sydneysider3

It was a complete shock for me too at first, but most high schools in Sydney are single sex, whether they are public or private. There are exceptions like Mosman High and Newtown High, but that is fairly rare. A good private co-ed school i know of is the International Grammar School near Central Station. The kids I know who attend it get the train to school from the Eastern Suburbs which is not unusual. And it isn't a religious school.

I think you would have fun in a Surry Hills flatshare. You can catch the bus to the beach easily from there (usually not a given in Sydney) and it's just a short walk to Central Station in the morning for your train to North Sydney. If you don't have any dependents and you are okay with sharing then 77,000 after super is taken out should be fine. It's home to more young professionals that students now as it has gentrified a lot in the last few years. There should be a checklist online somewhere of exactly what else you need, generally though I think its bank statements, proof of income, proof of identity and a couple of letters from old landlords, flatmates etc. Don't worry too much about the references if you don't have many, you could even get one from your new employer. What's important is that you are organised when you come to inspections, and that they can see you have steady income.

If you lived somewhere on the 'Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra' train line, your husband could get the train to Kings Cross (near the base) every day in under an hour. You really need to live on a train line in Sydney unless you are both going to have cars. You really need one at least. Sydney is soo expensive for housing, so I would look in the south or west for something reasonably priced. Not as close to the eastern beaches or the city, but they are still pleasant areas, and an hour commute for your husband on the train isn't even that bad for Sydney. It's true that most places seem to have lots of families. Sydney doesn't really have a proper city in a lot of ways. Just lots of suburbs with a mix of families and singles. Maybe just put your budget into Domain or another real estate site and see whats around for that price.

The best way as far as I know to get to Campbelltown from other parts of Sydney is on the M5 Motorway. If you go in the other direction on the M5, you can get to the the airport, and the city centre, which if your hubby is working at the naval base at Garden Island in the city centre (don't know about the navy, i just know there is a big base there), would be convenient. So you could look at suburbs around the M5. The closer to the city you are the more (generally) you'll pay for rent or to buy.

I agree, www.domain.com.au is the most reputable. It's part of Fairfax media, who publish the Sydney Morning Herald. As well as the main rentals section, there is a page for tenants to advertise a single room in a flat, its in the 'Share' tab at the top of the homepage. Maybe try looking for Facebook groups as well? I don't know any specific ones, but I know of someone who found a room while they were studying through a Facebook group for houseshares.

Are you in Surrey? My mum is in Kingston, she said much the same thing. She expects it to be too cloudy but is going to keep an eye on it anyway in case the clouds break for a moment. I still remember we drove to Cornwall for the 1999 one, but there was nothing to see for all the clouds.

Hi Steve, We have ended up looking for a place closer to Sydney, but I was considering the area up around Gosford at one point (near Terrigal). You can find cheaper places once you are off the coast. There are parts of Gosford that are a little ugly or run down, but there are nice leafy areas to, like North Gosford. Its about a 20 minute drive to Terrigal from there, and you would also be close to the Pacific Highway which is the main road to Sydney. Erina is closer to Terrigal and has good shopping and transport also. For something a bit more leafy, look at Green Point, or Bateau Bay to the north of Terrigal. Bateau Bay in particular is quite nice, close to a beautiful beach, and only a short drive to Terrigal. When i was looking, there seemed to be some reasonably priced cottages there. There are many more houses than apartments in all these places, but you can find apartments in the more urban areas. The little cottages are about the same price as an apartment. Domain, one of the big real estate sites is a good place to look at average prices for an area. I've found you can also get a lot of useful information out of the estate agents by just emailing them about a property and sounding interested! They are always happy to answer questions if they think you might come to the auction! I agree with the others that Stamp Duty and the deposit are significant, and the paperwork is hellish, but i think as long as you educate yourself as much as possible, its no more complicated than anywhere else. Good luck! I'll let you know if i think of anywhere else around Terrigal