Finding a place to stay in Australia
Introduction
There are over 19 million Australians living in a country the size of Europe and 80% of them live at the coast. The major cities (all at the coast) are Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. The majority of South Africans land up in Sydney (50%), Perth (30%), Melbourne (15%) and the rest spread around Brisbane or Adelaide.
Choosing your Accommodation
Most new immigrants usually rent for the first 6 months as buying a house requires a credit history and that takes time to create in a new country. However the style of housing is similar to that of South Africa and you should feel comfortable in the terminology that the Estate Agents use.
Typical costs for renting are:
- 4 bed house $180 - $220
- 3 bed house $150 - $190
- 2 bed townhouse $130 - $160
- 1 bed flat $100- $120
If you are thinking of purchasing a house then the average house prices in the major cities are:
- Sydney $430,000 to $345,000
- Melbourne $270,000 to $300,000
- Brisbane $190,000 to $168,000
- Adelaide $165,000 to $180,000
- Perth $196,000 to $219,000
Houses are increasing at about 4% per annum and mortgage rates are at about 5.0 to 6.0% at the moment (June 2003)
Renting a place
Renting in Australia is common and usually all South Africans who arrive in the country rent for at least 6 months.
Most of the local papers all have rental classifieds but it is worth trying to find a place before you arrive.
You will require anything from 2 to 4 weeks security (or bond in Oz talk) as a deposit and you can rent either furnished or unfurnished places. Our advice is to find something close to public transport so you can get around easily.
If you are looking to furnish your place a great place to start is by renting it. All white goods can be rented at reasonable rates and you can usually rent furniture from them as well. This allows you to preserve your cash that you have brought over with you.
Typical costs for renting are:
- 4 bed house $180 - $220
- 3 bed house $150 - $190
- 2 bed townhouse $130 - $160
- 1 bed flat $100- $120
These prices are on a week basis
If you have a question that has not been answered in this section then please ask the community in our relocation forums:
