ANA123

We have friends over from uk at present, they have just spent a few days in sydney and it looks like hes being offered a job with a really good package that they cant refuse. They're just trying to work out if they can afford to live there and keep the uk house, just in case. Can anyone give me an idea about rents for a house or apartment north shores area? Any monthly budget figures would be really helpful too, or estimates of amount needed for a family of 4 to live comfortably.
Thanks,
Michaela

Trax

Hi,

We are renting in the Upper North Shores area (Wahroonga, St. Ives, Turramurra areas), and for an okay 3 to 4 bedroom house you are looking at minimum $550 to $700 per week. If you want something nicer, it will cost you more. Also having a pool adds to the rent.

It is worth looking around - the rents tend to vary and can be negotiable.

Suggest your friends look at the www.domain.com.au website. It has rentals on it.

Trax

base_sydney

there are many previous posts which would give a detailed breakdown of all expenses.

We are living in a 2B unit in Hornsby and paying $310/week. other sigificant recuriing expenses include grocery ($100/week), telephone ($77/month), internet ($17/month), electricity (havent had the first bill yet), petrol ($100/month), entertainment (cinema/restaurant/others $300/month), clothes ($150/month). I might have missed out few other exp.......will have to ask missus when she is bac

By the way, its just me and my wife.

ANA123

Thanks for your help!
I realise its all been said before but the search facility is not always reliable and I've answered so many brisbane and nursing questions I figured I was due a daft one.
Thanks a lot thats really helpful.
Michaela

ABCDiamond

Michaela

Having lived in the Sydney area for some years, before we moved up to QLD, we found that most costs would be similar to here, other than the cost of housing.

Sandra

You did not say what type of visa - this could make a big difference in NSW - if they are coming on a temp work one 457 they will have the cost of education to consider (if the kids are old enough). If the package might consist of LAFHA then this might have conditons about the rental of a property back in England. They need decent advice on the tax implications etc. And then if they consider moving from a temp visa to perm while they are here the LAFHA goes from the moment of application not grant.

Anyway enough waffle - let us know what visa they are thinking of.

We came over on a 457 and stayed on that for a year before getting PR granted (application in at the same time) 4500 per child per year at state school primary and high - and higher $ for year 12 students. We kept our house in the UK as a just in case but to be honest we did not manage that on AUS salaries even though I got a nice moving package of flight and house contents and LAFHA etc. We cashed in an endowment policy and paid the mortgage for a year ourselves. Renting the house out would have reduced our tax perks here on a 457 visa.

Rentals differ so much it would be hard to give an average but $2500 per month could get a nice 4 bed with pool upper north shore. It might take a far bit of looking around.

We rented a serviced apartment for around $100 a night two bed for the fours of us while we got sorted - up in Hornsby on the railway line for ease of transport.

Anyway if you have any more specific question feel free

cheers sandra

queenie

Yeah I pretty much agree with this. Childcare is slightly more too, and no places available anywhere.

Queenie

ANA123

Thank you everybody, this is really useful.
They would be coming on a 457, and were planning on keeping their house in the uk so they will need to research this further, thanks for pointing us in the right direction for that.
The children are 4 1/2 and 20 months so education isnt an issue yet but soon will be.
I will pass this info on to them and get back with any more questions,
Michaela