Melbourne Suburbs

[Rush22]

We arrive in Melbourne on the 7th of May and have temporary accommodation for 2 weeks. We are a family with 2 kids aged 11 and 8 so our priorities upon landing are securing a rental and a school.

So far, some areas that have caught our attention is Bentleigh, Chadstone, Carnegie and Mount Waverley. We looking for something not more than 20kms to CBD, good transport options as well as good primary and high school.

Please feel free to comment on above areas as well as make alternate suggestions, especially if you are aware of good areas closer to CBD that wont break the bank. Thanks to all who have helped over the last few months with all the great information.

[miran]

I'm a huge Sunbury fan! A little further from the CBD but traffic is better than the eastern side. Lovely rentals, relatively cheap compared

to eastern suburbs. Great schools, my kids (9 and 11) were accepted immediately and are really happy!

[Nev]

Heidelberg Heights, close to a train line, really leafy and doesn't break the bank to rent

[GMP]

Suppose it really all depends on what you have budgetted to spend on rent and your preferences to neighbourhoods/schools/lifestyle etc.. We have been in the eastern suburbs of Camberwell/Burwood and loving it, I have the option of either tram or train to CBD and back. My son (2 years old) attends a creche in Camberwell, and we have access to about 5 parks in short walking distance.

Chadstone has some really nice places too, but everyone will give you their personal opinions, I would suggest taking time on domain.com.au and realestate.com.au to get an idea of what you like and from there prioritise the areas that interest you and then when you land just go out and have a look at the area's yourself...photos and such can be pretty desceptive.

[Sibella]

Yes just drive around the first few days and see what you like. I personally like Bayside area and where we live Outer East (Chirnside Park, Croydon Hills, Warranwood, Croydon North, Warrandyte, Wonga Park, Ringwood North) as it is quite rural with a bush feel but close to all facilities and a couple of great schools both public and private. Private schools out here are cheaper than closer to the city, we are about 25 - 30 kms from the city I think, takes 40 mins on the train from Croydon station and 30 mins drive on the weekend. Houses here are much less expensive to buy - you can still get a lot for your money. We bough a 4 bedroom house with a study, 3 bathrooms, 2 large living areas and a rumpus room upstairs for $650 000. We are walking distance from a park with a lake with ducks and the cockatoos (even black ones) come to nest in the gumtree forest across the road which creates a lovely racket in the evenings and early mornings! We see kangaroos some times but horses, sheep, cows and alpacas every day.

The Ringwood area had a bit of a reputation but they are redoing Ringwood station as well as Eastland (major shopping center), the library and the swimming pools and prices in Ringwood has risen 20% already in the past few months. We also have a Costco which is great (like Makro and there is only two in Melbourne and the other one is in the city).

I would probably not go for Ringwood but there are beautiful pockets of neighbourhoods in the suburbs I mentioned. Ringwood High School is a great public high school.

I also love the Heidelberg, Eltham area.

When we first landed we lived in the Glen Waverley area and although very popular and expensive I did not enjoy it at all. So really it depends on what you like as a family.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Sibella

[Tim & Abby]

Hi there

I posted this for Shabani originally, but it might be helpful for you too.

A really good resource if you're comparing schools in different areas is http://bettereducation.com.au/

Look on the yellow menu on the left hand side: Compare schools, then select primary or secondary schools and your state.

You can put in up to five primary or secondary schools in an area and see which ones are doing best in the different test results like NAPLAN.

You'll certainly want to check out the school before you make a final decision as it's not all about the numbers, but it can help you narrow down the options or even narrow down where you look to rent or buy a house. Schools can vary a great deal in a small area (compare Carlton Gardens Primary School with Carlton North and Carlton, for example), so it's worth checking.

Great state schools are often very strict about their catchment areas, so if you are going the state-school route and have your heart set on a particular school, be aware that you may be on a waiting list or dismissed outright if you aren't in the correct zone. You'll have to send proof of where you live (rental contract, utilities bills etc.) before your child's enrolment is accepted.

