Thanks again, I have seen few properties in about 650 in Kilara but guess they may not be very good as you have suggested. How are you finding life there as you have probably moved recently. Would it be worth to stay in aprtment then for some time, may be a couple of years just to save commuting time? Cheers

Don't know Kilara, if you have seen houses for 650 then I am sure it is worth a look, maybe you will get lucky. I think that whether you live in unit or house is an individual preference, we wanted a house as we have accumulated too much stuff for an apartment and also have two cats. We find commuting quite easy from northern beaches to CBD so I definitely would not have opted for an apartment nearer the city rather than a house a bit further out.

Many thanks for sharing this information and agree with your view on individuals preference for an accomodation type. Hope you were abale to manage a good house in under 700pw. I too like to be in a good house with some commuting not a problem. Cheers.

I have posted on the LAFHO thread about an apparent discrepancy between what your employers are offering you annually for LAFHO and what the generally accepted levels for LAFHO on a 457 are. the post is here Could be worth double checking their figures before you start looking at neighbourhoods/schools, etc?

I'm not too great at explaining stuff like this, but I'll have a bash....

People (including the natives ) who have been established in Sydney for several years, maybe bought houses before prices shot up in recent times & who have maybe been established in jobs for some time, with the increments of payrises, holiday pay & so on over the years, are in a different situation from a family arriving tomorrow & having to start out from scratch.

It is the same here in London. Newcomers find it very hard to get established, buying into a different property market at current prices...that doesn't mean that families don't live here on "average" wages, but they can afford it because they have the benefit of having been here a while.

We will be moving to Melbourne - my OH expects to earn much more than the average wage, but the simple fact is, that with 2 teenagers to feed & clothe & with house prices being the way they are, we simply can not afford to live in Sydney.

But we don't care, coz Melbourne's better than Sydney anyway

Best of luck

I live in Sutherland and have to say it all depends where you want to live if you commute by rail then you haven't much chance of a house for $650per week because you will be gazumped the competition is fierce,

but the cheaper houses are cheaper for a reason the traffic is really bad into the cbd or they are fibros

nearer the city rents are more expensive

beach living costs too!

Same here, although I think I would happily live in Sydney if I could afford the same lifestyle as I can in Melbourne.

BB

Quite agree - it will be a very ordinary SOL. Sydney is very expensive!

does anyone drive to work to neutral bay, if yes, whatare the car parking options and is it a reasonable amount or quite much like london, I hope to be in Kilara with office in neutral bay..

You'll have to include private health insurance (still a requirement on a 457 I believe?), contents insurance (if you take it up) as well as public transport (if you only have one car) to your monthly break up. Things add up very quickly...

We live very comfortably in Melbourne on about $130k with 2 small children, but we are at best 35 minutes from the CBD. Before mortgage, we did have quite a bit extra to play with every month, and we rented 6km out of the CBD, but food was more expensive and rent was only $435/week. We chose to buy in the North Eastern suburbs and love where we are but our life is very different from what it used to be. And yes, I know OP is talking about Sydney, but I think this sort of variation is the same for Melbourne and Sydney.

I guess I'm trying to say that it will all depend on where you are and how you live your life. I found that being in an inner city suburb, I spent a lot more $$ on activities (most other families we knew in the area were much better off financially than we were) with my kids' friends, temptation to go out or get take away was much greater, cafes and restaurants were more expensive... I know I didn't HAVE to go out or spend extra money, but I am weak when it comes to some things

I would choose where to live very carefully as living costs (other than rent) will vary greatly according to area.