ottg Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Will be interesting to see what others want. If you are looking for rental accommodation and you have a choice between Catalina, Clarkson, WA and Butler (around train station), WA which one will you choose and why? Priorities these points in order of importance to you: 2 bathrooms enclosed parking two parking spaces 2 bedrooms rental price matters large social area established commercial precinct area schools What else is your criteria? Which is your preference location and why? How much rent are you prepared to pay pw? Is it a fair estimate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 I know it's not quite what you're aiming for, but I thought you have to get the 'crazies' too, just to give you perspective: My number one requirement is large, established trees. Everything else comes after that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OubaasDik Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Which part of Clarkson? If it's the old part, I'd rather go almost anywhere else. If it's Somerly, which is a newish development, check out the neighbours and it feels good, go for it. I've only seen Catalina in passing and Butler has changed since I was last there, so, FWIW, you have my partial answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmNew Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 11 hours ago, ottg said: Will be interesting to see what others want. Priorities these points in order of importance to you: 2 bathrooms - we decided one was better to start off with - one less thing to clean 7 enclosed parking - one thing that still boggles my mind is how many people park in the street outside their properties or just in the driveway. Enclosed / secure parking is not as important here as it is in RSA. I have already left a window wound down ( by mistake ) whilst parked in the street - amazing how quickly you become complacent! 4 two parking spaces - didn't see too many 2 bedroomed units / apartments with 2 parking spaces - you may struggle with this if 2 beds is your criteria 5 2 bedrooms - this was a priority for us 2 rental price matters - numero uno 1 large social area - low / no priority 6 established commercial precinct area - not so nb in our books as we were looking at access to public transport to lead us to such precincts. As luck would have it, we're walking distance from a main shopping street, and a short drive from a good mall 3 schools - not a factor at all 8 What else is your criteria? Which is your preference location and why? How much rent are you prepared to pay pw? Is it a fair estimate? Hi OTTG, We set a rental budget ceiling upfront, so basically it a property was under a certain weekly limit, the following were our personal priorities : 1) Price 2) Proxmity to public transport and trip time into CBD 3) Proximity to leisure activities - open green spaces, walking trails and tree'd parks etc 4) 2 bedrooms 5 ) Split system in living area and main bedroom - keeping cool in summer was a priority, and taking edge off in winter would be a bonus too 6) dedicated parking for one car 7) quiet neighbourhood At first we included a lot of 'what ifs' in our property search, such as how and where we would entertain etc. Then we realised that at least for the first year, we would not have a stream of visitors, not knowing anyone barring one family in the area, so a large social / living area was not important. We decided to live for our 99% requirements and not worry about the small percentage of time we may need more space. Going to get creative when the time comes to have guests, with multipurpose furniture and minimal re-hash of space to meet specific needs at the time. As access to public transport was a priority, it didn't matter if we were close to a commercial precinct so long as we didn't have a long drive or train trip to and from the shops .As we don't have kids, schools were not a criteria, so can't comment on that. The rental affordability / prepared to pay amount is so circumstantial and personal. It really depends on what you're not prepared to sacrifice, and what your earning potential is. For our personal situation, we set a budget that was 30% of one person's potential monthly earnings, so that we could ensure that if only one of us had a job ( which is how it has turned out so far ) we could make the rent payments and still eat etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDTCPT Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 I must say that what Em was looking at is much if not 100% the same as what my wife and I have thought about to this point. Cost is definitely nr1, we would like to have 3 beds if at all possible (we currently have 3 and this give each of us their own space to do whatever). Large outdoor space is not really an issue for us (we have a relatively big yard now and we see it once a week when we hang up the washing...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinaB Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Personally for me, I would like to look at Price first and foremost because we have to be able to afford it, secondly is schools in the area and lastly is simplicity in layout (more specifically the garden or lack thereof). I know it sounds stupid, but I want less. I want to spend my weekends enjoying the place we have chosen to live in and not mowing lawns and cleaning hundreds of metres of carpets. We sold our big (for us) house last year to free up money for the immigration and since moved into a complex rental unit. I cannot tell you how much happier I am here. I don't have to clean pools, clean up after animals (four legged ones, not the ones that I gave birth to :), those I have to still clean up after), mow lawns, worry about maintenance of an older house, pay for pool chemicals, wash floors endlessly etc. I want a new house that does not have years of grime to clean up and mould in the bathrooms. I want something open plan so that if I am cooking supper I can still be with the family, I want something with tiles and something smallish so that it doesn't cost the earth to furnish. I'd prefer a patio and courtyard to a big garden as long as we are near enough to a park or beach or dam or something. I just want less stuff and more quality of life. It's the whole reason we are going over. Not to replicate the life we have here, but to have a new one with new priorities, happy memories and less possessions. That's the plan anyway. So far, nothing has gone to plan. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunnyskies Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Having searched for houses 5 times in 7 years, and having moved between our very large home in Joburg on large ground to ever diminishing sized blocks (we now live on the smallest one yet at 405sqm) our priorities have been: 1. Neighbourhood (I can afford a mansion in a neighborhood I wouldn't be comfortable in so I choose a shoebox in a neighborhood I do like) 2. Price - you need to be able to pay rent and still have a life (mistake we made on our first rental - overpaid badly - but it was at a time when there was no stock available ) 3. Schools - absolutely critical and goes to the character of the neighborhood. I generally check the school out on the school rating tool, look at the school website and do a Google search on it to see what its reputation is like generally. 