Guest Seoul Sister Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Hi there, I have a few questions that are completely unrelated to each other... Hope you don't mind.Budget : We are a family of four - 2 adults, 2 kids. If we live in the Hills (Syds), how much should we budget for utilities (gas, water, electricity) per month ? Do you need to take out a seperate 3rd party insurance in Oz ? In the US and some other countries if something goes wrong, e.g. your kid pokes his finger in anothers eye and there is damage, you are personally liable and you need to take out some form of 3rd party cover for this. Oz the same ? And if so how much do you pay per person ?How much should we budget for groceries per month ? AU$ 1000 per month ? Less ? More ? (this doesn't include eating out, just regular grocery shopping)Security :I am under the impression that the Hills area is as safe as safe can be.. Yet most of the homes I am looking at renting have security systems... Could anybody please tell me why this is ?Looking forward to hearing from you !LoveSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SASydneysider Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Hi SS,I don't have the answers to many of your questions, but can give my opinion on the homes having alarms in the Hills area.The Hills area is really a safe area, but there are the odd house breakings that do occur. Having an alarm is more about 'prevention being better than cure'. Because our home has an alarm and dead locks on the doors and windows, we get a reduction in our home insurance. In the 3 years we have lived in this home, we have had no burglaries and I'm not aware of any one in my neighbourhood being burgled either.Hopes this clarifies this one.CheersSAS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Hi Sassy,Thanks for your response - nice to see you again ! Ok, great *phew* thanks for clearing that up, so I don't need to worry about getting 4 Rottweilers and gardening in a bulletproof vest, yet !! Thank goodness ! LoveSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Seoul SisterWith regard to your insurance query, if I am correct, here they call it public liability. You will usually get it thrown in on the deal when you take out a home owners insurance policy. I would suggest you go to www.racv.com.au then click on insurance, then click on RACV Home Insurance, then download policy booklet for after 25 July 2005, check the booklets page 12, they fully describe liability cover for you.Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riekie Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Hi SS, I sent you an email with a basic aussie budget, including the nice goodies such as gym membership, so it is a bit loaded. Just deduct the things you won't use to get an idea of your monthly expenses.Insurance is about $300 to $500 per YEAR and that usually includes personal liability of some ridiculous amount of 10 million. You do get discount on your insurance for burglar bars, deadlocks, alarms etc. but we don't have any of that (except for the deadlocks, which were installed before me moved into the house) and our insurance is $410 per year (which includes all my very expensive camera & video equipment, so yours might not even be that much). Insurance is not compulsory, but I suggest you still have it - you never know when your child pokes his friend in the eye.... (he he). In the last 18 months in RSA, we personally have witnessed crimes, we knew people personally who were victims of crimes and we ourselves were victims of crimes. In the first 18 months in Aus, we have personally witnessed no crimes, we personally know no people who were victims of crimes and we ourselves have to date not been victims of any crime. (To put your mind at rest). Yes, stuff do happen, and yes, you might get your handbag snatched if you walk down a scaly area of the city late at night and every now & then I read about a house break-in in our local paper. This is very rare and 99.99999% of the time the "criminals" ran off when they got discovered. The likeliness of you looking into the wrong end of a gun is almost unheard off! When this do happen, it is gang-related or drug related. People have dogs for pets and for the first months we've been here I never even heard a dog bark!! I can remember walking down our street in RSA and having to shout to make myself heard above the hysterical barking as we pass each property. People do take precautions (alarms, etc) but coming from a home in RSA with 7 security gates, alarm system, panic buttons, electronic gates and armed response, I now have 1 key to my house and it unlocks 1 lock to get inside. Believe me, you really don't have to be concerned about security! The Hills is a very safe, family friendly area - you'll LOVE it here!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Hi gals,Thanks so much for your valued input and fantastic information. Thanks Mara, I will go and have a look, thanks for giving me the correct term. Hi Riekie,Thanks for the email.. I must get my derrriere on the chair and start replying !! Thanks also for all of the fab information. I will definitely take out insurance, its not worth the risk of not having it, thanks for that. You have restored my confidence in my perception (or is it expectations) of the Hills - THANKS thanks thanks. You all rock !Love from hereSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.