Garym85 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Hi, I arrive in Sydney mid January and I am looking to lean on the advice and experience of anyone who has done this before. We will be shipping furniture over but that won't arrive until Late March/Early April. In the meantime we were looking at all options- for the first couple of weeks it will probably be Airbnb but the costs are that bit higher which means this would only be 2-3 weeks max. How difficult is it to find a rental property in the space of a couple of weeks? The actual looking part is something we can do out with working hours and before I start my new job. I am more conscious of the time in takes real estate etc. Feels a bit of a dilemma given most leases are 6 month minimum which means we will have furnished apartment and furniture arriving- we can put this into storage though. Also, in terms of ID- all we will have initially is passport, U.K. Driving license and proof of my employement. Not sure if birth certificates etc count. If anyone has suggestions, also looking down gumtree route also Any help much appreciated Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise03 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Exactly what I need to know.. we are moving anytime from July so thought I'd tag on your message for any advice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 (edited) We moved over eight years ago and arranged a rental before we came through a relocation agent, which might be an option. It was expensive, but OH's company paid for it. Most people take a holiday rental for the first few weeks, unfortunately you are coming at peak holiday time which is why it is expensive. In my experience the rental market turns over pretty quickly here, so you should be okay to find somewhere in that time. However you will need to be organised. You'll need 100 points of identification, if you go on to any estate agents website it should tell you what you need. Have that paperwork photocopied (and maybe signed by a JP) ready to go, so that if say you visit three or four houses on one day and want to submit applications for two, you have the paperwork ready for both - the rental market is competitive here, you don't choose the property, the landlord/agent choose you so you have to move quickly if you see something you like. Unfortunately most viewings are done as open homes (usually on a Saturday, for half an hour time-slots), although you might be able to build up a relationship with the real estate agents so that you can see properties at other times. I would advise having a really good look around the internet before you come, and look at real estate agents, train timetables/commute distances, schools etc before you come so that you have an idea of which areas to concentrate your search. Most rentals come unfurnished I think, but you can pick up cheap/free furniture on places like Gumtree or on area Facebook pages to manage with until your things arrive. You can also rent furniture, but again this is expensive. Edited November 13, 2016 by LKC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 ^That Get yourselves as ready as you can be with ID and everything Do research on Domain and realestate.com.au......working out what suburbs you are focusing your search on is the first thing to do and even that can be a challenge if you don't know Sydney In terms of the mechanics of getting a rental, it moves quite quickly. Most homes are only advertised when they are already available, if you like it and put an application in, you'll be signed up within 24-48 hours if they like your application. People are always moving here so it can seem quite competitive, but the market is a lot softer than it was in 2011-2012 (less people coming in, many more flats have been built) so you should find something. You'll need deposit (usually 4 weeks rent) and the first month's rent up front. Possibly more if you want to offer that on your application (eg if you don't have a job lined up and so the landlord might be nervous about your ability to pay for the full 6 or 12 months). Most open homes are on Saturdays and Wednesdays. It can be a stretch getting around places fast enough, so again a fair bit of research and planning ahead is called for. Many properties are minimum 12 months lease because re-advertising and re-leasing costs money, landlords would prefer to avoid. And almost all are unfurnished. Better to rent unfurnished and camp/buy really cheap gear for a bit than try to find furnished (tiny proportion of the market) and have to handle having your stuff arrive. Any idea where you are centring your search? Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 (edited) Hi, I arrive in Sydney mid January and I am looking to lean on the advice and experience of anyone who has done this before. We will be shipping furniture over but that won't arrive until Late March/Early April. In the meantime we were looking at all options- for the first couple of weeks it will probably be Airbnb but the costs are that bit higher which means this would only be 2-3 weeks max. How difficult is it to find a rental property in the space of a couple of weeks? The actual looking part is something we can do out with working hours and before I start my new job. I am more conscious of the time in takes real estate etc. Feels a bit of a dilemma given most leases are 6 month minimum which means we will have furnished apartment and furniture arriving- we can put this into storage though. Also, in terms of ID- all we will have initially is passport, U.K. Driving license and proof of my employement. Not sure if birth certificates etc count. If anyone has suggestions, also looking down gumtree route also Any help much appreciated Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I think it might be better to prepare for a bit longer in the short term accommodation. Two weeks could be really pushing it, because viewings tend to only be Wednesday and Saturday and if there is competition you might just miss out. Private viewings outside those times tend to be more at the higher end of the market, ie. for larger / more expensive houses. We found our first weekend of viewings we were just getting togrips with neighbourhoods. We then realised we needed to up the budget and at that point the private viewings opened up but it took about three weeks to find somewhere we were comfortable with and then another week to go through the process and get in. We didn't find the paperwork particularly onerous, none of the agents seemed particularly bothered about the 100 points of ID which is mentioned but we were told as new arrivals they understood we might not have some things. But we were organised, we put together a rental pack with a covering introductory letter, proof of savings, proof of employment and we got the agent handling our UK house (which we rented out) to write a note confirming we were home owners in the UK. I would also not be considering furnished. It would seriously limit the available housing stock and would come at a premium. Do what everybody else does - indoor camping until the container arrives. Edited November 14, 2016 by Bungo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzy--bee Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 I think it might be better to prepare for a bit longer in the short term accommodation. Two weeks could be really pushing it, because viewings tend to only be