# Where to live if working in Sydney?



## juetemp (Sep 7, 2010)

Hi, we have our visa's approved and its all systems go. Only problem is where to start looking for a house? does anyone have any recommendations of where to start looking? Basically, we will be working in Sydney but would rather live in the outskirts in the suburbs. We have a daughter who is 18 and working but our son will have just finished his final year of school and hopfully be attending college. We are prepared to travel to work but not long distance, a train ride away would be ideal. 
We will be looking at a reasonably priced house with approx 4 bedrooms and good size gardens. 

We did a little looking around whilst we were over there in Feb but ran out of time and never got to view property properly. I would really appreciate it if suggestions on area with the above needs could be given to me as a start. Thanks Julie


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## d_j_hobson (Feb 17, 2009)

*Ideas where to live*



juetemp said:


> Hi, we have our visa's approved and its all systems go. Only problem is where to start looking for a house? does anyone have any recommendations of where to start looking? Basically, we will be working in Sydney but would rather live in the outskirts in the suburbs. We have a daughter who is 18 and working but our son will have just finished his final year of school and hopfully be attending college. We are prepared to travel to work but not long distance, a train ride away would be ideal.
> We will be looking at a reasonably priced house with approx 4 bedrooms and good size gardens.
> 
> We did a little looking around whilst we were over there in Feb but ran out of time and never got to view property properly. I would really appreciate it if suggestions on area with the above needs could be given to me as a start. Thanks Julie


If you want to live near the beach (of course you do) then Dee Why is a nice spot. 40 mins bus to CBD on L90 bus with limited stops. Nice suburb, lots of beaches, couple of pubs, shopping mall etc.

Manly is nice during the day, but like a night out in Manchester at night. Loads of loud and drunk teens and can be a bit dangerous. Roughest pub in Sydney is there.

Little nearer to the city is Neutral Bay or Mosman. Expensive but very pleasant and you're on the ferry to town. Lots of good restaurants and the beach there is stunning.

Macquarie is in-land but on the train line which is quick to the city. Quite densely populated there but still a nice spot.

Further out you have the Hills district (Baulkham Hills etc). Cheaper, bigger houses and you can get the bus in an hour to the city. Nothing to do there though and lots of toll roads if you decide to drive to the city.


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## Seabee (Jul 15, 2010)

Where exactly in Sydney will you be working? It's a big sprawling city with iffy public transport so where you need to get to is important in deciding a convenient place to live.

A reasonably priced 4 bedroom house with big garden - to rent or to buy? Do you have a budget in mind?


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## juetemp (Sep 7, 2010)

d_j_hobson said:


> If you want to live near the beach (of course you do) then Dee Why is a nice spot. 40 mins bus to CBD on L90 bus with limited stops. Nice suburb, lots of beaches, couple of pubs, shopping mall etc.
> 
> Manly is nice during the day, but like a night out in Manchester at night. Loads of loud and drunk teens and can be a bit dangerous. Roughest pub in Sydney is there.
> 
> ...


Brilliant, thanks for the info, i will have a look on the estate agents sites for the places you suggested


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## dunsford5678 (Mar 30, 2010)

juetemp said:


> Hi, we have our visa's approved and its all systems go. Only problem is where to start looking for a house? does anyone have any recommendations of where to start looking? Basically, we will be working in Sydney but would rather live in the outskirts in the suburbs. We have a daughter who is 18 and working but our son will have just finished his final year of school and hopfully be attending college. We are prepared to travel to work but not long distance, a train ride away would be ideal.
> We will be looking at a reasonably priced house with approx 4 bedrooms and good size gardens.
> 
> We did a little looking around whilst we were over there in Feb but ran out of time and never got to view property properly. I would really appreciate it if suggestions on area with the above needs could be given to me as a start. Thanks Julie


It really depends on your budget and what sort of place you're looking for. Probably the nicest area for larger houses closer to the city is the upper north shore area between Chatswood and Hornsby - this area is leafy and upmarket, but quite expensive. The area around Balgowlah is also very nice but with more traffic and it is expensive too. The hills district (eg Castle Hill, Kellyville) is a new housing area and is more affordable but further away and the gardens tend to not be as large. The area around Eastwood is quite nice and also more affordable - it is a high migrant area. The North Parramatta area is another more affordable option. The northern beaches are lovely but the traffic/transport is terrible to get to the city.


