jerzy

We'll hopefully be moving out to Sydney in a few months time and I've started to try and budget for our first year there.
We'll be looking to rent at first, suitable properties seem to be available for between $250-$400. Not knowing the areas I don't know where to look, and area seems to be a big factor in rental costs.

We're both likely to be working in office jobs so we will probably need to travel into the CBD or other business areas. We've a young family so we don't want to live in a flat or in a heavily built up, busy district. Ideally we'd be looking for a leafy suburb within easy travelling of the major business district(s).

Can anyone recommend areas which might be suitable. I've been concentrating on the inner west suburbs (around Campbelltown/Rosemeadow/Mount Annan) and the Seven Hills/Parammata areas. How easy would it be to commute into the CBD from these areas (how long would it take).

sjn2003

Have you tried a search on this site? This came up now long ago so there will be some good stuff there for you.

We are also moving to Sydney with young family, but personally we want to be nearer the beach, so inner west is not on our list.

Its 1am in the morning in Oz now so you may not get too many replies from people in Sydney. Bump the thread back to the top this evening. Good luck

harvey2000

My Aunt lives in Baulkham Hills, seems quite a nice area, however Seven Hills used to be the nearest train station into the city(might not be any more) and the car thefts just from the train staion were really high!

Fi

bondipom

www.realestate.com.au
and
www.smh.com.au

The hills are a good drive to the beaches. Northern Beaches are good but it takes a while to get into town by any form of transport. RichS rents in Maroubra (Eastern Burbs) so he might elaborate on how much he pays.

The CBD is more accessible from the Eastern Burbs. Downside is that Eastern Burbs secondary schools are not as highly rated.

Chatswood and Hornsby have good rail access in the Northern Suburbs but are a short drive from the Beaches.

www.whereis.com.au for driving directions
www.131500.com.au for public transport

tiredwithtwins

hi
you would probably need to double what you have budgeted for, but balmoral is a dream!!!!! I would LOVE to live there...was lucky enough to spend a lot of time there 8/9 years ago with a friend, and it so nice. quick bus to the zoo and then onto the ferry into sydney ....what a perfect way to get to work!!!!!
*sigh*
sue

bondipom

Balmoral is a beautiful place. The bathers is a great place to eat but as you say "big money".

ABCDiamond

About one hour commute would get you out as far as Penrith in the West, and the further west you go the cheaper it gets.

Banksia

I don't know where you got the idea Campbelltown is inner west unless you treat Perth as outer west. Campbelltown is way out west. We have just rented a 3 bed apartment in a new block in Burwood/Strathfield for $360 for nephew and two others. Public transport to the city from Strathfield is to die for. Your budget for rent may be achievable if you go a bit further west. Merrylands might be wrth a look.

Make sure you stick to the train line as parking in the CBD or North Sydney is out of the question and City Rail fares are reasonable - off peak very reasonable. Depends on your work but Parramatta, North Ryde, Chatswood and Baulkham Hills (Norwest): lots of churches, few pubs have increasingly good selection of white collar jobs. But public transport from the Hills is poorer.

If you can find work in those centres, your housing options multiply. For trees, there tends (I stress tends) to be more north of the habour than south. There are even towering eucalypts on the nature strip on some parts of the dreaded Parramatta Road, I saw some an hour ago!!! Believe it or not.

Anyone will tell you the view from the air as you fly into Sydney tends to be green interspersed with the blue of backyard pools. Commuting from the Northern Beaches to the city is not a good idea because of The Spit and Military Road bottlenecks.

bondipom

Campbelltown has a bit of a reputation but someonelse will have to clarify that one.

Where are these trees in the middle of the Parra road?

God knows what it will be like when they tunnel that section at the end of the M4.

Banksia

The trees are near the Homebush Drive intersection but I wouldn't rush out to see them, there are far more elsewhere. The wonder is there are any at all.

I was reflecting on Campbelltown's reputation and thinking of those struggle street suburbs which are becoming increasingly respectable. Balmain and Paddington to start with and now the like of Green Valley and Blacktown. I think many easterners might be surprised at what is happening in the west It's just that they never go there.

Latham and Howard have their fingers on that pulse as most other folk are rather more rusted on in their voting habits and there is no point speaking to them.

bondipom

I drive that bit of the Parra road every day. I will have to check out more of Westie ville sometime. I have been to Parramatta and Penrith and I drive to Auburn every day. It is picking the right neighbourhood. All those immigrants have to go somewhere.

ABCDiamond

Easterners should go west !!! Take a look, buy something !!

I've got a property for sale out just past Blacktown

bondipom

Is that a vested interest I hear?

ABCDiamond

Now what makes you think that

NickyC

As has been said earlier, Campbelltown and Mount Annan are definitely not classed as inner west - more like farthest south-west you can get and still be in Sydney. I would imagine the train ride to the city from down there would be well over an hour. From Parramatta to the city is about 20-25 minutes.

The Campbelltown area is probably well-priced rent-wise but you're closer to Wollongong's beaches than Sydney's and it's a very long way from any CBD except Liverpool or Parramatta. Some of the suburbs there are better than others and there are a great many of them - it's a fast growing area.

If you want decent train access to the city, and a leafy suburb then I think the only area to try is North or North west - Hornsby area or Epping area. Both are on the train line and are cheaper than the lower North Shore suburbs. You'd get a decent apartment in your price range - not sure about a house though.

Alternatively try the Sutherland area in the south, which is closer to the city than Campbelltown. It also has a train line, family suburbs, trees and is near Cronulla beach. Would only be good for city access though - to get to any other centre means going almost all the way into the city and coming out again.