Moving to Sydney in 3 Months Time... OMG Super Excited!! :)

Hi,

My partner Mark and I are moving to Sydney in 3 months time and we're super excited!! We will be coming over on a working holiday visa to start with then see where we go from there, may be progress to a business/full migration visa if we like it, but we'll see how it goes first

I would love to hear where people think the best places are to live in and around the Syndey area we have a reasonable budget and are looking for a 2 bed apartment with balcony near the hustle and bustle but also not to far from the beach, it would be much appreciated if suggestions were made as to the best areas for these types of properties.

Mark will be working in the financial IT industry so will need to live/work near the city, whereas I am a therapist/counsellor who has recently finished a BSc (hons) Psychology degree and I'm looking for work within the psychology industy so I'm flexible as to locations.

Any helpful living advice would be great

Thanks

Emmie

Hi,

Welcome to PIO.

I will move your post to the NSW thread and hopefully you will get more replies there. We have a lot of member from Sydney and I am sure they will help you

Hey! i move to syd in 15 weeks!!!! can not wait im also going on a WHV, oh and surry hills is surposed to be good! good luck guys,

Matt

Hey Emma,

I'm moving to Sydney in one month! Am like you and also unsure as to which the best areas are to live, so will be following this thread closely! I guess it depends on what type of lifestyle you and your boyfriend are looking for... inner-city living or beach-side? I'm split between those two factors myself! Can't decide between Surry Hills (city) or the Eastern Suburbs (beachy). Perhaps it'll be a good idea to stay somewhere temporarily until you both get a feel for the city and it's different distinct suburbs? That's my plan anyway!

Good luck and enjoy!

Hi Emmie

I'm going over to Sydney in about a week. Have a hotel booked for the first few weeks so can have a wonder round and hopefully find a place that feels like home. As already mentioned, I've heard that Surry Hills is great but have also heard good things about the inner-west. I get the impession that it has a bit more on the live music scene and is a bit more 'alternative' (for want of a better word) though it depends what floats your boat I guess. I got a book recently which I found really interesting, the Time Out guide to Sydney, it's kinda like a Loney Planet type travel guide but for somewhere you live, rather than visit. There's a few similar available which you may find useful

Hope you end up somewhere you enjoy

Hi Emmie

I'm going over to Sydney in about a week. Have a hotel booked for the first few weeks so can have a wonder round and hopefully find a place that feels like home. As already mentioned, I've heard that Surry Hills is great but have also heard good things about the inner-west. I get the impession that it has a bit more on the live music scene and is a bit more 'alternative' (for want of a better word) though it depends what floats your boat I guess. I got a book recently which I found really interesting, the Time Out guide to Sydney, it's kinda like a Loney Planet type travel guide but for somewhere you live, rather than visit. There's a few similar available which you may find useful

 

Hope you end up somewhere you enjoy

I'd be very interested in finding out what you discover when it comes to music, so please come and report back!

I used to be well into live music but family life gets in the way of going out very often for me these days - still interested though as to what the scene in Sydney is like. I haven't seen much but a) I haven't been looking, and b) live in the wrong area. But I'd still like to know

Good luck to all :biggrin:

Hi, im also moving to sydney and should be there by mid march. Was planning on doing the rent somewhere for a month thing before deciding on a permanent rental, but sounds like it will be difficult to get that sorted - didnt realise we couldnt reply to gumtree from the uk! Maybe a hotel is needed for the first week...

I think just reading about the different areas from whatever sources you can will help you decide on what u want. It seems like the beaches are easy to reach from anywhere, so im personally going cbd.

Anyway, good luck with the search. It sounds like u and mark are well qualified so im sure ull find jobs soon enough!

Hi, im also moving to sydney and should be there by mid march. Was planning on doing the rent somewhere for a month thing before deciding on a permanent rental, but sounds like it will be difficult to get that sorted - didnt realise we couldnt reply to gumtree from the uk! Maybe a hotel is needed for the first week...

I'd try and find a short-term rental for at least a month if you can, if you can find a rental and move in within a week you will be doing very well - the rental market here is pretty competitive and it can be a right pain in the backside finding something suitabel and getting your application accepted. And hotels can be expensive if you're staying for that long. There are quite a few agencies that specialise in short-term lets of apartments or rooms, I don't have a specific one to recommend but it will make your life easier if you're not under pressure to get something more permanent within a week

I think just reading about the different areas from whatever sources you can will help you decide on what u want.

They can to an extent. What they can't tell you is how an area "feels" as that's personal - and it's one of the most important things. Don't think you can stress enough that you really need to visit areas to have an idea of where you might like to live. From abroad you can get an idea and it helps to draw up a shortlist but you can't really tell. Especially important if there are two of you and you have to find somewhere you both like/feel comfortable.

It's not as daunting as it sounds - there are plenty of options in a city this size. If you have a big search area, don't be too afraid to hire a car - driving here is pretty easy IMO, ten times easier than London and you can cover a lot of ground. If you're looking in an area like the Northern Beaches (where public transport is limited to buses and it covers a lot of space) then I'd say it's essential

following

If you're coming on a WHV then you want to make the most of your visit by being where the action is - that means Inner West or Eastern Suburbs. That means high rentals and tough competition, so I would allow for a month's temp accommodation at least. You will be spending your Saturdays racing around "open for inspections", most of which are open for only 15-20 minutes, and dont be surprised if there are 30 or 40 other people going through the place with you. Get all your references together, see if any of the agents have application forms available online and fill them out before you go.

In the Eastern Suburbs, generally rentals get cheaper the further you go from the city - until you start getting near the harbour or the beaches, then they climb again. Rents can seem cheaper in the inner-city suburbs but that's often because the rooms are so tiny and there's no parking. Another possible reason in areas like Chippendale, Redfern, King's Cross, Surry Hills is that it's in a dodgy section of that suburb (drug-related violence) OR it's run-down/cockroach-infested.

In the Inner West, closer to the city or the harbour means more expensive.

A nice two-bedroom of a decent size will likely cost you $600+ anywhere. If you're on a WHV you may be willing to settle for a smaller place as you won't have a lot of stuff.

This thread and all the discussion within it is over three years old.

Their WHV's are long gone and they're probably all back home now..