Wednesday and Saturday and if there is competition you might just miss out. Agreed. People who stay in our short-term accommodation generally stay for 4 weeks. The other issue with only staying 2 weeks is that you may have to accept a sh1thole as a rental because it is the only thing available the one week you are looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABL275 Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Hi, I arrive in Sydney mid January and I am looking to lean on the advice and experience of anyone who has done this before. We will be shipping furniture over but that won't arrive until Late March/Early April. In the meantime we were looking at all options- for the first couple of weeks it will probably be Airbnb but the costs are that bit higher which means this would only be 2-3 weeks max. How difficult is it to find a rental property in the space of a couple of weeks? The actual looking part is something we can do out with working hours and before I start my new job. I am more conscious of the time in takes real estate etc. Feels a bit of a dilemma given most leases are 6 month minimum which means we will have furnished apartment and furniture arriving- we can put this into storage though. Also, in terms of ID- all we will have initially is passport, U.K. Driving license and proof of my employement. Not sure if birth certificates etc count. If anyone has suggestions, also looking down gumtree route also Any help much appreciated Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I rented in Sydney all last year. It's no different to any other large city in that finding a place in 2-3 weeks - easy, finding a nice place in a good location in 2-3 weeks - more difficult, and finding a nice affordable place in a good location in 2-3 weeks - nigh on impossible but just about achievable with a bit of work and some free time. The trick is to have everything ready to go as soon as you've seen a place you like. Many places will email you the rental contract before you've viewed so you can hand it in there and then if you like a place. The requirements around documentation always looks quite fierce but in practice if they like the look of you then they can be a lot more flexible. In my experience passport, U.K. Driving license and proof of my employement should bemore than sufficient You'll have to take a guess at where you'll work and then decide how to get there. Driving in Sydney is worse than London so most people use the trains which can be much better than London but then you'll need to be intimate with the Sydney railway system which can be found here: http://www.sydneytrains.info/stations/pdf/suburban_map.pdf As other respondents have said, renting a good property is a highly competitive sport so plan how you'll get around. Probably 95% of properties are advertised on the three main property websites: http://www.domain.com.au www.allhomes.com.au http://www.realestate.com.au If you get an unfurnished place then there are quite a few companies that rent furniture e.g. revolutionrentals.com.au - haven't used them myself although friends have. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garym85 Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 Great advice, thanks everyone. My employer is giving me an allowance for temp accommodation. Looking to get into our own place as soon as possible. Renting furniture may be an option for the first few months. I've been on most real estate sites every day but given the quick turnaround it's pointless identifying specific places. It's been great for guiding me towards expected costs and suburbs etc... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Great advice, thanks everyone. My employer is giving me an allowance for temp accommodation. Looking to get into our own place as soon as possible. Renting furniture may be an option for the first few months. I've been on most real estate sites every day but given the quick turnaround it's pointless identifying specific places. It's been great for guiding me towards expected costs and suburbs etc... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I thought renting furniture would be the ideal solution. Then I looked into it and concluded it would be easier to adopt a child than rent furniture! Employer references, character references, interviews, there was no end to it. And not cheap either, we moved over on two high salaries but I could not see the point in renting furniture, it is not cheap. We indoor camped, bought an air bed and the basics in bedding, crockery, cutlery. We needed some garden furniture so we bought that and used it indoors initially. It is good to see the back of indoor camping, but it is all part of the experience too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Agree that renting furniture is really expensive, I wouldn't bother. The market is mostly geared towards people who are selling up and fill their house with rental furniture to make it look good to maximise the price; in the field of how much you're spending on agents' fees and when selling houses for $2m, a few grand on furniture rental is neither here nor there Which suburbs are you looking at? Be aware that many rental properties are advertised with old/misleading photos. They might be the ones that were used when it first went on the rental market, 10 years ago or whatever.....and not reflect the 10 years of wear in the meantime. You really do have to visit everything Try not to stress it too much as there's lots out there and you can find good places, but there are no easy shortcuts to doing so. Petrol, time, organisation and shoe leather required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 You'll have to take a guess at where you'll work and then decide how to get there. Driving in Sydney is worse than London so most people use the trains which can be much better than London but then you'll need to be intimate with the Sydney railway system which can be found here: http://www.sydneytrains.info/stations/pdf/suburban_map.pdf Funny how experiences differ - I'd have said the opposite! (ie driving less bad than London, trains worse - much less widesparead coverage, much less frequent) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprug Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Hi Gary it is possible for us relocation agents to organise the rental prior to you arriving. If you prefer to view yourself our 2.5 day search usually does the trick and we usually can turn it around within one or two weeks depending on the market competitiveness including the research and lease signing. We have relationships with many real estate agents to give your application a bump up the queue . When we arrived in Brisbane we only had 2 weeks accommodation paid by our employer and it was panic stations for a while - not what you want when you have moved half way round the world . Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Funny how experiences differ - I'd have said the opposite! (ie driving less bad than London, trains worse - much less widesparead coverage, much less frequent) I would agree with you, traffic in Sydney can be awful but nothing like London awful! And yes it can be a nightmare when your train is cancelled and there are delays in London, but overall it is a top notch network in terms of reach and frequency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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