Going to Aus from the UK for a one week recce in Sydney !!

[chenzo]

will be meeting a prospective employer and would like any advice re;

Employer

Schooling

Cost of living

Housing

 

And generally anything that you guys can think of , the biggest decision of our lives is imenent [emoji33]

[MARYROSE02]

See which part of the city your prospective employer is based, then look for places to live nearby, unless you don't like the area, or it is too dear. Do you know which part of the city it is?

[chenzo]

See which part of the city your prospective employer is based, then look for places to live nearby, unless you don't like the area, or it is too dear. Do you know which part of the city it is?

Hi MARYROSE02

 

its not too far from the hills district , which seems a nice place to live according to the threads on here .

 

I just want to ensure I maximise the time I will have in Sydney by gathering as much information as possible while I am there , and to make sure I ask all the questions I need to make the correct decision . Its one thing to read from the Internet another if you are there .. its exciting and I do not want to leave a stone unturned [emoji53]

[MARYROSE02]

Can you be more specific about the suburb as 'The Hills' covers quite a large area, judging by the different names that came up when I Googled. Although I'm not that familiar with all of them, they do seem to be pleasant areas to live. Some of them do not have railway stations, which means buses are the only means of public transport. It also means that you will almost certainly need a car, possibly two, and some suburbs, however pleasant they are, can seem remote without access to either public transport or a car. They are also some distance from both Sydney itself, and the beaches, which may or may not be important to you. I like swimming but I'm quite content to use a pool (public or private) rather than travel a long distance to the beach.

 

I guess you could try travelling during the rush hour on one day whilst you are here. Mind you, Sydney roads can be even busier on weekends than during the working week!

 

I live in Surry Hills which is very close to the city and the lifestyle is different to many of the outer suburbs, with excellent public transport and many of the faciliities within walking distance. But you 'sacrifice' other things like a decent garden, and 'peace and quiet!'

 

I don't like commuting so if I had a job somewhere like Castle Hill or Pennant Hills, then I'd try and live somewhere close to my work. If you want to live at a beach, then try driving from one of them to where you will be working.

 

[h=2]Suburbs[edit][/h][TABLE=class: multicol, width: 100%]

[TR]

[TD]

 

• Annangrove
• Arcadia
  
• Baulkham Hills
  
• Bella Vista
  
• Beaumont Hills
  
• Box Hill, New South Wales
  
• Carlingford
  

 

[/TD]

[TD]

 

• Castle Hill
• Cattai
  
• Cherrybrook
  
• Dural
  
• Fiddletown
  
• Forest Glen
  

 

[/TD]

[TD]

 

• Galston
• Glenhaven
  
• Glenorie
  
• Kellyville
  
• Kenthurst
  
• Laughtondale
  
• Maroota
  

 

[/TD]

[TD]

 

• Middle Dural
• North Rocks
  
• Pennant Hills
  
• Rouse Hill
  
• West Pennant Hills
  

 

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[MARYROSE02]

PS I don't think you can 'click on' those suburbs. I just tried. I Googled 'The Hills District' though.

[chenzo]

Yes the employer is in the Silverwater area and I could see that a number of places within a 20/30 min commute had "hills" in the name , I thought it was a district .lol. I would have a car and it would need to be great for a young family .Ideally

[MARYROSE02]

Silverwater is not in The Hills District, so perhaps have a look around Silverwater itself and the suburbs in the immediate area, unless you particularly want to live in The Hills. Have a look in both areas, come to think of it. Maybe look on www.domain.com.au to see what prices are like.

[vickyplum]

presumably you'll be looking at Parramatta as a possible location to live in? Good transport to other parts of the city, and much more affordable than other areas.

[chenzo]

I dont mind having to drive 20/30 min to work and im guessing ill have a budget of up to approx $600 pw for the right place , the little bit of research ive done suggests that the area immediately around Silverwater is not great ? Of course that is only by looking online .. what do you think

[MARYROSE02]

When you get here, start looking at the suburbs around Silverwater, and a little further out. Some of them are residential, some of them are more industrial. I just Googled Silverwater again - don't be put off by the fact that it has a prison! The immediate suburbs are a mixed bag. Check them all out, then go a bit further. You still might prefer The Hills, but try a typical commute on one day. Sydney commuting is not always a pleasant experience!

