velphick Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 For some!! That's what the father in law said when he first visited us, "you'll get bored with it". We never have and love it just as much, if not more, than when we first came.:cool: True.... now that I actually think about it when it was sunshine every day etc, I NEVER craved an overcast and rain etc etc. Some people are whingers, true, I hear a lot of people in Melbourne complain.... its too hot.... its too cold... or its not cold enough... rather it be colder for shorter and much colder and snow etc etc, some people will ALWAYS wish for something else, for me I never can get enough sunshine and sunny days in general, combined with beaches it is heaven. Got to a point where I hate winter so I was thinking Darwin but the overly expensive houses up there due to a housing shortage, then very expensive rentals (because of the first, lead to the latter) didn't even consider it after a first look online. The thing that really annoys me is how much keeping warm costs due to the poor insulation in such a cold place Melbourne houses really do have. Last winter I had my gas heater running and the bill for 2 months was $800. It wasn't running 24/7 either. Only when awake because it was freezing. And obviously not every day either cause I was working, work that out it is VERY expensive to keep warm it seems. This year I bought thermals but it gets to a point you don't want to wear layers and layers just to keep warm (nevermind my fingers were still freezing as you cant do a lot of things in full gloves, for example computer) in your own house, you just want to be comfortable and it costs a fortune. At least in the summertime it is easy to stay cool with an Air Evaporator and it doesn't cost the earth to run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLexpat Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 We haven't made the move yet down to Aus but I have friends in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne and visited all but Brisbane. I have stayed with the same friends in Melbourne and Sydney, and they prefer Melbourne. We are all different though. I can definitely see a lot of the appeal in Melbourne and I certainly wouldn't rule out living there myself for a while but I'm also a warm weather girl and I know for me I want to follow the sunshine! :-) Having said that I would go easy on yourself. I know for us and many other expats it takes at least a year, more like 2 to feel really settled anywhere. We plan to move to Sydney but we also want to travel more once we arrive and we may eventually settle on a different longer term plan. Having lived in Kuala Lumpur for the past 8 years I know I can live pretty much anywhere for a few years. You just have to look for the positives and focus on those. I am very much ready to leave here but while I am still here, I try to enjoy what living here has to offer. I don't love this city but what makes it home are the friends I've surrounded myself with. That takes time to establish those friendships. However, I appreciate where you are coming from because KL would never be my choice or forever home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 have read some nice reviews on Redcliff (Suttons Beach mostly) ' date=' I'd definitely live there based on the reviews but I think yeah, a trip up north is definitely in order [/quote'] No surf but nice and safe for the kids Solitude at Moreton Bay, Qld, Australia by bidkev1 and son (see profile), on Flickr Redcliffe Pier, Qld, Australia by bidkev1 and son (see profile), on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Was that this weekend? weather has been pretty spectacular. Looks like sunny and blue sky's all week again this week too, although will probably make it a little chilly at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Was that this weekend? weather has been pretty spectacular. Looks like sunny and blue sky's all week again this week too, although will probably make it a little chilly at night. Nope...............been confined to the garden this weekend. It was a couple of years ago when we had a flat calm for 2 weeks. The sediment settled and showed the true colour of the water as it is offshore of Moreton. This was Sandgate...........never seen it so clear as those couple of weeks Groynes, Moreton Bay, Qld, Australia by bidkev1 and son (see profile), on Flickr shorn5 by bidkev1 and son (see profile), on Flickr A touch of Blackpool....no knotted hanky though Redcliffe by bidkev1 and son (see profile), on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velphick Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 No surf but nice and safe for the kids Solitude at Moreton Bay, Qld, Australia by bidkev1 and son (see profile), on Flickr Redcliffe Pier, Qld, Australia by bidkev1 and son (see profile), on Flickr Aye definitely no surf, but easily a nice place to live and driving distance to work if you work in Brissy and to other good surfing beaches yeah? