Sydney
 

Hi,

I'm new to the forum. My family and I are discussing a move to Auz (I was born there way back when my parents emigrated in the early 70's, so have an Auz Passport, which makes things handy !)

I work in Investment Banking, so I'm looking to find something in Sydney, what I need to know is does anyone have any idea of the decent areas around Sydney to live in ? I don't mind commuting (1hr or so, train or car)....We'd prefer to live somewhere outside of the city.....Any thoughts ?

Cheers

Bill

Re: Sydney
 

places to live in Sydney????? loads. do a search on the question u asked. see what has come up before.
like this link
http://britishexpats.com/forum/searc...searchid=91865
good luck
soapy

Re: Sydney
 

You should be OK if able tocommute an hour in and out, but closer in the cost of housing is very high. Overblown, in fact! I get the distinct feel that, with interest rates set to rise rather than fall, there is going to be a large number of "investors" leaving the housing market over the next year with a further softening of the prices.

Re: Sydney
 

Remember the Investment banking scene in Sydney is very small compared to London and there are loads of people going for the few good jobs. Salaries are also considerably lower - this is why there are so many Aussie investment bankers in London !

Of course if your UK firm had a Sydney office and you can get a transfer then so much the better.

I only know about southern Sydney with regards to where to live - check out
http://www.cityrail.nsw.gov.au/netwo.../selection.jsp
for commute times - it is possible to live 25km form the centre and still get a fast train (30mins) into town.

Rgds Jim

Re: Sydney
 

Quiet a co-incedence, i've got an Investment property that i'm looking at selling down there :D Only an hour on the train from Sydney CBD too :)

Re: Sydney
 

What is your housing budget? Have a look at www.realestate.com.au

Have a look at www.whereis.com.au and www.131500.com.au for transport info. Whereis travel times do not reflect the reality of rush hour.

Re: Sydney
 

Bill
everyone loves the north shore but it is expensive, try the inner north shore the Hills District in the country 40 mins from CBD what could be better.

Gary and Terri

Re: Sydney
 

If you've got children they should be registered as Australian citizens by descent, which should leave only your spouse needing a visa. Spouse visas are processed fairly quickly at the AHC London, by all accounts.


As someone else has posted the Hills District is well worth a look as long as you don't mind the commute (plus a toll on the M2 Motorway). As are suburbs a little less far out in the same direction (Epping, Carlingford)

If looking toward southern Sydney, one option is the Sutherland Shire (southern side of the Georges River).

Jeremy

Re: Sydney
 

Put it on the market now then!

Re: Sydney
 

All,

Thanks for your replies, certainly gives us places to start looking at.

JAJ, Any idea how do I go about registering my kids as Australian Citizens by descent ?

Cheers

Bill

Re: Sydney
 

JAJ,

No worries about the descent application....I have got the forms from the website.

Thanks for letting me know about this though, I wasn't aware I could do this.

Cheers

Re: Sydney
 

It's very difficult to decide about where to live, especially in a city with as many diverse neighbourhoods (as the American would say) as Sydney, if you haven't been there to explore yourself. Therefore, ultimately, I expect that you are going to have to resign yourself either to making a preliminary trip to explore Sydney or else to renting for a few months while you find your feet.

It also depends on what you mean by 'somewhere outside the city'. By the city, do you mean the central part (i.e. not the suburbs) or do you mean outside the Sydney metropolitan area (i.e. 'in the country'). If the latter, it is going to be difficult to find anywhere much within a 1-hour commute, since Sydney covers a vast area. As someone has said, the Hills district can be pleasant, although not terribly convenient to the central business district, which is where jobs in investment banking etc are likely to be found. The Upper North Shore Line area (say from Roseville up to Wahroongah) is very leafy indeed, though certainly not rural. The far south of the metropolitan area, along the George's River, is also leafy and rather pleasant.

It is worth being easy distance of a railway line, in my view - it is good to have the option of going to work by train, even if you normally drive.

A lot depends too on how much you are able to spend on housing, especially if you want to buy. Sydney is not a cheap city in terms of property, and of course the more sought-after areas are consequently the most expensive.

Re: Sydney
 

Thanks CPW,

I guess I am going to have to resign myself to coming over for a few weeks to look at locations etc....can't see it being a huge burden for me though :)

As for budget, I suppose after selling our house here etc, We would be looking at around 500-600k Aus$, after looking on the web, I think we could get a nice 4 bed place for that couldn't we ?

Cheers

Re: Sydney
 

I fear you could be in for a shock here: yes, you CAN get a house for that but it won't be with any garden or in the sort of area that you are talking about.

Nice apartments are going here in Manly for the $1.5 - $2.5m bracket although there are many in the sub -$1m range.

Sydney greater is one of the largest metropolitan areas on the planet - 1600 sq km is quoted - and as a result you have to go quite a way to get away from the premium-rated property. Having said that, the market is overblown now and I think unlikely to remain at these levels.

Re: Sydney
 

I hadn't looked at Manly......and at those prices I guess I won't be doing so either !!

I don't really want to have to get a mortgage if / when I move, so I guess I'll have to look at further afield......What's Gosford like ? too far away....?