 

[TABLE=align: center]

[TR=class: mergedrow]

[TD=bgcolor: #f0f0ff, colspan: 3, align: center]Suburbs around Silverwater:[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: mergedrow]

[TD=width: 33%, align: center]Rydalmere[/TD]

[TD=width: 33%, align: center]Ermington[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Ermington[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: mergedrow]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Rosehill[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Silverwater[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Newington[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: mergedrow]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Granville[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Auburn[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Lidcombe[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[Quoll]

If it's a temporary visa be sure you factor in the $5kpa per child up front for schools.

[MARYROSE02]

I was just having a look on Domain at a few suburbs, but I don't know how many in your family? Are appartments, or townhouses OK? I guess an appartment (unit as they say in NSW) would be OK for kids, depending on how big the unit is and what floor it is, and how old your kids are?

 

This place is actually in Parramatta, which I don't mind, just caught my eye!

 

19/1 Rangihou Crescent Parramatta NSW 2150AddRemove

[h=2]Property Summary[/h] Features: 3 beds, 2 baths, 1 parking

 

[h=2]Property Summary[/h] Price: $540.00 Per Week Bond: $2,160 Property type: Townhouse Suburb: Parramatta (profile) Region: Sydney Region

 

• Research this street or suburb
  

 

 

 

 

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<a id="Content_Content_propertySummary_propertyTools_ContactAgentLinkNoScript" class="btn sml" href="/ore/Public/LightBox/AgentProfileLightBox.aspx?adid=9366641&mode=Rent">Email the agent</a> Email the agent

 

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[h=2]Property Details[/h]

3 BEDROOM TOWNHOUSE WITH RIVER VIEW

Renovated split level executive townhouse for lease with river frontage.

New kitchen, floating floors and window coverings. Located in one of the most sought after locals of Parramatta and featuring a unique floor plan is this 3 bedroom split level townhouse.

 

Approximately 250m2 of floor space, this property offers open plan living with superb views over Parramatta River & CBD, 2 balconies with ample room for entertaining all year round, 2 bathrooms, air-conditioning, enormous laundry, single lock-up garage plus second car space and large yard all located in a small complex. 9366641

[chenzo]

When you get here, start looking at the suburbs around Silverwater, and a little further out. Some of them are residential, some of them are more industrial. I just Googled Silverwater again - don't be put off by the fact that it has a prison! The immediate suburbs are a mixed bag. Check them all out, then go a bit further. You still might prefer The Hills, but try a typical commute on one day. Sydney commuting is not always a pleasant experience!

 

[TABLE=align: center]

[TR=class: mergedrow]

[TD=bgcolor: #f0f0ff, colspan: 3, align: center]Suburbs around Silverwater:[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: mergedrow]

[TD=width: 33%, align: center]Rydalmere[/TD]

[TD=width: 33%, align: center]Ermington[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Ermington[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: mergedrow]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Rosehill[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Silverwater[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Newington[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: mergedrow]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Granville[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Auburn[/TD]

[TD=width: 34%, align: center]Lidcombe[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

I guess your right Mary ,ill just have to have a look when I arrive , it is so hard when you are looking at a place on a screen [emoji53] , the prison thing concerned me a little, but we have prisons in good areas over here .

[chenzo]

If it's a temporary visa be sure you factor in the $5kpa per child up front for schools.

Thanks Quoll ,thats something important for me to bear in mind [emoji6]

[chenzo]

I was just having a look on Domain at a few suburbs, but I don't know how many in your family? Are appartments, or townhouses OK? I guess an appartment (unit as they say in NSW) would be OK for kids, depending on how big the unit is and what floor it is, and how old your kids are?

 

This place is actually in Parramatta, which I don't mind, just caught my eye!

 

19/1 Rangihou Crescent Parramatta NSW 2150AddRemove

[h=2]Property Summary[/h] Features: 3 beds, 2 baths, 1 parking

 

[h=2]Property Summary[/h] Price: $540.00 Per Week Bond: $2,160 Property type: Townhouse Suburb: Parramatta (profile) Region: Sydney Region

 

• Research this street or suburb

 

 

 

 

 

<a id="Content_Content_propertySummary_propertyTools_ContactAgentLinkNoScript" class="btn sml" href="/ore/Public/LightBox/AgentProfileLightBox.aspx?adid=9366641&mode=Rent">Email the agent</a>Email the agent

 

• Email me similar properties

• AddRemove | View shortlist

• Print this page

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• 

 

 

 

 

 

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[h=3]Your Notes[/h]Can`t save now, please try again laterAdd/Edit

 

 

[h=2]Property Details[/h]

3 BEDROOM TOWNHOUSE WITH RIVER VIEW

Renovated split level executive townhouse for lease with river frontage.

