ksf

Hi All,

Wondered if anyone has any surburb advice? We currently live in Wimbledon, London and will be moving over to Sydney as soon as my partner visa comes through. We are planning to rent when we first come over but I feel it makes sense for us to rent in an area we are then likely to be able to afford to buy in (probably looking at a buying budget of around $1.5m) and definitely want a house (3 bed + as opposed to an apartment) we’re very much city people here (in our early thirties, like the bar/cafe culture) and that is what I think we may end up doing in Sydney.

However, my partner’s parents live in Woy Woy on the central coast and you seem to get a lot more for your money there. If we live in the city would we miss not having a big yard/pool especially in the summer which is something we could get on the Central Coast.



I also think the commute into Sydney from the central coast may be too far which is where one if not both of us are likely to work. Are there any surburbs in between that may offer the best of both or does anyone have any recommendations for city surburbs?

Thanks,

Kate

Beoz

The central coast is certainly not a city. You said you are city people. And the commute would not be great.

https://m.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-mascot-126172814

Here's one for under 1.5 with a pool with 10km of the city.

msfi

You may like lower North Shore (leafy), Gladesville or Annandale. You don't get pools or large yards until you are spending a lot more or are willing to go much further out to the suburbs. Beecroft may appeal further out.

People do commute from Woy Woy, but long haul commuting is not anywhere near as common as here in London. On the other hand, it certainly is cheaper.

Beoz

I wouldn't be too fussed about a pool living near the beach. I had a pool at my last place and we probably used it once every couple of weeks. Went to the beach every few days. Maintainence of a pool is an added burden.

spuddyo

Half way between the Central Coast and Sydney would be Mount Colah and Berowra. Certainly commutable and good train service to the city. Lots of development in that area right now through the rail corridor. 40 mins by train to Sydney CBD.

bcworld

And only about 600m from the end of Runway 7/25...could be some great plane spotting opportunities!

Beoz

I have stood there in awe of the A380. The strange part is you get the noise for about 4 seconds because the planes are low. If you are in Annandale or Marrickville you get a lot more prolonged noise as the planes are higher.

Its a real shame that runway never gets used as there's some awesome plane spotting spots.

That runway gets landings about 4 times a year in strong westerlies. No take offs in that direction. They avoid using it at all costs because it knocks out the other 2 runways.

All those homes were completely sound insulated back in the early 2000's anyway.

I would live there. The 4 times a year spectacular would be awesome.

Kooky.

Beoz, get real - we've never met so admittedly I'm going by your internet persona but I can't see you living in Mascot.

OP, I wouldn't discount apartments. We have a fairly spacious 3 bed 2 bath, 2 level apartment, about 3km south of Central station. Everyone says it feels like a house - no garden obviously but 3 balconies and we have a pool and gym, barbie area, etc. We're seeing more and more young families move in (you didn't say if you have one). You could get something similar but maybe at penthouse level or new, for your budget.

We are city folks (at this stage of our lives) and have access to loads of cafes, takeaways, transport, an increasing number of bars, etc. We never cook.

I'd really recommend looking in the Inner West and city fringes. Nice little terrace if you really don't want an apartment, though you'd get more space in the latter. Not sure what it would get you in the Eastern Suburbs, probably not 3 bedrooms.

Where you end up working might help your decision but my husband works at North Ryde and finds it very easy. I work near Central and can take the bus or it's one stop on the train - also walkable.

Beoz

Ha. Exactly the reason why Mascot would be a top buy. Get it while Beoz wouldn't live there. Meaning its no great shakes now, but well positioned and serviced for growth.

Its all about the growth and the swimming pools. Plane spotting is an added bonus.

Kooky.

Maybe positioned for growth but I'm close enough to the airport (without the noise) already.

Beoz

Think about it. Marrickville, Stanmore, Dulwich Hill, Lewisham, Petersham, Leichhardt all have tiny land sizes and get absolutely smashed by main runway 747's, A380's continually all day all night on take off and landing in both directions and you would be lucky to get 150m2 for under 1.5 mil.

Mascot, like those others, has transport but better coastal access and has large land blocks. Mascot along with Sydenham and Tempe are the 3 suburbs within 10km of the city with train stations which have not hit the price levels of the others mentioned. There's nothing in Sydenham and Tempe. Mascot has shopping and Justin Hemmes bought the Tennyson Hotel for 37 mill. That's one his highest priced pub purchases. It only gets the smaller planes when taking off to the north unlike the big runway which smashes those suburbs in both directions.

Plus it will get all the overspill from its neighbours in Green Sq, Roseberry, Alexandria.

Lets go halves in something like this on +300m2 and build a duplex.

https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-mascot-125744210

Its ripe to explode.

Kooky.

Oh no, really? Justin Hemmes - buying up locals and destroying neighbourhoods one by one.

I get your logic, really I do. Not going to be a property mogul on a charity salary though, and don't want to be. Sydney's young are shagged enough as it is, without us pushing prices higher still.

Beoz

Yes Hemmes. At 37 mil its a bit over the odds when he bought the Newport Arms at 50 mil. Perhaps he knows something.

This appeared today. Officially Mascot is now squeezed by hipsters. Botany .... who would have thought.

https://www.domain.com.au/news/shape-shifter-how-sydneys-botany-is-becoming-a-fledgling-hipster-suburb-20180128-h0ppug/?utm_source%3Dsmh.com.au%26utm_medium%3Dreferral%2 6utm_content%3Dlink-widget%26utm_campaign%3Dplista-smh

Kooky.

At 55 I'm a bit more hip replacement than hipster, but I'll bear it in mind.