Ozblueskies

Fantastic news: I got the apartment in Kiribilli and signed the lease today - I am totally thrilled of course :wink: I think, Kiribilli will be great for getting around and my street´s a little quiet oasis so I have the best of two worlds. When I was taking the train to Crows Nest to meet with the real estate agent today, I couldn´t help but think: "This will be the most beautiful commute I ever had". Sitting in the train, driving over the Harbour Bridge and pass the Opera House every day - I think, it will take some time before that grows old Thanks again for all your input!

Little Update: I had a look at a real nice apartment in Kiribilli this weekend (of course, I wasn´t the only one showing up for inspection...). I must say, I really fell in love with this area - relatively quiet, but so convenient and quick to get into the city, not far from the harbour, great for walking, lovely quiet spots and I loved the Kiribilli village with its cute cafes etc. I have sent off my application so now it´s just a waiting and hoping game... But Kiribilli is lovely indeed!

Thank you for your input, much appreciated! I actually get off Edgecliff Station and from there, it´s another 10 min walk to work, so even living around Kiribilli would only be 20-30 min of commuting which isn´t so bad. And I might even change jobs one day, so I would like to be fairly central so travel is easy in all directions. Randwick sounds good, I had a look at a few apartments on realestate.com.au and there seem to be plenty of offers (even though I tend to be rather picky these days LOL). I definately want to be near the water, so Lower North Shore or Eastern Suburbs are on top of my list. Surry Hills sounds like a vibrant inner city suburb but I think, it´s a bit too bulit up for my taste and lacking parks/water. I would like to go for runs without having to commute somewhere else. I suppose, I will have a look at some places to get an idea. Difficult to decide just via internet... Thanks again for taking the time!

Hi there, Hoping to get some opinions, I know, this probably has been discussed before, just wondering about my speific situation: I moved from Europe to Sydney about a week ago, I have spent a few years living and working in Brisbane before that but always fancied living in Sydney for a while. I was lucky to secure a job from overseas and just had my first day today (working in healthcare). I am female, 39 years old and moved here on my own. Currently, I am staying with friends in Gymea Bay which is lovely, but a bit too quiet and too isolated for me. I work in Wollahra and most of my work colleagues seem to live in the Eastern Suburbs. I am just trying to decide where to settle. I have to admit that my wild days are probably over, I do like my privacy and don´t mind quiet nights during the week, but like to socialise during weekends. But more like going out for a few drinks, for dinner, movies, etc rather than wild nights/clubbing. I love the ocean and like to go for runs so living in an inner city suburb would definately have to cater for some running tracks... I had a look at Bondi Junction - it definately has some advantages (big shopping centre, train, relatively close to work) but am a bit concerned that this area is a bit too crazy and crowded for me. Coogee is nice too, again, appears a bit touristy at times. And of course, talking of value for money with regards to rentals...well, let´s not go there :twitcy: I had stayed with friends in Mortdale in the past and I quite liked the area around Oatley - nice village feel, beautiful park reserve with great running tracks and relatively easy access into the city. I am just concerned that I might feel a bit isolated there, it appears to be a family suburb, so not sure whether this is the right thing for me at the moment. But relatively nice apartments and more affordable than Eastern Suburbs. And then, there´s the Lower North Shore, especially the area around Kiribilli. Not quite sure why, but I love the idea of just crossing the bridge and being in the city (and getting a beautiful view). Commuting doesn´t seem too bad using the train. So, I am a bit torn... My salary will be around 85k plus super and my rental budget is around 500 p/w. I am looking at renting a 1 bdr apartment even though I could probably get a 2 bdr apartment for that amount in Oatley (which would be quite handy when visitors from Europe come over). Any opinions/tips? Thanks in advance!

Hi itchyfeet, sounds like a real dilemma My situation is a bit different to yours (I am single) but I will give you my view about it: When I moved to Australia a few years ago (initially with a 457 visa, I have PR now), I had serious wobbles. I had the feeling of "being stuck" and felt the pressure to "make it work". In hindsight, I know that I should have been more relaxed: Instead of considering it as emigration and "forever", I should have really taken it as a "period abroad"... Nobody knows what happens in life - and planes also fly from Australia to Europe (Of course, once you have kids, flights get real expensive) I have returned twice from Australia, mainly for family reasons - but plan to move back to Sydney in a few weeks. I definately want to settle there long-term but I am not leaving with the thought of "I am leaving home forever" - it doesn´t have to be forever... Maybe take the pressure off by not using the term "emigrating" but rather see it as an adventure with open end. Maybe you can make a deal with you partner (apart from getting the visa sorted...): Agree to go to Australia for 2-3 years - and after that time, re-evaluate the situation. I suppose, there is no perfect solution: one of you will always be torn because family is far away. But maybe you can both consider the possibility that it doesn´t have to be forever - just give it a trial of a few years. That might also ease the feeling of leaving family behind... All the best whatever you decide!