New kitchen, floating floors and window coverings. Located in one of the most sought after locals of Parramatta and featuring a unique floor plan is this 3 bedroom split level townhouse.

 

Approximately 250m2 of floor space, this property offers open plan living with superb views over Parramatta River & CBD, 2 balconies with ample room for entertaining all year round, 2 bathrooms, air-conditioning, enormous laundry, single lock-up garage plus second car space and large yard all located in a small complex. 9366641

That looks good .. I would be looking for a 2/3 bedroom house really with areas nearby for the lil un to play around safely he is in junior school now

[MARYROSE02]

Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight! You need to get yr own feel for a place.some suburbs are "ethnic!" that is a fact. I can understand the attractions of The Hills too, modern, leafy. Maybe round Ryde and Eastwood would suit you. It really is handy to have a station nearby. I'm used to having everything on my doorstep. My cafe is ten metres well 20 from my door bus stop too. My brother lives 30 min walk from the station but in lovely area (Picnic Pt) nearest shops ten min walk. It is what u r used to and what u want. He can listen to the sounds of The Bush but for me it is traffic.

[chenzo]

Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight! You need to get yr own feel for a place.some suburbs are "ethnic!" that is a fact. I can understand the attractions of The Hills too, modern, leafy. Maybe round Ryde and Eastwood would suit you. It really is handy to have a station nearby. I'm used to having everything on my doorstep. My cafe is ten metres well 20 from my door bus stop too. My brother lives 30 min walk from the station but in lovely area (Picnic Pt) nearest shops ten min walk. It is what u r used to and what u want. He can listen to the sounds of The Bush but for me it is traffic.

 

The area your brother is from is what I am more used to , although a bit closer to the stations would be great , and I dont live in an "ethnic" area here so I doubt I would like too in Aus tbh

[Marisawright]

I dont mind having to drive 20/30 min to work and im guessing ill have a budget of up to approx $600 pw for the right place , the little bit of research ive done suggests that the area immediately around Silverwater is not great ? Of course that is only by looking online .. what do you think

 

There is a big suburb called Newington very close by, it's a planned community (developed from the original Olympic village). You should be able to get a flat for that price there to start you off.

 

You don't say much about yourself: if you have a family then yes, I'd say go out to to the Hills (Castle Hill and surrounds) because that's where a lot of young families live and there's cheaper housing and good schools. Commuting from there to Silverwater shouldn't be too hard.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Marisawright

[MARYROSE02]

I sometimes go out for a drive, see which way I end up, and pick a suburb to stop and walk around. The most recent was to Lane Cove, which I rather like. I walked around, sat in the pedestrian mall, went up and down a few streets, had a drink in the pub - Longueville Hotel aka 'Longy', and walked down a side street for half a kilometre or so. It seemed like a very family-orientated, middle class suburb.

 

I got of the train the other week at Blacktown, on my way home from Penrith, and hated it, sorry to anybody who lives in Blacktown! I've grown to like Penrith since I've worked there for a couple of years, but it seems to have a bit of character, including a 'proper' 'High St' (like in England!) Blacktown has all the facilities you could want, but it seems like they deliberately picked the ugliest designs for every building.

 

I drove up to Narrabeen on the Northern Beaches, but I'm biased because I lived there with my parents and brothers in the 80's so I feel sentimental. It's blessed with both a beach and a lake, though with a very busy road - Pittwater Rd - in between. I read in the Sydney Morning Herald that Narrabeen house prices have shot up in the past year. I did not like commuting to the city, but many people do it, as they do from everywhere across Sydney. Narrabeen is about 25 kilometres and Penrith is 55, my longest every commute, though as long as I get the Blue Mts train, it's quick and comfortable - about 50 minutes. Blacktown is ten minutes closer to the city and the Blue Mts trains also stop there. I could live at Penrith but not Blacktown! There's no train service to the Northern Beaches unfortunately.

 

Where else have I been? Banksia. I went for a drive, along the Princes Highway south from the city, turned right onto Forest Road, I think, then took a left, parked in a cul-de-sac, and followed a set of stairs down and ended up along the railway line in Banksia, and did a circular walk back up to Forest Road, mostly in streets I'd never been to before. Very nice homes too. (Is that a sentence or a phrase? It needs a verb!?) I stopped at Tempe in the German Club on the way home. That's a nice place too (club and suburb!)

 

You really need to look at suburbs at different times of the day. If they are easy walking distance to a station, they will often fill up with cars, which does not look nice. Then again, if you go to the suburbs where the commuters live, you think, 'Wow, these are nice, quiet streets, free from cars,' but in the evenings those streets are choc-a-bloc! And of course if your street is too far to walk easily to the station, it means you have to drive or get the bus!

