The Cost of Buying or Renting a House in Australia

How much does housing cost?

There are some raging debates going on over at the blog about the cost of housing here in Australia. The debate, of course, is are houses cheaper in the UK or in Australia?

housesGo back to 2007, for me there was no debate. Australian houses were a fair bit cheaper and much bigger. By 2011, with the pound a little weaker, there was probably not that much in it in terms of cost, but you still got a much bigger house for your money here. Of course, I’m talking about the difference in prices between the UK and Australia, so it very much depends which country you’re coming from.

What the future holds, who knows? For those of you who are exchanging British currency from the sale of your UK home and changing it into Australian dollars, or any currency to buy a house here, the exchange rate is everything. As exchange rates can change fast, how the prices compare largely depends on what day you turn up.

With the Brexit vote in June 2016, the value of the pound against the Australian dollar tumbled. Unless the pound manages to recover significantly over time, those of you coming here from the UK will most likely find our house prices to be quite expensive.

All you can do is shop and compare. And the best place to do that is on Australia’s number one real estate portal, realestate.com.au.

It’s easy to go shopping for houses:

  1. Click on either the Buy or Rent link below.
  2. In the main search box, type in the state, city or any of the suburbs you are interested in, or highlight them from the drop-down menu.
  3. Then select your preferences; number of bedrooms, type of property and a minimum and maximum price.
  4. Hit the big red search button.

Do you want to buy or rent?

Happy house hunting!

More useful links:

Some of these posts are a little out of date now, but they are still worth a look….

Finding a Job and Somewhere to Live in Australia
Australia vs England at House Prices
The Cost of Living in Australia: House Prices
The Cost of Living in Australia: House Prices Revised
The Cost of Living in Australia: House Prices Part Four
Cost of Living in Australia: Stamp Duty
UK and Australian House Prices Compared; Cities and Regions 2016
Average Rental Prices by Capital Cities in Australia

Visa Assessment Service
{ 183 comments… add one }
  • Don July 2, 2016, 2:01 am |

    Bob.

    I’m coming to Australia to coach in new gridiron league – should be there from August till end of January. Going to live in Wollongong.

    Although not exactly new to Australia – American football is obviously different.

    Any quick thoughts on reception and also living in Wollongong?

    Thanks – bye the way. You put some great stuff out there for guys like me who are really thinking about the four s’s (SPIDERS, SNAKES, SCORPIONS AND SHARKS!)

    Don

    • BobinOz July 3, 2016, 1:16 am |

      Well, I don’t really know much about Wollongong, but you might like to read the following page…

      https://www.bobinoz.com/blog/13112/wollongong-australias-eighth-most-liveable-city/

      Nicholas made a comment on there, he really likes the place.

      As for how gridiron will be received, I really don’t know, but Australians love rugby so you have a good chance. I hope you have a great time while you’re here, do try and see as much as possible and remember, you are only a train ride away from Sydney.

      Good luck, Bob

  • Renjish. R May 10, 2016, 11:34 pm |

    Hi Bob,
    This is Renjish from Kerala, Southern part of India. I did BBA from University of Madras distance education. I would like to know that whether this distance degree could help me to migrate to Austarlia. If it is not , is there any other option..

    I hope your valuable suggestion .
    With,
    Thanks & regards
    Renjish

    • BobinOz May 11, 2016, 8:10 pm |

      Your question is totally irrelevant to the subject matter of this page, I would have really appreciated it if you had made the effort to post it on a more relevant page, I have plenty on my All About Visas pages.

      Have a good read of those pages and you will have a better understanding of the visa application process, if you’re still stuck, please speak to a registered MARA migration agent.

  • Brandon April 13, 2016, 4:49 pm |

    Hi im from Brunei and my wife is from china we planning to purchase a house and live in australia, what will be my initial process in order to own a house in australia? Should i get a job in australia first?

    • BobinOz April 13, 2016, 11:45 pm |

      It depends how you are going to pay for this house, if you have cash, no need for a job. If you want to borrow money, then you will have to prove to the lender that you have the ability to repay, and that may mean getting a job, it depends on your situation.

      You will need the right kind of visa to purchase a property here, otherwise you will need to get permission from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).

