Jump to content

New On The North Shore, Nsw


Katerina

Recommended Posts

We have recently moved into the Mosman area on the North Shore with two daughters age 6 and 9. No school until the end of January! If you have children similar ages and would like to get together during the day, please reply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Hi

I'm interested to know whether you are still in Mosman. We are looking at moving over in a year (355 days or so :) ) and I just love Mosman. I know it's expensive and the properties are small for what you are paying but my husband and I are most likely going to have to commute into the City for work and I can see myself spending the day on balmoral beach with our toddler and the dog before I get a job.

If you're not in Mosman, which suburb did you relocate to? I'm interested to know what other areas we should look at.

I've heard varying things about mosman and different peoples experiences of it so would love to hear how you found it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey,

You probably know that Mosman is one of the most expensive suburbs in one of the most expensive cities on the planet.

Its not a case of, "I hate to commute, so I will pay the extra to live in Mosman". You and your husband would need very good jobs to afford to live there in anything other than a bachelor pad.

Have you considered Ryde? You are within 30mins of the CBD by bus and the rentals could be about 30% less. A lot of migrants move into Ryde.

Unfortunately Lane Cove and Chatswood have attracted interest from wealthy foreign (Asian) buyers. That has pushed up property prices significantly. St Lenards and North Sydney are quite built up and graduates will pay premium for a shoebox near the night clubs in the city.

Pymble and St Ives are almost as expensive as Mosman and they have few apartments. Carlingford and Epping suffer heavy traffic flows. The new train line which may solve that won't be operational when you arrive.

Edited by monsta
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey,

You probably know that Mosman is one of the most expensive suburbs in one of the most expensive cities on the planet.

Its not a case of, "I hate to commute, so I will pay the extra to live in Mosman". You and your husband would need very good jobs to afford to live there in anything other than a bachelor pad.

Have you considered Ryde? You are within 30mins of the CBD by bus and the rentals could be about 30% less. A lot of migrants move into Ryde.

Unfortunately Lane Cove and Chatswood have attracted interest from wealthy foreign (Asian) buyers. That has pushed up property prices significantly. St Lenards and North Sydney are quite built up and graduates will pay premium for a shoebox near the night clubs in the city.

Pymble and St Ives are almost as expensive as Mosman and they have few apartments. Carlingford and Epping suffer heavy traffic flows. The new train line which may solve that won't be operational when you arrive.

Thanks Monsta. We priced a few rental places there and I think we assumed that everywhere was quite small and expensive :)

My husband is a Chartered Accountant and I'm an attorney so we're hoping to get decent jobs but I'm not sure to what extent that is considered "very good".

I'll look at your suggestions, thanks for the pointers!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Monsta. We priced a few rental places there and I think we assumed that everywhere was quite small and expensive :)

My husband is a Chartered Accountant and I'm an attorney so we're hoping to get decent jobs but I'm not sure to what extent that is considered "very good".

I'll look at your suggestions, thanks for the pointers!!

Hi, I visited (ex) forum friends in Gordon yesterday. They are also a accountant/lawyer couple. They jump on the train into the city and it is so beautiful, peaceful and green where they are. Mosmans problem is that its jammed into a corner by the water, so very congested. I would consider almost anywhere on the North Shore train line. Its not an issue working late and walking back from the train station, if that worries you.

I have mentioned before, where we live (Frenchs Forest area), I meet so many people who have lived in Mosman and then had to move out when their kids reached 3 ys. We also made this "mistake". We lived (and LOVED) the Inner West, just to find it not meeting our requirements for two growing boys. It was a huge hassle uprooting from all my Aus contacts and starting from scratch 30mins away. I did not quite appreciate the upheaval. I cant remember if you have kids, but please learn from my mistake: live where you want to live initially, but move where you are going to settle long term before you have a baby. I still drive 30mins to catch up with my fab mothers group and are so sorry we dont live around the corner from each other anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Monsta. We priced a few rental places there and I think we assumed that everywhere was quite small and expensive :)

My husband is a Chartered Accountant and I'm an attorney so we're hoping to get decent jobs but I'm not sure to what extent that is considered "very good".

I'll look at your suggestions, thanks for the pointers!!

Hey PleasantlySurprised,

When I say "very good", I mean over $100 000 per year. Charted accountants in Sydney earn between $80 000 and $120 000. If you earn over $100 000 you would probably be a senior manager or a partner at a firm.

Attorneys can do "very, very good". I have heard stories of attorneys buying $400 000 investment properties and being able to pay them off in 3 years. But I assume that's the exception to the rule. I assume your salary differs wildly depending on the clients you have.