 

That's enough rambling. I want to check if it is ten metres or twenty from my front door to the cafe!

[chenzo]

There is a big suburb called Newington very close by, it's a planned community (developed from the original Olympic village). You should be able to get a flat for that price there to start you off.

 

You don't say much about yourself: if you have a family then yes, I'd say go out to to the Hills (Castle Hill and surrounds) because that's where a lot of young families live and there's cheaper housing and good schools. Commuting from there to Silverwater shouldn't be too hard.

Newington looks great , ive just googled it , ive got a feeling that when I arrive I will be more than impressed [emoji3]

[chenzo]

Newington looks great , ive just googled it , ive got a feeling that when I arrive I will be more than impressed [emoji3]

(Ps. Yes we are a young family with a 6yr old boy )

[chenzo]

I sometimes go out for a drive, see which way I end up, and pick a suburb to stop and walk around. The most recent was to Lane Cove, which I rather like. I walked around, sat in the pedestrian mall, went up and down a few streets, had a drink in the pub - Longueville Hotel aka 'Longy', and walked down a side street for half a kilometre or so. It seemed like a very family-orientated, middle class suburb.

 

I got of the train the other week at Blacktown, on my way home from Penrith, and hated it, sorry to anybody who lives in Blacktown! I've grown to like Penrith since I've worked there for a couple of years, but it seems to have a bit of character, including a 'proper' 'High St' (like in England!) Blacktown has all the facilities you could want, but it seems like they deliberately picked the ugliest designs for every building.

 

I drove up to Narrabeen on the Northern Beaches, but I'm biased because I lived there with my parents and brothers in the 80's so I feel sentimental. It's blessed with both a beach and a lake, though with a very busy road - Pittwater Rd - in between. I read in the Sydney Morning Herald that Narrabeen house prices have shot up in the past year. I did not like commuting to the city, but many people do it, as they do from everywhere across Sydney. Narrabeen is about 25 kilometres and Penrith is 55, my longest every commute, though as long as I get the Blue Mts train, it's quick and comfortable - about 50 minutes. Blacktown is ten minutes closer to the city and the Blue Mts trains also stop there. I could live at Penrith but not Blacktown! There's no train service to the Northern Beaches unfortunately.

 

Where else have I been? Banksia. I went for a drive, along the Princes Highway south from the city, turned right onto Forest Road, I think, then took a left, parked in a cul-de-sac, and followed a set of stairs down and ended up along the railway line in Banksia, and did a circular walk back up to Forest Road, mostly in streets I'd never been to before. Very nice homes too. (Is that a sentence or a phrase? It needs a verb!?) I stopped at Tempe in the German Club on the way home. That's a nice place too (club and suburb!)

 

You really need to look at suburbs at different times of the day. If they are easy walking distance to a station, they will often fill up with cars, which does not look nice. Then again, if you go to the suburbs where the commuters live, you think, 'Wow, these are nice, quiet streets, free from cars,' but in the evenings those streets are choc-a-bloc! And of course if your street is too far to walk easily to the station, it means you have to drive or get the bus!

 

That's enough rambling. I want to check if it is ten metres or twenty from my front door to the cafe!

I would imagine if we end up fully emigrating we will be doing alot of wandering around to get a feel for the different areas until we settle , exciting times ahead [emoji16]

[Lambethlad]

Don't go there unless they are going to pay you a mint.

[chenzo]

Don't go there unless they are going to pay you a mint.

What kind of figures are you thinking ? ..ie minimum amount I should be looking for

[Joebloggs]

I dont mind having to drive 20/30 min to work and im guessing ill have a budget of up to approx $600 pw for the right place , the little bit of research ive done suggests that the area immediately around Silverwater is not great ? Of course that is only by looking online .. what do you think

 

I live and work in the Hills so can give good advice on those suburbs, I know Silverwater well it's basically an Industrial area on the Parramatta river near Olympic park.

 

Newington is alright but basically shoeboxes with crap parking and facilities, Carlingford, Dundas and Northmead are better options and very close by.

 

'The Hills' ie. Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill etc is probably about 30min (maybe 45 in rush hour), it's a great place to live and you will find it probably more homely than the likes of Parramatta.

 

Do your home work as first impressions can either make or break when making a family move like this, if you pick a crap area family will feel like a fish out of water and you might not feel as if you made the right move.

 

Silverwater, Surrounding areas, Hills etc are easily accessible by car, rent yourself a car and GPS and have a good look around.