Moving to Melbourne

[HankScorpio1985]

I recently accepted a job in Melbourne with a private hospital. They are organising my visa (457) through a law firm so that should come through handy enough. I guess at this stage I will be moving in 2-3 months (hopefuly) so I was looking for some advice on a few things.

 

Where would you recommend I live? A bit of background. I am a 31 year old single male. I have been living in London for the past 3 years. I will be based between St Vincents Hospital in the city and Frankston which is 40km or so south. I initially thought about St Kilda/Elwood because I wanted to be close to the beach but I heard the beach around the bay isn't great. Is this true? It would also be difficult to commute to Frankston without having a car. I might get a car after a while though. So then I read a good bit about Richmond and I liked the sound of it. I am looking for somewhere that has a lot going on (bars/restaurants). I only know one person in Melbourne so I will want to get out and meet new people but also handy enough to get to work (<45mins would be ideal) and good public transport links.

 

Would people recommend moving into a house share or living on my own? A house share is a good way to meet new people I know but it's always a lottery. The hospital said they will pay for the first couple of weeks accommodation while I search for a permanent place. Is there anywhere nice to spend the first couple of weeks? Also my salary will be around AUD124K so what would be the right amount to spend on rent? I know its relative to what I want etc. but any rough idea would be good.

 

What agency have people used to move stuff to Australia? The hospital said they would pay and I don't have that much. I don't think I will be bringing much apart from clothes and golf clubs. Maybe a tv and a hi fi.

 

Weird question but as I will be probably be flying home once a year or two is it more advantageous to fly with the same airline or airline alliances? Rather than always looking for the cheapest flights is it better to build up air miles with someone and avail of perks like free upgrades etc? The hospital also said they would pay for my flights over.

 

Is there much truth to the rumour that Australians are very reluctant to integrate new people into their friendship groups? As I said I will only know one person living over there.

 

I know there's a lot in this but any advice/help would be great.

 

Thanks,

 

H

[starlight7]

St Kilda is lively and the beach is ok-has a bit of a vibe to it which you might like after London. Richmond is one of those older suburbs that have rocketed up in price- very urban but plenty of shops, cafes, bars etc. and good train and trams . If you are mainly working in the city Frankston is a bit far out.

[HankScorpio1985]

Hey starlight,

 

Thanks for the info. My time will be split between the city and Frankston. I am not sure what the split will be. So one of the factors of figuring out where to live would be the ease to get to the city and Frankston. I am not looking to live in Frankston.

 

Thanks

 

H

[KiwiKaye]

Hi. St Kilda is a nice spot, but if I were you, I'd seriously consider Richmond. Mainly because Richmond station is a main hub, and you can get loop trains from there to Parliament station, which is only about 2 mins walk to St V's, and get trains direct to Frankston. It will take you about 10 mins from Richmond station to the city hospital, and about 50-60 minutes to Frankston. Of course you could move further down the Frankston line to be more half way between both, but you would obviously be further from the city.

 

We used to live in St Kilda and now live in Frankston so I know both areas fairly well.

 

Good luck with the move!

[HankScorpio1985]

Hey KiwiKaye,

 

Thanks for the info. What is Frankston like? I am not planning on living there but I will obviously be working there a bit. I have heard a few people say that it's a bit rough. Especially around the train station. Is this true?

 

Thanks

 

H

[Ken]

What agency have people used to move stuff to Australia? The hospital said they would pay and I don't have that much. I don't think I will be bringing much apart from clothes and golf clubs. Maybe a tv and a hi fi.

 

Weird question but as I will be probably be flying home once a year or two is it more advantageous to fly with the same airline or airline alliances? Rather than always looking for the cheapest flights is it better to build up air miles with someone and avail of perks like free upgrades etc? The hospital also said they would pay for my flights over.

 

If you're not bringing much I'd recommend using Seven Seas.

 

I'd recommend sticking to the one airline if you can. Not only will it be more convenient to have all your air miles in the same place but you'll go up the tiers quicker. It's amazing how much more convenient (and comfortable) it is to have a Silver card to get you into the business lounge even when flying economy. You're also much more likely to get a free upgrade.

[Guest Priscilla101]

If you're working between the two you're going to need a car. I've just started with a hospital out here and organised a lease car through them before I started work. Makes life easier.

