Checklist?

[Maths_Teacher]

Good Morning,

Me and my partner have just been granted a 190 for NSW. We plan on making the move in August 2023 as we have some weddings etc before then. 

I've been focused on the visa for so long that I've not really thought about what to do after that. Is there a checklist or something that can help?

We're going to be renting somewhere in the Sydney area and don't have a house to sell back here.  We have a dog so I am going to start getting quotes for moving him over as I know this can take 7 months+.

Also if there are any teachers here that have made the move, is there anything I can do to prepare myself for finding work once in Sydney? Is it possible to find a role before making the move?

Thanks,

R

[Jon the Hat]

Before you settle on Sydney I would take a deep breath and look at salaries vs rent.  I chose not to move to Sydney despite a job offer, because I would have ended up mile from the sea and harbour to make it work finance wise.  There is more to NSW than Sydney, especially if you are a teacher and can work therefore anywhere there is a school.

[Marisawright]

As Jon the Hat says, think twice before planning to move to Sydney on a teacher's salary.   If you're a young couple who don't mind living in a cupboard, it's worth doing:  you can have a great time in the Inner West or Eastern Suburbs where there's a good night life.  If you expect a better standard of house, you'll end up miles from the coast. 

In the Sydney rental market, you'll struggle to find a landlord that will accept a dog, too.   

I recommend heading for Newcastle if you want a big city with nightlife, or look at any of many great smaller coastal towns where you can have the real Home & Away beach lifestyle.  

[FirstWorldProblems]

I downloaded a checklist from here  which was quite useful.

I've also been building upa list of my own from helpful tips shared on this site and elsewhere that are perhaps not so obvious but I think are useful.  Stuff like taking extra bedsheets with you because the matress sizes in both countries are a bit different so if you are taking your bed from the UK you'll need UK linen.

[FirstWorldProblems]

There's one tip that's popped up on here several times (sorry, but I don't know who to give the credit to) and that is that if you are considering reducing how much stuff you ship to lower costs, thinking that your bed/sofa etc is a bit tired anyway so might as well buy new, then bear in mind that in Australia it can take a long time to get furniture delivered and you could find yourself without.  On top of that you'll have just moved to a new country and will have LOTS to do.  Do you want to spend every weekend searching for a dining table and patio furniture?

I thought that was a really good one.

 

And I am afraid I have to also jump on the bandwagon - Sydney is a place where you can live a wonderful life if you are wealthy.  It's a lot tougher if you are not.  My Sydney born wife has 4 siblings over there still and they all struggle financially.  Well into their 40's, none of them can afford to buy a house, only one of them has even been able to visit us in the UK in 20 years.  They all have debt very sadly.

[Ruth1]

2 hours ago, Maths_Teacher said:

Good Morning,

Me and my partner have just been granted a 190 for NSW. We plan on making the move in August 2023 as we have some weddings etc before then. 

I've been focused on the visa for so long that I've not really thought about what to do after that. Is there a checklist or something that can help?

We're going to be renting somewhere in the Sydney area and don't have a house to sell back here.  We have a dog so I am going to start getting quotes for moving him over as I know this can take 7 months+.

Also if there are any teachers here that have made the move, is there anything I can do to prepare myself for finding work once in Sydney? Is it possible to find a role before making the move?

Thanks,

R

Maybe have a look at Port Macquarie in NSW as an option aswell. I am biased as I am hopefully heading that way next year myself, but it seems to be the perfect coastal location us Brits dream of and is expanding massively as lots of people moving there from Sydney for cheaper prices and a sea change, so lots of opportunities in teaching I imagine.. 

[Marisawright]

I dont see anything about mobile phones on that checklist?

If you are retaining and renting out your UK property, it may be worth getting a depreciation report before you leave.  If the house and fittings are old it may not be worth it, but if the house is under 40 years old or you've done renovations, you can reduce your Australian tax by claiming depreciation.  Not many valuers in the UK will know what you're talking about, but Alan Collett knows someone who does them.

Another thing I found useful was to notice who's sending you snail mail over the next few months, and see if you can switch them to email, or get off their mailing lists.

[FirstWorldProblems]

26 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

I dont see anything about mobile phones on that checklist?

If you are retaining and renting out your UK property, it may be worth getting a depreciation report before you leave.  If the house and fittings are old it may not be worth it, but if the house is under 40 years old or you've done renovations, you can reduce your Australian tax by claiming depreciation.  Not many valuers in the UK will know what you're talking about, but Alan Collett knows someone who does them.

Another thing I found useful was to notice who's sending you snail mail over the next few months, and see if you can switch them to email, or get off their mailing lists.

great stuff - added

[Maths_Teacher]

Thank you for all of the replies.

Being near the coast is not a necessity for us at all. We have seen properties for rent for $7-850pw in suburbs like Lane Cove & Crows Nest that would suit us perfectly. Surely that would be do-able on a $150k salary between us?

