alrobson

Hi,

I'm after some experiences from people about their first couple of months in Australia regarding delivery of furniture, renting and buying. My wife and I have been discussing different tactics but wondered how other people got on. When do we send our furniture, one month before we leave, two, three? How long do we rent for when we get there? 1 week, 2, 3? 1 month, 2, 3? I think you get the general idea now.

I'm guessing everyone must go through the same dilema so thought it would be interesting to hear from people who have done it already or are in the process and want to reveal their plans!!

Also, how long does it take to buy a house because this would obviously make a difference to how long we rent for.

Many thanks in advance.

Adrian

alrobson

Just bringing this to the top because I can't believe people haven't wondered what other people are doing about this.

Thanks,

Adrian

scutterUK

i can't help you myself, but i'm trying to think of the best way to handle it all as well. The way i figure it, i'll be renting for a year or more before i commit to buying a house, it all depends on how the housing market is performing over there and over here before i leave.

Still i've got a long way to go yet, so everything could change by the time i'm ready to leave.

yafm

Our great plan was -...... to rent out the house last March and go to NSWon a 410 visa, rent for 3 months and then buy a property with a pool or start digging.

We now have almost sold our house (third time lucky we hope) should complete end October, are buying a flat at about the same time to get a rental income. Found out at last minute the council housing authority want it furnished so have got to peruse the papers to find some furniture for this.

Have organised the great farewell party and house cooling next Sunday - still waiting for some replies to invits before I do the shopping and cooking are we 130 or just 30??????

Will now think we should buy immediately if we can find a house we fall for as rented money is dead money although here are lots of good rentals in the area we are going but we do not really want two lots of removals.

Am going to enjoy my holiday trip out there for about 3 weeks (perhaps I will win enough in las Vegas not to have to count pennies) and then accept our goods - the whole house full plus Colins tools (load the size of a normal car) when they arrive about 1st week January. - if things go according to plan

HOWEVER we do all know what happens to the best laid plans


squeek squeek

Wol

Good post! Many will be having the same questions.

Going on from this, what sort of rates are there for storage in Oz? We may well have to ship stuff from both the UK and US, and it will be impossible to synchronise everything AND buy a house at the same time. Storage may well be a necessity, so the rtes will be important. Anyone had any experience?

Simone

Well, I'm not there yet, but do have an opinion.

Sending furniture.
well, it takes about 6 weeks.
Our plan, but will look into in more deeply when we are closer to date, is that we send it 3 weeks before we leave. Then we live with parents for 3 weeks(we don't have children). Then fly to Aus. Then either stay with friends for a week or so or stay in a youth hostel for a week. Then get a rental home. Then our stuff comes!

By the way, I'd like to here if people think this is a good or bad plan! Any tips?

Renting
Well, I don't know when we will be able to afford to buy, so we'll just be renting for the time being.
And I've also taked about this in the thread 'Things that I don't really get....'
I think people should rent for about the first 6 months. Reasons: you usually don't know which area you like best, and where you'll end up getting a job.
But people have pointed out that house prices are going up, so.....
And rent money is wasted money.
And if you do rent, I think very often the minimum is 6 months.

But I still think renting for a while is better. Because what if you don't get a job? Then you'll need your savings. Or you have heaps of money left after buying a house.

Buying
I don't know how long it takes, but I believe it's not that different to Europe. But am not sure.
Need more people to answer this thread!

Good luck with everything,


Simone

yafm

Mentioned on a previous thread, hold out for a short term lease abot 2 months if you can and then just keep extnding it the poster said she had got about 5 months from her original lease but could leave when she wanted which made it better for buying a house when they found what they wanted.

We are buying as soon as possible because we do know the ara very weel indeed in fact about 7 Christmas's ago we spent that weekend building the metal framework for the house we will stay with cousins in where we are looking to buy.

The shocker is that we shall be paying the same about for the 3 bed bungalow/house wity 1/4 acre and double garage as we are paying for 2 bed third floor flat to rent in UK.

The storage in australia is quite cheap your own shipper wil;l advise you as their australian agents obviously will have their own rates but it is cheaper than the rental for storage in UK.

Most of the UK shippers offer you free storage for a couple or 4 weeks in UK and added to the approx 7/8 weeks actual shipment and clearance you should be able to calculate the sates My shippers have actually advised me already of the boat they hope to put my shipment on about 16th November and advised the probable arrival in Sydney date and then added a week for clearance and delivery.

scutterUK

what worries me about buying is whether or not the house prices will be peaking and set for a fall. I wouldn't want to get there in time to buy a home and loose all my invested money! knowing my luck i'd time it to perfection and loose a shed-load.

renting for a year or so would at least give me an idea of what's going to happen with house prices, and the cost of renting could at least be subsidised to a small degree by investing my deposit money. If i buy at the wrong time i could loose more money than i would have 'wasted' by renting, but if the house prices are still climbing (which i dout) i'll look again in to buying....

...oh god.. got to stop now my head is doing that spinny thing again.....need a drink to make sense of it.