Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

have you got accomodation for when you land? as most esate agents close for christmas and it can take up to 2 weeks to get in to a rental

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

Within 30 minutes of Huntingdale is quite a large selection of suburbs, pretty much the entire South East and where you live will depend on your budget.

Oakleigh, Moorabbin, Highett, Murrumbeena, Mentone, Hampton East etc are all fairly affordable suburbs and pretty close by. If you have a lot of money then you can look more at the better suburbs like Hampton, Brighton, Malvern, Armadale, Caulfield, Bentleigh etc. All these suburbs are probably within 15-20 minutes even during rush hour.

Them there is Springvale, Clayton, Noble Park etc, but I think these suburbs are not as nice. (Springvale is pretty bad)

What sort of school are you after?

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

He is 4 on saturday, so I guess in a year it will be infant school. This thread is by far the most useful I have seen. Everyone is very helpful. Are there any expat clubs to join on arrival for useful face 2 face advice? Has anyone ever heard of anyone renting before they arrive by paying a few montsh in advance?

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

You have gone for 'premium' brands though, to not scare anyone off you can get perfectly functioning white goods for much cheaper than those prices if you want to spend less. Being a male my only requirement for a washer is an on/off switch and a regular wash cycle. :)

I'm not even sure a dryer is necessary in Melbourne at all, after living in flats in the UK for that last 8 years I'm really enjoying washing that's been dried outside.

The Korean/Japanese brands are worth looking at too, they are making some of the best appliances these days (LG, Samsung etc)

For SIM cards, I'm quite impressed with these Vodafone pre-paid things, $49 for something like $350 worth of calls. I'm not even going to bother going onto a contract.

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

When I land, I have found a 2 bedroom apartment that quite nice, but is 150ausd a day!!!! I havent paid yet, but if anyone has any suggestions, now would be a good time! ALSO, do you think the agents will be open on 27/28/29/30 of december?? Cheers

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

I couldn't find any guides to infant/primary schools at all. There are some books on Secondary and university education that have rankings and details. I know some people want to keep their children in the same area so that they'll grow up with the same friends so it might be worth looking at what secondary schools you like rather than a primary school. Around that area I think MacKinnon is very popular state school that ranks very well, but prices rise in the school zone.

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

I have to say, I would rather rent somewhere ina good area where I can then buy in, as you have a valid point, and he is already gonna lose all his current friends, which he doesnt as yet know!

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

And where did I say they were 'crappy', 'very odd'?? I think you are reading a bit mre into my words than are there. Maybe take then time to have another read.


Anyway, Good guys, be a little careful with them, they tried to sell us a returned dishwasher as if it was new! We pointed out it was wet, they said that is because all are tested with water before being sent out, fine. Then we noticed food in the catcher at the bottom! They then admitted it had been sold, but the lady 'changed her mind' so they gave her her money back, but then by the tills was a big sign saying no refunds for people changing their minds!
Also, our local one does not give discounts for cash (which makes watching the adverts very anoying), they will give you the same discount however you are paying.

The best place we found for white goods/ tv etc was Myer. They matched any prices and gave free delivery, and have a points card, so we ended up with $40 of vouchers too.

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

I doubt they will, maybe you could pre-arrange a meeting.

I would strongly advise against pre-paying a few months rent without seeing the property or the area it is in. It is incredibly hard to visualise somewhere based on maps and the internet. Find a few places on www.realestate.com.au and then time driving round to them, just on the outside. See what the local facilities are like, distance to schools and train stations etc.

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

also what looks nice on a photo on the internet - doesn't always look good in real life - and most ea do not want to speak/email to anyone who is not actually in au

you need to be in au and then look round the areas first then you can decide which area you want to live in

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

You're right, I have, but after 6 years of using crappy landlord-provided stuff I think I deserve them. :D

I did also mention Westinghouse/Electrolux, but was specifically asked about Bosch prices.

:rolleyes: Boys. Your clothes will last longer with the right programme, and you can also save the world by lowering the temperature/shortening the wash cycle. Mine has a 15 minute "refresher" cycle that I use for doing a few tshirts that have only been worn for a couple of hours, for instance, or things I can't put in with anything else. (Dunno about you but my "laundry" is a cupboard in the bathroom, and not great for doing hand-washing in.)

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

I would second that. We went to see a property which looked fine on the internet, when we got there the place was filthy. I am not fussy, but there were grease stains all over the kitchen walls and ceiling. I wouldn't have even used the cuboards. The garden had a fallen down glass house with dangerous glass everywhere, it was a total hazard for any animals or kids.
We told the agent that we would want it cleaned up (it would have been a lot of work), and they said the owner would not be prepared to do that.
She also mentioned that if it was not rented there was a woman with her son who had asked to rent it from seeing the pictures on the internet as she was coming from over seas. I felt so bad for that woman, as the internet pics really did look fine.

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

pumpkin blossom, I'm not getting into a war of words with you but I did quote from your post #10, so I don't need to read it again. :lol:

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

Ok you have a good point. So you think I should use that real estate company? Are they the main one?

Re: BE AWARE!!! HOUSING GUIDE
 

It's not a company, just a web portal that the majority of estate agents advertise their properties on.

Another one in www.domain.com.au , but I find the other one better and it returns more properties.

When you do a search the and click on the place you like it will have the real estate agent contact details.