There is a big strip of "villages" between St kilda and Frankston each with nice houses and shops. I've moved into Hampton which works for me for a 10 min commute in rush hour. But each are similar. Houses and a shopping strip of cute little shops. I really loved Brighton but it was very expensive. You cannot rent a property until you have seen it. And although this sounds silly it is mandatory as the pictures are well photoshopped. Some newer apartments closer to st.kilda may be furnished. Lots in the cbd (city centre) are furnished. Look on domain.com.au realestate.com.au and realestate view.com.au for properties. Only you can decide how much you're willing to pay and what for. Take into consideration the bond as well as the rent as its s big hit and the hospital may ask for reciepts after rather than paying first.

Remember if you don't bring it, you won't have bed, tv, fridge, sofa, plates.

Electrical are a bit more expensive - jb hifi, Bunnings, super amart are the electrical stores but you can get stuff second hand or free on gumtree and Facebook but youll need transport to pick up.

[Petals]

If you are going to be working in Frankston then look at the areas around Frankston, South Frankston, Mornington, Mount Martha all lovely places to live. It will be easier for you to get to work and not so expensive to rent. The closer you move to the central business district the more expensive rentals become.

 

I live not far from Frankston and would not live anywhere else. Yesterday I was down in Sorrento on the Peninsula and it was a beautiful day. Clear skies no pollution heaven.

 

See you will be at St Vincents too, gosh those two hospitals do not go together trip wise. If it was Monash and Frankson its only a 40 min drive. St Vincents unfortunately is in the city and in a particularly nasty place for traffic, snarl all day around there, due to the Eastern freeway and the Citi link freeways not being joined up. Also parking problems. Frankston on the other hand parking problems again but easy to get to ha ha

Edited September 7, 2016 by Petals

[KiwiKaye]

Hi,

 

We've been living down here for a year now, and love it. I work in the city and drive to Carrum Station each morning, as you can't get parking at Frankston after about 7am. In total it takes me about 75-90 minutes to get to work which is about 2 buildings away from St Vincent's.

 

Frankston is a mixed bag people-wise but its interesting, and we've not had any problems so far - even coming home on the train late some nights. I would not suggest hanging around the main train station at 2am! But that goes for pretty much anywhere these days. Frankston beach is lovely and there is some good cafes and restaurants down this way - and access to the Peninsula is fantastic. Lots of things to see and do on weekends. We've got to know more of our neighbours in the 1 year here, than in several years in other places we've lived.

 

I agree with Priscilla101 - you will likely need a car. It will be easier to work things out once you know how much time you will be spending in each location. If you are going to rely on public transport, then definitely stick with somewhere on the Frankston line (http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au for timetables and route maps), as you can get to both places. Rent-wise it will start expensive near the city and get progressively cheaper as you get further away. If you want to be beach-side of the Nepean Highway down bayside, it will be considerably more expensive than further inland, but in most places you can walk to the stations from there.

[Marisawright]

As KiwiKaye says, take a look at the Frankston line and stick to stations on that line, otherwise you'll get thoroughly sick of the commute! You'll be laughing on that salary, it should be no problem finding a nice flat in an area you'll enjoy.

 

I would recommend booking an extra couple of weeks accommodation - two weeks is not enough to check out all the areas AND arrange a lease. You'll probably have to sign a 12 month lease so you don't want to rush into things! Buzzybee on these forums has accommodation specially for new arrivals, or check out Airbnb.

[evets]

Agree with others about sticking to the Frankston line if you are going to be using public transport. Even if it just for the first year till you get your bearings. Anywhere between South Yarra and Caulfield might be a good compromise and will also mean you can use trams also. Since you are single, think these suburbs would offer a good compromise for you in terms of being close to the city, good coffee shops, cafes, bars, etc.

 

You do not mention if you will be working shift hours, if so then getting a car I would recommend as outside business hours trains and buses do not run as frequently and you could find your self with a long wait at the train station especially after coming from the London Underground.

 

https://www.flatmatefinders.com.au/ is a good way to find shared accommodation. One thing I found was say 2 people wanted to rent a place, they would find a 3 bed so they could get 2 decent bedrooms, which meant the smaller bedroom was the one to find a room mate for.

 

If you go down the route of your own unit, note that they do not come with a fridge/freezer or washing machine unlike the UK. Launderettes are pretty plentiful though.

