buzz

OK... I'm in Thornleigh (nearish to Hornsby). It is a new housing estate, which in itself is lovely (access to a pool, seems pretty quiet so far, neighbours seem nice). But it is right next to a fairly industrial area - there are some kind of workshops or warehouse or something right at the end of our street. It's not a big deal, but I think a different suburb might suit me better.
When we first got here we were lucky enough to be able to stay for a bit with my brother and his family while we sorted out accommodation. He lives in Wahroonga (he earns a lot more than we do!), and I think that has spoilt us a bit as now we are comparing everywhere with there!

chels

Hmmmm, I can see that living there may not be giving you a real flavour of Sydney... I've not even heard of that suburb, and thanks to my job I've got to know most Sydney suburbs by now!

How long is your lease?

We lived in Bondi Junction when we first got to Sydney, in a block of units (built in the 70s - very ugly but great views of the sea and the city). Our neighbours were either elderly types or backpackers, there wasn't a real sense of community and we didn't even have access to a pool

Moving to the inner west has made a big difference, I feel much more comfortable here although I haven't ruled out the possiblity of moving back to Bondi Junction as it's one of the few places in the eastern suburbs we could afford to buy a house in.

This weekend we're off on an adventure - crossing over t'other side - and exploring the potential of the lower and mid north shore suburbs. Rozelle is lovely but very densely populated so we're hoping to find a bit more space...

buzz

It's only a fairly small suburb, near Normanhurst, Westleigh, Cherrybrook...
It's a 6 month lease - we never intended it to be permanent (didn't want to outstay our welcome at my brother's so maybe rushed into it!), so if we do decide to stay in Sydney we will almost certainly move elsewhere.
I was in Rozelle on Monday for a job interview - great view of the city!
From what (little) I have seen, the north shore suburbs are lovely. The problem is that they seem to get nicer and more expensive the further out of the city you go!

chels

I think that's because the plot sizes get bigger - but I don't need 1200 sq metres, just 300 will do me!!

I'm not giving up on Sydney yet, but we plan to fly up to Brisbane in May and have a serious think about moving there...

hubbard

We've been in Sydney 18 months and are heading up to Brisbane to have a serious look in April. Or biggest issue with Sydney is the expense of housing in what are desireable suburbs. Plus the exense and lack of childcare facilities in alot of the more central suburbs. Everyone I have mentioned to about moving to Brisbane has reacted with horror and said it is really dull compared to Sydney. But when you ask them just what is so dull about it they can't seem to put a finger on it. It just seems to be a general perception of life up there.

Deadmeat

I'd imagine it's all relative, your issues will probably not go away in Brisbane ... as far as dull goes, just rent a unit in Fortitude Valley then you can get all the colour you can handle (drugs, crime, noise). Me, I'll stick to a safe happy environment to bring my daughter up in, 'dull' or not.

'can't put a finger on it' = just parroting-out received wisdom.

hubbard

Not sure I agree with your viewpoint. Research i have done into property prices in Brisbane show that $1m will buy me a spacious house with a garden in a good suburb, whilst in Sydney it won't. Likewise Childcare places are fairly plentiful without long waiting lists.

chels

There seems to be many more people posting on the site who are happy in Brisbane than there are in Sydney - most posts re Sydney seem to be about the problem of finding affordable housing in a reasonable location. But I'm happy to be proved wrong!

Brisbane seems to have many of the things that Sydney has, but on a smaller scale and without the iconic landmarks and beaches. Much as I love looking at the opera house and bridge, I can live without them if it means having a reasonable sized mortgage rather than the huge mortgage we are contemplating in order to buy in Sydney. And who can afford to enjoy the many delights of Sydney (apart from the free ones) when the cost of living is so high?

Friends have recently bought a $725k 2 bed house in the inner west, apparently their mortgage will be $5,000 a month And that's on a joint income of $200 - $250k at the most. Manageable, yes, but what if one of them stops working for any reason?

buzz

You've just summed up exactly what I've been thinking!

Jacque

Ok let's stop the Sydney bashing

Give me a $1mil dollars and I can find you a perfectly nice house in a no. of "good" suburbs of Sydney. I would like to hear peoples definitions of what they mean by "good", however.....

Sydney, as I've said before, is a big place, with wide discrepancies in prices and areas. It all depends on where you want to live, what your budget is, how close you NEED to be to work, school etc.

I live in the beautiful Hills District (it alone is huge and varied) and prices range in housing from $350-$5mil+ A basic 4bd 2bath DLUG in a quiet street ranges between $450-$700K in well respected suburbs, including Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill and Cherrybrook.

I know the Northern side of Sydney very well and also appreciate the North Shore/Beaches border area, where you can easily pick up a very nice home for under $1mil. Just recently helped a client buy a lovely home on a big block of land (1200sqm) for $800K. Close to city, beaches and good schools/shops etc. It is possible- you have to know which suburbs to look in and be prepared to save a little more here in Sydney

In the end, however, you're buying in a high profile international city which is always going to be in high demand, despite the hype. And what better way to build up a first class asset that's TAX FREE than blue chip real estate?

Anyway, seeing as we were talking about housing (my passion and fav topic) just thought I'd put my two cents worth in.

Brissy is beautiful too, and for my money I'd go the Hamilton side or Bulimba. Lovely suburbs with great Queenslanders and near the river.

Deadmeat

I guess it is different if you have the cash to spend (i.e. you don't have to take the differing salary expectations into account).

I shall take your word about the relative ease of getting into Childcare as I do not have experience of Sydney I just found finding a suitable place for our daughter difficult here.

chels

Ideally? For me a good suburb would be one where I could buy a house:

1. For less than $850k
2. With a decent sized back yard
3. Freestanding
4. With a garage
5. Older style
6. In a suburb with good infrastructure (ie reliable public transport to various locations in Sydney)
7. Within a short drive of beaches
8. Not under a flight path
9. Close to green space
10. Plentiful local amenities (shops, restaurants, GP, dentist etc) within walking distance
11. With a 'community vibe' and nice neighbours
12. Within a reasonable commuting time (30mins) to Sydney CBD but possibly other areas depending on the job
13. Not so far away from Sydney CBD that we couldn't afford to regularly get a cab back after a night out
14. And a swimming pool or spa at the very least

Not asking for much am I?

What I have now - and what it seems I can afford in Sydney - I could just as easily have in London but with a higher salary and a better lifestyle. I'm not giving up on Sydney yet though... although I might not be able to have everything I desire I might find somewhere that ticks enough boxes for me hopefully.

Jacque

I know the exact areas for you then

For starters, check out the beautiful suburbs of Forestville, Frenchs Forest and St Ives. Happy net searching!

chels

I think the commuting time from those places and lack of public transport would be issues (having just asked a colleague who grew up in St Ives about the areas) unfortunately

Jacque

St Ives is actually not far from both Pymble and Gordon stations and if you have a bike or small car that you could use to drive there you can then catch a train straight into the city.

Frenchs Forest/Forestville areas both have good bus routes into the city and beaches and once you're on the Eastern Valley Wy you're in North Sydney before you know it. In fact, I've timed a trip from Cremorne to Forestville and it took 10mins. Pretty close in compared to other north shore suburbs. The other nice thing about this side of town is your closer proximity to the beaches. That Roseville bridge serves as a "divide" between the posher suburbs of Roseville and Lindfield vs Killarney Heights and Forestville and there are big price discrepancies. I really like the KH area in particular as you can pick up houses with views of Middle Harbour whilst still feeling like you're not at all far from the CBD.