  • Luke Monaghan February 13, 2016, 7:24 pm |

    I’d suggest http://www.realestate.com.au over LJ Hooker. Why go to one companie’s site when you can view many at once through one intuit portal?

  • jigar January 18, 2016, 2:51 am |

    Respected Sir,
    I am an electrical engineer from India. I am planning fro PR visa this year, I wanted to know i can afford to buy a decent home in australia after i get citizen ship. i assume to get a salary of 37$ per hour. i will move wiht my wife and daughter(age 5). please guide.i just want to know if its worth the move.

  • Vikash Thapa November 2, 2015, 8:31 pm |

    I am a 19 year old boy from Nepal who has finished 12th grade as a science student and planning to study engineering. My uncle has been leaving in Australia for 5/6 years now and he wants me to come there. If I go there I need not pay for accommodation and fooding but I have to pay my tution fee and I have also heard that the fees are very high, if I came there would I be able to get a job so as to pay my fees and some other expenses??

    • BobinOz November 2, 2015, 11:49 pm |

      I am no expert but I think it might be quite difficult to do so. As a student I believe that currently you would only be allowed to work 40 hours per fortnight. At best you will get $20 per hour, it may well be less, in fact there is no guarantee you will find work.

      Next you need to find out the cost of your studying, I have no idea how much that might be, but I think when you do the maths you will see how hard it will be to cover the costs. Good luck though, Bob

  • Peter rule October 24, 2015, 7:42 pm |

    Hi Bob I have been offered a job in melbuorne on the railway out the and I be getting a sponsored visa I have been offered $60 a hour 40 hour week with over time available $124,800 I have a wife and two children could I live comfortably on that salary with out my wife working thanks

    • BobinOz October 26, 2015, 11:30 pm |

      I think so, it’s a pretty good salary, substantially higher than average. Plenty of people are surviving on much less. Just try and keep your housing costs, whether that be rental or mortgage, proportionate to your budget. If you can do that, I can’t see why your wife would have to go to work.

  • sayed ahmad kumail June 30, 2015, 6:11 am |

    Dear bob!

    i am one of afghan locally engaged employs who worked for Australian forces in Afghanistan, i live in Afghanistan with a high level of risk,
    as you may know Australian government make a visa policy for those afghan that worked with Australian forces in Afghanistan.
    and i was one of this program applicant it’s almost 14 months that i applied for this visa which is migration visa but any time i contacting them they sending an email and answers me that you are application is under review if you be eligible we will let you know my question is here that how can i contact with department of defense for getting details? the process of assessment of eligibility is by department of defense we live in hard situation of threats and danger .
    i wish you help me to get rid of these Cruel people,
    and also my uncle living in the Melbourne i talked with him he told me that i don’t know if there is any office of department of defense in Melbourne.

    thanks alot
    sayed kumail

    • BobinOz June 30, 2015, 6:20 pm |

      This isn’t something I can help you with, I’m simply not qualified to do so. Good luck though, Bob

  • shailendra June 19, 2015, 9:08 pm |

    Hi Bob,
    I am from India, would be relocating to Darwin within 30 days, if you can please suggest me the COST to rent a house for me and my fiancé at Darwin.
    Also HOW much money should I carry to Darwin for me and my fiancés initial expenses, before we find a temporary job to sustain.
    Lastly, As we land in Darwin, what should be the first thing we should do, like bank passport, car, etc etc , if you can please suggest.
    Regards,
    Shailendra
    India

    • BobinOz June 23, 2015, 12:02 am |

      There is a link in the article above you can click on to check out the price of renting a house in Darwin. How much you need really depends on how long it takes you to find a job, so that’s a question I can’t give you a specific answer to. Bring as much as you can.

      And when you get here, do what you need in that order, I won’t print a list, because if I miss something off, it will be my fault 🙂

      Good luck, Bob

  • Binny Mathew March 7, 2015, 5:38 pm |

    Hi Bob
    Me and my family is planning to move to Adelaide before july 2015
    we are migrating on state sponsorship ,after reading many reviews,I found that
    there are no jobs related to mechanical feild.is it possible to get job after moving
    there,it has become nightmare for me after spending so much money and hoping better future for my children,I think I made a mistake please give me some advice

    • BobinOz March 9, 2015, 4:04 pm |

      I couldn’t possibly tell you whether you would or would not get a job in Adelaide, all I can suggest is that you use the links on my page called Getting a Job or a Sponsorship to search for work, see what kind of opportunities come up for you.