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 ...Brisbane is a lot smaller than Melbourne (and Melbourne is smaller than Sydney) , but it is more expensive also.... Overall Brisbane would be cheaper than Melbourne though ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velphick Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Overall Brisbane would be cheaper than Melbourne though ? Not as cheap as Melbourne (from what I've seen anyways), I think TBH Sydney is in the most demand followed by Darwin and Brisbane so they are all at a shortage (fault of the governments for restricting building and artificially driving the price up due to same demand but lack of supply). It is an Australia wide problem in Cities. The further you go out though the less of a problem it becomes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Overall Brisbane would be cheaper than Melbourne though ? Overall, house prices in Brisbane are definitely cheaper than Melbourne. Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Melbourne are all much higher than Brisbane. http://www.domain.com.au/content/files/apm/reports/ap1400103_housingmarketreport_jan_apm.pdf When comparing prices, it's important to be sure you're comparing similar areas. Sydney and Melbourne sprawl over a huge area and there's a big difference in price between the centre and the outer edge - and of course, there are desirable suburbs and undesirable suburbs. So if you're trying to compare prices and pick (say) a house in Lidcombe (Sydney) and compare it to a house in Redlands (Brisbane), you might find the Sydney house is cheaper - but it definitely isn't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Not as cheap as Melbourne (from what I've seen anyways), I think TBH Sydney is in the most demand followed by Darwin and Brisbane so they are all at a shortage (fault of the governments for restricting building and artificially driving the price up due to same demand but lack of supply). It is an Australia wide problem in Cities. The further you go out though the less of a problem it becomes. How on earth is Melbourne cheaper than Brisbane? if you can find me a house within 5 k's of Melbourne CBD for $700k please show me now and i'll buy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 It is an Australia wide problem in Cities. The further you go out though the less of a problem it becomes. I think prices are still problematic further out. We paid half a million dollars for a house right on the very edge of Melbourne with a travel time to the city centre (train) of one hour. If you looked at equivalent houses an hour's travel of any other major world city outside Australia, you wouldn't find anything nearly as expensive. This leaves me thinking it is a bubble - and bubbles burst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velphick Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 I think prices are still problematic further out. We paid half a million dollars for a house right on the very edge of Melbourne with a travel time to the city centre (train) of one hour. If you looked at equivalent houses an hour's travel of any other major world city outside Australia, you wouldn't find anything nearly as expensive. This leaves me thinking it is a bubble - and bubbles burst. The bubble has been waiting to burst for many many many years now, it will never burst if the government has influence behind it, if they restrict supply and demand will always be there (if not from locals, from foreigners) then no, the bubble will never burst. As in Sydney, there is simply no more room to build. So what can they do? They want to demolish houses and put up apartments.... government or local council rejects those, what now? HUGE demand and lack of supply. I was there trying to rent and had no less than about 50 people at each property applying against / with me on each place. (Around Northern Beaches and North Shore area) if you didn't put in more than the owner was asking for you never got a place. Now a lot of owners are saying rent from x to x and a lot of people still put in that bit extra just to secure the place. I dunno what its like way out in the outer suburbs anymore (as I don't live there anymore but was never a fan of out there anyways due to crime etc) but look at Penrith, even it is having a boom cause no one can afford (or get due to not being available) a place any closer... and that is an hour and 45 min trip to the CBD. In Melbourne I live in Bundoora, takes me about 30 min to get into the CBD (motorbike) or 45 min by car. Really nice area. I look around where my sister used to live about 25 min out of Brissy and I'm paying about $60 - $80 less a week here for 5 min difference? That's where I got my pricing from.... But to the other two posters Marisa and Laston.... the problem with looking at "Median" (same as wages really) is that the HUGELY rich area's put the "Median" up a HELL of a lot, it is just not accurate. Melbourne has some extremely rich suburbs (but they are very few) and that alters the "Median" a LOT, Brisbane on the other hand has fewer suburbs (fewer extremely rich ones also) so won't get affected near as much with this. It is the only reason it is under Melbourne. (Have friends in real estate, trust me it is correct) As I mentioned it is the same when you speak to recruitment agencies.... the "Median" income for a male is $1620 a week.... so who here earns that? Just an example of how the top 1%er's can really blow the figures out of the water for the "Majority" , just like real estate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasepom Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Can't agree about public transport. I find it excellent in Melbourne. 