ng4379

Hello any help would be gratefully received,
My partner and i are moving to Perth Feb 4th 2014 we have our working holiday visa, flights and a hire car for the first 2 weeks whilst we look to purchase a car. BUT we are struggling to find the right place to live.

Are the suburbs more of a community rather than inner city?
looking to spend $450-$500pw on rent.
As we haven't lived from home before we can not get agent references so how would this work with renting a property in perth?

Thanks in advance

bitzenpces

I think that the inner suburbs tend to be more community-minded and the suburbs tends to be more anonymous, but there is so much variation from one suburb to another, there's no set rule. If you are coming here with kids, then community means a different thing to families than it does to young singles or couples.

It is very difficult to find somewhere to live before you get here, and it would be too risky to hand over many hundreds of dollars before actually viewing a property in person, rather than in flattering internet photos. Occasionally people get a short lease, say 3 months, but rental leases tend to be for 6 or 12 months - is that what you'd want on a WHV? It might be better for you to be in a share house or backpackers. Backpackers can be great for helping you to find your feet, meeting other travellers and getting info about work, things to do or where to stay.

The topic of renting and references has come up a few times before on BE - here's one thread about it, but there are plenty more http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ght=references.

Perth's public transport system isn't that good and the further you go out from the CBD, the thinner it gets. Do you know what sort of work you will be doing and the areas you will be working in?

Bermudashorts

You are not moving to Australia on a working holiday visa. This visa is designed for what it says, a holiday. I would be travelling around not sticking to one suburb in Perth.

Scoult

sorry agree this VISA is designed to allow you to travel and may restrict your moving intentions!

jackieh23

I disagree. As a regular user of Perth public transport, I find it much improved from the mid 90's when I used to have to travel into the CBD every day.

From a rental perspective, you don't necessarily need agent references but you will need references of some description.

Have you conisdered house sitting as you are on a WHV? A few weeks in different locations with a bit of watering and pet sitting in nice surroundings? No cost to you. Plenty of web sites. Just google.

I have never lived anywhere where there is a "community spirit" in my 40+ years of living in Perth suburbs. I have tried to initiate such a mind set in my current (Small) cul de sac to no avail. I have a friend and a family member who both have a "community minded" street but it appears they are few and far between. People are too busy doing whatever it is they are doing...(probably staying cool at the moment).

bitzenpces

From where I live and the places I need to get to, or the kids need to get to, the public transport system here is very limited, and that is why I cannot use Perth's transport system much.

Using the Transperth Journey Planner and putting in my most recent workplaces (I work in various locations for several weeks at a time), I get the following journey times:

1. Location A - 1 hour, approx. 350 m walk
2. Location B - 1 hour 10 minutes, approx. 1600 m walk
3. Location C - 1 hour 30 minutes, 1200 to 3400 m walk
4. Location D - 1 hour 35 minutes, 600 to 1600 m walk

None of these locations were in the CBD, all were a 15-25 minute drive. If I try to factor in getting the kids to school or out-of-school-care, then it's even longer or not even possible.

Although walking is good for you, it's not always possible or desirable to walk long distances in a Perth summer on your way to or from work.

That's why I describe the public transport services as patchy, as it's good in some locations, poor in others. Many people report very crowded trains, especially on the Joondalup line. Lots of things might have improved in Perth, but it takes a hell of a long time to get things changed here.

jackieh23

I travel from the south east to the north for work. Yes it takes me longer than driving - in some cases 3/4 hour longer and Yes, the trains are packed and parking at the station is impossible after 7.00am hence I bus from 3 stops out but it is better than it was and definitely better than Adelaide, where I was for 2011 & 2012...

verystormy

Sorry, I think Perth public transport is excellent.

I live as far south as anyone is likely to. There isn't much from me till Bunbury and we didn't even have a car for the first two years.

The bus from us to mandurah is ALWAYS on time. When we asked if we could have another stop put in to say me a 1km walk, they put it in within a month.

The train to Perth is clean, runs every 10 mins and costs about $9 return. Compare that to the train to London to commute which never runs on time. Get cancelled all the time and costs £100 return.

Then I come out of the station and jump on a FREE bus to the office.

jackieh23

I do the same at Joondalup. The CAT systems in Perth/Joondalup/Freo are excellent.

Dorothy

I'm with you guys who say Perth's transit is good. I commute every day by train/CAT bus and have rarely had a problem. Even when there are problems with the trains TransPerth is on it right away with replacement buses.

I travel about the same distance of verystormy every day and my door-to-door commute time is less than 60 minutes. 10 minutes drive to the station (new extension with a station less than 2 minutes walk from me is due to open later this year) then 33 minutes by train and either a 10 minute walk or 5 minute bus ride. I have got the timing down now so I rarely wait more than about 4-5 minutes for any leg of my journey.

My husband and I leave home at the same time every day and it takes him longer to drive to Osborne Park than it does for me to take transit to the city.

The trains on the Mandurah/Clarkson line are clean and safe and while they can be busy at times it's really really rare that I have to stand for more than a few stops. Maybe that's more to do with my advanced age - the nice people offer me seats now.

pome bstrd

joondalup......great place to start....... a cold one in the sovereign and youll probably know some one from the old country!!!

bitzenpces

The public transport is usually good for travel to/from the CBD, but often not elsewhere, and it's better to drive. If I worked in the CBD, I'd get the train too, but in the meantime and to kids to transport, it doesn't work for me.

nicolac34

Depends what you are after really, try and be a bit more specific in the kind of area you like to live.

When we arrived on our WHV's we rented a 2 bed apartment in Subiaco opposite Kings Park - fully furnished and equipped so we could just turn up with suitcases. It was dated and stuff was cheap, but at $430 per week we weren't complaining too much.

Location wise it was great, walk into Subiaco, bus into the CBD in 10 minutes, opposite the park and a 10 minute drive from the beach.

al_and_lucy

^ this! We live just outside Mandurah and commute into the city each day for work, really easy and cheap. Loads of parking at the station as well