      Also check out my page about Adelaide, the link is under the main navigation menu above to Australian Cities, and check out the comments too, there are mixed feelings about work in that city at the moment.

      Good luck, Bob

  • Niki February 9, 2015, 4:01 am |

    What would a reasonable price or affordable rent per week living nearby the Gold Coast for a two bedroom apartment while working possible full time in somewhere like a bar, thanks

    • BobinOz February 9, 2015, 6:42 pm |

      I have no idea Niki, but there is a link in the above article so you can research rental prices in the Gold Coast area directly.

  • Kamma November 3, 2014, 1:43 am |

    Hi Bob. I’ve been looking around at realestate.com.au, a very interesting exercise, and have noticed something strange. The building’s square-footage (metrage?) is never stated! The ground area usually is, though. Do you have an explanation? Do the realtors expect us to be spending so much time outdoors that we won’t care how (un)spacious our home is? 🙂

    • BobinOz November 3, 2014, 5:37 pm |

      It’s been a while since I looked around that website, but if I remember most houses usually have a link somewhere (might be amongst the photographs) to a floor plan. Not every house, but most.

      I don’t think there’s any intention to hide the information from you because houses in Australia are amongst the biggest in the world, and that’s official. I don’t think you will be disappointed with the amount of space you will have indoors.

      • Kamma November 3, 2014, 10:25 pm |

        There’s usually a floorplan, yes, but it doesn’t say how much floor there is sum total in the house anywhere. sometimes the numbers for the rooms aren’t shown on the floorplan, either, so you can’t do it in your head. Is that just something realtors do here or is it just something Aussie realtors don’t? I just took a gander at some apartments and they don’t show how big it is, either! Just the number of bath/bed rooms and parking spaces.
        With the right lighting and placement, it’s possible for a photographer to make a room look much bigger than it actually is, and the floorplan is in relation to itself so there’s no telling from that either if there aren’t any numbers. I am utterly flummoxed by this.

        • BobinOz November 4, 2014, 4:18 pm |

          I suppose I’m at a bit of a disadvantage here, I’ve only ever bought one house here in Australia. Maybe it’s an apartment thing though, I can imagine realtors not really wanting you to know how big (or small) they are 🙂

          I think if you see anything that really takes your fancy and you want to take it further, send them an email and simply ask how much square footage there is, they will certainly know.

          • Hilary November 4, 2014, 10:37 pm |

            Quite a number of the units I’ve been looking at online have floorplans amongst the pics and all these have had the measurements of each room included. Yes, we all know that photos are manipulated and things nearly always look better in a photo. The real test is to visit the street, walk around the property, take a look at the neighbouring houses, no real estate agent will tell you what the location is actually like. The inside of most properties look different in real life so you can’t be certain of anything until you walk through the door yourself. Often the important thing is how it ‘feels’ rather than how it looks.

            • BobinOz November 5, 2014, 5:13 pm |

              Yes, very true, it is so important to physically visit these places and have a good look around, in fact I think some rental companies will refuse to rent your property if you have not personally taken a look for yourself.

              I think the concern is that if they do rent to someone who hasn’t physically visited, then they could be open to the tenant not wanting to honour the contract by saying something like you didn’t tell me it was this close to the road/above a pub/so close to the traffic/next to a disco/whatever else it might be they don’t like about the place.

          • Kamma November 5, 2014, 6:52 pm |

            No, it isn’t. I started off looking at houses and moved to apartments thinking that, surely, that’d be important info there. But apparently not. And despite what Hilary has said below, the numbers aren’t always shown. Well, I’ll admit I haven’t looked around all of Australia, it might just be something they do in Victoria.

            Yes, that’s always a good idea. 😀

            • BobinOz November 6, 2014, 8:52 pm |

              Well Hilary wouldn’t say if they weren’t showing the numbers where she was looking, so maybe it is something they do in Victoria. I’ve certainly seen floorplans with measurements on them for some properties on the few occasions I have looked here in Queensland.

