Moving and renting

[Wulworra]

Hello everyone, 

I'm an expat Aussie moving back to Sydney after 20 years.  I know the area I want to rent when I get there in March but do most people take an Airbnb/holiday let to start and look once there and put their shipping into storage?  Do real estate agents rent to overseas folk before we get there?  I haven't a confirmed job yet so is that a factor for agents too?  If I have no hope of securing a place before I leave here I won't waste time looking at domain and use the time to do jobs I've been putting off, like packing ?

what is the 'usual' process of moving? 

Thanks 

[NicF]

Shipping takes about 2 months all up (maybe a bit less or a bit more depending on the ship it goes on and where it's going from and to).  Unless you are planning to travel by ship as well, or go on a long holiday in the meantime, if you are sending your stuff before you go you can plan your arrival so you arrive a couple of weeks before your shipping is due.  Most people end up in the opposite position where they arrive weeks before their stuff and have to manage in an unfurnished house with pretty much nothing.

[Guest]

Most seem to book a short term rental, furnished, holiday let or some such for 3-4 weeks. Then in that time look around for a long term rental. 

Some, not many, but some do manage to secure a long term rental from overseas. Usually they have someone to view it in Aus on their behalf and an agent who is happy to go through the process. However, many agents don't seem keen to rent if still overseas, perhaps more so if they have a heap of people lined up on the day to view and ready to rent. Having a job lined up could play a factor also. Again if they have people ready to rent who are good to go, working etc, they will probably prefer them over someone from overseas.

I'd perhaps shift your focus. Look for a short term rental and book in that for X amount of weeks and plan your shipping to arrive at a suitable time based around that. I don't know anyone who put their stuff into storage for a period because they had it arrive so early and were in a short term rental still. Most have to wait at least a few weeks for their stuff to turn up and so have a sort of indoor camp out and make do till then. Some balance it and do that sort of thing the UK end also. We sold off loads before we moved and did similar in the weeks leading up to our move. Was fine. I'd rather have been without the UK side as we knew we could borrow or make do from friends etc and I could do it in stages rather than having nothing whatsoever the Aus side and so having to gumtree, second hand and cheap shop for essentials to tide us over.