Guest Brendan82 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Hello, Me and my girlfriend (both 29) have got our permanent visa so will be heading to Perth soon (hopefully in the next 6-12 months). We just want some advice on the suburbs around perth and where would be good for us to live. My girlfriend will be working in the CBD so she has to be able to get in and out of there fairly handy. im a bricklayer so i dont mind where i am as i will probably have to travel no matter where i am. We are looking for an apartment/house, in a good suburb which has a bit of life to it (a few bars, places to eat, etc.) but which is also not a million miles from the beach. We have tried to look online, but you just can't tell what its really like, so we would love to hear from people who live there who can tell us the truth! Hope you's can help us out thanks a million Brendan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest truebeliver Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 sorry i cant help all i know of perth is what ive seen on the internet the opinion ive made is that mandurah which is south of perth offers some fantastic value for money but an hour - an hour and a half away from cbd and i love the look of quinns rocks streets look nice and the beach is like your own slice of paradise a bit less on offer for your money space wise but its closer to cbd it mite be worth renting a holiday home for a month or so in the cheaper suburbs and travel up and down the coast to get a feel for areas well done on getting your visas hope all goes well for you both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brendan82 Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Thanks for replying. Not heard of Mandurah or Quinns rock so will have a look at that. OH Dosen't mind being an hour from the CBD if she can get a direct train in (it takes 2hrs for her to get to work here in the UK, so anything less is a bonus!). Have you got your visa thru yet? Are you planning on moving out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rbell11 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Stick close to the train lines and you will be fine. Train goes as far north as Clarkson (near Quinns Rocks) and Jindalee / Butler has some nice parts to live. Many say stay away from Clarkson although I don't have first hand knowledge. If you are renting get ready for a battle it took us 6 weeks to secure a rental with 20 or so families after each one that came up. Many offer above rent to secure. Its tough, different from the UK and something we were not prepared for. SOR seems to have greater availability, but in my opinion there seems to be more going on NOR. Not been here long so that may be an unfair comparison. My best suggestion would be not to decide on somehwere from the UK, just make sure you can be flexible when you arrive and look around the places you might like to live without pressure of having to be in 1 particular suburb - that was our mistake. Have you got someone to stay with when you come over, and can they accomodate you for a while?? Bring plenty of references as they do check them, rent records or even mortgage statements if you own your own place to prove you pay. Oh and research the rent prices as they are high and are increasing due to the high demand. Realestate.com probably best. Mindarie is a real nice spot NOR, not too far to Clarkson station and probably only 30 mins on the train into CBD. Driving in would take 1h 15m or so. Best of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimanda Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Stick close to the train lines and you will be fine. Train goes as far north as Clarkson (near Quinns Rocks) and Jindalee / Butler has some nice parts to live. Many say stay away from Clarkson although I don't have first hand knowledge. If you are renting get ready for a battle it took us 6 weeks to secure a rental with 20 or so families after each one that came up. Many offer above rent to secure. Its tough, different from the UK and something we were not prepared for. SOR seems to have greater availability, but in my opinion there seems to be more going on NOR. Not been here long so that may be an unfair comparison. My best suggestion would be not to decide on somehwere from the UK, just make sure you can be flexible when you arrive and look around the places you might like to live without pressure of having to be in 1 particular suburb - that was our mistake. Have you got someone to stay with when you come over, and can they accomodate you for a while?? Bring plenty of references as they do check them, rent records or even mortgage statements if you own your own place to prove you pay. Oh and research the rent prices as they are high and are increasing due to the high demand. Realestate.com probably best. Mindarie is a real nice spot NOR, not too far to Clarkson station and probably only 30 mins on the train into CBD. Driving in would take 1h 15m or so. Best of luck Thanks for this really helpful What helped you clinch your first rental? Did you have to pay a few months upfront or offer above the asking price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rbell11 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Yes offer of upfront payment and good solid info pack with detail about us seemed to clinch the deal. :biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moirclan Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 try joondalup it has a train station , bus station , major shopping centre, pubs, restraunts, takeaways,easy entry to the freeway, a couple of night clubs , tafe uni,etc ten mins to the beach a good place to get a holiday rental if one is available until you get your bearings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimanda Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 So you paid 6 months rent upfront or was it 12(!)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rbell11 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Hi mate - sorry been to bed. Yes i went 6 but I have heard of people paying 12. Plus people going 10-30 dollars a week over on rent. Be prepared and you should be fine. Oh and by the way it costs a fortune to live here!!! Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisme Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I would only offer 3 months rent in advance, this should be enough of a sweetner for the real estate to consider you application more seriously. If you end up hating the place you live in and the area it will be much more difficut to move on if you have paid 6 or even 12 months in advance. If it's just you both as a couple with no children I would look along the Fremantle rail line for accomodation, much more happening in Fremantle, Subiaco, cotteloe areas for young people and a quick trip into the city from anywhere along this line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TonySmith Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Hi Brendan, Most of the suburbs on the northern coastal strip are fine. You could look at suburbs like Duncaig, Padbury Kingsley etc, older suburbs but quite nice. They are close to rail transport and not too far from Perth. Places like Joondalup, Tapping, Currambine, Kinross etc are also quite popular with UK Migrants. I would only suggest giving Clarkson a miss. Most of these suburbs are only a few minutes from the beach in a car and lots of eats, shops etc along coastal strip. Places like Hillarys Boat Harbor are popular. I am not sure about paying large amounts of rents in advance. I don't think it would be required, but rental market is tighening up in Perth. Good luck and if you need some more help let me know. I also have a rental property in Kinross, so drop me a line closer to the time and I will let you know if it is available. I have just had relatives move out here from UK, not cheap in Perth anymore, but the sunsets at the beach are pretty fab... Regards Tony tony.smith@fffs.com.au Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimanda Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Hi mate - sorry been to bed. Yes i went 6 but I have heard of people paying 12. Plus people going 10-30 dollars a week over on rent. Be prepared and you should be fine. Oh and by the way it costs a fortune to live here!!!Best of luck. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lauraeileen Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Hi Brendan, My names Laura and I'm an Aussie from Perth I've lived in the uk 2years and I'm moving back home soon once my partners visa has been approved. I can help u out a lot with looking for a place in Perth. I know quite a few English people in Perth and a lot of British people Live in a place called Joondalup it is a really nice neighbourhood and about 30mins drive or 20mins train from the CBD and easily to get to to and from the CBD. Otherwise if ur looking for a place right on the doorstep of the CBD then look for places in maylands, Mt lawley, Victoria park, Inglwood or south Perth, other places that are in really modern areas full of nightlife are subiaco and leederville. You will find things cost more in Perth but don't get disheartened because the general pay in Australia is alot better then England minimum wage is $18.50 an hour which is over double the English minimum wage so don't worry once your earning Aussie dollars u won't notice. Also since your a bricklayer u will be laughing because labourers get top pay in Australia and office workers get average wage. I found it strange in England that trades people and labourers got a lot less then bankers and office workers because it is the complete opposite in Aus. Just go on the Australian government job website and read you employment rights as Aussie workers get alot more Rights in Aus then in England like paid sick pay and things and u Dont want to get ripped off or under paid. As for food shopping shop at Coles and woolworths not IGA as IGA is more expensive because it is open later. I hope this helps if u have anymore questions just ask me I know Perth like the back of my hand lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisme Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 As for food shopping shop at Coles and woolworths not IGA as IGA is more expensive because it is open later. Not where I live, my local IGA is much cheaper than Coles & Wollies. The reason they can stay open late is the amount of floor staff that is needed to run the store, the larger the store the more staff is needed. IGA keep their stores smaller so they can operate longer hours as the minimum amount of staff is needed. Coles and Woolies can open late too is they wish but because their stores are so big they would need over the allowed maximum of staff to stay open so they don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moirclan Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 not where i live either iga is cheaper for bread and milk plus they cut their cold meats fresh for you , a lot of the fruit and veg are cheaper too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisme Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 not where i live either iga is cheaper for bread and milk plus they cut their cold meats fresh for you , a lot of the fruit and veg are cheaper too Yep, my local IGA cut their cold meats fresh while you wait too. The cold meats in Coles and Woolies always looks a bit dried up, probably been sitting there for hours before anyone buys it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candygirl Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 You are in the same position as us. Tradie and an office worker. We have been looking at Rockingham and Mandurah in the South, on the train to the CBD it is approx 35 minutes. See this link for timetables of trains on the Mandurah Line http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/TimetablesMaps http://www.viacorp.com/perth-suburbs-compared.html#bigmap This link offers some advice. This link offers information about each suburb. http://www.aussiemove.com/city/city.asp?c=7&f=9 Well done on getting your visas and Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JimmyC Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 My wife is a relocation agent and deals with up to 5 clients a month. Some of them have champagne taste on a beer budget. How much are you prepared to spend? Do you want furnished or unfurnished? New apartment or an older home? It is the tightest rental market in years. Anything decent attracts 20+ applicants. Are you prepared to offer over the odds? Plenty to rent outside the trendy areas but first question must always be - how much are you prepared to spend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimanda Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 My wife is a relocation agent and deals with up to 5 clients a month. Some of them have champagne taste on a beer budget.How much are you prepared to spend? Do you want furnished or unfurnished? New apartment or an older home? It is the tightest rental market in years. Anything decent attracts 20+ applicants. Are you prepared to offer over the odds? Plenty to rent outside the trendy areas but first question must always be - how much