In terms of suburbs, we moved out east, to Belgrave in the Dandenong ranges. It was an hour's commute from the city, house prices are comparatively cheap and we got to live in a gorgeous area. However, in hindsight, I would stay as close to work as possible (for me, that's the CBD). Otherwise it's really tricky to grow a circle of friends - you live too far away from people you meet at work and you're never home to meet the people who actually live in your area. Just my two cents.

Best of luck with your move

Abby

[MomOfTwo]

What would you guys say would be an average weekly rental amount for an average middle class family, 3 beds two baths with backyard, something relatively new ( as in not 30 year old house).

Ive just looked at this.....to give u an idea....

http://www.domain.com.au/property/for-rent/house/vic/sunbury/?adid=9743318&sp=8

[DXB2OZ]

It varies wildly between the areas and even within the areas. Always look at factors like school zones (this can command an enormous premium), proximity to busy roads, proximity to sea/bush/park/golf course, which side of the high way, nearest train line, etc.

Another useful site is www.realestate.com.au

If you browse the houses for sale, be aware that they generally go for quite a bit over the asking price - looking at the "sold" listing gives a far better idea of actual prices.

[Sunnyskies]

Depends on where you are looking. Sunbury's rent is cheaper than a suburb close to the cbd for the same type of house. Could be $650 or $950 depending on the suburb. A lot of people pick suburbs with a rental of $500 - so bit of a commute but not too far away.

[Mark Strathmore]

Hi, we've just been through the rental process and I thought I would share some learnings here.

You need to prepare yourself for how renting is done (in Melbourne, it differs in other states). Typically, one looks for properties on the two web sites mentioned above. Once you have selected some properties that interest you, check out the viewing times. This is where it gets a bit weird. Viewing times are generally 15 minute slots where everyone interested arrives at the rental, waits for the agent (who is invariably late in order to drum up the "auction" nature of it all) and then everyone rushes through the house frantically. There is often very little time to make a decision because property is in such demand.

After speaking to several locals as well as ex-saffers, I took some advice and we secured a rental quite easily. As much as it is unpalatable, remember that you are an immigrant and hence often the agents view you as carrying some degree of risk (temp visa, no credit record, no track record of rentals etc). What worked for me:

1. Create a profile on realestate.com.au, pre-fill in an application form and upload all the details that it asks you for: if you leave this until you have actually seen the property, you will likely not be successful.

2. Do not waste time filling in the paper forms that the agent has with them at the property: you followed the advice in (1) above and hence if you like the property, you simply fire up your tablet, click the property and press submit. I can't emphasize this enough: do not delay if you like the property.

3. I prepared a brief document that gave some background on my fiancee and I, the fact that we had a long term relationship and had a great home back in SA (I included photos). The thing to accept and understand is that in Melbourne there is such a high demand that you are in competition with all the other folks who were rushing through the house just as you were. Agents and homeowners have almost complete supplier power. Anything that swings it helps.

4. I always tried to stay until the end of the viewing and establish a rapport with the agent - they are involved recommending a prospective tenant to the owner.

5. If you really like the property, don't hesitate to offer 2 or three month's rent in advance: this is a massive incentive in the eyes of the owner. The profile you created in (1) is reused every time you apply for a home, and offers a "notes" box which in which you would write whatever offer you choose to make.

6. Rents are quoted per week: to get to the monthly commitment, multiply by 52 and divide by 12. The first month is usually paid in advance.

7. There is also a "Bond" payment, which is typically paid the day prior to occupation.

8. Finally, tenants have very strong rights: including not allowing access to the property until the last month of notice and then only for a "reasonable" number of 15 minute viewings. This may mean that you arrive at a house and the tenant does not allow entry or is not available.

There's no other way to say this: normally the agents that get sent to the viewings aren't top flight employees, more like agent's assistants - if you like the house, make an attempt to call the agent indicated on the web site and indicate that you are keen. Rapport is better...

I dealt with a lady called Simone Buckley from Hockingstuart in Brighton - if you are looking in that area it is worth calling her as she was approachable (many agents will not take your calls, instead telling you to attend the viewing).

