Australian Property – Rent or Buy
The majority of new arrivals choose to rent for at least the first two years when they arrive in Australia, this makes sense as it helps to reduce stress when deciding where you want to live. It also allows you more time to research different areas, find the best schools and also find the best property for your budget.
As logical as it sounds, your needs may well change and your view of a particular suburb may be very different once you are more settled. You may also change jobs and find that the areas you were originally considering are now no longer suitable – so take your time. It is also great to be able to enjoy the great outdoors lifestyle that Australia has to offer instead of spending every weekend looking for a home to buy.
We do cover buying property in the Your First Year section when you are ready to start your research.
Australian Property – Renting
One of your first tasks when you arrive (if you didn’t do so before you left for Australia) is to make appointments with real estate agents for Australian property rental viewings to see what they have available. Make a list of the areas where you would like to live initially and if you have been to Australia before and have an idea where you would like to buy, concentrate on these areas and surrounding ones to help you find a suitable Australian property to rent.
Search for estate agents in your areas of choice and give them a call to see if they have any rental properties available for you to view as they may not necessarily update their websites frequently. Remember to try to keep emotions out of the decision when looking at rental properties as it doesn’t make sense paying too much for the “perfect” place. At the same time, the settling in process can be a series of ups and downs, so do settle for somewhere that is comfortable and meets your needs (without breaking the bank) in a pleasant area with good schools (if applicable).
A great research tool to establish the types of properties available and the rental prices (usually quoted as weekly rental prices) are the main three property search websites in Australia: Realestate.com.au, Domain.com.au and Realestateview.com.au.
Australian Property – Buying
When you feel more settled and before you start looking at which home to buy, it makes sense to find out how much you can borrow to give you an idea of which homes you can afford. Please see the Buying Property section under the Your First Year heading for more information on buying a home in Australia.