are you prepared to spend? We've budgeted to spend 500.00 AUD per week on a rental and 2000.00 AUD on bond. Do you think thats decent for an area close to the CBD? Thats another thing Im worried about, along with finding a place to love while we are looking for a rental and the price of second hand cars. Is it not possible to secure a rental before heading out? Arent there any agents that specialise in this or do you HAVE to view every property before applying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valandbaz Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hi Brendan We have lived here for nearly 2 years now and we love living in Fremantle. On arrival we rented a chalet for 3 months at Fremantle Holiday Village. They do a deal if it is for a month or longer. We paid $325 per week. Don't know the rates now but look them up they have website. I work in an office in Fremantle and Barry is a brickie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JK2510 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 $500 pw for a decent area AND decent accomodation....you may struggle.....the decent areas tend to have houses that look like they haven't been touched in 20 yrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LampsandGooders Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Hi, seeing as there seem to be some people on this thread that are knowledgeable about Perth, I was wondering if you could help me out... My partner and I are coming over to Perth in January 2013 to live and we are looking at some apartments to rent for a few weeks to get ourselves sorted. We have found some in Tuart Hill (Mondo apartments) and an apartment in Maylands. Any idea what these two areas are like? We are only there for 2 weeks but as it is our first two weeks in Perth (ever) we don't want to end up in a dodgy area to dampen our spirits of emigrating! Any comments are greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Hi Brendan,My names Laura and I'm an Aussie from Perth I've lived in the uk 2years and I'm moving back home soon once my partners visa has been approved. I can help u out a lot with looking for a place in Perth. I know quite a few English people in Perth and a lot of British people Live in a place called Joondalup it is a really nice neighbourhood and about 30mins drive or 20mins train from the CBD and easily to get to to and from the CBD. Otherwise if ur looking for a place right on the doorstep of the CBD then look for places in maylands, Mt lawley, Victoria park, Inglwood or south Perth, other places that are in really modern areas full of nightlife are subiaco and leederville. You will find things cost more in Perth but don't get disheartened because the general pay in Australia is alot better then England minimum wage is $18.50 an hour which is over double the English minimum wage so don't worry once your earning Aussie dollars u won't notice. Also since your a bricklayer u will be laughing because labourers get top pay in Australia and office workers get average wage. I found it strange in England that trades people and labourers got a lot less then bankers and office workers because it is the complete opposite in Aus. Just go on the Australian government job website and read you employment rights as Aussie workers get alot more Rights in Aus then in England like paid sick pay and things and u Dont want to get ripped off or under paid. As for food shopping shop at Coles and woolworths not IGA as IGA is more expensive because it is open later. I hope this helps if u have anymore questions just ask me I know Perth like the back of my hand lol Sorry don't mean to nit pick, lol...Actually it is $15.50 an hour minimum wage. UK is now GBP 6 something so when taking into account the Aussie dollar is above it's norm and will go down at some stage it isn't as great a difference as first appears. UK being cheaper than OZ as well should be factored in. I always had sick pay in England. Do you not? True enough though tradies get pretty decent money in OZ. I think they were doing well in UK during the housing boom period but that all gone by the wayside. I must say though Perth is mighty expensive and it is having an effect on a lot of folk. Highest mortgage streess in Australia is now in WA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Hi, seeing as there seem to be some people on this thread that are knowledgeable about Perth, I was wondering if you could help me out...My partner and I are coming over to Perth in January 2013 to live and we are looking at some apartments to rent for a few weeks to get ourselves sorted. We have found some in Tuart Hill (Mondo apartments) and an apartment in Maylands. Any idea what these two areas are like? We are only there for 2 weeks but as it is our first two weeks in Perth (ever) we don't want to end up in a dodgy area to dampen our spirits of emigrating! Any comments are greatly appreciated! Maylands has improved in recent years but still a little dodgy. It is a place of low incomes and middle so rather diverse. There are some drug and some anti social issues in the area but day time should be fine. A little care is needed later at night and if coming back late on the train but the area is okay. A bit of a coffee scene has developed over the past couple of years in the main shopping area. Tuart Hill I don't know at all. A lot quieter I would guess and nearer the beach but no train. Someone else may be able to give you more info on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 We've budgeted to spend 500.00 AUD per week on a rental and 2000.00 AUD on bond. Do you think thats decent for an area close to the CBD? Thats another thing Im worried about, along with finding a place to love while we are looking for a rental and the price of second hand cars. Is it not possible to secure a rental before heading out? Arent there any agents that specialise in this or do you HAVE to view every property before applying? Could be lucky to get much near the CBD for $500. Perhaps a townhouse in Leederville? They were going for about that eighteen months ago...rents are pretty amazing out here. I would say $600 to $700 will get you something decent but the competition is fierce. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but second hand cars are very expensive. Unless you want to risk something from a departing backpacker for a few thousand to tie you over? Living closer to the city or at least a train line may allow you to defer buying a car for awhile.We did that and got around quite okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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