Remember, that property prices in Sydney have risen on average 8.5% over the last 30 years. That's way higher than inflation or the growth in salaries. So most people in Mosman are "old money". That means they bought there 20 years ago when it was way more affordable, or they inherited a property. There are also few limits on foreign buyers buying up property.

Cheers

Paul

Edited by monsta
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can't help much except to say my brother & family are in Mona Vale and they love it there. The local primary has been great and they are in easy walking distance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey PleasantlySurprised,

When I say "very good", I mean over $100 000 per year. Charted accountants in Sydney earn between $80 000 and $120 000. If you earn over $100 000 you would probably be a senior manager or a partner at a firm.

Having to be a senior mgr or partner to earn over 100k seems odd to me as that does not seem to be a very high Sydney salary for a professional role, though I'm not in the accounting profession so what would I know :). If it's any guide I did get the impression from a Sydney based accountant mgr I know on another forum that her salary would be closer to 200 than 100. Edited by Fish
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having to be a senior mgr or partner to earn over 100k seems odd to me as that does not seem to be a very high Sydney salary for a professional role, though I'm not in the accounting profession so what would I know :). If it's any guide I did get the impression from a Sydney based accountant mgr I know on another forum that her salary would be closer to 200 than 100.

Then she is doing extremely well... I those figures came from a salary survey. I have talked to accountants and those figures are pretty accurate.

But with any salary survey, there is always a small percentage who earn far more than the usual range,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not to take the topic too far off...I just wanted to agree that accountant salaries don't seem to be all that great in Australia. I've seen most jobs advertised in the $80k range here in Bne for a Senior accountant with CA qualification. It is a bit surprising to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bronwyn&Co.. its not really off topic. I was making a point that to afford a $1.25 million apartment in Mosman is beyond the reach of a "normal" working person. You would have to pay $125 000 per year in repayments alone. So you would need to earn $300 000 per year.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Then she is doing extremely well... I those figures came from a salary survey. I have talked to accountants and those figures are pretty accurate.

But with any salary survey, there is always a small percentage who earn far more than the usual range,

I think it might depend on what industry/part of accountancy you are in. For example, to cherry pick some of the areas, the Hays Salary survey lists the typical salary in Sydney in the category of Professional Practice, Accountancy & Finance for:

Business Service Mgrs, Senior Mgrs, Principals/Directors:

Manager for 0-2 years = $110,000

Senior Manager for 2-5 years = $120,000

Principals/Directors = $175,000

Corporate Finance Managers, Senior Mgrs, Principals/Directors:

Manager for 0-2 years = $120,000

Senior Manager for 2-5 years = $165,000

Principals/Directors = $220,000

Management Consulting Managers, Senior Mgrs, Principals/Directors:

Manager for 0-2 years = $100,000

Senior Manager for 2-5 years = $128,000

Principals/Directors = $165,000

Senior Qualified Accountant:

Finance Director/CFO/GM of Finance turnover up to $50m = $175,000

Finance Director/CFO/GM of Finance turnover from $50m to $100m = $220,000

Finance Director/CFO/GM of Finance turnover over $150m = $260,000

These are just some areas and in some of the other areas listed they are not paid as well...I imagine some specialities/small companies accountants aren't paid as well. Think it depends on the size/scale of the company and job a lot. I wouldn't like to live in inner Sydney on a salary of $100,000...seems too low so would definitely want a second very good income unless I had a lot of capital to bring to the table.

Bronwyn&Co.. its not really off topic. I was making a point that to afford a $1.25 million apartment in Mosman is beyond the reach of a "normal" working person. You would have to pay $125 000 per year in repayments alone. So you would need to earn $300 000 per year.

Yes, many normal locals who buy there are selling somewhere else in Sydney that cost a fortune as well to keep repayments at an affordable level :)

Edited by Fish
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it might depend on what industry/part of accountancy you are in.

Yes, many normal locals who buy there are selling somewhere else in Sydney that cost a fortune as well to keep repayments at an affordable level :)

Yeah, Fish it all boils down to the impact your job has. If you audit the books for a big corporate, it will pay a lot better than doing SMEs. Its probably the same with attorneys. If you handle the trukkie from Penrith's compensation claim, you are doing well. But if you are the head council for Woolies, you are in a different league.

I think I found it a bit unusual for someone to want to move from RSA to Mosman. You would have to be the kind of person living in a R7 million mansion in Sandton who is willing to move to a 3 bed apartment in Mosman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi all

This has turned into an interesting discussion and gives me a lot to think about, thank you for all your insights. It is also interesting to see what the surveys say in comparison to our friends' experiences who are CAs and earning over the $150k mark and we thought that was then common at that level. I'm going to look into this some more though.

