swampey Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Just thought I would share some of our experiences of emigrating to Australia. We had a 189 visa that we applied for in August, granted in November and arrived in Sydney on the 2nd January. Bad experiences Rented housing in Sydney is shockingly bad. We looked on the North shore (all over) and had to pay $1000 a week for something semi liveable (married with 3 young kids). The limited number of houses and large number of migrants makes it a landlords market. Be warned! Not everywhere appears to have damp proof coursing so I know a number of established migrants who have suffered. Also, earthing electrical wiring seems to be optional so strongly suggest you buy extension leads with surge protection (friend of mine suffered when a nearby telegraph post got hit by lightning; surge travelled down telephone, through internet hub and into his computer via Ethernet lead. Computer fried). Schools take the piss. First they charge you extortionate prices for the uniforms, then they ask for volunteers to help out with everything (school dinner supervision, tuck shop, uniform shop etc). They also ask for a voluntary contribution every term, stationary etc. Still waiting on our belongings. They were collected from the UK at the beginning of December and are due to arrive this week. Luckily we packed a load of camping gear in the airfreight so at least we have the basics. However, the basics are wearing a bit thin after a months use! All credit cards have fees as well as interest. Plus they demand all evidence to be certified which mans finding a JP somewhere to do it for you. Would strongly recommend steering clear of them and simply using debit cards. Mosquitoes! Probably area-specific, but my wife and I came out in MASSIVE hives from being bitten at night. Mesh on the screens, anti-histamines, plug in repellent have just about kept them at bay. Internet. generally there are two cable internet provides; Optus and Telstra. Telstra offer tv packages with Foxtel, Optus offer something similar to Freeview+ (i.e. free to air channels plus some internet services such as recordable tv etc). Other internet providers suppler ADSL2+ only. We asked for Optus internet at the beginning of February - still waiting. As expensive as it is, they make no attempt to save money / energy. Petrol is the equivalent of 60p per litre, I have seen very few solar panels, very few solar cells, very little water conservation (i.e. water butts), fluorescent bulbs / leds are limited etc. When you are renting, you are very restricted how you can reduce your outgoings. Weather forecasting is rubbish. You might as well look out of your window and guess. Generally, however, sunny all day with rain at night (possibly but its dark so you don't know). Beer and LAger are expensive. Had to switch to Aussie wine, which is far cheaper. Good Experiences Applying for things such Tax File Number, Driving License, Family Tax Benefits and medicare have been a doddle. Medical insurance was a bit of a nightmare to start with (choice overload); however once you realise that everyone covers the basics (hospital and ambulance) and all the others are 'extras', you soon realise what is and isn't important. Took about a week to buy a brand new car (Prius V). We got the equivalent of Hire Purchase (Toyota advantage) which may be a bit of a rip off; however, my contract lasts three years and if I have to return to the UK I'd rather just hand the car back rather than sell it at a massive loss. Trains are dirt cheap. get an oyster card, travel 20km by train, equivalent of £2.50. Unfortunately they are also dead slow (same journey takes 35mins). Sydney is a hidden gem. surrounded by national parks with Illawara to South, Katoomba to West and Kur Ring Gai to north. Can't wait to get my bike and go cycling. Parks everywhere, plus city centre is pretty vibrant (however expensive but same as all other major cities). Wine is dirt cheap. Bought a 4L box of red wine, cost about £5. Still glad I made the move but do not expect to make any money from it (or lose money). However, its a once in a lifetime experience, how many other people get to see the other side of the world? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Great post! A realistic view of renting/living in Sydney. I met many new migrants who thought the streets would be paved in gold and felt very let down. Good to hear you are enjoying yourself though!! :cute: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamffc Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Sounds like you're having an adventure alright. Hope your shipping turns up soon! How have you found looking got work in Sydney or did you already have that sorted. Well done on discovering goon (cheap cask wine) I'm no expert so can't tell the difference between that an expensive bottle. Along with public transport and sports tickets the other thing I found cheaper in Oz was dominos pizza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny842003 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 That isn't wine that is goon plain and simple haha. No hangover like a goonover at least you can blow the bag up to make a handy pillow for your sore head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Just thought I would share some of our experiences of emigrating to Australia. We had a 189 visa that we applied for in August, granted in November and arrived in Sydney on the 2nd January. Wine is dirt cheap. Bought a 4L box of red wine, cost about £5. This is good for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) Weather forecasting is rubbish. You might as well look out of your window and guess. Pretty much. The weather has its very obvious warning signs here (so muggy) before a storm or so. Every other day, just assume sun. I do like looking at the radar though ( http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR714.loop.shtml#skip ) as you can see just how much rain is starting to head your way. Trains are dirt cheap. get an oyster card, travel 20km by train, equivalent of £2.50. Not sure if you know (loads of people don't seem to realise it) but the Oyster has a daily cap of $15, a weekly cap of $60, and Sundays are a cap of $2.50 for the whole day (including ferries). My Sundays are now normally sitting on the ferries or heading on a bus (or several). Still glad I made the move but do not expect to make any money from it (or lose money). The exchange rate has made sure of that! Congrats on the move! Edited February 18, 2015 by jonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Mosquitoes! Probably area-specific, but my wife and I came out in MASSIVE hives from being bitten at night. Mesh on the screens, anti-histamines, plug in repellent have just about kept them at bay. +1... I arrived in Sydney last week, and although I've only actually seen/killed 3 mosquitoes, I've been bitten all over my forearms where they've come up in solid red lumps and are still itching 5-6 days later. Presumably my immune system hasn't encountered this species before. (As I travel I've found that some mosquito bites came up and went away in minutes, while some became sore and itchy.) Personally I certainly wouldn't be sleeping with bedroom windows open unless there are screens on them, but then again I'm a bit of a mozzie magnet and I'm used to putting the bedroom into lockdown before going to bed! Trains are dirt cheap. get an oyster card, travel 20km by train, equivalent of £2.50. Unfortunately they are also dead slow (same journey takes 35mins). Yes, the Opal Card (as it's known) is great, and as of recently you can use it on buses, ferries and the light rail (trams). I've been using mine constantly since I arrived. Grab a card from any 7-Eleven, and if you have a bank card you can register it at https://www.opal.com.au/ so that it automatically gets topped up when it goes under $10. I've been impressed with the speed of the ferries for taking short cuts... e.g. from Balmain Wharf to Circular Quay is only 11 mins, whereas it would be about 35-40 mins by bus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I have 2 credit cards neither of which have a fee: Citibank rewards Platinum ANZ frequent flyer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I have 2 credit cards neither of which have a fee: Citibank rewards Platinum ANZ frequent flyer congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 congratulations. Thanks. I don't consider getting credit an achievement though. Nice to see you venturing off Muslim related threads though congrats on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconcannon Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 This post is great! We too are moving to Sydney soon, hopefully the Northern Beaches, so it's really helpful reading your post! Can I ask did you have jobs when you arrived? We won't & were worried we'll struggle to get a rental without paying X amount of months up front - how did you go about this? What was your experience? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) We too are moving to Sydney soon, hopefully the Northern Beaches, The rental market in Sydney is incredibly competitive, and all the real estate agents are working for the landlords. Tenants don't get treated well, IMHO, compared to countries where you actually pay them to help you find something. If you can offer lots of documentation to convince the landlord and brokers that you are solvent (or, ideally, relatively wealthy), and reliable, etc then this can only help. Probably a good idea to start working on getting those reference letters before you leave... there will be a million and one other things to deal with when you get here. There are short-term letting options as well... I've been using Airbnb since I arrived, which has been a huge amount of work to be honest... although this seems like a terrible time to appear (February) as you're competing with all the students arriving at the start of the academic year, plus Mardi Gras has just kicked off. There are also agents who let stuff "short term", for inflated prices, but at least you're not competing with the long-term people. Some of these people are also active on Airbnb. I'd be happy to share some specific agents' details by PM or by posting here... maybe mods can advise on protocol. btw I've been told that North Sydney is even more expensive than the South, but my experience so far is only with the South side (and inner West at that). Edited February 23, 2015 by mungbean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconcannon Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 @mungbean thank you so much for your advice, that's really very helpful! Please do message me some more info on agents etc! Huge thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickyplum Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 @mungbean thank you so much for your advice, that's really very helpful! Please do message me some more info on agents etc! Huge thanks in advance I would be interested in any agency related tips too Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I would be interested in any agency related tips too Thanks! Me too, thanks @mungbean [emoji106] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Ps - great post by @swampey the OP. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swampey Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 I had a job lined up, my wife didn't. She is a primary school teacher and is having a load of bother getting the stat to recognise her qualifications. About three different institutions are involved, none of which speak to each other. With regards to deposit, it is one month up front with 2 weeks deposit (I think). We had some savings from the sale of our car in the UK so used this. Rent tends to get paid fortnightly, so that wasn't too bad. Basically fuel is cheaper, housing is more expensive (in Sydney) but everything else is about the same. As I think I posted previously, housing quality is absolutely rubbish for the money you pay, but that is the price of living in a relatively congested city where demand outstrips supply. I suspect a lot of new migrants are sick of the poor housing so move into new flats near the cbd. If you have the money you buy a derelict house on the outskirts, demolish it and build a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 housing quality is absolutely rubbish for the money you pay, but that is the price of living in a relatively congested city where demand outstrips supply. Or put another way -- it's bloody expensive and you will probably need to increase your budget for renting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamffc Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Or put another way -- it's bloody expensive and you will probably need to increase your budget for renting. Are you comparing like with like? The reason I ask is that most people who complain about property prices move from regional england to one of the state capitals, of course that is going to be more expensive just as moving to London would be. Personally I found Melbourne on a par with London back when the aussie dollar was at its strongest so it's probably a good bit cheaper now. It's the sane when people claim that healthcare is better in Australia compared to the NHS which really an unfair comparison. It should be compared to BUPA and Nuffield hospitals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 (edited) Are you comparing like with like? Exactly my point. Maybe @swampey didn't mean it that way, but to say "housing quality is absolutely rubbish for the money you pay" suggests expecting to pay the same for the same. First rule of house-hunting in my book is to increase your budget as soon as you realise you're never going to find something to meet your standards for what you'd originally planned to spend. Either that, or re-write your criteria... such as look in cheaper areas that are further away from work. FWIW in the last 10 years I've lived in London, Edinburgh, Delhi and Bangalore. All different, and all considered "expensive" by many who live there. London was eye-watering, and Delhi was close. (But Mumbai is off the scale...) Mainly depends on what you're earning though, eh? Edited April 15, 2015 by mungbean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swampey Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Apologies for confusion; I was comparing UK housing to Australian housing. I've lived in various places throughout the UK including renting and purchasing. The closest I lived to London was a 5-year old house in Milton Keynes. So to clarify what I meant by poor value for money - I pay $1000 per week (£500) and for that I get a house with no double glazing, no insulation, no heating and no air con. Very expensive to run in Autumn / Winter (need to use portable electric heaters) and very cold / uncomfortable. In summer, the house was baking hot for reasons mentioned previously (no air con, no insulation etc). The benefit is I have a swimming pool that the kids loved in summer, but the landlord did not provide a cover to keep it clean / warm. For Summer I intend to buy a liquid cover that should at least keep it warm and also prevent as much evaporation. The other big issue is damp. It is a lot more humid than the UK and it is not unusual for properties to smell 'foisty'. Things like damp proof coursing don't appear to be common, although our house has it. Its easy to say 'why didn't you shop around'? We shopped around all over the north shore (which is notoriously expensive anyway) and this was the best we could find for the money. Some properties were practically derelict for the same money, but they were in a good school area so the landlords felt they could charge the money they did. Its also easy to say 'if you don't like it go home'. The fact is we are willing to forego all of the above to experience something we thought we never would. I grew up in a council estate in West Yorkshire and I now live in a house with a pool in Sydney Australia! If I get sick of it, I'm in the position where I could easily go back to the UK (my property is currently being leased out). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Yep, North Shore you are going to be paying heaps. Nice though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 where abouts ion the north shore @swampey are you living? (if you don't mind saying?) - we'll be looking fora place as soon as we land (in under 7 weeks time) - so any info is useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swampey Posted May 23, 2015 Author Share Posted May 23, 2015 We live in Warrawee, although we are actually closer to the centre of Turramurra. We reckon we are going to stay where we are for a year and then head up to North Turramurra, as I can cycle to the train station to commute into Sydney. Depending on availability we reckon we should be able to save around $100 rent a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) had to pay $1000 a week for something semi liveable (married with 3 young kids). Until last month, I lived on the North Shore too. In a beautiful location. Had a lovely 3 bedroomed house with a massive garden and great bush view. I only paid $400 a week rent. Warrawee is generally considered to be a very posh upmarket suburb. Yep you will pay big $$$$ there. For a bit cheaper you would need to move more out. Upper North rather than just North. Edited May 24, 2015 by jumpingjellybean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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