heading to perth

[Emille]

hi

apologies for the spelling im typing this on my phone

it looks like we are heading to perth early january.

have been offered a great job - one of those you cant refuse... hopefully nobody here at work reads this forum as nobody is supposed to know yet... so probably nor very wise to broadcast it over the internet but i suppose this forum is a reasonable select group but i need info

well ironically perth is the only Aus capital i havent been to...

the job is working for the state and based in armadale.

well i just wanted to let you know - any advice on perth, any opportunity to meet forum members and any advice on areas would be appreciated

i want to meet up with as many of you as possible

i also want to know whats living like in perth - my biggest concern is the isolation from the rest of aus - how do you cope with this? then being an urban planner from what i read perth sometimes appear to be clynical for the lack of a better word. from what i can see all houses looks 60s/70s/80s wich seems all so monotone

i am excited to be in a city again. im glad to move away from the extreme QLD weather - humidity and cyclones. im looking forward to the cape mediterranian weather and the beaches and the fynbos like vegetatian. and the 18000 south africans. also easier access to SA.

are there areas relatively accessable to armadale that have older more character housing? im aware of freemantle but it seems expensive and i dont know how long it takes to armadale. i suppose its against traffic. what about east freemsntle? also whats areas like ascit like near the airport - its not old but seems close to city and river and affordable. i have also looked at mount richon near armadale as some has skyline views and ut looks green and affordable but is it subject to bushfires and maybe too far out the city and isolated? and coogee and suburbs east of that- but is this too far from armadale?

how long will it take to drive fron cbd to armadale peaktimes?

im basically looking for something unique - whether city views, or old, or cosmopolitan vibrant or close to sea...

budget would be around $500000 for 3 bed minimum

do you know if buiding is cheaper.

i also need furnished accom for a month or so

thanks guys and girls

e

[Almost Aussie]

...and the 18000 south africans. also easier access to SA.

Hi Emille,

Just to rectify, the 2006 census showed 18000. I believe it's now closer to 25000 and not to mention all the 457 visas which aren't always included. Nevertheless the Saffer community in Perth is enormous! The older areas will have older house from the 60s - 80s but Perth has changed a lot since the boom started. More than enough areas where you can buy modern houses. Unfortunately the boom spiked the cost of housing. Building will look cheaper on paper but keep in mind their prices exclude painting, floor finishing and the huge price tag of establishing a garden, even if it's small.

The isolation: I can think of more pros than cons. WA is a country in its own right and we do our own thing, apart from the federal government trying to steal our GTS money to run the east coast . Much closer and cheaper to SA as you've said. My only real issue is having to travel for a few hours for a weekend breakaway.

Don't know the Armadale area very well.

Welcome!

AA

[Vagawi]

Hi Emille,

Just to rectify, the 2006 census showed 18000. I believe it's now closer to 25000 and not to mention all the 457 visas which aren't always included. Nevertheless the Saffer community in Perth is enormous! The older areas will have older house from the 60s - 80s but Perth has changed a lot since the boom started. More than enough areas where you can buy modern houses. Unfortunately the boom spiked the cost of housing. Building will look cheaper on paper but keep in mind their prices exclude painting, floor finishing and the huge price tag of establishing a garden, even if it's small.

The isolation: I can think of more pros than cons. WA is a country in its own right and we do our own thing, apart from the federal government trying to steal our GTS money to run the east coast . Much closer and cheaper to SA as you've said. My only real issue is having to travel for a few hours for a weekend breakaway.

Don't know the Armadale area very well.

Welcome!

AA

[HansaPlease]

Building will look cheaper on paper but keep in mind their prices exclude painting, floor finishing and the huge price tag of establishing a garden, even if it's small.

I agree. I reckon you can add at least $30,000 to the quoted price. Although they say everything is inlcuded for you to move in, there are still the little things that add up. Our house build included floors, carpets and paint, but the extras that we forked out for afterwards to make the place actually liveable all added up.

Things like toilet roll holders, towel racks, curtains and blinds, extra lighting, extra power points, door stops, driveway, front gates, paving for patio, pergola (afdak for entertainment area) plants (on top of landscaping) TV aerials, phone connections, Aircon...

It all adds up.

Congrats on the job Emille.

[Vagawi]

Hi Emile,

Armadale is about an hour's drive from the CBD during peak (depending on how close to 8am you leave). There is a rail link from Armadale to the city and it's quite safe if you use it around peak hour. There have been some horrific things happen later in the evening.

I live in Thornlie which is an older suburb halfway between the city and Armadale with pockets of new housing estates. I would recommend you look in Southern River. Land is being released in that area and it is still close to Armadale and not far from the city centre.

I live in Thornlie and pastor a small church there which we pioneered a couple of years back. I work in Leederville which is on the west side of the city.

All the best with that,

Vagawi

[Emille]

thanks for the advice much appreciated i soak up every word

[Michele R]

Firstly, congrats on the job!

I had to giggle a bit when you mentioned you're relieved to move away from the extreme weather, I don't think there's a place in Aus that doesn't have extreme weather. We went from it being 37 degrees the one day last week to a chilly cloudy day the next, not to mention the freak hail storm we had earlier this year.

Armadale is quite pretty from what I've seen. I find it a bit greener than some of the other suburbs in Perth. We live in Como 'cause hubby and I need to be close to the city. It's nice and relatively quiet and quick to get to the city on the train. There are some really nice properties in Armadale and in nearby suburbs. I have to agree with you on the house front, most houses are quite bland and alike, but no reason why you can't always renovate.

You're bound to bump into a saffer when you're in Perth. On our first day in the city, we bumped into about 3! We're everywhere here, lol.

All the best with the move and let us know how things go!

[Bob]

Emille!

Perth is a great place, mate.

You won't look back after living there for a while.

It used to be a very relaxed, easy going place with the most hours of bright sunshine of any capital city in Australia.

The lousy winter weather lasts about 6 weeks before breaking into spring, so isn't unbearable like Canadian winters which last months in many places and drive lots of South Africans on to sunny Australia from there.

The only problem in dwelling in Perth is a result of its own success in mineral mining exports driving up the cost of labour, land and housing in the West, pretty much like in Q'ld.

If you can handle that increase in costs, then you are home.

Perth?

Enjoy!

[AndreaL]

Hi Emille

I just wanted to say congratulations on the job.

Personally I love Freemantle, but it is so expensive. Perhaps you should rent for a few months and really have a good look around before committing to one area.

Good luck

[Emille]

Hi Emille,

Just to rectify, the 2006 census showed 18000. I believe it's now closer to 25000 and not to mention all the 457 visas which aren't always included. Nevertheless the Saffer community in Perth is enormous! The older areas will have older house from the 60s - 80s but Perth has changed a lot since the boom started. More than enough areas where you can buy modern houses. Unfortunately the boom spiked the cost of housing. Building will look cheaper on paper but keep in mind their prices exclude painting, floor finishing and the huge price tag of establishing a garden, even if it's small

AA

hi AA

well i was surprised to see only 18000 since perth has always been the pinnacle fir sa immigrants hence the saying packing for perth. your 25000 sounds more realistic.

i dont understand though that its supposed to be the most expensive as from what i can see props are average. i couldnt find a house in sydney for under 500000 on the web

i suppose my holidays from now on will have to be more selective and longer to justify the airfares

[briggs]

Hi Emille,

We live in Coogee (1km from beach ) and are so happy here. I worked in Armadale on assignment for 2 weeks and it took me just on 30mins to get there, leaving home at 7.15am. Coming home took me a little longer for some reason but all in all it was no problem at all. Traffic flowed nicely.

Fremantle on the whole is very expensive, over priced for what you get in my humble opinion but still an absolutely beautiful and quaint place to live. I would also strongly suggest that you rent for at least 6mths to get a feel for the different areas.

All the best with your move to Perth !!!

Regards

Briggs

[Emille]

Hi Emille,

We live in Coogee (1km from beach ) and are so happy here. I worked in Armadale on assignment for 2 weeks and it took me just on 30mins to get there, leaving home at 7.15am. Coming home took me a little longer for some reason but all in all it was no problem at all. Traffic flowed nicely.

Fremantle on the whole is very expensive, over priced for what you get in my humble opinion but still an absolutely beautiful and quaint place to live. I would also strongly suggest that you rent for at least 6mths to get a feel for the different areas.

All the best with your move to Perth !!!

Regards

Briggs

hi briggs

coogee was one of the areas i thought would be nice still expensive but possible. the commute was my problem but 30 mins is nothing. i want to buy asap will rent a month to get into market have been renting in Aus for 2 years which is money diwn the drain. can one take the train to CBD for future reference and how long does it take? what are the areas like east of coogee they seem cheaper but i dont want to live with criminals

[Emille]

Congrats on the job Emille.

[briggs]

Yes Coogee can be expensive to rent however you do get properties that are reasonable. It depends on what your priorties are, for us it was very important to be near the beach.

I would say Beeliar is not a bad suburb, about 7-10mins with traffic (not to far from Gateways shopping centre). Spearwood (Coogee side of Rockingham Rd) is not bad at all.

I am personally not keen on Hamilton Hill etc......

If you lived in Beeliar, you can catch the train from Cockburn Central that takes you to Perth Esplanade. You can also take the train from Fremantle into Perth. Beeliar to Cockburn Central to drive, will take you 10mins. Coogee to Fremantle station should take about the same however, parking is nightmare there.

Please feel free to message or contact us at any time or when you get here if you have any questions etc.

[Emille]

Hi Emile,

Armadale is about an hour's drive from the CBD during peak (depending on how close to 8am you leave). There is a rail link from Armadale to the city and it's quite safe if you use it around peak hour. There have been some horrific things happen later in the evening.

I live in Thornlie which is an older suburb halfway between the city and Armadale with pockets of new housing estates. I would recommend you look in Southern River. Land is being released in that area and it is still close to Armadale and not far from the city centre.

