that I picked the expensive suburbs - I am happy to consider other fairly central suburbs as well. Based on my research though, it seems that the inner suburbs offer a better choice of modern 1-bedroom places than further out. You get bigger apartments/houses (2-/3-bedroom apartments) for around $ 550 there - but I don´t really need those extra rooms. And something which has been mentioned: I probably wouldn´t need a car living fairly central so these are costs I could save as well. Tried to do some maths: If I rent a place for around 500-600 Dollars/week, that would leave me about the same amount of money per week to live off. Doesn´t seem much, but I suppse, it´s doable, at least for a while. I suppose, I´ll have a look around once I get there to get a feel for the place. I have some friends in Sydney and can stay at their house initially, so that probably helps. On another note: I love going for runs - can you recommend any suburbs which have easy access to nice running trails (parks, coastal tracks, etc.)? Edited May 27, 2015 by Ozblueskies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 I love going for runs - can you recommend any suburbs which have easy access to nice running trails (parks, coastal tracks, etc.)? Pretty much anywhere near the water has paths for walking, running or cycling - in some cases all three. A lot of mixed-use. Quite a bit of landscaping and turning of industrial areas into parks as well. At weekends these places are full of people running and cycling. I don't think you'll have any trouble finding a decent run. Google maps will show you where the parks are, and the cycle paths too ("Show: bicycling") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomanz Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 I advise you to spend a good time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1ck Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 On another note: I love going for runs - can you recommend any suburbs which have easy access to nice running trails (parks, coastal tracks, etc.)? I live in Chiswick which is right on the water and is great for running. Plenty of one bed flats about too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozblueskies Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 Thanks, that´s great to know, will keep it in mind! Still researching various suburbs in Sydney but I suppose, I will get a real feel once I´m there. Thanks to everybody who contributed to this thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave53 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 According to the treasurer Joe Hockey , houses in Sydney are affordable , so there you have it ... Just buy a house .... After all he would know wouldn't he ? .. Dave C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 According to the treasurer Joe Hockey , houses in Sydney are affordable , so there you have it ... Just buy a house .... After all he would know wouldn't he ? .. Dave C To be fair, I think he did also say 'get a good job, and then get a mortgage from a bank' which, amazing though it sounds, is what every other generation has had to do. I hate the inference, that only people today find paying bills, loans, mortgages, a burden, and for everybody else, it was a breeze. It wasn't a breeze for my parents, who had to both work full time, and it wasn't a breeze for me, even though my parents helped me with the loan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave53 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 It's also interesting to note that although the business council stated yesterday that confidence in the economy is high , it's not in effect creating any more jobs ... No additional jobs , let alone well paid ones ... . The vast majority of jobs created today are either casual or on a part time basis , not full time permanent required by banks to secure a mortgage . I do agree , at no time has it ever been easy to buy a house , and I for one struggled to buy my first , but let's not forget that the portion of income to buy a house now far exceeds that amount required years ago when I started , so it is more difficult now ,despite what the pollies claim . Dave C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collie Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Hey mate, I'm a bit biased but have a look at Rozelle/Balmain. Great villages full of pubs, cafes, restaurants (ie bit of life) and close to the city (c.10mins on a bus in off peak, c.20-25mins in peak). Has the bay run close by (7kms along the water). Tends to be a 30s+ crowd too. A 1 bed unit should be $450-$550pw. I'm about your age and love it around here. Other areas worth looking at are Newtown which has the King st strip, close to the city also and probably a little cheaper. A little alternative (think Camden) or the lower North Shore (which personally I find very quiet but some people like it). Neutral Bay, Cremorne, Mosman. NB has a bit more life than the other 2. Crows nest is another 30 something area with cafe's, restaurants etc. I'm open to correction but further out tends to be families and suburbia a bit (Manly, Bondi & Coogee are full of backpackers, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst & Paddington are all more pricey) Hope this helps, Col Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1ck Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Hey mate, I'm a bit biased but have a look at Rozelle/Balmain. Great villages full of pubs, cafes, restaurants (ie bit of life) and close to the city (c.10mins on a bus in off peak, c.20-25mins in peak). Has the bay run close by (7kms along the water). Tends to be a 30s+ crowd too. A 1 bed unit should be $450-$550pw. I'm about your age and love it around here. Other areas worth looking at are Newtown which has the King st strip, close to the city also and probably a little cheaper. A little alternative (think Camden) or the lower North Shore (which personally I find very quiet but some people like it). Neutral Bay, Cremorne, Mosman. NB has a bit more life than the other 2. Crows nest is another 30 something area with cafe's, restaurants etc. I'm open to correction but further out tends to be families and suburbia a bit (Manly, Bondi & Coogee are full of backpackers, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst & Paddington are all more pricey) Hope this helps, Col Can def agree with the Balmain bit, lived there until January and loved it... It has a real village feel to it with some awesome pubs and really close to the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozblueskies Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 @ Collie and n1ck: Thanks for your input! I did have a close look at Balmain and Lower North Shore as well. Balmain/Rozelle look lovely, but they seems quite competitive - I suppose, many people want to live in that area due to its popularity. But definately will have a closer look once I am in Sydney. I suppose, it also depends where I will be working. Definately don´t want to venture out too far into the suburbs though. Mel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uklawyer Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) Hi Mate, I live at Bondi Beach, 2 mins away from the water and rent my own place for $460 per week, its pretty big too. I have sacrificed the extra money in my pocket for location - after all it's free to go to the beach, cheap to have a bbq etc. haha! Bondi junction is 7minutes to the city, Martin Place/Town Hall so it's ideal to get into the city for work. Best advice is pay around $450-500 in a good location where there's stuff to do that doesn't involve a lot of money, swimming, running, surfing etc, that way you have the best of both you know. Edited July 13, 2015 by uklawyer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.