janicep

Hi i'm new to this but was wondering if anyone could help with what average monthly outgoings would be to live in Lake Illawarra / Figtree areas?

Blossom

Hi Janice

My daughter has just moved back to Wollongong so once she is back on line she will be able to help you. However, what kind of info are you actually looking for, ie rents, mortgages, school fees? If you can provide more info people will be able to give you a more concise response.

Good Luck!

janicep

Hi Blossom
Thanks for replying so fast. Long story but quick version...
my husband has a 4 year sponsorship with his job and will be based in wollongong. we have been looking at the areas around there local to hospitals so that i can work too. We seem to keep going back to lake illawarra / figtree / farmborough heights/ blackbutt and a few others. In rental searches we're not sure what the norm is for rent and the cost of general living. Is a 4 bedroom property to rent at $450 per week good? Bills - council tax etc? school fees? we have an 11 and 13 year old sons. we have also conflicting info on property. do we have to rent until we gain citizenship or can we buy beforehand? so many questions.... sorry.

Blossom

Hi, I am not sure about buying a house whilst on sponsorship but hopefully someone else will be able to answer that for you. But I do know that if you have a PR visa you can buy straight away. If you put up another post specifically asking this question i am sure you will get an immediate response.

Renting close to the hospital. Is it Wollongong Hospital (there are two one is at Port Kembla/Warrawong).

If it's Wollongong then Figtree, Keiraville, Mt Keira, Mt Kembla, Gwynneville, Farmborough Heights and West WOLLONGONG and Mangerton are all close by. I wouldn't go as far as Lake Illawarra area unless OH is at the second hospital - if there then Windang, Warrawong - personally I would stick to Figtree, Keiraville, Mt Kembla, Mt Keira and Mangerton areas. However, if he has a car then I would also look at Mt Ousley, Balgownie and Mt Pleasant too they are in the northern suburbs but are very nice.

Schools, you'll have one in primary and one at High School. If you can afford it then TIGS (The illawarra Grammar School) is a good school, private do a search and you should be able to find their fees on line. they go from Kindy to Yr 12.

Then it is Edmund Rice Catholic Boys College for high and there are a few catholic primary schools - there fees are not high I think around $3-4K pa.
St Therese's at West Wollongong/Mangerton is a very good primary school. Other than that there will be a primary school in the suburb you choose to live. I know there are a couple of new schools close to Farmborough Heights but don't know anything about them.

Best high school in Wollongong (as I have been told) is now Smith's Hill - that is a state selective school.

$450 is around average, but you may be able to get something cheaper than that depending on what you want. no council tax to pay when renting, only gas electric and possibly water rates depending on how much you use. I think water is usually included in the rent unless you go over annual usage.

If you need to know more, PM HOMEWARDBOUND, she's back on line and has just gone through all of this with her move to Wollongong in the last month!


Good luck!

homewardbound

To be honest until you get here you can't decide on areas, it's impossible - I was at the shoalhaven but driving up every week to view houses to rent and on the internet every day.

Area's around the lake put me off due to many of the rentals advertising 'security grills' on windows! Also you would be looking at 1/2 hour drive to wollongong from around the lake depending on where you would be.

I'm at mount ousley - prob a 5-10 min drive too wollongong, but i dont have a car so not exactly sure LOL...

$450/week will get you a very nice house. I pay less for a 3 bedroom in a great area. Any less than $350 you seem to compromise on space or area or quality. Good houses get snapped up immediately! So you need to be here on the ball and build a relationship up with the agents, if you can, generally they dont give a shit that you have only 2 weeks to get a place and move in and they 'choose' tenants, its not necearily first application in! No council rates to pay if renting and water is included too, although excess water is charged - agent said if rates are more than $30/quarter then something is wrong!

Schools - again depends where you are, figtree primary, unanderra primary (at cordeaux heights) are supposed to be very good but they are large primary's. high schools, like mum said, TIGS, edmund rice catholic and smiths hill are very good, I think tigs is around $10k and edmund rice around $3k

No idea about buying situation as I'm an Aussie. Hope that helps

janicep

Hi just wanted to say big thankyou you've both been very helpful. will post more questions when we think of them. Just wanna be there now. We are waiting to sell our house in the uk so we wont struggle too much when we first arrive. visa'a all sorted just need to be there.
Thanks again

Janice

Blossom

That's not a problem, glad to be of help and good luck with everything!

I'm sure you will be just fine, Wollongong is beautiful, with lovely beaches and parks and plenty to do without the hassle of being in a big city, but still close enough to visit Sydney on a regular basis and enjoy what Sydney has to offer

I think there are also some short term rentals available for when you initially arrive before securing rental/buying a place from around $150 pn but you may already have sorted this out.

carzinoz

Hiya,

We're on a tight budget as only my huby is working right now so I've been keeping a record.....

Monthly outgoings

Truenergy Electric $100
Water $100 estimated as we haven't had a bill yet
Rent 3 bed house in Woonona $1120 (this is cheap for a 3 bed here)
School costs - trips, equipment levy , donations etc $20
School Fees $110 per annum plus $4500 unless the latter is waived
Doctors fees - haven't had any visits yet - putting aside $20
Dentists fees - putting aside $20 (daughters 1st check up was $25)
Optus phone calls $6
Phone line $54
Worldsaver package $10
Broadband $73
Petrol $200 (small car travelling back and forth to Campbelltown daily)
(car cost $3000, three door, small engine, air con, can't remember the make right now!)
Oz mobys $30 pay as you go (both have virgin so cheap to text each other, cost about $139 each with a Nokia phone)
Contents Insurance - would be $45 for minimum cover with NRMA
Car Insurance - about $56 with NRMA
Car maintenance - don't know yet
Car rego -not sure
Food shopping $700 (mainly at Woolworths for two adults and one kid)
Oz bank account fees $5 (ANZ access account)
fees for withdrawing from non anz auto tellers $8
Clothing eg Man's hoody $90, kids school shoes $60

Some one off costs -
Queen matress $600
2nd hand sofa and two chairs $60
Hoover $120

Hope this helps, we are in Woonona which is a 20 minute drive north of Woolongong, good bus routes and a handy train station for travelling north and south, good primary school and secondary seems okay and walking distance to beautiful beaches.

Carz

Blossom

Well done Carz,that will be of help to many, although your electricity ($100 per month) seems quite high - is that per month or per quarter?

homewardbound

elect is only a little high i would say and water should be around $30 a quarter if you are renting - my agent said they would be concerned if it was too much more.

Just to add that Clarks school shoes here are $99- 119 a pair.. if anyone knows any cheaper let me know!!! I almost died! lol

Oh and optus mob phone pay as you go - $10 recharge will last 7 days, $15 lasts 14 days and $30 lasts a month... but with the $30 i get $170 credit... still annoyed that it only lasts a month!