highersights

Renting at the moment is hellish. In the nice areas you cite...you would compete with up to 80 people (we did - 80!) for a 400-550 p/w property. Buying for us here is out of the question. I can well understand why you left - sad though eh as apart from the housing and transport problems Sydney is a great place.

viviennef

I did ok renting although it was a bit harder with a dog. I lived in potts point, then darlinghurst and then drummoyne. I loved all of them for different reasons.

With renting I had a pack together in a presentation folder with references form previous rental owners, my resume, application forms completed for any potential viewing, letters from the vet as reference for my dog, an offer of rent in advance and a personalised letter to the owner introducing myself and how I would look after the property.

I woudl hand it in on viewing as an application so usually I was in first and also had the least background checking to do so the lazy real estates could just make a couple of calls and away we went.

I got all of the properties I applied for, even though my dog isnt a poodle! they were all very nice houses $400 - 600. I found it harder to find non-dives in the right price but managed quite well.

They thought I was a freak but once I did it the first time it wasnt too hard to update it - my dog was my issue and I wanted to negate his effect! Hes an inside dog and nice houses often dont like that.

Vivienne

highersights

We found it used to be easy, but the times they are a changed (2008 anyway). We have a dog too (a Moodle) - it seems to cut down your options by 90% as most owners/agents simply won't even consider it - they don't need to, and may Strata agreements for units/townhouses forbid dogs.

The problem now is the very low vacancy rate. We only our house because we got to know the agent (a rare nice one who simply wanted a nice family for the owner, not the most money). In 2003-6 it was different - they used to hand over the keys and it was all quite easy! However, as you say, the best way is to be totally prepared with masses of documentation - we did that in the end too.

caliburn

Thanks everyone. Keeping lots of documents handy is a useful advice that I was totally unaware of.

SNH

That is absolutely true. Well, not necessarily 'rural' Australia, but I would definitely try a different city.

I spend A LOT of time in Sydney, in all different places. The suburbs further out are not 'Sydney' in any way. It is just sprawling suburbia that could be anywhere. There seems to be no point living somewhere like that when you could move somewhere else with more character and be much closer to a city's attractions - and beaches, if you choose somewhere on the coast.

I don't know if it's still true, but Sydney used to cover more land than any other city in the world. Small population, but sprawling suburbs for miles in just about every direction.

caliburn

Well, I'm sponsored by NSW, so am ethically bound to live there for a couple of years. Worse yet, my experience is in business banking..... that probably restricts my job opportunties down to Sydney CBD.