BoredinBelfast

Hi all - it looks like we may very shortly be heading to Sydeny on a 457 visa. I am soooo excited!

I have searched and read everything I can on BE (thanks all!!!) but I am still struggling with identifying a good suburb for 2 young kids under 6 which will be a manageable daily commute to CBD for me (car/train)- any suggestions anyone?

I've looked at Shires, Hills, Hornsby, etc but really am struggling to identify real commute times and good family suburbs with decent primary schooling.

Help!!

hubbard

Do a search on here there are many posts about Sydney suburbs. But to be honest it all really going to be down to your budget. Just as you wouldn't think you could afford to live anywhere in London so the same applies in Sydney. Work out what your purchase price or weekly rent maximum is, post it on here with your housing requirement and people will let you know which suburbs your budget will stretch too. Unless you are a multi millionaire in which you could live anywhere in Sydney so to focus first on schools and community feel is fair enough as you'll have the pick of the suburbs.

JAJ

Are you aware that you will have to pay school fees - AUD4.5k per child per year - because you are on a 457?

BoredinBelfast

Thnaks for the replies guys!



Basically I am looking 3 bed+ $850k budget witg good primary schools, family area, close to beach and sub 1hr commute to CBD - any thoughts?

Yes I am (unfortunately!) aware of the 457 schooling fees but I am hoping to factor this in as aprt of my final salary negotiation - here hoping.

hubbard

$850K is not a great deal for a property in Sydney if you want a house with a garden. You would get something in the north west, and the Hills areas (search places like Pennant Hills, Baulkam Hills, Epping, Ryde, Lane Cove). Ok areas the equivalent in London would be places like Rislip, Hounslow - by this I mean not in looks but 'prestige' - i.e solid no frills places.

and remember you will need about $40,000 for stamp duty and fees.

yanH

In my opinion $850k would get a 3 bedroom house in most areas that any family would want to live (i.e. not city centre). We live in Wahroonga on the North Shore, which is lovely for families, with excellent schools and a direct train line to the city. It is about half an hour drive to the Northern Beaches. I think you're budget would get a nice 3 bedroom on the Northern Beaches as well, although transport links are not as good (no trains just buses). Look on www.domain.com.au

Jacque

$850K is a decent amount and will buy you a 3-5 bedder in a variety of suburbs across Sydney- no doubt about that.
But.... wanting to be close to the beach and within an hours drive of the CBD will limit you somewhat. Look at suburbs on the northern beaches such as Narrabeen, Collaroy and Allambie Heights. Eastern suburbs try Maroubra and Randwick whilst southern suburbs such as Sans Souci should suit your requirements. Best of luck

hubbard

$850K is not sa lot of budget if you want an attractive house with 3 bed+. If you are satisfied with a square new build, or 1950s / 1970s brick and tile house with tired 1980s decour ok. Believe me I have looked for 9 months now and have just purchased a 3 bed (2 double beds + 1 single bed) federation style single storey property in St Ives for $876K - and there were 2 other people who made very similiar offers so we were not being ripped off price wise.

It all down to personal style but Sydney, in the outer suburbs has some of the most dull and blatantly unattractive architecture that I have ever seen, and most of that sells for around the $800 - $900 bracket. Australians seem to prize 'size' above design with houses all the time.

Rudi

$850k is a great amount to have to spend. In the Hills district is will get you a nice 4-5 bed home in a decent suburb with good schools. The downside in the Hills is the lack of train into the city. There is the Hills commuter bus though which many many people use to travel into town. It has the advantage of being able to use bus lanes into the city so it's a fairly fast run into the city. It's also about 35 mins from the beach.

As demonstrated by the responses on this thread, everyone has their own personal idea of what makes a house a home and what sort of area is a decent one to live in.

When we arrived we drew a circle around the area my husband was going to be working in and drove around the suburbs within that circle until we found one which felt right for us. It's really hard to get an idea of what a suburb is like until you get here. I would really really not make up your mind until you are here yourself and can get an idea about things first hand.

Good luck with your move.

Rudi

BoredinBelfast

Thanks for all of your really helpful replies.

Current thinking based purely on researching BE and on domain, etc is Como/Bonnet Bay area or Pennant Hills.

Any comments on / additions to that greatly appreciated.

BTW - how 'practica'l is the bus from the Hils to CBD? This is not something I had considered but may be a commuting option I hadn't comsidered - thanks Rudi! Any idea how long the bus would take in rush hour from Pennant Hills?