irishlass

Hi Guys, My family and I are moving to syndey in July. I have a young family two kids under three and my husband will be working from the airport so we were going to live around the airport but unsure what areas are good for the kids?? Family friendly community. I will be sending the older child to play centre and would like an area around a beach or just a nice area where there is lots to do for a family. Can anyone advise us on this who has been there or currently living in syndey?? Appreciate all your comments and advise as we are lost where to go???

Mr Anderson

budget?
likes and dislikes?

rent or buy?

the more you tell the more peopole can answer.

My advice

Look on a map to how far you want to be from his work maximum

Draw a circle around that

Then do reserarch on these areas.

Most of all ask a specific question as you could be paupers or muulti millionaires.

No one except you can knowe where to live. Would you let me pick your house before you movede in without seeing it?

Best get here and have a look at places based on your research.

www.realestate.com.au is a good place

search by map and find the airport AND LOOK AROUND THAT.

good luck

Kooky.

Oh how I wish I knew. Just spent 3 days wandering round the place and am more confused than ever!

There is a really good thread going on this very subject, so have a quick search.

Mr Anderson

theres noty many bad places in sydney.

I personally like balmain, glebe, rozelle newtown area as i like posh/studenty/tredy cafe buzz scene

i also like dee why and manly for the beaches

rent a house with good links in to the city via bus train or cycle and trhen have a proper look when you are settled. We have moved twice in 6 months and interstate. We went to nelson bay to start with near newcastle as it was cheap, beautiful and next to the beach. It was also near the airport so we could do reccies at the weekends to syd bris mel and newcastle.

After havinfg a good look about we decded on melbourne.

After extensive research on good areas for us in each city i compiled a list.
Then went on realestate and looked to see if things were in our price range. If not then mark em off.
If so then go forward.
Hired a car. Drove round after making a route that morn on a map to do a sort of circle back to base to efficiently do all the areas.
When we drove thru the town centre (aided via tom tom) we could tell what an area was like by its main street generally(like run down, posh or trendy etc) and saidf yes no or maybe(desperate)

Then bacvk on comp typed in all areaS WE LIKED, PRINTED OFF THE LIST WITH ADDRESSES AND DID DRIVE BYS OF HOUSES to see if we liked street etc.

Then rang up and booked appointment or asked when open houise viewuing was(generally all at the same time on a saturday in sydnety so pick your best ones)

went to viewing with 20 otrher people with all our refs in hand, bank statements i.d. (all photocopied) and put in to packs to fill out the application and if nec hjand in that minute or go to office to do ita as there will be others that do the same.

It really is a culture shock. Be prepared thats all iu can say. Its fierce and fast paced and if you dont get your app in soon enough it could go.

Sydney was the worst. Melbourne ok, nelson bay we got a key to look around for as long as we wanted and had a pick of several houses. Sydney left us depressed for what we could afford thats also why we are in melbourne.

Good luck. I hope i have given a realistic view of rental hunting in syd as if id have known this to start with id have been alot more prepared on arrival and i do loads of research generally but took it for granted that it would be similar to the uk after me renting 30 odd times in 20 years, london, manchester and preston.

Believe me its nothing like it! Its almost like the estate agents only work on a saturday morning about 10am - 10.15 am. Look to try snd book a viewing any other time and they cant. If this was my house i was renting out id want them to do days, nights and weekends. Sod the tennant thats leaving!
al

Kooky.

Spent most of today in the areas you like. A nice old terrace in Balmain would do me - I'm an expat wife so I'd be quite happy lunching with the yummy mummies.

We've now got a couple of days with a relocation agent which should help, but we're not in a position to sign up on this trip so just trying to make a shortlist of areas. Friends are pulling us in two directions but we do have a good idea now wrt North Shore or Eastern Burbs.

We're hoping to move 1st May and won't have our furniture for a month after that (from Singapore), so unless we see an absolutely perfect place we won't be signing up until we actually move.