  • Mark thurston September 22, 2014, 6:05 pm |

    I think You need to browse this website: rentaroom.com.au
    Its may be helpful.

    • BobinOz September 22, 2014, 8:32 pm |

      I’m not sure about that Mark, I’ve just checked it out and there are (at the moment) only three rooms available to rent for the whole of Australia! Didn’t take long for me to browse it 🙂

  • Alzbeta August 25, 2014, 11:19 pm |

    Dear Bob,

    I currently live and work in UK and I am considering to move to Australia; all is in a very early stage.. However, finding and reading your web came very useful; thus I just want to say: thank you! 🙂

    Best regards,
    Alzbeta

    • BobinOz August 26, 2014, 5:41 pm |

      Thank you for swinging by and taking the time, glad you have found my website useful. Good luck with your plans, hope they go well. Cheers, Bob

  • DEFRANCk August 16, 2014, 3:51 am |

    Hi,
    I am DEFRANCK currently in India, and got my BBA here and I plan to foolow some course in project managemnt or entrepreneurship in Australia.
    For that ,please can you help me for the choice of the city and the university because i tried since 2 weeks but all the cities are nice for studies.
    I need one quiet city with cheap hose for rent and same for the fees course.

    help me

    Thank you

    • BobinOz August 18, 2014, 12:03 am |

      Try either Adelaide or Hobart, both are quieter than our other major cities and they are our two cheapest major cities for house rentals. Good luck, Bob

  • Swetha August 4, 2014, 5:29 pm |

    Hello,

    I am 30-Female Moving to SA basis PR (state sponsorship) from India . Planning to move to Adelaide this October 2014 .

    How do i manage to rent a house (as i moving with my family) in Adelaide. We would be very new to Australia and have no past rent history.

    Request you to guide me in this.

    Regards
    Swetha

    • BobinOz August 4, 2014, 8:09 pm |

      Hi Swetha

      It’s difficult securing a rental property before you arrive here in Australia, but if you want helpful information about how to get a rental when you do get here, check out my answer to Rachael above.

      You might want to read some of the threads below that as well, that should answer your question.

      Good luck, Bob

  • Casey June 27, 2014, 12:08 am |

    Hey Bob! I found your page about 6 months ago. My fiancé and I are looking to move our family to Australia. I have read most of your website but still have not found the answer to my question. Hopefully you can point me in the right direction. We have a family of 5. We are looking for a house that may have a 4-5 bedrooms with at least a 2 car garage and HAS some land. Doesn’t need to be a lot just looking for more “country” living than city. Is that possible in Australia. Also is it possible to find that dream within an area that has an excellent school system as well? We were looking into toowoomba, Canberra, or Wagga Wagga. Thank you for your help!

    Best Regards,
    Casey

    • BobinOz June 28, 2014, 10:47 pm |

      You are in luck Casey, 4 to 5 bedroom houses with double garages are the norm here (I live in one), and getting one with a bit of land isn’t that hard either. And you can buy them at a reasonably good price as well, certainly a lot cheaper than you would get that kind of thing back in the UK, for example.

      Not sure why you are thinking about Toowoomba, but it wouldn’t be my choice, it is significantly colder over there than it is closer to the coast. I don’t know enough about the other places though.

      Happy househunting, Bob

      • Casey July 2, 2014, 6:13 am |

        After some more research we would like to move to the Brisbane area. Is it still achievable to get a house with land in Brisbane? How are the schools in Brisbane?

        • BobinOz July 3, 2014, 1:45 pm |

          Yes, of course, we have plenty of houses with land around Brisbane. Schools vary of course, but we do have some good ones, you can research schools in the area you decide to live in on my page called Which school?

          Cheers, Bob

  • Jenny June 14, 2014, 9:21 pm |

    Hi,

    This is a fab website, lots of great information. We are moving to perth in August. We have somewhere to stay for the first month and then will look at a more long term rental. How long do you have to work/ live in oz before you can buy a house? In the uk you need to prove employment for 6months.

    Thanks,
    Jenny

    • BobinOz June 15, 2014, 10:12 pm |

      Hi Jenny

      Thanks, glad you like it.

      I don’t think it’s much to do with how long you’ve been here, I think it depends on the type of visa you have.