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

57 minutes ago, Maths_Teacher said:

Thank you for all of the replies.

Being near the coast is not a necessity for us at all. We have seen properties for rent for $7-850pw in suburbs like Lane Cove & Crows Nest that would suit us perfectly. Surely that would be do-able on a $150k salary between us?

 

Nice suburbs.  I was living down the road from Lane Cove in Five Dock and in Drummoyne in the early 2000's and we still have ties there so return during our annual family visit.  Lane Cove national park is great, Birkenhead point and Chatswood are very nice but quite different shopping experiences and the bay run next door is one of my favourite places to be.  

It's definitely do-able and like living anywhere in the world, we all have to compromise between price and the things you value from a lifestyle perspective.    

Quick maths:

• $850pw = $44,200p.a.
• Take home pay for a $75k salary is £58,658
• Two salaries = $117,316
• Leaving $1,400 a week for bills, groceries and entertainment.

Not knowing your lifestyle, how much you like to save etc I couldn't comment on whether this is ample remaining money for you or whether you'll feel the pinch.  If you spend a bit of time working through a budget you'll get a good sense in advance of whether it's affordable.  You'll be able to find the cost of most things online.

The notes of caution you are hearing here come from good intentions.  Sydney is in the top 2% most expensive cities in the world and whilst it's a wonderful place to visit, many people find living there to be challenging......but many others don't and wouldn't dream of living anywhere else!

Edited August 30, 2022 by FirstWorldProblems

[Marisawright]

7 hours ago, Maths_Teacher said:

Thank you for all of the replies.

Being near the coast is not a necessity for us at all. We have seen properties for rent for $7-850pw in suburbs like Lane Cove & Crows Nest that would suit us perfectly. Surely that would be do-able on a $150k salary between us?

Firstly, is that salary including or not including superannuation as that will obviously make a big difference?  Don't forget tax, too.  

Personally, if I had that salary and had to pay that amount of rent, I think I'd be feeling the pinch in other areas. However we are all different and it depends on lifestyle.

However I would still urge you to be open-minded and look outside Sydney.  No doubt you'll want to settle down and buy a house eventually, so check the purchase price of houses in those areas. Could you afford them?  If not, then you might have a great time renting for a few years, but when you're ready to buy a home and maybe have kids, you'll have to uproot yourselves and start again somewhere else, find a new job etc.   As @Ruth1 mentioned, even young people who've grown up in Sydney can't afford to buy a home there and have to move out, or resign themselves to renting for the rest of their lives (as FirstWorldProblems said).  My 45-year-old stepdaughter is in that boat, and she and her husband have a much higher salary than you.  There's a real exodus of people from Sydney to other towns and cities.

Thinking that Sydney is the best place to live in NSW is like thinking London is the best place to live in England. For people with lots of money it may be, but there are lots of other cities outside those two places that are more affordable, with a better work-life balance.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Marisawright

[Parley]

If you can afford $850 a week to spend on rent then i think it is better to buy a house and have that go to a mortgage.

$3000 plus a month is a lot to give to someone else to pay off their mortgage.

[Tulip1]

11 minutes ago, Parley said:

If you can afford $850 a week to spend on rent then i think it is better to buy a house and have that go to a mortgage.

$3000 plus a month is a lot to give to someone else to pay off their mortgage.

I agree, total madness in my opinion.  $44k a year, quarter of a million in less than six years (more of course as rent will rise not fall)  I just couldn’t imagine that.  Each to their own I guess. 

[Maths_Teacher]

9 hours ago, Parley said:

If you can afford $850 a week to spend on rent then i think it is better to buy a house and have that go to a mortgage.

$3000 plus a month is a lot to give to someone else to pay off their mortgage.

Easier said than done if you don’t have a 10% deposit saved. 

[Marisawright]

10 minutes ago, Maths_Teacher said:

Easier said than done if you don’t have a 10% deposit saved. 

I think what Tulip is saying is that if you're paying $750 a week in rent in Sydney, you never will get 10% deposit saved.

Whereas if you go to Newcastle or Port Macquarie or Lake Macquarie, you'll pay half the rent but you'll be receiving the same pay, so you'll be able to save.  And because houses in those cities are half the price of Sydney houses, you'll reach the 10% in half the time.

If you want big city living, then don't discount Newcastle. It used to have a reputation as a boring working-class town, but it has changed massively in recent years.  The town centre is still pretty dead and can give a bad impression, but there are some great suburbs and the social life is excellent.