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## illawarrior (Aug 16, 2010)

d_j_hobson said:


> If you want to live near the beach (of course you do) then Dee Why is a nice spot. 40 mins bus to CBD on L90 bus with limited stops. Nice suburb, lots of beaches, couple of pubs, shopping mall etc.
> 
> Manly is nice during the day, but like a night out in Manchester at night. Loads of loud and drunk teens and can be a bit dangerous. Roughest pub in Sydney is there.
> 
> ...


the north and the east are the most expensive (and nicest) souh and west are much cheaper


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## Lil'Eve (Oct 18, 2010)

Hi all

I have just been reading the above posts as my partner and I have just moved to Sydney. We were hoping to live in Bondi Junction as we really like it here and it is close to everything (beaches, trains, parks) and it will be handy for my partner who will be working in the CBD. I am, however, working in Rydalmere. I am worried after reading posts, regarding sydneys traffic, that I will spend hours going to and from work each day. Google maps estimates that it will take me between 40-45 mins. I am just wondering though how realistic this is? I would prefer to drive as getting public transport would mean having to make a number of changes between trains and buses.

Thanks everyone


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## dunsford5678 (Mar 30, 2010)

Lil'Eve said:


> Hi all
> 
> I have just been reading the above posts as my partner and I have just moved to Sydney. We were hoping to live in Bondi Junction as we really like it here and it is close to everything (beaches, trains, parks) and it will be handy for my partner who will be working in the CBD. I am, however, working in Rydalmere. I am worried after reading posts, regarding sydneys traffic, that I will spend hours going to and from work each day. Google maps estimates that it will take me between 40-45 mins. I am just wondering though how realistic this is? I would prefer to drive as getting public transport would mean having to make a number of changes between trains and buses.
> 
> Thanks everyone


I would have thought it would take longer than that, at least an hour, you literally have to go through the city. along some of Sydney's worst roads. How about reconsidering, and looking at the area on the northside of the harbour around Gladesville/Huntleys Point? It's a very nice spot, and there are ferries that run both to Rydalmere and to the city. The trip to the city takes around 20 minutes, and to Rydalmere takes around 35 minutes. Here's the timetable:

http://www.sydneyferries.info/uploads/images/content/timetables/ParramattaHandheldTimetable_WEB.pdf

There aren't beaches in that area, but there are some fabulous water views. Driving would also be fairly quick and convenient. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.


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## Lil'Eve (Oct 18, 2010)

Thanks Dunsford5678 for getting back to my post and your advice re the Gladesville/Hunters Hill area. I might just drive it at peak time (morning and evening) and see how long it takes first before checking that area out and also try the route with tolls as I am sure that would be quicker.

If anyone does drive a similar route from Eastern surburbs to Western Surburbs for work, I would be great to hear how it is working out for you.

Thanks everyone


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

I've been reading a few of these "where to live in Sydney" posts with some interest. I have no idea where I want to go yet, Sydney is top of the list for the moment though.

Just out of interest, and you get this on the US forum a lot too, do people consider an hour commute long? An hour to go through the city seems quick... coming from London anyway! I think an hour is about right/acceptable, just wondering if i'm wasting my life travelling to work


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## Johnfromoz (Oct 20, 2010)

Sorry, but your question is really, how long is a piece of string. Greater Sydney is a huge meagalopolis, extending from GPO to Newcatle and surrounding suburbs to the north, to Lithgow in the west and to Nowra in the south.

Presumably, you work in the CBD and want to live close to it. The cheapest areas would be Marrickville, Sydenham, Tempe, St-Peters, etc... They all have excellent tube connections to the city which takes about 10 minutes. Trains run about every 10 minutes. Apartments are cheap. Houses start from about $550/week. Plenty of shops, Marrickville Metro shopping centre, Woolworths...

It all depends what you are after.


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

Really depends on what you put up with. 1 hour is considered the upper limit of a normal commute and definitely there are people who commute 1.5 hours or 2 hours each way but the norm would be 45 mins to an 1 hour for most people. 

It's always a trade off, I chose a shorter commute but I pay more for my real estate. For the same money I can afford a large house on a big block but would then would easily be commuting 1 hour+ each way and that's something I don't want to do.



JimJams said:


> I've been reading a few of these "where to live in Sydney" posts with some interest. I have no idea where I want to go yet, Sydney is top of the list for the moment though.
> 
> Just out of interest, and you get this on the US forum a lot too, do people consider an hour commute long? An hour to go through the city seems quick... coming from London anyway! I think an hour is about right/acceptable, just wondering if i'm wasting my life travelling to work


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

amaslam said:


> Really depends on what you put up with. 1 hour is considered the upper limit of a normal commute and definitely there are people who commute 1.5 hours or 2 hours each way but the norm would be 45 mins to an 1 hour for most people.
> 
> It's always a trade off, I chose a shorter commute but I pay more for my real estate. For the same money I can afford a large house on a big block but would then would easily be commuting 1 hour+ each way and that's something I don't want to do.