My husband is in strategic finance in the financial services sector and I am with one of the top tier international legal firms here but I think I may move into the NGO sector because I've had enough of big business. We are looking to rent in Mosman, not settled on where we'll buy but we still have a long way to go before we get there especially with my desire to leave the rat race.

We have looked at the living expenses os friends living in Mosman who reckon that $3600 rental a month should get us a two bedroom apartment and $2000 should cover expenses (excluding car because we'll buy from savings) is this completely off?

Thanks again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its off. Its at least $1000 a month for food at a supermarket. Then you havent eaten out. Do a virtual shop at Woolworths.com.au. Use the Mosman postcode when they ask for one. I think the two bed rental is off too. Go look at rentals on domain.com.au

All the best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm I don't know the area re. Rentals, but if you are talking $500pw for general expenses, that does sound too little unless you are prepared to be quite frugal.

It will need to cover

2 x mobile contracts at about $60pm each

1 x car rego at about $700pa?

Food maybe $200pw, more if you like fillet and Barossa Shiraz every night ?

Lights & water - how much I don't know as we are in a house. Maybe $1000 per quarter

Hairdresser $180 for you if you colour etc & $30 for your husband ?

Petrol $70 per tank?

Public transport if you intend to use it to work $?

Movies are about $18 per ticket & popcorn & a drink about $12 so if you go, about $80 for a couple unless you look for deals (Telstra tickets $10)

Parking $?

Carwash $40 for the full monty. More if you bought a 4wd.

Cleaner $25 per hour

Internet/landline package $? Varies wildly. We use TPG $89pm but that's lots of internet and free calls to SA (you can do cheaper)

Clothes $100 for each item like nice jeans, nice top etc. depends how much you shop. I got jeans at Target for $10 last week, but since you guys need corporate wear...

Dinners out with friends - main meals about $30 per person, wine about $50 per bottle (try byo), dessert $12, coffees $5

Then there are all the incidentals like if you buy lunch & coffee at work, maybe $12 per day.

The above is just off the top of my head & I've probably forgotten something important. Things do tend to add up at a scary rate if you aren't very strict/careful. I hope it helps :)

Edited by Bronwyn&Co
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i always recommend "people like u" in these situations..

UBank put together an aggregated list of what their customers in each post code spend each month.

A 35 year old male who is married, earns 150k+ and rents in Mosman, spends $8852 per month (incl rent). Granted they spend $1835 on travel (flights, holidays,etc..). They spend $3938 on rent.

http://peoplelikeu.com.au/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi guys

Just to add my two cents worth on this ...we arrived and stayed in a little b&b in Castlecrag (near Willoughby) for the first 2.5 months and it was a really lovely area...not a lot of apartments though.

We are now staying and renting in brand new massive Meriton apartments in Epping which are lovely and our container stuff was shipped here so it is feeling like home again. Epping is rather central for us but we would like to buy a place next year and might look to Lane Cove or ideally Willoughby side of the world etc.

In the apartment building suburb (mini estate) we are staying there are apparently about 8 other South African families who have all recently emigrated...we have met up with only 2 of them so would maybe suggest when starting out to look at something like that as an option.

The rental market is quite ruthless and you really need to have all of your ducks in a row when applying for a place to rent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi all

This has turned into an interesting discussion and gives me a lot to think about, thank you for all your insights. It is also interesting to see what the surveys say in comparison to our friends' experiences who are CAs and earning over the $150k mark and we thought that was then common at that level. I'm going to look into this some more though.

My husband is in strategic finance in the financial services sector and I am with one of the top tier international legal firms here but I think I may move into the NGO sector because I've had enough of big business. We are looking to rent in Mosman, not settled on where we'll buy but we still have a long way to go before we get there especially with my desire to leave the rat race.

We have looked at the living expenses os friends living in Mosman who reckon that $3600 rental a month should get us a two bedroom apartment and $2000 should cover expenses (excluding car because we'll buy from savings) is this completely off?

Thanks again.

Hi PleasantlySurpised,

Very interesting discussion as i'm also a CA and the levels of pay I've seen here are quite a bit lower than I would've thought, especially having seen some salary surveys. Now I'm all apprehensive...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, I live in Pymble in a "cheapie" at $750 a week, but, it's a house, walking distance to the station, that being said, we have been in Australia for 5 years. Only hubby works, I just finished studying and will be admitted in a few months as a solicitor. I have worked on and off but mostly volunteer positions to do the work experience needed for admission.