 

As for rents, this is subjective as depending on the area you live in. As others mentioned, moving out further does get you more value. The rents have stablised a lot in the past few years, when I moved 7 years ago it was crazy. You would have 30 to 40+ people coming for the inspection. Some people handing over completed application forms before even setting foot inside, others offering to pay higher than the rate advertised. Over hearing conversations on the train/tram people complaining landlords putting the rents up every 6 months. From what I can see at the moment, definitely not like this anymore and not for a number of years. My rent has not been put up in the last 3 years, I believe a lot more property vacancies these days.

I pay $360/w for a 2 bed detached unit with garage and courtyard SE Melbourne(15km or so from CBD, 10/15 minute walk to a choice of 2 train station's and then around 15/20 mins to Flinders Street.

 

Rents in the suburbs I mentioned, probably will not get you some thing like this but a unit in an apartment block. Then again you may get lucky. Think it all depends on much rent you want to pay.

If you are going to rent a unit by yourself, try to get your application sent in as quick as possible as the REA usually processes first come first served. Any references you can bring from the UK will also help. Might also be worthwhile getting a credit check report before you leave.

 

As you mentioned your golf clubs, quite a number of gold courses around Melbourne. Check them out on Google maps, as this may be a deciding factor in buying a car. Not sure how many are easily accessible using public transport.

 

 

Regarding beaches, I found once you get to Elwood/Middle Brighton they start to become appealing as in the water is clear.

[evets]

Is there much truth to the rumour that Australians are very reluctant to integrate new people into their friendship groups? As I said I will only know one person living over there.

 

Again this will be subjective, but I found the guys I worked with to be friendly but not very sociable. I suppose the location of my office did not help as not CBD based so a lot of people drove to the office. Friday night social drinks which was a custom in London, suddenly did not exist. Also it would also depend if you lived in a shared house and how sociable they are, some are close knit to there friends others more open to inviting you out with them.

 

I have certainly found they do take longer to integrate with than what I found in London. But each to there own personal experience. What does your friend say, are they Australian or did they migrate?

 

As a side note, something you will find very different here in Melbourne coming from London. Is the bar culture.

In London it is relatively easy to spot a pub. In Melbourne it is not. It may just be a door on the street, and then a flight or two stairs later you find yourself in a bar. From street level you would never know it existed.

[Lambethlad]

St Kilda has the buzz young people are after. It's a magnet for backpackers, artists. bohemian alternative types and the gay community. It also has a seedy side with druggies and street prostitutes. It just depends on the lifestyle you are looking for. There's nothing wrong with Frankston but it's not as lively as St Kilda. Frankston does have 10 kms of Melbourne's best beaches but you'll only use them in summer. There's much to do and see in Melbourne and Victoria but you really need a car to get around. The best way to integrate in Melbourne is to pretend you are interested in learning about AFL - people will then insist on taking you to a game and adopting their team - then you will be in like Flynn.

[starlight7]

You could be like me and barack for St Kilda ( not so many of us!) Do NOT go for Collingwood!!

[HankScorpio1985]

If you're not bringing much I'd recommend using Seven Seas.

 

I'd recommend sticking to the one airline if you can. Not only will it be more convenient to have all your air miles in the same place but you'll go up the tiers quicker. It's amazing how much more convenient (and comfortable) it is to have a Silver card to get you into the business lounge even when flying economy. You're also much more likely to get a free upgrade.

 

Thanks for this. I didn't realise shipping stuff was that expensive though. Good job I don't have much!

[HankScorpio1985]

If you're working between the two you're going to need a car. I've just started with a hospital out here and organised a lease car through them before I started work. Makes life easier.

There is a big strip of "villages" between St kilda and Frankston each with nice houses and shops. I've moved into Hampton which works for me for a 10 min commute in rush hour. But each are similar. Houses and a shopping strip of cute little shops. I really loved Brighton but it was very expensive. You cannot rent a property until you have seen it. And although this sounds silly it is mandatory as the pictures are well photoshopped. Some newer apartments closer to st.kilda may be furnished. Lots in the cbd (city centre) are furnished. Look on domain.com.au realestate.com.au and realestate view.com.au for properties. Only you can decide how much you're willing to pay and what for. Take into consideration the bond as well as the rent as its s big hit and the hospital may ask for reciepts after rather than paying first.

Remember if you don't bring it, you won't have bed, tv, fridge, sofa, plates.

Electrical are a bit more expensive - jb hifi, Bunnings, super amart are the electrical stores but you can get stuff second hand or free on gumtree and Facebook but youll need transport to pick up.

