Natski1 Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Hi I’m new to forums and I don’t have social media! my family and I have revived our state sponsorship and are in the process of selling our house. what advice does anyone have on areas to live in Adelaide? i have a 8 year old and 4 year old children. also any help on staying positive and keeping my inpatient devil at bay would also be greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Congratulations on the visa. Im in QLD so cannot help Adelaide sorry but hopefully someone who knows the area will be along soon. I know when i was migrating realestate.com was a god send for looking at rentals, house prices and the areas they were in so that may be a start if you havent already found it. Good luck with everything Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 This is the only website I know that has reviews of Australian suburbs: https://www.homely.com.au/find-places Homely also has listings for sale or rent but I find realestate.com.au is better for that. Your best bet is to book a holiday let or AirBnB in a central area when you first arrive, and look around. It's very hard to judge what areas are like before you arrive. Even if you get recommendations, another person's choice might not suit you. Nothing beats getting in the car and driving around. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammy2310 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 I have recently moved to Adelaide. The area i'm staying in is nice, close to the beach and schools etc. We have friends who live in Hallett Cove, that seems to be popular with expats with children. Have you looked at any areas? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natski1 Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 Many thanks for your reply, I am currently looking at Semaphore? It looks cheaper than some of the south side and more quieter than in the city side. Im struggling mainly with trying to understand the school system, costs and wrap-around childcare. Trying to look at the unknown and getting so many views is very daunting. So many options and it’s a needle in the haystack? How did you decide? Did you do a recy first or research before you went? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 You could have a look at our www.pomsinadelaide.com forum these two article gives you a layout of suburbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North to South Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Hi, I've been to Adelaide a couple of times and we're looking at the Eastern Suburbs (Around Burnside) or into the Hills (Stirling/Aldgate). We've picked the East as there are some good schools for our daughter which has been the main driving force on the areas to live. We stayed recently in Henley Beach and that was lovely, also previously I've stayed in Sheidow Park near Hallet Cove, but even though Hallett Cove is nice, it did seem a trek into Adelaide CBD. Other areas that I like are Belair as it's very scenic and has a few shops, Blackwood is also good as there's a nice selection of houses with good shops and also a train link into Adelaide. Craigburn Farm is a new development with lovely houses and an open feel to it with nice parks for children. Whilst it's further out it has a lovely feel to it. We've put schools as our main priority and then looked for areas around those. I wasn't too fussed about not being by the beach as most of the time you can drive to them in 20/25 mins if you want to go and being nearer the hills and open space had slightly more appeal. I think if I had to choose a beach location it would be West Beach/Henley Beach as they are a bit quieter than Glenelg. Also, have a look at places like Golden Grove which is North and although it's further out does have some good facilities. Mount Barker also is further out in the hills, but has some good houses and schools - It's about 30/40 mins into Adelaide CBD. Hope some of this helps. There were few areas that I haven't liked there, but I know the difficulty you face in choosing from afar 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 I live in the hills, I love that each township has its own identity surrounded by lovely countryside rather than suburban sprawl. I do also like the Eastern Suburbs around Norwood, but they are expensive. Be aware that bushfire is a Serious risk in the Hills, some properties in heavily wooded gorges round Stirling and Bridgewater are lovely but I wouldn’t fancy being around in a fire! It also makes insurance more expensive too. You will need to spend some time on the ground and understand routes to work etc before trying an area out. Rent is often reasonable compared to buying so don’t fall into the trap of renting in an area where houses are beyond your budget to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llessur Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 Some more dicsussion (plus an excellent map ) on this topic here: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetBlast Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 I live in Adelaide and I would avoid Hallett Cove. All the poms seem to go there and the Aussies look down on it a little. Im here to integrate not segregate myself. I would avoid areas north of the CBD as many are quite rough. In particular avoid Elizabeth, Salisbury and the surrounding areas. South of the CBD are nicer areas. Mitcham, Unley, Belair. East and West of the CBD are nice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natski1 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 On 02/02/2020 at 21:49, North to South said: Hi, I've been to Adelaide a couple of times and we're looking at the Eastern Suburbs (Around Burnside) or into the Hills (Stirling/Aldgate). We've picked the East as there are some good schools for our daughter which has been the main driving force on the areas to live. We stayed recently in Henley Beach and that was lovely, also previously I've stayed in Sheidow Park near Hallet Cove, but even though Hallett Cove is nice, it did seem a trek into Adelaide CBD. Other areas that I like are Belair as it's very scenic and has a few shops, Blackwood is also good as there's a nice selection of houses with good shops and also a train link into Adelaide. Craigburn Farm is a new development with lovely houses and an open feel to it with nice parks for children. Whilst it's further out it has a lovely feel to it. We've put schools as our main priority and then looked for areas around those. I wasn't too fussed about not being by the beach as most of the time you can drive to them in 20/25 mins if you want to go and being nearer the hills and open space had slightly more appeal. I think if I had to choose a beach location it would be West Beach/Henley Beach as they are a bit quieter than Glenelg. Also, have a look at places like Golden Grove which is North and although it's further out does have some good facilities. Mount Barker also is further out in the hills, but has some good houses and schools - It's about 30/40 mins into Adelaide CBD. Hope some of this helps. There were few areas that I haven't liked there, but I know the difficulty you face in choosing from afar Thank you so much for the detailed reply here it’s very helpful! looking at schools has also been daunting with private/non-private/government led etc and the variation of costs. It seems everything is not as simple as I first thought! But I won’t be defeated! If you dont mind me asking How did you first move? Did you rent or Air-BnB etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samlab Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) Most people Airbnb we did.However we viewed and got a rental and moved into a rental within 10 days of landing. Top tip to anymore