Melbourne for Beginners
 

We moved to Melbourne six years ago having lived in South Africa and the UK. Three years ago I started HR Relocations and we have helped people settle in Melbourne from the UK, France, US, Canada and more.

Our website will give you some ideas on what to look for on your recce/preview trip/look-see-decide (everyone calls it something different) as some elements should be planned in advance.

We also sell an e-book guide to Melbourne, called 'Melbourne for Beginners' which contains more than 600 websites and will help you narrow down your search on schools, suburbs etc. From preparation advice like packing, other chapters include banking, healthcare, employment, transport, shopping, children's activities, recreation, and more. We have spent 6 years researching and analysing Melbourne and offer only independent advice. We will be adding Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth to this series.

Besides all the practical advice, there are also some very good articles written by pschologists on the highs and lows of relocating and preparing children for the move - the contents are on our website.

As a matter of interest, most UK expats and migrants choose either the bayside areas or the eastern suburbs to live in, although Mount Eliza, Mornington and Mt Martha have also become more popular recently, but only for those who either don't work in the city or don't mind a long drive.

Popular Bayside Suburbs: Brighton, Elwood, Elsternwick, Hampton, Sandringham, Black Rock, Beaumaris, Mentone

Popular Eastern suburbs: Balwyn, Balwyn North, Camberwell, Kew, Surrey Hills, Mont Albert, Glen Iris, Hawthorn, Malvern, Ashburton, Armadale

Further East - still popular for people who like more space and Australian vegetation (eucalypts and bush) Donvale, Park Orchards, Templestowe, East Doncaster, Warrandyte

Relocation services include oriention tours, time with a consultant to view properties for rent or purchase, accommodation booking (we can get really good rates and personally check all accommodation before we recommend it), booking interviews at schools and many more. Look at our relocation services on our website.

We are happy to help anyone at any time with email advice and can put you in touch with the right websites for your research.

Happy Moving!

http://www.users.bigpond.com/hrrelocations