1 hour commute isn't very long, the trains do have to go through many suburbs, just like in the UK, you can easily commute for that long. It's just Melbourne is very big almost like two cities combined for distance. Many friends in UK commute for nearly two hours and its getting worse every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 The bubble has been waiting to burst for many many many years now, it will never burst if the government has influence behind it, if they restrict supply and demand will always be there (if not from locals, from foreigners) then no, the bubble will never burst. As in Sydney, there is simply no more room to build. So what can they do? They want to demolish houses and put up apartments.... government or local council rejects those, what now? HUGE demand and lack of supply. I was there trying to rent and had no less than about 50 people at each property applying against / with me on each place. (Around Northern Beaches and North Shore area) if you didn't put in more than the owner was asking for you never got a place. Now a lot of owners are saying rent from x to x and a lot of people still put in that bit extra just to secure the place. I dunno what its like way out in the outer suburbs anymore (as I don't live there anymore but was never a fan of out there anyways due to crime etc) but look at Penrith, even it is having a boom cause no one can afford (or get due to not being available) a place any closer... and that is an hour and 45 min trip to the CBD. In Melbourne I live in Bundoora, takes me about 30 min to get into the CBD (motorbike) or 45 min by car. Really nice area. I look around where my sister used to live about 25 min out of Brissy and I'm paying about $60 - $80 less a week here for 5 min difference? That's where I got my pricing from.... But to the other two posters Marisa and Laston.... the problem with looking at "Median" (same as wages really) is that the HUGELY rich area's put the "Median" up a HELL of a lot, it is just not accurate. Melbourne has some extremely rich suburbs (but they are very few) and that alters the "Median" a LOT, Brisbane on the other hand has fewer suburbs (fewer extremely rich ones also) so won't get affected near as much with this. It is the only reason it is under Melbourne. (Have friends in real estate, trust me it is correct) As I mentioned it is the same when you speak to recruitment agencies.... the "Median" income for a male is $1620 a week.... so who here earns that? Just an example of how the top 1%er's can really blow the figures out of the water for the "Majority" , just like real estate. I think you need to go back and take GCSE maths and learn the difference between mean, median and mode averages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 In March 2014, 52 suburbs in Melbourne had a median over $1 million. That is a significant amount of houses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PityTheFool Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Statistics are great but they're no substitute for the cold hard facts; we live an hour from the city (by train) and 30 mins from the beach (by car), to buy a 'decent' house, i.e. not a **** hole and big enough to live with a family, you need at least $500k. Don't get me wrong it's a nice suburb but it doesn't offer a city nor a beach lifestyle - pretty expensive I'd say!! So in comparison how close to the city and/or the beach could you get in Brisbane for the same money?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Statistics are great but they're no substitute for the cold hard facts; we live an hour from the city (by train) and 30 mins from the beach (by car), to buy a 'decent' house, i.e. not a **** hole and big enough to live with a family, you need at least $500k. Don't get me wrong it's a nice suburb but it doesn't offer a city nor a beach lifestyle - pretty expensive I'd say!! So in comparison how close to the city and/or the beach could you get in Brisbane for the same money?? I'm 10 minutes from the beaches that I posted pictures of and 30 minutes from the CBD. 15 minutes from Lake Samsonvale and it's picnic areas and 25 minutes from mountains and rainforests.................in a 4 bed 2 bath costing 407K in a lovely quiet (no through traffic) area with traffic calmers and kids playing in street safely..............an hour each way to the surf at the sunshine coast and gold coast.............2 minute walk to train station and same to bus stop to city..................park and ride at both if I lived elsewhere in