4. No of bedrooms - at least 4 so we can have an office space as my husband works for himself 5. No of bathrooms - generally 2 but I have found myself sharing with the kids when they prefer mine. 6. Layout - I like the combined living kitchen living areas you get here. Makes a good core for the house and you are never abandoned in the kitchen. 7. Al fresco/deck - we don't need a big yard if we have a park close by but I like a deck I can have a large table on, the bbq and maybe some extra seats. It gets used a lot. By trial and error also try and ensure it is covered, in Queensland that is almost a given but in Victoria it is not. 8. Parking - nice to have but really not essential. Lots of people park in the street. 9. Shopping precinct - it's great if you can walk to a cafe but also not essential. 10. Public transport - again fantastic if you can walk to but you will manage if you have to drive to a train station. This one has become more important as my children have grown up as it is their primary means of independence. We are fortunate to live down the road from the station. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ottg Posted December 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 On 12/2/2015, 5:39:31, OubaasDik said: Which part of Clarkson? If it's the old part, I'd rather go almost anywhere else. If it's Somerly, which is a newish development, check out the neighbours and it feels good, go for it. I've only seen Catalina in passing and Butler has changed since I was last there, so, FWIW, you have my partial answer. This is the new extension in Catalina. I have spent the last few days talking to property managers. Large oversupply of stock, low clearance rate, vacancy rates is highest etc. All good signs for a bargain! Just looked at a block at Butler - this guy bought 3 years ago and just wanted to recoup his losses. Unfortunately the activities around the proposed commercial precinct has stalled and no-one knows when the Mitchell Hwy will be extended to Butler. For a rental development you have 12-18 months (holding cost a bit high) for the rental market to turnaround as the only thing that is important is a rental demand. Another point is in such a market a division would necessarily increase the value of the 2 blocks. This is a risk that needs a better judgement call. So I'm back to basics evaluating the latest Residex data again to identify the long-term growth areas irrespective of a contraction in the economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ottg Posted December 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 Thank you everyone for your replies. While the preferences are different there are a few commonalities and gives me something to work on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted December 19, 2015 Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 Price is irrelevant to me, if I like it I will go for it, within reason. I want min of 4 beds, 2 baths. Must have a nice yard for kids to play, be less than 500m from the beach, have a pool and a very large kitchen. Schools....as far away as possible for the noise...we home school. Must have clean parks and as few bogans as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted December 19, 2015 Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 I would rather go for a tent that Clarkson/Butler from what I hear, but to be honest I have only heard bad things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ottg Posted January 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2016 As I'm looking from a different viewpoint and not PPOR the key criteria for me is rental demand ( and what people are looking for in a rental) a ratio of 60% homeowner occupied and < 25% tenanted. I contacted various property managers for Butler and Catalina for get a better feel for rental demand. I was told that Butler have a oversupply of rentals with 2-3 months open. They also offer 4-7 weeks free rent. No visible activities around the precinct areas currently. Catalina no better. So where to get R60 zoned blocks. This hard task is exactly the nut that needs to be cracked and what I need to get grips with. I now found they are are very rare and difficult to come by and thus have changed my criteria - will start a new thread on this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFreshStart Posted January 3, 2016 Report Share Posted January 3, 2016 On 2015/12/02 at 9:37 PM, TinaB said: Personally for me, I would like to look at Price first and foremost because we have to be able to afford it, secondly is schools in the area and lastly is simplicity in layout (more specifically the garden or lack thereof). I know it sounds stupid, but I want less. I want to spend my weekends enjoying the place we have chosen to live in and not mowing lawns and cleaning hundreds of metres of carpets. We sold our big (for us) house last year to free up money for the immigration and since moved into a complex rental unit. I cannot tell you how much happier I am here. I don't have to clean pools, clean up after animals (four legged ones, not the ones that I gave birth to :), those I have to still clean up after), mow lawns, worry about maintenance of an older house, pay for pool chemicals, wash floors endlessly etc. I want a new house that does not have years of grime to clean up and mould in the bathrooms. I want something open plan so that if I am cooking supper I can still be with the family, I want something with tiles and something smallish so that it doesn't cost the earth to furnish. I'd prefer a patio and courtyard to a big garden as long as we are near enough to a park or beach or dam or something. I just want less stuff and more quality of life. It's the whole reason we are going over. Not to replicate the life we have here, but to have a new one with new priorities, happy memories and less possessions. That's the plan anyway. So far, nothing has gone to plan. TinaB, It's NOT stupid at all! Stupid is moving here wanting to replicate your lives as they were in South Africa. We are into our 2nd year here and have done EXACTLY what you hope to do and planned it all the way from South Africa a year before arriving. We sold off 90% of our possessions, we moved from a 3-bedroom house in the suburbs to a 2-bedroom apartment 4kms from the City. We can walk to 3 parks and open spaces in under 5-minutes. We have given up on the garden (and our garden and home in South Africa were featured in a couple lifestyle magazines), we now have a balcony where I grow my fresh herbs, have jasmine and roses and look onto a well manicured grassy space below, that I'm not responsible for. We are debt free bar our mortage, own a single car, bought for cash and spend ALL our free time just soaking up all Sydney has to offer. On Friday we walked into the City and back with the kids, 10kms round trip, Saturday we had a picnic in Sydney Park while the kids rode their bikes on the bike track, Sunday we had lunch with friends in Newtown for 3-hours and today we are about to visit The Greats Exhibit at the Art Gallery of NSW. We collect memories, not things, we live a good, balanced life, free of "rat race" stresses, our kids are in good schools, we save well, live simply and express daily gratitude for all we have. Keep with the plan and we're here to encourage you if you need it! Cheers Matt 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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