Edited August 31, 2022 by Marisawright

[FirstWorldProblems]

you might find recent research on housing affordability interesting.  Rather than focussing on $-values, it puts rent and mortgages as a percentage of income needed to service them, looking at the greater city areas and regional which I think is really useful

Very interesting I feel is the analysis of what they call the Deposit Hurdle.  How long it takes to save a deposit.  Nationally it's at 11.4 years (saving 15% p.a. to reach a 20% deposit), in Sydney it's 14.1

There's also some tables showing the median house prices by area which you might find helpful

https://news.anz.com/content/dam/news/articles/2022/May/ANZ_Housing Affordibility report May_2022_web.pdf

[Tulip1]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

I think what Tulip is saying is that if you're paying $750 a week in rent in Sydney, you never will get 10% deposit saved.

Whereas if you go to Newcastle or Port Macquarie or Lake Macquarie, you'll pay half the rent but you'll be receiving the same pay, so you'll be able to save.  And because houses in those cities are half the price of Sydney houses, you'll reach the 10% in half the time.

If you want big city living, then don't discount Newcastle. It used to have a reputation as a boring working-class town, but it has changed massively in recent years.  The town centre is still pretty dead and can give a bad impression, but there are some great suburbs and the social life is excellent.

Exactly.  Rather than spend $44k a year on rent pay half that.  Sure the area won’t be amazing and the house won’t be either but 5 years later you've got over $100k towards getting your own place and paying your own mortgage rather than someone else’s.  It’s worth slightly slumming it for a few years to achieve good in the end.  A home is what you make it. 

[Marisawright]

31 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

Exactly.  Rather than spend $44k a year on rent pay half that.  Sure the area won’t be amazing....

Ah, but yes, it will be.  That's what I'm saying.  They've got a choice, if they want to build a future:  either move to a cheaper part of Sydney (which will be dull, boring and poky) or move to a vibrant, fun smaller city where they'll probably get a nicer place for half the money. 

[calNgary]

There is no way in hell i would get a visa, jump on a plane and buy a house in a suburb i didnt know well.

I think the OP should rent for a minimum of 6 months, preferably 12 to make sure they are happy with jobs, area etc. This also gives them time to look into other areas (if they so desire) what mortgages are available to them, different lenders etc.

   Cal x

[Marisawright]

23 minutes ago, calNgary said:

There is no way in hell i would get a visa, jump on a plane and buy a house in a suburb i didnt know well.

I agree 100%.  I was not suggesting they should buy a house.  I was suggesting that they choose a city where they'll be able to  afford a house when they're ready to buy one.  That way, they won't have to leave their jobs and start all over again in a new city in a year or two.

Edited August 31, 2022 by Marisawright

[Bulya]

2 hours ago, calNgary said:

There is no way in hell i would get a visa, jump on a plane and buy a house in a suburb i didnt know well.

I think the OP should rent for a minimum of 6 months, preferably 12 to make sure they are happy with jobs, area etc. This also gives them time to look into other areas (if they so desire) what mortgages are available to them, different lenders etc.

   Cal x

Exactly!  How people think they’re going to find the right state/territory to live in from the other side of the world is plain silly.  Move to where you can get a job, rent, then start learning about Australia and how different it is.  

[Tulip1]

4 hours ago, calNgary said:

There is no way in hell i would get a visa, jump on a plane and buy a house in a suburb i didnt know well.

I think the OP should rent for a minimum of 6 months, preferably 12 to make sure they are happy with jobs, area etc. This also gives them time to look into other areas (if they so desire) what mortgages are available to them, different lenders etc.

   Cal x

It sounds like they can’t buy yet because they don’t have a deposit.  If they rent for $850 a week, which they are happy to do then they’re unlikely to ever have the deposit.  They would be using not far short of half their salary just on rent.  That seems crazy when they can half the rent in an area such as Marisa describes and save the other half towards buying a future home.  I agree with you that buying without knowing the area wouldn’t be a good idea.  Being frugal with rent makes sense to me.  Of course they may not want to buy.  Some people are happy to rent forever which is just fine if that’s what suits them. 

[Maths_Teacher]

Guys I get what you’re saying about buying/renting, but we can only move where the jobs are for my partner and that’s around the CBD. I’m not going to make her have a 2 hour commute both ways, it’s not reasonable and against why we’re moving out there. 

[Marisawright]

6 hours ago, Maths_Teacher said:

 we can only move where the jobs are for my partner and that’s around the CBD. I’m not going to make her have a 2 hour commute both ways, i

I agree, and that's not what I was suggesting.  I was suggesting going to a completely different city and both of you working in that city.  If your partner's job doesn't exist anywhere else in in the whole state then that's a different story, sadly.

[Jon the Hat]

9 hours ago, Maths_Teacher said:

Guys I get what you’re saying about buying/renting, but we can only move where the jobs are for my partner and that’s around the CBD. I’m not going to make her have a 2 hour commute both ways, it’s not reasonable and against why we’re moving out there. 

Its a fair call while you are renting, as long as you are aware than in a few years when you want a house and a garden for the kids you will likely be moving further out and getting that long commute.  Like you though I moved to Australia to ditch the hour and half each way commute into London.  Sydney is very much like London in that respect, most people do have a fairly long commute.