 

Thanks for these tips. I thought I might need a car alright but I may wait a while to get a 2nd hand one over there. I don't mind the commute as long as it's less than an hour. So I think I might live nearer to the city where there's more going on socially.

[HankScorpio1985]

If you are going to be working in Frankston then look at the areas around Frankston, South Frankston, Mornington, Mount Martha all lovely places to live. It will be easier for you to get to work and not so expensive to rent. The closer you move to the central business district the more expensive rentals become.

 

I live not far from Frankston and would not live anywhere else. Yesterday I was down in Sorrento on the Peninsula and it was a beautiful day. Clear skies no pollution heaven.

 

See you will be at St Vincents too, gosh those two hospitals do not go together trip wise. If it was Monash and Frankson its only a 40 min drive. St Vincents unfortunately is in the city and in a particularly nasty place for traffic, snarl all day around there, due to the Eastern freeway and the Citi link freeways not being joined up. Also parking problems. Frankston on the other hand parking problems again but easy to get to ha ha

 

Hi Petals,

 

Thanks for this info. I think I am going to try and live closer to the city where there is more going on socially. I was thinking that if I did get a car that I would just use it to commute to Frankston. I would use public transport to get into the city.

[HankScorpio1985]

Hi,

 

We've been living down here for a year now, and love it. I work in the city and drive to Carrum Station each morning, as you can't get parking at Frankston after about 7am. In total it takes me about 75-90 minutes to get to work which is about 2 buildings away from St Vincent's.

 

Frankston is a mixed bag people-wise but its interesting, and we've not had any problems so far - even coming home on the train late some nights. I would not suggest hanging around the main train station at 2am! But that goes for pretty much anywhere these days. Frankston beach is lovely and there is some good cafes and restaurants down this way - and access to the Peninsula is fantastic. Lots of things to see and do on weekends. We've got to know more of our neighbours in the 1 year here, than in several years in other places we've lived.

 

I agree with Priscilla101 - you will likely need a car. It will be easier to work things out once you know how much time you will be spending in each location. If you are going to rely on public transport, then definitely stick with somewhere on the Frankston line (www.ptv.vic.gov.au for timetables and route maps), as you can get to both places. Rent-wise it will start expensive near the city and get progressively cheaper as you get further away. If you want to be beach-side of the Nepean Highway down bayside, it will be considerably more expensive than further inland, but in most places you can walk to the stations from there.

 

Thanks for this. Ya I guessed that's what would be the case regarding Frankston. It sounds the same as anywhere late at night. Certainly no different to some of the areas in London!

[HankScorpio1985]

As KiwiKaye says, take a look at the Frankston line and stick to stations on that line, otherwise you'll get thoroughly sick of the commute! You'll be laughing on that salary, it should be no problem finding a nice flat in an area you'll enjoy.

 

I would recommend booking an extra couple of weeks accommodation - two weeks is not enough to check out all the areas AND arrange a lease. You'll probably have to sign a 12 month lease so you don't want to rush into things! Buzzybee on these forums has accommodation specially for new arrivals, or check out Airbnb.

 

Thanks for this. Especially for the tips on having an extra few weeks accommodation at the start. As long as the commute is an hour or less then I don't think I will mind. I also have the option of cycling to a train station from St Kilda and getting the train to Frankston.

[HankScorpio1985]

You could be like me and barack for St Kilda ( not so many of us!) Do NOT go for Collingwood!!

 

Haha. Why do people dislike Collingwood? I actually have one of their jerseys but it was gave to me as a surprise present years ago. Maybe the person didn't actually like me. I see that none of the Melbourne teams are doing that well recently.

[HankScorpio1985]

Agree with others about sticking to the Frankston line if you are going to be using public transport. Even if it just for the first year till you get your bearings. Anywhere between South Yarra and Caulfield might be a good compromise and will also mean you can use trams also. Since you are single, think these suburbs would offer a good compromise for you in terms of being close to the city, good coffee shops, cafes, bars, etc.

 

You do not mention if you will be working shift hours, if so then getting a car I would recommend as outside business hours trains and buses do not run as frequently and you could find your self with a long wait at the train station especially after coming from the London Underground.

 

https://www.flatmatefinders.com.au/ is a good way to find shared accommodation. One thing I found was say 2 people wanted to rent a place, they would find a 3 bed so they could get 2 decent bedrooms, which meant the smaller bedroom was the one to find a room mate for.

