URGENT Advice needed about Adelaide

[Robbie_P]

Hi All,

I have a potential job transfer from Sydney to Adelaide coming up and I need to seriously start making plans.

We are a young couple (30 and 28) and have 2 kids (10 and 2), with another one due at the end of October.

We are originally from Cape Town, spent 1.5 years in Sydney and recently decided enough was enough in Sydney.

Should the job transfer go through, I could be working at this address: Green hill road Unley SA 5061

I am trying to narrow down a few areas in Adelaide, but seems quite daunting when you have no idea of the area L

Things i need to consider:

1: Work location – I want to keep my commute to work under 30mins. I am also happy to use public transport, which i have been using for the past 7 years (in SA and OZ)

2: House – I would be looking for a 4 bedroom house, preferably under $500 per week

3: Schools – My son will still have 1 year left in primary school and will go to high school on 2014. So decent public schools, preferably walking of cycling distance or some sort of school bus.

4: Beaches – would be great to be 15 -20mins away from the beach

5: In 3 months time, we will have a newborn and a toddlers, so maybe an area with parks etc.

Also, with the new arrival is due at the end of October, so might need some recommendation for a good public hospital too J

I have picked up a few areas from the forum, word of mouth or from my own findings:

West Lakes, Fulham, Henley, Flinders Park, Port Noarlunga, Woodcroft, Hallet Cove, Marion, Trott Park, Reynella East, Mawson Lakes

How would these areas tie up with my some of my needs mentioned above?

Look forward to heard from you.

Regards,

Robbie

[Guest Eager2go]

Hi Robbie

If you haven't yet read it, you might find some help under the 'communities' topic. Look for Miraclebaby's comment and follow the thread. It's about a couple of houses for rent in Hallet Cove.

Good luck

[Robbie_P]

Thanks, was hoping to get some advice from a few South Australian locals

[Bob]

Robbie!

Your work location, if you look on Google maps, is on the southern side of Adelaide.

I know the area pretty well. As a single 20 Something back in the 70s, I lived in Unley.

Some of the areas you've mentioned are on the western side of Adelaide (Fulham, Flinders Park, Henley Beach), and since the public transport goes into the city, you'd need to catch another short bus ride, or walk, to Greenhill Road, which is on the far side of the southern parklands which surround the city centre. Once you go thro the parklands, the southern suburbs begin.

The other suburbs listed are in the far south (Trott Park, Woodcroft, Hallett Cove) and have a train line connecting them to the city. It's unfortunately on the northern side of the city, so you'd need to walk the whole north / south of the city centre and walk thro the parklands to work. . . . not unpleasant to do.

I like Unley, but it's inner city suburb, which means the old houses there (usually "Federation" style bungalows, built in the early C20th) are very expensive to buy and rent nowadays. Sadly, I've seen many of them bulldozed and replaced with ghastly modern "Tuscan" homes, which look very much like boxes, completely out of character with the beautiful area, having no eaves or verandahs to keep the hot sun out . . . . hellish hot to live in without the enormous air conditioners stuck alongside them which consume more power than a Holden car factory!!!)

If you live in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, it's alright to rent, but if buying a new dwelling please take into consideration the soil there is "Bay of Biscay" clay with a big propensity to crack in dry summers and swell in the winter rains causing lots of housing to crack apart in the walls and subside on one side. $$$$$$$

Edited July 27, 2012 by Bob

[rozellem]

Hey, Robbie. All the best with your move. I have never even been to Adelaide, so dont have any local knowledge for you. People on this forum, especially families, seem to love it though. I believe they have quite a few RSA in Adelaide groups on facebook. Just from a social point of view. If I was you, I would move asap. If your wife has the baby there she would slot into a mothers group there and hey presto, your wife has friends and acquaintances. And you know the saying, happy wife, happy life. I think for the kids sake too, the sooner the better. Especially the older one, get him/her settled in one place asap, versus staying in Sydney for another year and then having to start from scratch. You are lucky though, you now have Aus experience on your CV and can look for a job on SEEK etc. without being unemployed. Good luck to you. Exciting times.

[Springjock]

Some of the places you have mentioned are ok, but you can get something a stone's throw from the beach for $500 a week. We did!

You'd really have to have a specific reason to want to live in a place like Mawson Lakes, for example. It's in the middle of nowhere. It's a lovely place, but I know I would feel a bit 'excluded' living there. Anywhere south of the city is usually lovely. Up north, places like Elizabeth have a reputation for getting a bit hairy, but I'd rather live there than Joburg!

There are no real 'bad' places in Adelaide. Some are more desirable than others, and some match your lifestyle more than others

Robbie, if you want to chat, just PM and I will give you my phone number. I've lived here for 18 months, so I'm no expert, but I know my way around.

[Robbie_P]

Bob, i spoke to colleagues in out Adelaide office (123 Greenhill Road), and 99% of the office drives to work.