moving to Australia - NEVER apply for a rental without viewing it first or getting someone who you trust to view it. Edited February 10, 2020 by samlab 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenki75 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 We booked some short term accommodation in Unley for when we arrived. Within the week we viewed a lot of rentals, in areas we thought could work for our daily commute and they were in our budget. It basically came down to the first rental that approved us would be where we would live. We were in a bit of a time crunch due to starting work. I have to say it worked out well for us, we ended up in Mount Barker and love it here. Littlehampton, Nairn and Handorf are all close to us and I like all the country towns. Please be mindful with regards to bushfires and areas hard to get in and out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Berry Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 When we arrived in Adelaide we rented for a year. We wanted to take the time to find the right house and area to buy in. We spent a lot of weekends attending open house inspections in different areas to get a feel for the houses and the local area. It depends on your personal circumstances, budget, lifestyle, location of your job etc etc etc so what might suit one person isn't right for another. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natski1 Posted February 26, 2020 Author Share Posted February 26, 2020 Thanks Jessica How did you find the house search? I’ve heard it can be quite a daunting task as it’s all about auctions is that right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 13 hours ago, Natski1 said: Thanks Jessica How did you find the house search? I’ve heard it can be quite a daunting task as it’s all about auctions is that right? No, it's not. While some houses are sold in auctions lots are also sold by private sale. We bought just over a month ago and ruled out any houses that were being sold by auction and still had plenty of choice. Have a look on realestate.com.au at houses for sale in the areas you think you might be interested in - it will tell you on there if a house is being sold by auction or not. Even if a house is going to be auctioned they will often either sell by offer before the auction or fail to sell at auction and sell by offer afterwards. Older houses with development potential seem to be the ones that end up being auctioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llessur Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 I wouldn't be too put off by auctions. They're not my preferred method of buying (not that I have bought more than one house) but at least it's all out in the open and you know an agent can't play a game with you but telling you they've had higher offers elsewhere - you know exactly who is offering how much. They can be a bit intimidating but you can always get a proxy to vote on your behalf - at least you know they won't get caught up in the moment and bid more than you have to spend. We bid (and lost) at two auctions before buying our house by private sale, however we went to many more whilst we were house hunting and saw a few houses go for below their estimate - that's less likely to happen at a private sale. Overall the house buying process is much easier here compared to the UK as there are no chains. Most houses in metropolitan areas will be advertised for a four week period culminating in either an auction or close of offers. Once an offer has been accepted you generally have the keys four weeks later. I know people in the UK who have waited 6 months to get the keys after having an offer accepted because of problems with the chain. Seems like a silly system from that perspective. Good luck with the house hunt - it can be stressful but going to opens can be fun and a great way to nose around houses you might otherwise not get to see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Berry Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 On 26/02/2020 at 19:34, Natski1 said: Thanks Jessica How did you find the house search? I’ve heard it can be quite a daunting task as it’s all about auctions is that right? We found the house search a bit of a pain to be honest, but that was also down to us taking the time to make sure we bought the right house in the right area. We did a lot of research and went to a lot of open inspections and a few auctions to get the feel for what was going on. Initially our plans were to find a block of land and build a new house on it, but that didn't happen in the end. We are very happy with our house and location so the time taken was worthwhile for us, but everyone is different. When we were looking to buy, house prices had jumped massively and houses were selling before they even got to auction, this is not necessarily the case now. Our house was up for auction but because we had been following what was happening we knew it would be sold before auction so we made an offer too good for them to refuse because we knew if it went to auction it could possibly go higher and they accepted it. In our area a lot of the houses around us go to auction because they are in demand and attract buyers, however a couple of the houses haven't sold recently but that is simply because the owners are greedy and are asking way above the going rate so they are now renting them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natski1 Posted April 19, 2020 Author Share Posted April 19, 2020 On 16/01/2020 at 02:37, Cammy2310 said: I have recently moved to Adelaide. The area i'm staying in is nice, close to the beach and schools etc. We have friends who live in Hallett Cove, that seems to be popular with expats with children. Have you looked at any areas? Hi cammy, Late reply as we’ve had so much going on! we are looking to be in Australia by mid June and I’ve looked at an area around Kensington? the schools look good and very close to shops etc, the only downfall is I’m not seeing many good schools close to the beach areas. I have only utilised a school graded map but have you any feedback or suggestions to this area or any other areas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Kensington is nice and a smidge cheaper than Norwood, Rose Park etc. Still expensive though, plenty of million plus homes and lots of land can be 800k up. As I said check the house prices and not just rentals, don’t end up settling in an area you can’t afford to buy in, especially with kids in school. Where will you be working? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 2 hours ago, Natski1 said: Hi cammy, Late reply as we’ve had so much going on! we are looking to be in Australia by mid June and I’ve looked at an area around Kensington? the schools look good and very close to shops etc, the only downfall is I’m not seeing many good schools close to the beach areas. I have only utilised a school graded map but have you any feedback or suggestions to this area or any other areas? Kensington is a lovely area, if maybe slightly snobby. The schools around there are excellent but are very strict about zoning. My son plays for Kensington district cricket club in the under 16s and most of the kids there seem to go to private schools. Mostly the top, really expensive private schools as well. I would love to be able to live in Kensington or one of the surrounding suburbs but it's not cheap. I'm in (a cheap part) of Magill and know the east side of the city pretty well if you have any questions. If you would prefer to be by the beach Henley Beach High School and Brighton High school have pretty good reputations. I can't comment on primary schools in those areas though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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