 

If you go down the route of your own unit, note that they do not come with a fridge/freezer or washing machine unlike the UK. Launderettes are pretty plentiful though.

 

As for rents, this is subjective as depending on the area you live in. As others mentioned, moving out further does get you more value. The rents have stablised a lot in the past few years, when I moved 7 years ago it was crazy. You would have 30 to 40+ people coming for the inspection. Some people handing over completed application forms before even setting foot inside, others offering to pay higher than the rate advertised. Over hearing conversations on the train/tram people complaining landlords putting the rents up every 6 months. From what I can see at the moment, definitely not like this anymore and not for a number of years. My rent has not been put up in the last 3 years, I believe a lot more property vacancies these days.

I pay $360/w for a 2 bed detached unit with garage and courtyard SE Melbourne(15km or so from CBD, 10/15 minute walk to a choice of 2 train station's and then around 15/20 mins to Flinders Street.

 

Rents in the suburbs I mentioned, probably will not get you some thing like this but a unit in an apartment block. Then again you may get lucky. Think it all depends on much rent you want to pay.

If you are going to rent a unit by yourself, try to get your application sent in as quick as possible as the REA usually processes first come first served. Any references you can bring from the UK will also help. Might also be worthwhile getting a credit check report before you leave.

 

As you mentioned your golf clubs, quite a number of gold courses around Melbourne. Check them out on Google maps, as this may be a deciding factor in buying a car. Not sure how many are easily accessible using public transport.

 

 

Regarding beaches, I found once you get to Elwood/Middle Brighton they start to become appealing as in the water is clear.

 

Thanks for all of this. Great info! I guess one of the main reasons in thinking about moving to St Kilda is because it's close the sea. I just have it in my head that what's the point in moving to Australia if you're not going to be close to the sea? But also because it seems to be an expat area. Might be easier to settle in there. Kind of similar to Clapham in London.

I won't be working shift hours a lot but it could be a few times a week.

Edited September 8, 2016 by HankScorpio1985

[Beaty]

Mornintgon and Mount Martha are very nice and if you didnt mind the drive to Frankston Station.

 

Aussies will be your friend, just put yourself out there, join clubs ditch the telly etc.

 

B

[HankScorpio1985]

Is there much truth to the rumour that Australians are very reluctant to integrate new people into their friendship groups? As I said I will only know one person living over there.

 

Again this will be subjective, but I found the guys I worked with to be friendly but not very sociable. I suppose the location of my office did not help as not CBD based so a lot of people drove to the office. Friday night social drinks which was a custom in London, suddenly did not exist. Also it would also depend if you lived in a shared house and how sociable they are, some are close knit to there friends others more open to inviting you out with them.

 

I have certainly found they do take longer to integrate with than what I found in London. But each to there own personal experience. What does your friend say, are they Australian or did they migrate?

 

As a side note, something you will find very different here in Melbourne coming from London. Is the bar culture.

In London it is relatively easy to spot a pub. In Melbourne it is not. It may just be a door on the street, and then a flight or two stairs later you find yourself in a bar. From street level you would never know it existed.

 

Thanks for this. My friend is Irish but he is living with his Australian girlfriend. I guess they are fairly settled down so not sure how much socialising they will be up for. I will grill him for more info though.

A door on the street for a bar sounds like it's right up my street. I am a big fan of an old man style pub. No loud music, good conversation and nice pints.

[HankScorpio1985]

Mornintgon and Mount Martha are very nice and if you didnt mind the drive to Frankston Station.

 

Aussies will be your friend, just put yourself out there, join clubs ditch the telly etc.

 

B

 

I think they might be a bit too far away from the city to live to be honest.

[HankScorpio1985]

St Kilda has the buzz young people are after. It's a magnet for backpackers, artists. bohemian alternative types and the gay community. It also has a seedy side with druggies and street prostitutes. It just depends on the lifestyle you are looking for. There's nothing wrong with Frankston but it's not as lively as St Kilda. Frankston does have 10 kms of Melbourne's best beaches but you'll only use them in summer. There's much to do and see in Melbourne and Victoria but you really need a car to get around. The best way to integrate in Melbourne is to pretend you are interested in learning about AFL - people will then insist on taking you to a game and adopting their team - then you will be in like Flynn.

 

Thanks for this. I do quite enjoy afl so that shouldn't be a problem. I just need to figure out who to support.

Would you have any recommendations on the best places to buy a second had car? Reliable and affordable sites or dealers?