suburb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I'm 10 minutes from the beaches that I posted pictures of and 30 minutes from the CBD. 15 minutes from Lake Samsonvale and it's picnic areas and 25 minutes from mountains and rainforests.................in a 4 bed 2 bath costing 407K in a lovely quiet (no through traffic) area with traffic calmers and kids playing in street safely..............an hour each way to the surf at the sunshine coast and gold coast.............2 minute walk to train station and same to bus stop to city..................park and ride at both if I lived elsewhere in suburb Sounds great JD. We'll put you down as a place to stay when we come over to Brissie.:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Statistics are great but they're no substitute for the cold hard facts; we live an hour from the city (by train) and 30 mins from the beach (by car), to buy a 'decent' house, i.e. not a **** hole and big enough to live with a family, you need at least $500k. Don't get me wrong it's a nice suburb but it doesn't offer a city nor a beach lifestyle - pretty expensive I'd say!! So in comparison how close to the city and/or the beach could you get in Brisbane for the same money?? The banks will be happy to lend you the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 ...In Melbourne I live in Bundoora, takes me about 30 min to get into the CBD (motorbike) or 45 min by car. Really nice area. I look around where my sister used to live about 25 min out of Brissy and I'm paying about $60 - $80 less a week here for 5 min difference? That's where I got my pricing from.... There could be a million examples the other way around though...depends on so many factors that it is hard to make generalisations from it. .But to the other two posters Marisa and Laston.... the problem with looking at "Median" (same as wages really) is that the HUGELY rich area's put the "Median" up a HELL of a lot, it is just not accurate. Melbourne has some extremely rich suburbs (but they are very few) and that alters the "Median" a LOT, Brisbane on the other hand has fewer suburbs (fewer extremely rich ones also) so won't get affected near as much with this. It is the only reason it is under Melbourne. (Have friends in real estate, trust me it is correct) As I mentioned it is the same when you speak to recruitment agencies.... Brisbane has 500 suburbs with the usual spread so I doubt it would be affected enough to explain the big difference in prices. To be honest I think that real-estate agent is wrong with their theory. They are not in a position to study it properly like the ABS or private outfits like BISShrapnel. Statistically it couldn't make anywhere near enough difference to the median. Median's aren't affected by a lot of extremely high prices like a mean would be. Source: http://www.propertyobserver.com.au/forward-planning/investment-strategy/market-trends/32644-brisbane-houses-has-best-prospect-over-next-three-years-bis-shrapnel.html the "Median" income for a male is $1620 a week.... so who here earns that? Just an example of how the top 1%er's can really blow the figures out of the water for the "Majority" , just like real estate. I'm not sure what you mean with that ...that income, $84,000 (and more) is far more common than the 1% if I'm reading you correctly ? Regardless as a "median" chooses the middle figure from all incomes, rather than averaging them, a lot of high values down one end wouldn't affect the median like it would a "mean" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Sounds great JD. We'll put you down as a place to stay when we come over to Brissie.:wink: Any time Paul............you'd be welcomed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Statistics are great but they're no substitute for the cold hard facts; we live an hour from the city (by train) and 30 mins from the beach (by car), to buy a 'decent' house, i.e. not a **** hole and big enough to live with a family, you need at least $500k. Don't get me wrong it's a nice suburb but it doesn't offer a city nor a beach lifestyle - pretty expensive I'd say!! So in comparison how close to the city and/or the beach could you get in Brisbane for the same money?? Some examples from same area in recent years, 30 mins on the train to CBD, near national park and country areas: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-ferny+grove-107361377 http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-ferny+grove-113548055 http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-ferny+grove-113213139 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 the "Median" income for a male is $1620 a week.... so who here earns that? Just an example of how the top 1%er's can really blow the figures out of the water for the "Majority" Actually, the median is not affected by the top 1%. If you lined everyone up in order of salary, the person right in the middle would be earning the median salary, regardless of how much or how little the top and bottom people earn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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