[jasey]

Hi guys

For those in Sydney, please could you help identify a few suburbs in Sydney that are quite close to the CBD (20-30km?) where the houses are bigger, have more space between houses and more privacy, with bigger gardens?

Thanks!

[jasey]

Something similar to Flamingo Vlei in Cape Town, set near a lake with wild birds etc.

[Diveup]

Hi Jasey,

I live in the Sutherland Shire and good suburbs to look at are Menai, Barden Ridge, Bangor, Illawong, Alfords Point, Gymea, Miranda, Kirrawee, Heathcote, Engadine, Cronulla, Como, Janalli and Caringbah. Check www.realestate.com.au for Sydney suburb information.

Diveup

[jasey]

Awesome Diveup, thanks for the tip on all those suburbs. Will check them out immediately!

[jasey]

Is it just me or can you not find a freestanding house with a garden in Sydney for under 750k?

[Chocolate]

Hi jasey, I know how you feel...property is very expensive
Out in the Hills area I believe it's a bit less expensive, as it's further away
from the city (around 30km I think), places like Cherrybrook, Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills,
they are north-west of the CBD. I'm sure someone from those areas will add to this
post. I believe some of the public schools there are also very good.

Good luck
Chocolate

[Mrs Mupersan in Canberra]

Jasey, don't even look at buying property until you've at least spent a minimum of a year renting and driving around on weekends to get a better feel for the suburbs in Sydney. The place is enormous!!!! Look on a map and find Parramatta. Parramatta is the geographical centre of Sydney. When you draw a circle around that to the outskirts, itjust boggles the mind!

Where you end up living compared to where Google Earth, Google, RealEstate, Domain and the SAAustralia forum have suggested could be worlds apart. Keep an open mind and when you get here, start exploring. There is absolutely nothing to say that you absolutely have to live forever in the first place you land in. I always suggest to new arrivals to rent for 6 months in a relatively cheap spot in a semi okay area and spend your weekends driving around getting the feel for your new city and her suburbs. I know this isn't always possible when you have kids as you need to enroll them into schools within a soecific catchemet area. So if you are still child free, take full advantage of that ability to be mobile before settling on one particular area.

Sydney has so many suburbs and every member of this forum who has ever been to Sydders will have their favourites - and they'll all be different. My personal favourites? The Northern Beaches from Narrabeen upwards (north). I can't imagine living anywhere else in Sydney. I don't have a clue why anyone would want to stay outside of walking distance to the sea in Sydney. But thank heavens they do or I wouldn't be able to find a place there!

The 'advice' you're asking for here is really going to produce very subjective answers. Just take that into account when reading them.

[Sibella]

Whick is why we live in Melbourne...

[jasey]

Some good points there Mrs. I think it's just in SA culture to want to buy immediately. But we won't be taking tons of stuff with us anyway, so renting and then moving is going to be much easier than what it would be here, with your whole life's possessions.

Sibella, I get you

[Emille]

one of the reasons we didnt move to sydney is that we wouldve had to live in a flat if near the cbd, or otherwise very far out

best advice given is not to buy - i would say only buy after a year or two

i thought hornsby wouldve been an option for us

[jasey]

I came across the area of Saratoga, which is lovely with loads of views, but it's about 60km out of the CBD. That would make it something like Langebaan->CT distance I think?

[rozellem]

jasey, on 28 January 2012 - 08:24 PM, said:

I came across the area of Saratoga, which is lovely with loads of views, but it's about 60km out of the CBD. That would make it something like Langebaan->CT distance I think?

I think technically the north border of Sydney ends at the Hawksbury river, so your discovery is way out of Sydney and you will kill yourself with that commute. Re-think.

[jasey]

Thanks Roz, good to know!

Do you know of any suburb in Sydney that is set on a lake/wetland of some sort that has bird life inhabiting it?

[Donovan83]

I wouldn't buy until I've at least lived in the city for at least a year... having said that though, as long as you save up a nice deposit on a place in the meantime then you're doing well I guess.

[Mrs Mupersan in Canberra]

You could look at Narrabeen lake. But you dont need to be near a wetland to see some of Aus's most spectacular birds. Have a look around Pittwater as well - there are some stunning spots up on McCarrs Creek road which are in amongst the trees and bush and you can also see the water through the trees. It's really a bird lovers paradise.