Finding A Place To Live In Australia

When moving to Australia this must be at the top of your mind: where am I going to live?

Other concerns start flooding in such as how much is it to live in [insert city]? What's a good area to live in [insert city]? How will I find a good place to live in [insert city]?

But rest assured, you can start your search right now thanks to the wide reach of the internet.

You may be a renter or someone looking to buy but for this purposes let's assume you're renting. If you're looking to buy, it might be best for you to rent in the area first to see if you like it.

So let's get started with the top ways to find your new home.

Domain.com.au and realestate.com.au

Whether you're renting or buying you'll consult the 2 main sites: domain.com.au or realestate.com.au.

These are the sites owned by the big newspapers and were once part of their offline classifieds section. Now they're ecosystems of their own that showcase houses, provide tips and news on the housing market in Australia.

Most of the time if a house is listed on one, it's listed on the other - just so all their bases are covered.

There are handy filters to suit your budget and requirements and you can directly contact the sellers, landlords or real estate agents that list properties.

If you're in the country then booking inspections to see the place is fairly easy too. If you're in the country I would also suggest going to the local real estate agent for some help. Give them a call or walk in to see what they have on offer because sometimes you might find a hidden gem.

Relocation companies

You might be moving to Australia for work and work has arranged everything for you. Good for you! Or work has said here's a budget, go find your own company to help you move. Enter, relocation companies. They do the hard work of finding the homes for you and they'll vet them to your requirements. Once you arrive, they'll take you on a tour and some inspections before making a decision. Or you could tell them to make the decision for you based on the photos and information you send. This is entirely up to you and the arrangement you  have with the relocation company. But be warned, this service can get costly but it does take the hassle out of house hunting.

Share houses and flatmates

For share houses, where you rent a room in someone's house or you share the lease you can consult the Craigslist type gumtree.com.au  or a more dedicated service at flatmates.com.au

Gumtree.com.au is an online free classifieds where people list looking for roommates, house mates or short term leases. There is also Craigslist but it's not so popular in Australia and you never know what you'll get on that site. With the free sites it's hard to gauge a property without inspection because more often than not, sellers or advertisers don't bother uploading photos.

Flatmates.com.au is a bit more sophisticated in that you create a profile on the site so that future roomies will be able to know a little bit about you first before giving you the OK to move in with them, because after all, house hunting is very much like a job interview.

Social networks

There are increasing amounts of groups on Facebook to connect with like-minded people including, people who are looking for accommodation in your chosen city. Check out these pages or post in these groups to see if you can find something that's not necessarily listed. People generally post here in order to avoid listing fees or just because it's so easy.

On that note, try twitter as well or asking friends. If you don't have friends in Australia yet you'd be surprised about who your current friends know. Let the word out that you're moving to Australia and let your social grapevine uncover contacts in Australia that could help you find a place.

Airbnb and hostels for short term stays

This option is good for your first weeks in Australia when you're trying to get your head around everything and just till you get on your feet and ready to tackle the new life.

Airbnb short term stays are an option and sometimes you can get better deals for longer stays.

Hostels and traditional bed and breakfasts or serviced apartments are also an option but these generally have shorter terms of stay such as 2 weeks because of occupancy laws.

Renting

But wait, what about renting the places once you've found them? Particularly as a temporary resident? What will you need to show proof? Well thankfully our personalised visa report also includes this information as most real estate agents want to see that you're going to be staying for a longer period of time. It's OK to be a temporary resident or a backpacker living for a year or two, but in order to get the good places and arguably reduced rent, you'll need to show that you're committed to living in Australia. As part of our report, we give you a sample of what to take to your real estate agent in order to prove this. Go on, have a look at our personalise visa report and see how it can open doors for you today!

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