Renting Property in Sydney's Northern Beaches

The visa has been granted and suddenly all those plans that were on hold have to spring into action. One of the biggest has to be the major issue of finding somewhere to live once in Australia and whether it's best to buy a property straight away or move into rental accommodation for a while.

A lot will depend on your personal circumstances and your visa type. Many emigrants opt to lease out their home and rent in Australia, at least until they are issued with permanent visas or know where they will eventually want to settle.

The following check-list should help with the decision of whether to rent or buy:

  • Have you been to Australia before and, in particular, the area you are considering settling in?
  • Have you been granted a permanent visa?
  • Do you have a job to go to once in Australia?
  • Was the decision to emigrate a relatively easy one for all family members?
  • If you owned a property in your home country, have you, or are you planning to sell it before leaving for Australia?

If you answered 'Yes' to most of these questions, you should strongly consider buying a property either before arriving in Australia, or soon afterwards. However, if your answer to most questions was 'No', we would advise you to think carefully before rushing into purchasing a property straight away.

Although rental prices are relatively high and it's only your landlord who's earning interest on the property, there are major benefits to be gained from leasing somewhere, at least for a short time. These include:

  • The option to change your mind - about your home, the area you're in, even the state you're in. Most rental periods run for 12 months, but some are just for 6 and others even less (at generally rock-bottom prices). If it's always been your dream to live by the sea, but you couldn't afford to buy a property there, here's your chance to experience it for a short time!
  • You will not have to forfeit expensive property purchase/sale costs within a year or two if a family member is unhappy and wants to leave Australia (it generally takes 2 years to settle into a new country)
  • Rental income from property in the home country can go towards rental expenses in Australia
  • Generally, all maintenance expenses are paid for by the landlord. These often include gardening and pool maintenance costs

We generally advise our customers to book at least three weeks in a hotel/holiday home or serviced apartment for their arrival in Australia*. This gives plenty of time to look around for rental property and to reserve somewhere (most properties advertised for rent are available within a couple of weeks). If you'd like our help finding short-term rental property before your arrival in Sydney, please contact us and request this option.

 

* We are currently managing a furnished accommodation in Balgowlah near Manly, for short and medium term rentals. The property consists to Apartment 1 (1 bedroom) and Apartment 2 (2 bedrooms) which can either be rented separately or combined as one property. Follow the links to read more, or contact us if you are looking for a property to rent.