Whilst it is on my mind: try to make sure that you have a bank account set up prior to arrival - almost all identification in Aus uses "100 points of identification" where various forms of ID are accorded a point value which must add up to 100 in order to identify you (to open any account, etc). Having a bank account helps a lot. Again, for what it's worth, I deal with Commonwealth bank simply because they were willing to open accounts for us whilst we were here on holiday (i.e. only on tourist visas).

Hope this helps!

Mark.

[Mel-B]

Fantastic advice, thank you!

[RedPanda]

Wow, Mark, what a nice summary.

Thanks, I'm certainly going to go over this before we try to rent.

[Mara]

Unless you look in Sunbury, where none of this would likely be required!

[MomOfTwo]

Hi, we've just been through the rental process and I thought I would share some learnings here.

You need to prepare yourself for how renting is done (in Melbourne, it differs in other states). Typically, one looks for properties on the two web sites mentioned above. Once you have selected some properties that interest you, check out the viewing times. This is where it gets a bit weird. Viewing times are generally 15 minute slots where everyone interested arrives at the rental, waits for the agent (who is invariably late in order to drum up the "auction" nature of it all) and then everyone rushes through the house frantically. There is often very little time to make a decision because property is in such demand.

After speaking to several locals as well as ex-saffers, I took some advice and we secured a rental quite easily. As much as it is unpalatable, remember that you are an immigrant and hence often the agents view you as carrying some degree of risk (temp visa, no credit record, no track record of rentals etc). What worked for me:

1. Create a profile on realestate.com.au, pre-fill in an application form and upload all the details that it asks you for: if you leave this until you have actually seen the property, you will likely not be successful.

2. Do not waste time filling in the paper forms that the agent has with them at the property: you followed the advice in (1) above and hence if you like the property, you simply fire up your tablet, click the property and press submit. I can't emphasize this enough: do not delay if you like the property.

3. I prepared a brief document that gave some background on my fiancee and I, the fact that we had a long term relationship and had a great home back in SA (I included photos). The thing to accept and understand is that in Melbourne there is such a high demand that you are in competition with all the other folks who were rushing through the house just as you were. Agents and homeowners have almost complete supplier power. Anything that swings it helps.

4. I always tried to stay until the end of the viewing and establish a rapport with the agent - they are involved recommending a prospective tenant to the owner.

5. If you really like the property, don't hesitate to offer 2 or three month's rent in advance: this is a massive incentive in the eyes of the owner. The profile you created in (1) is reused every time you apply for a home, and offers a "notes" box which in which you would write whatever offer you choose to make.

6. Rents are quoted per week: to get to the monthly commitment, multiply by 52 and divide by 12. The first month is usually paid in advance.

7. There is also a "Bond" payment, which is typically paid the day prior to occupation.

8. Finally, tenants have very strong rights: including not allowing access to the property until the last month of notice and then only for a "reasonable" number of 15 minute viewings. This may mean that you arrive at a house and the tenant does not allow entry or is not available.

There's no other way to say this: normally the agents that get sent to the viewings aren't top flight employees, more like agent's assistants - if you like the house, make an attempt to call the agent indicated on the web site and indicate that you are keen. Rapport is better...

I dealt with a lady called Simone Buckley from Hockingstuart in Brighton - if you are looking in that area it is worth calling her as she was approachable (many agents will not take your calls, instead telling you to attend the viewing).

Whilst it is on my mind: try to make sure that you have a bank account set up prior to arrival - almost all identification in Aus uses "100 points of identification" where various forms of ID are accorded a point value which must add up to 100 in order to identify you (to open any account, etc). Having a bank account helps a lot. Again, for what it's worth, I deal with Commonwealth bank simply because they were willing to open accounts for us whilst we were here on holiday (i.e. only on tourist visas).

Hope this helps!

Mark.

Hi Mark, this is awesome advice thank you!! I hate bidding wars but i guess it is just one of those things u have to face. Which area was this experience in, where did u decide t settle then?

Here is my big question...what do u do until u find a rental?? Because obviously the first month u look at areas and places etc and then it might take another while for ur things to arrive ( our shipment from Dubai to Canada for instance took 3 months) , did u have to stay in a hotel or what does most of you guys do?? We do have family but i couldn't impose on them for such a long time.