abiflo Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Hi! I'm Abi, and I'm moving to Sydney in September. I will be working in the central business district and will need somewhere to live for 3 months. I am very unfamiliar with everything about Sydney and would be grateful for recommendations of where to look for accommodation (websites or districts!). I will be 23, and looking to have a good time! Also would you recommend finding somewhere to live before I fly over? Or would staying in a hostel a few days and looking be an easy option? I will be arriving 5 days before I start working so will have a little bit of time. Thanks! Look forward to getting to know some of you! Abi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 You will find it impossible to get a rental property before you move as they will insist that you see the property first. Rental properties are usually let by having a half hour open viewing on a Saturday, then people put bids in and the estate agent and landlord agree who to let to. It's not a quick process and minimum rentals tend to be for 6 months, not 3 months. If you are looking for self-contained living for 3 months you will be looking for holiday lets and trying to strike a deal with them for longer term occupancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abiflo Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 Hey! Thank you for your reply! Sorry should have specified, I will definitely be looking for a flat or house share rather than living alone, both to accommodate my budget and to meet new people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Then the people you are sharing with will want to meet you before committing. You'll want to use Seek or Gumtree to find opportunities.As for areas - depends on your budget. East of CBD (beaches) are v expensive; west of CBD less so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belinda Au Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 You will find it impossible to get a rental property before you move as they will insist that you see the property first. Rental properties are usually let by having a half hour open viewing on a Saturday, then people put bids in and the estate agent and landlord agree who to let to. It's not a quick process and minimum rentals tend to be for 6 months, not 3 months. If you are looking for self-contained living for 3 months you will be looking for holiday lets and trying to strike a deal with them for longer term occupancy. I have lived in Sydney all my life and I rent. I can only give you my own experience. Minimum rentals are 12 months. Typically when the 12 month period ends, by agreement with the landlord you can continue on a month-to-month ongoing basis (I have been doing this for 3 years where I am now and have had only 2 rental increases which have been pretty reasonable in my opinion). Open viewings can be arranged for any time. Traditionally they are on a Saturday but for shares it will be when it's convenient for those living in the property (weekends or after work). I have heard of rent bidding. Have never experienced it myself and would avoid like the plague any estate agent/property that's asking for it. Quinkla is correct in that you should be here when looking for property whether it's alone or share - for practical reasons on both sides I should imagine. :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belinda Au Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 You could try areas around universities. Lots of share opportunities there. UNSW (Kensington, Randwick), UTS (Surry Hills, CBD), USyd (Surry Hills, Newtown, Darlington) All have good public transport to and from the CBD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Hi! I'm Abi, and I'm moving to Sydney in September. I will be working in the central business district and will need somewhere to live for 3 months...I will be 23, and looking to have a good time! Also would you recommend finding somewhere to live before I fly over? Or would staying in a hostel a few days and looking be an easy option? Sydney is similar to London - it 's a sprawling city and most families live way out in the suburbs because it's cheaper. If you want to enjoy all Sydney has to offer, you don't want to do that! Go for Inner West (Leichhardt, Glebe, Annandale) or Eastern Suburbs (Coogee, Bondi, Tamarama, Bronte, Randwick, Waverley, Potts Point). They are all expensive but they are where you need to be. I don't fancy your chances of finding accommodation before you arrive. Book into a backpackers - try to find one with smaller rooms (4 people sharing) like the Blue Parrot, because I suspect you'll be staying there longer than a few days, and you'll be more comfortable than in a big dorm. Three months is a very awkward length of time. Minimum rentals on flats are 6 months, so even people looking for shares will prefer someone who can commit to that. However with a bit of luck you'll meet other people at the backpackers who also want to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest km75 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Depends what you like, if you want to be close to the beach, I'd try Bondi or Coogee south of the city or Manly to the north (all three have plenty of backpackers and house shares). Check out gumtree and hostel noticeboards for house share with other travelers. Also local paper will have granny flats and room share ads in the classifieds section. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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