piers_morgan

Thanks for your help guys with my earlier posting titled "where to live in Sydney". Our budget will be about 350 max per week and hopefully will get a two-bedroom. Any idea how much I should put aside for utility bills each month.

My take home salary will be just over 3000 dollars so not really sure how much rent we can comfortably afford. Hubby doesn't have a job yet so I don't want to stretch myself. Hence why I ask about utility costs.

By the way, the nearest station to my job is Kings Cross so don't mind living out of the city a bit so long as the commuting time is reasonable.

What is Campsie like? Is it a dump? We don't necessarily want somewhere in a glam area just somewhere spacious and safe. What will the rental agencies require apart from money? We have job and character refs plus I have my contract. Couldn't get bank refs as Barclays only give them via a third party. Got all bank statements though plus one fro Aussie account. Any decent agencies around Bronte, Bondi, Glebe, Paddington etc???

As you can tell, I am getting rather apprehensive now about where we are going to live particularly in view of the fact that I start work a week tomorrow.

Any advice /help will be invaluable.

Many thanks

Mrs Piers

sjn2003

Chill out !! You are leaving tomorrow !

Wait until you get there have a look round and find a neighbourhood you like the look of and go from there. Rush into something and you may end up stuck where you do not want to live.

Have a great trip. Look forward to hearing from you on the other side.

ps. do you have temp accomm sorted? Where ?

piers_morgan

well have very temp accommodation but get kicked out a few days after we arrive there so if anyone knows of temp accommodation I would be grateful to hear...

Piers

Banksia

That's good advice. Because too many home units have been build, it is a tenant's market so play it cool.

Although Kings Cross is on the eastern edge of the city, looking in the Eastern suburbs is probably a waste of time. But being on the CityRail network, this gives you lots of alternatives on the housing side. Good access to CityRail would be a priority as parking at the Corss would be hard.

From a commuting point of view, there are only two stations east of the Cross and they are expensive (but nice) areas.

Simone

I agree! You really can't decide on other peoples opinions. Ok, some are facts maybe, but that's not enough, you have to see the place yourself!

Have fun, good luck!!

jasonK944

My advice is rent a car - there's a place in kIngs cross that offers you rates of $26per day if you take it for a week. Then its all about looking around at all the subnurbs. This means getting a street map (you cant do without it) and driving and driving and then driving some more .......and just when you feel youve had enough of looking around and want to just settle for second best - even when its not what you really want - get back in the car and look again. We have a similar situation to you. My wife (a nurse) has a job and starts soon. I dont. Si I was the one who did the donkey work at night. I think we ahve now found something that we both want not whereas a week ago we wer going to settle for something that we didnt

ABCDiamond

The car rental place is called Bayswater Car Rental and I can recommend it too.

Piers, I sent you a PM.

jasonK944

I meant to say on my last post that you will find something for $350pw in the eastern suburbs - for me it looks like the best area of Sydney with beaches, good housing, cafes and restuaunts all close at hand.

bondipom

I pay $300 a week for an unfurnished 2 bedroom flat in Bondi Beach. You will not have any trouble getting a rental unit for under $350 in the Eastern Burbs but it will take a few viewings. There is a lot of rental property in the Eastern Burbs so I would concentrate there. The further west you go the hotter it gets and the more you likely you are to get a mullet at the hairdressers.

Renting a car for flat hunting is a good idea and look at www.131500.com.au for public transport.

Try and get some temp accomodation to give you time to flat hunt. There are a lot of bad units out there. If you do not mind a little bit of roughing the backpackers might help you out a bit. There is somewhere called wakeup near central that is new and looks decent. Next to it is the yha which also looks new and more like a 3 star hotel.

http://www.wakeup.com.au/


Campsie a bit out of the way and on the wrong train line. Good for Korean food and there is a big Korean community there. My MIL is a regular at the RSL.

piers_morgan

Any idea what I can expect to pay in utility bills each month? How far will $3000 get me in terms of rent etc???

We leave in less than 10 hours so help!!

Ta very much all

bondipom

It will be tight but perfectly possible. For Bondi Beach rentals go to Hall Street in Bondi Beach. There are plenty of Real Estate agents on the street which will maximise your chances of a hit in a short space of time.

Your only utility bills will be gas and electricity until you order a phone I am paying about 30 a month in electricity. Even then you can get a virgin mobile at Pitt St Mall in Sydney. www.virginmobile.com.au .

ABCDiamond

This is an example of our essential spending, not including Mortgage, Holiday, Capital items etc. Averaged out over last 12 months. Hope it helps a bit.

$ 8.71 Bank Fees
$290.65 Cars (two)
$ 80.71 Electricity
$127.52 Rates & water
$433.72 Food
$113.42 Medical ( 2 adults, 1 child)
$ 82.22 Phones

$1,136.95 Month Total

bondipom

No rates and water when you are renting. Phones and car are optional.

A weekly travel card equivalent is about $35 for central Sydney.

Banksia

The standard lease form requires you to pay water usage (as distinct from the drainage and sewerage) which are all listed on the water bill.

This only applies when your premises are separately metered i.e., a house.

I'm managing a property for a friend and the water usage charge on a small house in Balmain (no garden to speak of) was $25 for the most recent quarter.

Small droplets really but we wouldn't want anyone to be confused would we?

bondipom

I have only rented Units hence I have not coughed up for water. Thanks for that though.