helen roberts

Hi

Recently found a job on jobserve for OH based in Sydney. Previously written off Sydney as being too expensive for us but since discovering we'd need to pay nearly $800,000 in Perth to get what we want, wondered if Sydney is actually comparable? OH's job would certainly be in the CBD in whichever city we choose and he doesn't want to commute too far (about 45 minutes ideally). We have two young children. Any advice? Would Syndey fit the bill?

Thanks

Helen

@boy

Tricky one to give a reply to Helen until you elaborate on the statement : "but since discovering we'd need to pay nearly $800,000 in Perth to get what we want, wondered if Sydney is actually comparable?"

Maybe if you summarise what kind of property you are looking for, the Sydneysiders will be able to give you some good advice here.

Surely the 800,000 Perth price tag was not based solely on a maximum 45 minutes commute time ?

carolinephillips

Looking for 3/4 bed house with garden and pref. pool within easy reach of cbd Sydney. Where is best and what prices??? Have 12 year old musical and v.bright daughter to find good school for too.Any suggestions gratefully received.
Caroline

stevemich

Whats your budget????


From $350k in Western Suburbs - $3m + closer by.

Mr Grumpy

The St George area is within 15-20km of the CBD and you can buy reasonable 3 bedroom houses for around $600,000. There is cheaper ones for about 500,000 but they tend to be old and need renovations to be modernised.

Suburbs like Hurstville, South Hurstville, Penshurst, Blakehurst or any of the 'Hursts' are reasonable for their proximity to the city and beaches.

The Bloke

Current prices/availability houses for sale and rent NSW.

http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin...s&snf=rbs&a=sf

carolinephillips

Round about $600k I think.
Caroline

asher

Even Cronulla the very south of the train line to Sydney is only a 45 min ride to the heart of the CBD so you have plenty of options if you buy near the train lines road travel is a bit slower

helen roberts

Hi

No, not just based on 45 minute commute. Also, near a good beach, amenities, some nice cafes, preferable a new-ish area. House-wise, would like 4 beds, some garden. A pool would be nice, but know we may be dreaming in Sydney!

Thanks guys

Helen

@boy

OK makes mores sense as to why you were going to be paying close to 800,000 in Perth.
I'm guessing that in Sydney, a 4 Bed house with garden, near a good beach, amenities, nice cafes and max 45 minutes commute from the CBD will not be any cheaper though ?

paddyo

Certainly not. Why not rent when you get out here and then evaluate your situation then? It will give you a chance to learn more about the suburbs, the 'real' commute and also the options for schools v house v lifestyle in a more informed manner. Nothing worse than buying a house based upon heresay/estate agent marketiing/genuine opinion and finding it really is not what you wanted.
Perth is less flight time from UK, if you fly eat anyway! but a bit more isolated than the rest of the major cities. Having said that it enjoys a more laid back attitude, probably because of that feeling of space!

spottydog

Check out Sutherland Shire, 45 minutes on the train from Town Hall to Jannali or Sutherland or just under an hour to Cronulla (the beach). Houses in the area start around the late $500's with the standard house being 4 bed detached with garage/parking & often a pool on a 600 to 800 metre block.

helen roberts

Thanks everyone

That's really helpful.

Helen

Chillisquid

Imagine Sydney as a large spiderweb, with the Sydney Opera House in the centre. Then draw a long vertical line a little to the right of the Opera House, cutting off almost half the web; this is the Tasman Sea (where you find all those sunny beaches). Now draw a line from the Tasman Sea through to the Opera House. This is Sydney Harbour. The beaches and the harbour are where you find your over-the-top, Mission Impossible, spectacular homes and spectacular prices. And where you also find over-the-top prices for not very good properties. But like most sprawling cities, the dress-circle suburbs of Sydney occupy only a modest proportion of the overall city.

Whilst the stereotype of Sydney living is by the beach, 99% of the city is nowhere near a beach. And plenty of people will visit the Sydney beaches only a few times a year, if that. (Nothing wrong with the beaches, they're beautiful, but they take some effort to get to unless you live within a reasonable distance of the water.)

Still on your roughly semi-circular spiderweb, now scatter two dozen fat flies all over the rest of the spiderweb. These are the major urban throngs within greater Sydney. Some are called shires (like Sutherland Shire, Ku-ring-gai Shire), others might be municipalities (Willoughby, Bankstown, etc). The urban centres of these municipalities are where you'll find your very large shopping malls and civic services and hospitals etc. They each comprise maybe a few dozen suburbs, each relatively modest in size and population.

Shires tend to be bigger in land mass and include a lot of bushland and major river systems and nature reserves. Municipalities tend to the more strictly urban.

These cities-within-a-city have little to separate them (geographically), they all just run into and over each other; you don't leave one and drive along a motorway to get to the next, it's all just one big interconnected web.

As for properties and prices ...

No suburbs within relaxed travelling distance of the Sydney CBD are new. The age of the suburb has a direct relationship with the age of the suburb. New properties, however, are a different matter, and can be found in most places. Established suburbs hug the city, and location is everything, much more so than in other Australian cities. New 4bdm family homes with all mod cons in especially good suburbs start at $1m. Watery glimpses and a cafe culture, add another $1m.

The Sutherland Shire (to the south of Sydney) has a lot to offer, and better value for money than the north of Sydney, but it is really in it's own little world, very insular. Once you're 'in' the Shire you're in for life (it's the only shire in Sydney that can be referenced as 'The Shire' without any risk of confusion).

The Inner West (small l-liberal) and Outer Western Suburbs are completely, completely different. The Eastern Suburbs are expensive and insane. The Lower and Upper North Shore are old money. The North-Western Suburbs are a vast middle-class land. The Northern Beaches are a major lifestyle choice (if you have the money).

A word of caution: renting is not easy in sought-after areas.

This link might help with looking at recent properties (it's tied to the major daily broadsheet newspaper in Sydney):

http://www.domain.com.au/Public/ChooseRegions.aspx?mode=buy&state=NSW

For the Sutherland option mentioned, here's what $800k-$900k would get you:
http://www.domain.com.au/Public/SearchResults.aspx?mode=buy&State=NSW&Areas=Suther land&agid=&Bedrooms=4&Bathrooms=2&Carspaces=1&From =800000&To=900000&PropTypes=H,S,X,T&PTDes=House

Good luck .

helen roberts

Wow, Chillisquid, thanks so much for taking the time to give me so much information! Really kind of you. Will store it all for our final decision time!

Thanks again

Helen