buzzy--bee

Try Prahran, South Yarra, Hawthorn, WIndsor, Richmond, Brunswick. If you want to be by the beach, all the bayside suburbs from Brighton South are very nice.

Hi Unzippy, most people who stay in our furnished apartment stay for 4 weeks, and pretty much always find a rental within this time. We have had people who have booked for 2 weeks and then been forced to take a long-term rental that wasn't ideal as it was the only one available at short notice. Good luck and feel free to ping me if you need somewhere to stay. BB

There is also the Big4 at Frankston

Negative gearing keeps rents down as effectively the government subsidises the rent. If negative gearing was removed rents would need to go up by 10 - 20% to cover the shortfall.

We may be able to help with accommodation depending on your dates. I'll send you a PM.

Hi Dawn, we can accommodate 3 although really only if the 3rd one is a baby or toddler! As far as being too far from the CBD, hundreds of people commute from where we are every day. Not sure how long a commute you are looking for, we are about 45 mins. Many people commute for well over an hour each way.

Thank you - glad to be of service!

Hi, well we're not a company as such, just a "mum and dad" operation, but if you PM me your email address I would be happy to email you details. Over the last 7 years we have helped people from all over the world start their new lives in Melbourne.

Hi, some accommodation providers (such as ourselves) will offer use of their address as an Australian postal address, even before you arrive.

I also came from London working in IT. There's a lot of suburbs that would fit your bill. Coburg I reckon would be somewhere to consider for instance. St Kilda is very edgy, bit like Notting Hill, mix of wealth and grunge. South Yarra and Prahran might too.

I regularly compare Melbourne's weather to the Mediterranean. @Fosh - in my garden I grow olives, lemons, limes, oranges, grapes and mandarins very successfully. My wife planted some plants with massive leaves (cant remember what they are called) that cannot tolerate frost, they have prospered so that in 5 years since planting they are really too big. With very hot summers and hot autumns, where sometimes it doesn't rain at all for weeks on end, the fruit trees that are traditionally Mediterranean thrive, although you do need to keep them well watered! Winter is cooler, even then many days can be sunny in the high teens and it never gets "hats and gloves" cold. Please don't be put off by comments about the weather, you'll be fine here!

Hi Fosh, we moved from London to Melbourne 10 years ago. I work in IT. We also shortlisted Brisbane and Melbourne and did reccies to both, but Melbourne won by miles. Some of the reasons - - The weather. I like the seasons and I don't like humidity. Melbourne is like UK weather + 10 degrees. We dont get snow or frost in winter, we do get a summer that lasts several months. Spring and Autumn have a lot of very pleasant days too, often into the high 20s / 30s. - The beaches. In Brisbane it is hard to live within walking distance of a nice beach and an easy commute of the CBD. Brisbane's best beaches are the Gold and Sunshine Coasts which are too far for an easy commute. In Melbourne we can walk to a stunning beach and we are well under 1 hour commute from work. - The work opportunities. Far far more numerous in the corporate world in Melbourne. And without income, it doesn't matter how good the weather is, you will only be able to stay until your savings run out. - The city. Melbourne is lovely to live in, beautiful parks, wide tree lined streets, trams, pavement cafes. No regrets 10 years in.

If you are working in Moorabbin depending on your budget you might consider Cheltenham, Highett, Mentone, Parkdale, Mordialloc, Keysborough. All a short commute with schools, shops etc. Some better than others, closer to the beach and the city the better.

There is a lot of Frankston. It has various areas such as Frankston North, Frankston South, Frankston Heights etc etc. Some parts are better than others. Frankston South is largely massive family houses on 2/3 acre blocks, some with clifftop sea views. Frankston North is not like that at all! So pick your bit of Frankston and you'll be OK.

A reasonable 3-bed house in Frankston can be had for 400pw. Also Carrum Downs (further from the beach)

This is probably not legal.

As a landlord, I allow cats in my properties. But my agents do not advertise this for some reason. So best to ask. If you can pay 6 months rent in advance then you will be ahead of almost every other applicant.

Elizabeth Murdoch is supposed to be OK if you can get your kids into the special clever kids program (I'm not sure exactly what it is called but you get the gist). If your kid isn't in this then I don't think Elizabeth Murdoch is very good.

Have you considered saving the rental money, ordering a brand new car from a dealer and having it delivered to the airport when you land? Might not be much more expensive.

Mentone down to Seaford would fit the bill. More house for your money the further you move out. Your budget would get you a 3 bed townhouse with not much garden in Parkdale or a 3 bed old wooden house with a bigger garden.

Indeed. I have a huge circle of English friends who live in Langwarrin and enjoy their lives there. If I had your budget I would definitely buy there. BB

Hi Louise, you will definitely get into your local public (state) school as they are obliged to take you if you live in zone (and not all schools are zoned). In the Peninsula areas you are looking in there are some good schools - Frankston High (public) has a good reputation although a very small zone. Derinya is a very good primary school. Mount Martha and Mount Eliza are nice, Sandhurst you may find yourselves very isolated as it is essentially a housing estate with few facilities and you would have to get in a car for everything. BB

This is not our experience of winter in Melbourne. BB

Frankston South is the best bit, the nearer you get to Mount Eliza (border with Humphries road) the better. Frankston heights is OK, the area between Cranbourne Road and the High School is OK, the area around Kars Street is OK. Frankston North is probably best avoided, Karingal is probably too, although it is coming up. Centre of Frankston is mainly commercial, not many people live there. HTH BB

There is a lot of Frankston - many different parts of it, some better than others. The beach is lovely there, as are most of the beaches between there and the city for various reasons. One of the reasons we chose Melbourne was so we could live within walking distance of a beautiful beach, while being within commuting distance of a major city. BB