physiogirl76

Hi there,

I know, there are zillions of threads about Melbourne in this forum, but just wondered whether you could give me some feedback regarding my specific situation.

I am currently living and working in Brisbane. Came over here a few years ago (on my own) and have been enjoying the lifestyle ever since.
However, I am seriously considering a move to Melbourne in a few months for two main reasons:
1) I am a physio and plan to get my foot into the occupational rehab industry - a lot more jobs in the bigger cities.
2) I enjoyed my time in Brisbane and have embraced the outdoor life it has to offer...however, I feel that I need more in the long run. A more cosmopolitan, cultured city with a real "big city" feel. I have visited Melbourne several times and really like the feel of the city. Of course, never having lived there, I am aware, that the daily life might be completely different.

I´d be interested to hear from people who have moved from Brisbane to Melbourne - was it the right thing for you? What do you miss about Brisbane? And things you don´t miss about Brisbane?

The other thing is: I will probably earn around 65k + Super + Bonus (20-30% of my base salary), I might have an extra 300-400$ a month from another job. Would I be ok with that kind of salary?
I´m in my 30s, single, no kids and like going out but not into excessive drinking (and spending $$$) on the weekends. I thought about renting a studio apartment or small 1-bedroom apartment near the CBD, I rather have a smaller place but prefer living close to the city. The prices seem to be around 350/400$ a week. I think, even though that would be a largish percentage of my salary, I´d manage since I am currently saving quite a bit (without trying hard) on a slightly better salary.
I´d be keen to rent something fairly modern with some sort of heating system to be comfortable during the winter.

Also, thinking of selling my car, if I live and work in the city - I could still rent a car for the occasional weekend-getaway.

What are you thoughts on this? Any feedback would be greatly appraciated...

bcworld

Hi Physiogirl...yes I made that move! I was in Brisbane for about 4 years and have now been in Melbourne for coming up to 3.5 years.

It was definitely the right move...I can honestly say there isn't anything I miss about living in Brisbane...I rarely think about the place...there's perhaps the odd day in the depths of winter (or perhaps today! ) that I think, hmmm Brisbane's weather would be nice today but for much of the year Melbourne has more appealing weather anyway with the added bonus that it doesn't get dark in the early evening as soon as you get home from work!

Something I've seen before is people thinking of making the move immediately looking for apartments in the CBD. I assume you'll also have spent time on your visits in other inner suburbs like St Kilda, South Yarra, Prahran, Fitzroy etc? Personally I'd pick the inner suburbs over the CBD and what I see as a big difference is that there is far more going on in the inner suburbs compared to Brisbane equivalents...we rarely go into the CBD at weekends.

If you are thinking of ditching the car there are casual car renting schemes around here where you just pick the car up from the street and bring it back when you're done.

jad n rich

I have lived in melb and bris. Rents are expensive down there. My cousin lives in South Yarra, rents and no car, hires one occasional weekends.

Young and single I would go for the change of city, why not? Cousin is actually moving on from melb now, but spent 4 years there, 3 before in sydney.

Hes only problem with it, he disagrees with me that a lot goes on there, he says it does but a lot of it is sport, so for him hes been there done that and back to europe once he finds work.

bcworld

I don't see a big difference in the rents for comparable apartments between comparable (if you can call them that) Melbourne & Brisbane suburbs.

jad n rich

You know we recently had to look at a possible move to melb or canberra, and rents shocked me in both. Cousin was paying $600 for a townhouse in south yarra, that was real old and I thought it would have been more $350 in bris. But bris rents are pretty cheap now, as is buying, a huge difference, prices have dropped.

But BC is living in melb, so listen to him not me

bcworld

Well I'd say South Yarra equivalent would be somewhere like New Farm.

Would a townhouse in New Farm be $350pw?

jad n rich

There seems to be a huge price range in both places. From $400 to $1650 a week.

Newfarms just about the trendiest bit of bris but even there some for the $400 range.

Son rents a pretty new 3 bed townhouse in bris for $350 a week and they would be less than 10 mins to city, so comparable I thought, and his is newish, the one in SY is very old and eighties.

But when we looked to rent, it was houses not townhouses, within 20 mins of CBD, some crazy prices for dumps, and canberra was the big shock why so expensive>

Anyhow as I said, you live there, OP should listen to you, but seriously brisbane is bargain basement prices for property now, very very different to the peak 4 years ago.

bcworld

I haven't really had a look at re.com etc for ages but I did have a look at around these parts the other day and things seemed muchcheaper than I remembered (still exe). Brisbane is definitely much cheaper to buy in but I don't think the differential with renting is that much. I'm sure there's plenty to choose from around here in the 1 bed category that would be $3xx a week.

To the OP just get the heck out of there...we can go back when we retire and the arthritis is setting in!

Buzzy--Bee

We chose Melbourne over Brisbane for that reason, among others. We knew Brisbane well as a holiday destination, didn't know Melbourne, but fell in love with the CBD with its trams, wide avenues, pavement cafes, parks etc, it really is a gorgeous city to live in.

We also felt that on a day to day basis the beach would be much more accessible to us here, and it has proved that we do use the beach all year round in some capacity, yesterday we walked the dog along Mentone cliffs looking at the views of the rough sea and blustery winds and commenting with amazement how only 2 weeks previously we were snorkelling with sting rays at the same spot!

BB

physiogirl76

Thanks for your posts, especially bcworld! Yes, I think, the inner suburbs sound more interesting than the actual CBD.
Makes me more certain now to move down there. I will probably miss the clear winter sky - but then, on the other hand, no paralyzing humidity in summer and - oh yeah: daylight savings

I agree, renting in Brisbane is not that much cheaper than Melbourne, at least, the sort of price range, I´m looking in. Sure, if you live 30-40 min outside the Brisbane city centre, you could get a fairly decent 2 or 3 bedroom house for 400$ pw. If you wanna live closer to the city (like New Farm, Paddington, West End), a half-decent 1-bedroom apartment will cost you 350-400 pw as well.

rld1177

I am a similar age and living in the CBD - been here about 6 weeks, relocated from London and USA.

You can get something decent in Docklands for under 400 studio at least, even CBD you can pull a good one bedroom near southern cross in a high level building (high floors, newer build is what I would target due to street noise). Im at 200 spencer and there are places here around 420 or less one bedroom - full security, one car park, pretty nice place to live if you like high floors and being able to walk everywhere and avoid trams and trains quite often. Im in a furnished two bedroom so that went for 620 a week but after I let out the car spot it is 575 a week, not too bad to be able to walk everywhere and not deal with commutes.