As i will be renting, ideally i would want to be no more than 12kms from our office. So South and East of the CBD seems to tick a few boxes as it will along me to pick up a rental for under $450 (4 bedder) and be a short drive / cycle to the office. So maybe places such as Campbelltown, Newton, Athelstone, Burnside, Unley, Parkside, Dulwich, Myrtle Bank or Malvern.

Rozellem, thanks for the advice. If all goes well with transfer, we would like to be there in the next 2 months. If not, early 2013.

Springjock, i will look for something close to beach for under $500, but for a 4 bedroom seems unlikely?

[deroche]

Search Adelaide Bound on google. Has helped me quite a bit as we are moving to Adelaide as well.

[Bronwyn&Co]

Robbie, Adelaide is an interesting place in that there are hundreds of really tiny suburbs. I would get a map, stick a pin in Greenhill Rd and then get on Realestate.com.au (rental section). Type in the +-40 little suburbs around there, put in your requirements, being 4+ beds and under $$ whatever rent. See what pops up. You can even set up a Real estate alert on there, it works very well. You get inboxed as soon as an agent lists a house matching yr requirements. When I say that there are little suburbs, I mean little ones like Urrbrae and Beulah Park. The 2 top Govt primary schools in the vicinity are Burnside and Linden Park (they are very strict with their catchment areas ) and they are both excellent. For High school, Glenunga High is extremely sought after if your child is academic, but has a tiny catchment area. Norwood Morialta and Unley High and Maryatville High are all contenders. Marryatville is probably the best, also with a tiny catchment area. Just a word of caution - try not to live within 3 or 4 Kms of the big intersection on Glen Osmond/Portrush Rd and Cross Rd, as the air brakes from the trucks and the sirens from the Fire Station across the rd will drive you nuts. You can probably also look up Tranmere/ Rostrevor way ( cheaper rent but out of the really good school catchment areas) or even consider Aldgate or Stirling up in the hills if you can find something in yr price range. Aldgate and Stirling Primary schools are both excellent but High Schools up there are a bit scarce.

I'm sorry but I don't have a lot of knowledge of suburbs closer to the beach. I'm sure someone else can help you there.

Ps. I just remembered Mitcham Primary. Also a great school in an upmarket area. Check the catchment areas, all the schools I have mentioned are strict with this. If a school has no catchment, beware, IMHO.

Pm me if you would like more specifics and good luck! :-)

Edited July 27, 2012 by Bronwyn&Co

[miraclebabycaw]

Ditto on what Bronwyn says. We really would like to put both our kids in Linden Park as it seems to be an excellent school and I have seen a lot of good recommendations for that and Glenunga high, BUT the rentals in that area are very steep. Decent 4broom seems to be upwards of 600 a week. That being said we are not there yet so I haven't actually seen the areas. Stirling primary has a good name as well

[Bronwyn&Co]

I just took a look and a few cropped up under $500 but they get snapped up pretty quickly. You might have to compromise with an old fashioned bathroom or something, to get what you want. Just another thought - it's worth looking online at houses that are advertised as 3 bedrooms as well. Sometimes there is a rumpus room or an area with a ceiling height just under requirements, and the agents are not allowed to advertise it as a bedroom, but it can be used as one.

[Robbie_P]

Something i wondered, how bicycle friendly are the roads in Adelaide?

If you had to live in the Hills area (Stirling, Crafers etc), would you be able to cycle along The South Eastern Freeway / Princess Highway?

Would there be dedicated cycle paths and would it be safe to cycle these roads into the city?

[Bronwyn&Co]

Something i wondered, how bicycle friendly are the roads in Adelaide?

If you had to live in the Hills area (Stirling, Crafers etc), would you be able to cycle along The South Eastern Freeway / Princess Highway?

Would there be dedicated cycle paths and would it be safe to cycle these roads into the city?

Hey Robbie - I believe there is a dedicated cycle lane next to the highway, parallel to the highway. It would be a hard slog up to the hills suburbs, but I think easier downhill to the city

[Bob]

There is a dedicated bike track all the way from the Toll Gate (where the south eastern Freeway ends and the suburbs begin) to Stirling (Crafers).

Stirling is beautiful, especially in full summer and autumn. It is an extremely "leafy" suburb, with easy access of the city (having a three land freeway right into the suburbs) and also has an Adelaide Hills lifestyle, with its openness and spaciousness, easy free parking when you need to pop down to the shops for your weekly groceries, and has a number of properties that are stunning.

Dulwich, in the inner suburbs, is another favourite of mine with its quaint tea shops on the corner where people meet at lunchtime. With easy access to all that Adelaide has to offer, it's only minutes (5) to Unley. Very relaxed lifestyle.

Both areas are expensive though, but if you get a chance to rent there affordably, consider them.