Yes, fair enough, 1 hour is about my upper limit too, whether it is by car or by public transport... although both have the habit of occasionally pushing it way beyond that due to traffic problems or train strikes! Seems like it's pretty much the same as it is here though. I need to do some much more research in terms of the public transport system.

I'm getting more and more surprised at how expensive Sydney is! My plan has always been to save up here in the UK to be able to survive for 6 months and look for work (nothing extravagant, shoestring budget), think I may need to rethink how much I need and get saving!

How much do you think I would need to earn minimum to live in Sydney, bare minimum stuff (single guy, roof over head, no car, the odd drink)... Do you think $60K year would be ok? I'm hoping that I'll find a job around $80-$100k, and I will have my flat rented here in the UK producing approx £700 month as well (dependant on interest rates). I guess I'll need to be within an hour of CBD and would like to be somewhere near the beach, and house share is not a problem.

So much more research to still do!

thanks


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

60K should be OK for Sydney if house sharing, when by yourself you'd want 75K especially if you want beachside suburbs (for lifesteyle reasons they tend to have the highest rents). One of the ideal suburbs I find is Manly, commute by ferry, get to work in 40 mins, and lots of restaurants and a fantastic beach for your leisure time. Lots of singles too. Can get a bit rowdy because of the pubs however so crime a bit higher than most beachside suburbs.



JimJams said:


> Yes, fair enough, 1 hour is about my upper limit too, whether it is by car or by public transport... although both have the habit of occasionally pushing it way beyond that due to traffic problems or train strikes! Seems like it's pretty much the same as it is here though. I need to do some much more research in terms of the public transport system.
> 
> I'm getting more and more surprised at how expensive Sydney is! My plan has always been to save up here in the UK to be able to survive for 6 months and look for work (nothing extravagant, shoestring budget), think I may need to rethink how much I need and get saving!
> 
> ...


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

amaslam said:


> 60K should be OK for Sydney if house sharing, when by yourself you'd want 75K especially if you want beachside suburbs (for lifesteyle reasons they tend to have the highest rents). One of the ideal suburbs I find is Manly, commute by ferry, get to work in 40 mins, and lots of restaurants and a fantastic beach for your leisure time. Lots of singles too. Can get a bit rowdy because of the pubs however so crime a bit higher than most beachside suburbs.


I'm just trying to figure out the bottom end of the scale, being a bit pessimistic! I don't think I'll have much trouble finding a job, just a question of how long it will take to find one. Looking through Seek website there are jobs in the $80-110k scale with my skillset. I work as a programmer in IT, with some areas of specialisation which hopefully will differentiate me enough.

Also, with an extra £700 a month from my flat rental, thats equiv to ~ $13k AU after tax (so maybe $20k before)... so hopefully this will top up any shortfall. I've never been one to ask for assistance from the family, so would feel like I've failed if I need to ask for handouts after having moved out of choice! I am hoping to go with about $25k savings. I think I will be ok, just a lot of unknown variables and being a pessimistic about everything at the moment, a bit of fear of the unknown 

Friends of mine that have been/lived in Sydney have suggested Manly and Mosman, I love the idea of going to work by ferry 

Thanks for the reply, reassuring


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

I think the bottom end of the scale is 40k, but that tends to be labour type work and you wouldn't be living in a beachside suburb. I've rarely seen anybody in IT (except entry) below 60K anyway and 80-110k is the typical scale for alot of the IT jobs with anything above specialist experience/consulting/sales/commision based. Since programming covers such a large skillset differentiation is sought by the projects you have done most recently (remember those specifics for the interviewing).



JimJams said:


> I'm just trying to figure out the bottom end of the scale, being a bit pessimistic! I don't think I'll have much trouble finding a job, just a question of how long it will take to find one. Looking through Seek website there are jobs in the $80-110k scale with my skillset. I work as a programmer in IT, with some areas of specialisation which hopefully will differentiate me enough.
> 
> Also, with an extra £700 a month from my flat rental, thats equiv to ~ $13k AU after tax (so maybe $20k before)... so hopefully this will top up any shortfall. I've never been one to ask for assistance from the family, so would feel like I've failed if I need to ask for handouts after having moved out of choice! I am hoping to go with about $25k savings. I think I will be ok, just a lot of unknown variables and being a pessimistic about everything at the moment, a bit of fear of the unknown
> 
> ...


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