If you want to go to Mosman, it's your choice, yes, it's expensive but it's your lifestyle choice. Personally I would rent a cheap small place in a suburb that is convenient to commute from, lots of school options and a variety of housing options ( such as apartments and houses for when you want to buy).

If you both arriving with jobs waiting,in your profession, Mosman will be ok (affordable)for you, although the commute sucks from their, sometimes it's something u need to decide for yourself. If u want to stay in an apartment so u close to a nice but busy beach, sure, if u want a house with a garden and more suburbia feel, no.

It really is your choice, it sounds like you have the bucks to take the chance, so I say go for it.

Edited by elleneo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Interesting discussion. I never caught if you had kids or not which will make some bearing on the decision. Mosman is a real spectacular place to stay but is really affordable unless you are willing to easily part with 4k per month on rent for a smallish "house" which wont be anywhere near Balmoral. The areas itself is great but the access to the city isnt as wonderful as it seems. Military road is an absolute nightmare and in summer , can take hours to get anywhere near the beach. The downside to living there is that the city is only accessible by bus, although ferry might be a better option.

Places like Northbridge, Willoughby and Chatswood are all close to the city and wonderful areas to stay in with a little more room to move. Anywhere up the North shore has the train line which can take the same amount of time into the city as a bus from Mosman. In my experience trains are more reliable that buses and don't have traffic issues to contend with. The lower North shore is a very busy place and can get under your skin if you arent used to it.

When we landed we stayed in Roseville which is one of the first suburbs on the North shore, close to the city and generally a very decent place to stay. We ended up overpaying for rent, but really loved the area and place we were in. Its NB to be comfortable when you arrive, it isnt as easy move, so if you dont have very demanding financial constraints , I would go with Mosman. Its vibey , has the beach close by and is as good as it gets in Sydney. Bear in mind $2k per month is nothing for living in Sydney. Your budget (without) kids should probably be in the region of $4k per month, it all adds up very quickly.

Whatever you decide, Balmoral is always a short car trip from any of the inner North Shore suburbs. I loved it there , and when I was looking for work would take my son there once a week for a walk along the beachfront and some coffee. Its a special place!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

After 2.5 very happy years living in Mosman, I've now moved up the Northern Beaches. I would agree with most of the observations in the above thread. Mosman is beautiful, conveniently situated to the city, has two beautiful beaches, lovely walks, good schools and a great shopping strip. It is also very expensive (to rent), dense, a conservative suburb and it's difficult to break into the property market due to cost. I landed there by 'mistake' as I had no idea about suburbs in Sydney when I arrived, and then found it quite hard to leave…. But now that I've had time to explore greater Sydney I realise there are many many beautiful suburbs to choose from, and many that offer better value for money than Mosman. I love all the northern beaches for their relaxed atmosphere and amazing beaches, the northern suburbs are all leafy and green and have great schools and infrastructure. Wahroonga, Northern Turramurra, Gordon and Pymble are fantastic examples. The inner west is up and coming and has a creative, edgy feel to it's suburbs. I like Glebe, Balmain, Five Dock, Abbotsford, Petersham etc.

Sydney is a big place, and it's a process to find the place where you feel most comfortable. The only way to do that is to speak to people you know who live here, and get in a car and drive around as much as you can!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Katerina, where did you end up moving to? We did Balmain/Drummoyne to Frenchs Forest/Belrose two years ago. The Inner West stole my heart in such a big way, that moving to the burbs was a BIG culture shock to me. If did figure out that I had never lived anywhere before where I could not walk to a "high street". Using a car is a bit alien to me. It did get a hell of a lot better after buying our own place, just over a year ago. This is my last ever house, EVER.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hi Katerina, where did you end up moving to? We did Balmain/Drummoyne to Frenchs Forest/Belrose two years ago. The Inner West stole my heart in such a big way, that moving to the burbs was a BIG culture shock to me. If did figure out that I had never lived anywhere before where I could not walk to a "high street". Using a car is a bit alien to me. It did get a hell of a lot better after buying our own place, just over a year ago. This is my last ever house, EVER.

Hi Rozellem

How would you describe Frenchs Forrest? How close is it to the sea?

Kindest regards

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I was reluctantly dragged to the burbs, I have come to love the FForest area. Great state primary schools decent high schools, surrounded by national park. Lots of equestrian farms in the area, a good selection of little shopping precincts and a big mall 10 mins away. Its 15mims to a host of beaches, DeeWhy probably closest. Its whin easy reach of the city and Chatswood. Its VERY family friendly and we very happy with our choice.

Edited by rozellem
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...