I live in Thornlie and pastor a small church there which we pioneered a couple of years back. I work in Leederville which is on the west side of the city.

All the best with that,

Vagawi

hi vagawi

thanks for the info. is southern river near thornlie?

im surprised that in Aus the trsin is actually dangerous. so does that apply to that whole line? how dangerous is armadale

i will be responsible for the development and regeneration if the areas into one of the 5 top growth nides in greater perth

e

[Emille]

Yes Coogee can be expensive to rent however you do get properties that are reasonable. It depends on what your priorties are, for us it was very important to be near the beach.

I would say Beeliar is not a bad suburb, about 7-10mins with traffic (not to far from Gateways shopping centre). Spearwood (Coogee side of Rockingham Rd) is not bad at all.

I am personally not keen on Hamilton Hill etc......

If you lived in Beeliar, you can catch the train from Cockburn Central that takes you to Perth Esplanade. You can also take the train from Fremantle into Perth. Beeliar to Cockburn Central to drive, will take you 10mins. Coogee to Fremantle station should take about the same however, parking is nightmare there.

Please feel free to message or contact us at any time or when you get here if you have any questions etc.

thanks briggs thats very valuable advice

e

[Queensland Girl]

HOW FANTASTIC!!!! I have yet to meet the South African who isnt happy in Perth! WELL DONE!

[MannyT]

Well done on the job in Perth........Looks like you are not going to make it to Sydney after all..........

Enjoy!

[Emille]

HOW FANTASTIC!!!! I have yet to meet the South African who isnt happy in Perth! WELL DONE!

thanks queenslandgirl

e

[HouseInOz]

Hillary's Boat Harbour would be my fav. suburb - feels and looks like Somerset West or Strand

(Sydney missed out then....LOL ....sorry could not help to mention it)

[Emille]

Hillary's Boat Harbour would be my fav. suburb - feels and looks like Somerset West or Strand

(Sydney missed out then....LOL ....sorry could not help to mention it)

hi

yes a knew somebody is going to mention that!!!!

i am sad about that but perth is my new home and i will commit and love and be greatful forever

as i said at the end where you get the best job is at the end of the day the city to choose

e

[candivw]

Personally I dont like Aramadale because whenever there are drug stories the people all live in that suburb, it also has a really old feel to it, but thats just my opinion. I drove through there 3x a week when my cats were in quarantine. I like Byford because you get some lovely big pieces of land down there, more like small holdings. Southern River is nice but just be careful where you buy, its zoned as a kennel area and you can have barking dogs in boarding if you are not careful. I would not rush to buy, you need to rent and spend time in areas first, it is very NB because you wont know what you like by just driving through a neighbourhood. Perth is really different and unique and you need to explore that before you buy. A lot of people have spoken highly of Safety Bay, it is about 35-40Km from Armadale though.

ETA, I would look at Success, loads of new houses going up and I have a few friends who have bought there and are happy - only 20Km from Armadale.

[Bok]

Congrats on your job! We were in exactly the same position as you about 7 months ago! Lived in BRISSIE for a year and a half and then came over to Perth, also for a fantastic job! Honestly, we don't miss QLD at all. Perth is absolutely wonderful! Yes, the weather is also hot, but not as humid. Way better to handle! You won't regret it. We also just bought a house. Such a relief to have houses built with bricks again - comparing to QLD with its 'plank huise'! He he! Anyway, if you have any questions, please pm us. Good luck with packing the container again - we even sent our cars over!

[Emille]

Personally I dont like Aramadale because whenever there are drug stories the people all live in that suburb, it also has a really old feel to it, but thats just my opinion. I drove through there 3x a week when my cats were in quarantine. I like Byford because you get some lovely big pieces of land down there, more like small holdings. Southern River is nice but just be careful where you buy, its zoned as a kennel area and you can have barking dogs in boarding if you are not careful. I would not rush to buy, you need to rent and spend time in areas first, it is very NB because you wont know what you like by just driving through a neighbourhood. Perth is really different and unique and you need to explore that before you buy. A lot of people have spoken highly of Safety Bay, it is about 35-40Km from Armadale though.

ETA, I would look at Success, loads of new houses going up and I have a few friends who have bought there and are happy - only 20Km from Armadale.

i candivw thanks will look into the 2areas

e

[Emille]

Congrats on your job! We were in exactly the same position as you about 7 months ago! Lived in BRISSIE for a year and a half and then came over to Perth, also for a fantastic job! Honestly, we don't miss QLD at all. Perth is absolutely wonderful! Yes, the weather is also hot, but not as humid. Way better to handle! You won't regret it. We also just bought a house. Such a relief to have houses built with bricks again - comparing to QLD with its 'plank huise'! He he! Anyway, if you have any questions, please pm us. Good luck with packing the container again - we even sent our cars over!

[/quot

hi bok

thanks its good to know. i personally would not mind not seeing another queenslander - the houses not the people