What helped you decide?

[Guest Humbug]

:eek:Hi everyone. I hope you all won't get tired of my constant questions but you are the only ones who really know the answers as you live life there every day !! Thanks for all your comments so far - they have proved really helpful. I am already looking at houses in ALL the areas suggested with a lot more confidence. If we take a two week visit to Victoria to help us make up our minds (whether to commit to upping sticks from GB) is there anything you would recommend is a "must do". I'm not talking sightseeing, I'm talking real living. What do we REALLY need to know? What helped you make up your minds? I'm sure all of you were nervous at the prospect at leaving all that was familiar and I'm sure you know how I feel right now. We can find out the cost of a pint of milk and really broad things like that - but what info is a "must have" before making the decision (apart from rental cost)?

[Guest Toorak Trev]

Stay in self contained accomodation so you do go out and do a normal weekly grocery shop.

Go for interviews with agents and hopefully client

Attend a property auction

Attend a view open houses for rental properties

View a few used and new car yards

Do a few touristy things ie GOR, Philip Island

Drive in peak hour traffic

Take a ride in a commuter train (ie if you are comparing 2 locations one inner and one outter, where you would need to use the train) - many get a surprise at addtional time it takes too park the car and drive time to and from station

Have lunch in the CBD to soak up atmosphere and picture yourself doing it on regular basis (if the CBD is where you will be working of course)

Take the free circle tram (tourist) around the city

Attend the MCG if possible

Visit Eureka tower and stroll along the southbank

Take a drive down too Sorrento from CBD along the neapean and beach roads. Cross over too Queenscliff and drive too Geelong and return along the western freeway. Long day but gives very good perspective of the size of Melbourne. Plot your times along the way - it gives good indication of travel times for rest of melbourne.

[Ratchet]

if you can get a hire car i would also suggest you have a look at areas that you could live. obviously in 2 weeks its not about house hunting, but if you can picture the area after getting a taste you prefer then it helps you look and research. Despite it looking as if it all merges into one, there are differences.

 

have a look east of melbourne and go down east coast St kilda to frankstone, further down to mornington (beach, beach, beach)

try the west side - point cook to geelong (new builds everywhere and much flatter land point cook way)

then north to epping across to greensborough/templestowe (hills and trees)

 

A lot of these places can be gotten to within 30mins of leaving CBD (off peak time !!)