Planning the big move

[RobertWD]

Hi folks,

I am new to this forum, and during the short time I have been on, have felt comforted by the fact that so many have been going through the same rollercoaster ride as us. However having said that, it all has seemed to work out quite well for the majority of the members who have completed their move.

We were blessed in getting our PR visa granted, and really enjoyed our LSD trips to Perth last year. During my first trip I was almost lucky enough to get a job, on top of this I managed to meet numerous employment agencies and register my details with them. I found them to all be very welcoming and professional.

That being in the past now, my time for handing in my notice and heading off into the great unknown, with the knowledge that on the 25th of every month old faithful will stop topping up my account- is a very daunting reality. But it is very exciting too. We have put our game plan into action, of when to start packing, cancelation dates for debit orders/accounts etc. meeting with the removal company, arranging letters of recommendation and good standing... So we have most of the boxes ticked.

My plan is that I will leave ahead of the family and they will follow when I have set up a home-base... and God willing a job. But as I will be leading the way, it is not my intention to utilise the capital that I have sent ahead:-

This being said, does anybody know of any furnished "cheap" accommodation in the CBD. I have been on the realestate.com.au and similar sites, but what I understand from other members is that for rentals, they are looking for certain criteria- I am assuming having a stable job is one of them. But surely there are blocks of furnished apartments in town that caterer for people that are in my situation.

I look forward to hearing some feedback for my plans, or hearing if others have found that one heading off before the rest as been problematic (in any way).

All the best

Rob

[HadEnoughofJuju]

Hey Rob, just wanted to welcome you to the forum and wish you good luck with your journey and planning. We managed to land a rental by offering and paying 6 months rent upfront while still unemployed. It is a big chunk of cash but it gives you peace of mind and there are many potential land lords that will take 6 months rent and not worry too much about you not having a job yet.

[Tebbutts]

Hi Rob - we are also going to Perth in Jan 2014. Our plan is to rent a furnished apartment/house for the first month while we look for an unfurnished rental. We are doing a 2 week visit now in June and I have booked a furnished apartment through the Stayz website (Bel Air). It is quite pricey, but maybe you can find something cheaper through them if it is only for one person. I can let you know what we discover while we are there in June.

Good luck with all the plans!

Debbie

[BriD]

Welcome to the forum and good luck with all your preparations! I am afraid I cannot help much with the "on-site" stuff...I have not been there yet. We are waiting for our grant so we can do an LSD and Activation trip all in one go.

Keep us updated on your journey

[RobertWD]

Thanks HadEnoughofJuju , Tebbutt and BriD, your input is greatly appreciated.

I will definitely keep updating as I go along. Perhaps an arbitrary post of something I may stumble across may assist someone else, as I have been assisted with your experiences.

Another issue I came across whilst I was there last year, was that when I met with employment agencies, Australian work experience or lack thereof counts a lot against new job seekers. What I was thinking to counter this was whilst looking for full time employment, also look for short term contract work. This will assist with being self sufficient (and not reducing my capital investment) as well as getting that much needed Australian experience.

All the best

Rob

[Lyn]

Cant comment on Perth - but wanted to say welcome to the forum. I'm sure someone with knowledge of WA will give you some tips soon.

[HadEnoughofJuju]

@Rob

I can't remember reading anywhere and If I did and missed it I apologise but I can't seem to recall what you do for a living. The Australian experience thing can be an issue with employment agencies but hang in there. One of them will give you a chance. Often the only jobs immigrants do get in the beginning are contract jobs and although it s stressful to wonder the whole time where the next contract is going to come from, it's a good way to get that Aussie experience.

Depending on what your skill set is, another way to get some Aussie experiences is to volunteer your professional services to a charity organisation. Volunteer work here seems to be a big thing and goes a long way on your CV.

[RobertWD]

Thanks for the above post. These pearls of advice are exactly what I am looking for.

I am in the finance field (Internal Auditor, financial manager) as well as in general management (I have been a director and general manager). What I could do is offer my services to a local church or similar institution and do their books for free. Besides the obvious of carrying out a charitable duty, it would assist greatly in meeting others and networking.

I was also thinking of getting contract work at the larger audit firms- KPMG, EY etc. this would be a great crash course in the Aussie way of business (What other industry opens their operations and business dealings freely).

[Jen_PFR]

Hi Rob,

Great ideas re: volunteering your time with a charity by using your professional skills - this stuff is very much appreciated/admired in Australia. Most country areas wouldn't survive without 'vollies' as we call them, and even we city folk truly do appreciate people who contribute their time to worthy causes

Regarding short term furnished accommodation, I'm not aware of anyone who provides it in the CBD, but we do have some short term fully furnished rentals which are in suburbs close to town (just click on the link in my signature if you're interested in more info). Typically this kind of accommodation requires some sort of deposit but not reference checks etcetera - for example, we ask for four weeks' rent, which is fully refundable at the end of your stay, if the property is neat and clean with no damages (or unpaid rent), but we don't require ref checks etc. The other thing short term accomm providers can do for you, is act as a contactable referee for any rental applications you put in for longer term (unfurnished) rentals - I can't count how many real estate agents I've spoken to who are in the process of vetting possible tenants. So this can also be useful to secure your longer term rental.

Anyhow if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask

Jen

[poue]

Websites for furnished short/ medium term rentals in Perth:
www.immigrate-to-a-new-life-in-perth.com
www.southafricansinperth.com.au
www.rent-a-home.com.au
www.stayz.com.au
www.ozhouserental.com- we used them and were very happy with the property we stayed in. We stayed in Ridgewood Residence, which is in Ridgewood (about 40k north of CBD), We paid AUD675 per week all inclusive for a 4 bed x 2 bathroom x 2 garage house.

www.perthfurnishedrentals.com
www.lets-perth.com
www.selectstays.com.au
www.movetoperth.com
www.perthfullyfurnished.com
www.cottagestays.com.au
www.homehound.com.au

You can also search on Gumtree Australia, but I got no replies from the owners/ landlords.

Good luck! Hope you find something soon!

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[RobertWD]

Dear Jen_PFR and poue,

Thank you so much for your insight. The links and experience is greatly appreciated, I think over the next couple of days I will do some research, and then get back to you with some feedback.

Being part of this amazing community really makes this life altering event easier. Since I have been on this site, I have felt a lot more at ease.

Thank you to everyone who has assisted so far!

Regards

Rob