@ Collie and n1ck: Thanks for your input! I did have a close look at Balmain and Lower North Shore as well. Balmain/Rozelle look lovely, but they seems quite competitive - I suppose, many people want to live in that area due to its popularity. But definately will have a closer look once I am in Sydney. I suppose, it also depends where I will be working. Definately don´t want to venture out too far into the suburbs though. Mel

Thanks, that´s great to know, will keep it in mind! Still researching various suburbs in Sydney but I suppose, I will get a real feel once I´m there. Thanks to everybody who contributed to this thread

First of all, thanks a lot for your input, greatly appreciated! I definately want to have my own place - I am well over that sharing thing. Don´t need much space but need my own little oasis... I´d rather spend more money on rent so I can live in a nice place in a decent location rather than saving 100$ more a week but spending most of your time commuting back and forth... Also, saving money won´t be a priority initially. I´m ok to spend a bit more money in rent and socialising, nothing too crazy, and besides, I`ll have my savings as a buffer. I hope to move up the salary ladder after a year or two so I wouldn´t have to survive on this salary forever... It´s true that I picked the expensive suburbs - I am happy to consider other fairly central suburbs as well. Based on my research though, it seems that the inner suburbs offer a better choice of modern 1-bedroom places than further out. You get bigger apartments/houses (2-/3-bedroom apartments) for around $ 550 there - but I don´t really need those extra rooms. And something which has been mentioned: I probably wouldn´t need a car living fairly central so these are costs I could save as well. Tried to do some maths: If I rent a place for around 500-600 Dollars/week, that would leave me about the same amount of money per week to live off. Doesn´t seem much, but I suppse, it´s doable, at least for a while. I suppose, I´ll have a look around once I get there to get a feel for the place. I have some friends in Sydney and can stay at their house initially, so that probably helps. On another note: I love going for runs - can you recommend any suburbs which have easy access to nice running trails (parks, coastal tracks, etc.)?

Hi all, I´ve been a long time reader in this forum - this will be my first post, so please bear with me I plan to move to Sydney in October 2015. I have previously worked in Australia for about 4 years and managed to get permanent residency while I was living there. I spent most of my time in Brisbane which I loved. However, I always wanted to live in Sydney for a while...despite all the obvious drawbacks (like higher rents, crazy traffic etc.) - but I always loved the metropolitan "big city" feel, the beautiful beaches and national parks at its doorsteps plus there seem to be a lot more job opportunities. I work in the healthcare industry (physiotherapy) so salaries aren´t necessarily higher in Sydney than in Brisbane. Anyway, I moved back to Europe in 2012, mainly due to family reasons and also decided to enroll in a distance learning program (Master of Health Management). Things have gone back to normal and I finished my degree so I´d like to return to Australia. Generally, the job market in Australia for physios seems quite good plus I´d earn more money than here (Germany) - despite higher living costs. Also, my Resident Return Visa will expire in December 2015 so I definately want to make the move and not risk of losing my permanent residency. My only concern is if I´d be able to afford a nice place to live in Sydney. I am 38 years old, single, no kids, no financial commitments and probably will arrive with around 40,000 AUD in savings to cover my initial costs. I will also bring some of my furniture and personal belongings with me so I don´t have to buy everything from scratch. I have shared houses before when I lived in Brisbane, but to be honest, I am bit over it and definately want my own place. Nothing big, just a nice 1-bedroom-apartment. Being single, I don´t want to live too far out in the suburbs...even though I´m over the clubbing/party scene, but I like to have a few restaurants, cafes and bars at my doorstep and relatively easy access to beaches on the weekends. I had a look at suburbs like Surry Hills, Balmain or Glebe - they seem to have a fair choice from 1-bedroom-apartments. I understand these suburbs are very popular and expensive but after looking at potential rentals on realestate.com.au etc., it seems that the average rental budget for a decent 1-bedroom-apartment in a fairly central location seems to be around 450-550 AUD per week. I´d also rather spend a bit more on rent and have a nice place (tiles or wooden floors, lots of natural light, modern bathroom/kitchen). Just wondering if that´s breaking my budget, given the fact that you shouldn´t spend more than 1/3 of your net income on rent - but that seems to be really difficult in Sydney. I don´t have a job lined up yet since it´s more common to have face-to-face interviews in my industry but I suppose, I can get a job fairly quickly once I arrive. I suppose, a realistic salary for me will be around 75-80k (plus super) initially, even though I hope to step up the ladder after a year or two. So that means, my weekly income will be around 1,1000 - 1,200 AUD. As a result, I´d spend almost 50% of my net income on rent... Would that be completely crazy? I don´t have an extravagant lifestyle. Love the outdoors, occasional drinks/eating out etc. To give you a comparison: When I lived in a shared house in Brisbane, I earned around the same money and paid 240 AUD rent per week but managed to save 1000-2000 AUD a month. So I suppose, there´s some wriggle room. Initially, I am not trying to save for things like mortgages etc. I´d like to hear your opinions regarding my salary/rent-ratio. Anybody in a similar position? Or any hints on "hidden gems" suburb-wise? Thanks for reading all this