      I actually bought my house before I arrived, but I was coming here on a Permanent Residency visa and that’s how I was able to do that.

      Cheers, Bob

  • ham April 18, 2014, 6:12 pm |

    hi bob

    I am moving to sydeny NSW from Iran for 18 month with my wife and a 9 year old son I am dependent of my wife student visa and I am profetional panel beater the thing is that I don`t know if I can get a decent job there or not and normaly how much is the cost of living for 3 in NSW.

    cheers mate

  • Yohan Hunt March 25, 2014, 12:09 am |

    Sorry bob I forgot to mention that I will be earning approximately $90,000 per year

    • BobinOz March 25, 2014, 4:42 pm |

      On the plus side, that’s not a bad salary, it’s higher than the average Australian wage which is about $70,000 a year. On the minus side, sounds like it will be the only income and with a wife and three children I think your budget will need to be tight.

      I certainly think it is doable, but you may get a better idea by asking the same question over on my page about Perth, do check out the other comments there as there’s been quite a discussion about the cost of living in Perth. Much will hinge, I think, on your accommodation costs.

      Good luck, Bob

  • Yohan Hunt March 18, 2014, 8:49 am |

    Hey
    i am considering applying for the wa police force, they are currently recruiting overseas police officers from the Republic of Ireland. I am married and have three kids, is there any advice you can give me in relation to cost of living on the salary that I would be getting, , is a police officer salary good or average, ,

    Awaiting your reply

    thanks yohan

    • BobinOz March 18, 2014, 2:14 pm |

      No, sorry, I have no idea what your salary will be so I can’t help.

      Cheers, Bob

  • Gold Coast James January 9, 2014, 10:39 am |

    Hey Bob,

    Your site is a great read. Ive been on the Gold Coast for a while now and am thinking about buying a house either here or in Brissy. What is your take on both property markets at the moment? im leaning towards investing on the Gold Coast with the Comm Games coming up, but i know it is always good to buy in capital cities… any opinions or what your seeing in both areas..?

    J

    • BobinOz January 10, 2014, 1:53 pm |

      Predictions aren’t my thing really, especially not with the housing market. I’ve read articles saying house prices are set to increase over the next few years, but that’s just paper and ink until it happens.

      I reckon your guess is as good as mine.

      Cheers, Bob

  • akash November 15, 2013, 2:44 am |

    hi,
    Bob,
    I’m planning to settle in Perth for my further study.Can i get job over there?What is the job possibility for overseas students in Perth? I’d so thankful if i get something useful from you.

    • BobinOz November 15, 2013, 3:41 pm |

      Why ask a question like that on my page about buying or renting a house in Australia? Please take the time to find relevant pages for each of your questions and people will be more likely to answer you. Or you may even find the answers are already on those pages.

  • obi August 30, 2013, 10:15 am |

    Hi Bob and all,

    Can you share me some advantages and disadvantages over each other when buying a house, an apartment & unit, or a townhouse in AU? And which would you prefer and why? I see these are some of the property types you can filter in the realestate.com.au website.

    Here in my country generally, when you buy a house you also get the lot. This is also true when buying a townhouse — you get the lot relative to your unit. An apartment to us can either be any of those 3 property types. Also, we classify a condo unit similar to a studio unit of a building (were you don’t get any land of course).

    • BobinOz August 30, 2013, 5:49 pm |

      Well I prefer buying a house, it’s always nice to have a bit of space around you and a garden, and the majority of houses here appear to be detached and on a reasonable sized plot.

      Apartments, units and townhouses are generally found closer to the cities for ease of access, but not everybody wants to live close to the city. It’s all a matter of choice really, and the kind of lifestyle you want to lead.

      Cheers, Bob

      • Obi August 31, 2013, 10:39 am |

        Thanks Bob. Well to tell you the truth, I would also prefer to live away from the city but I will still have to work though. And majority of work when searching the job sites appears to be in the city. Or is there any way around this? I mean if I live outside the city, can I manage going to work and not be late?

        • BobinOz September 1, 2013, 9:49 pm |

          Well, yes, the way round it is to get a job that isn’t in the city, there are some. Whether or not you can get to work on time, only you can answer that one 🙂

        • Mike September 2, 2013, 9:30 pm |

          Hi Obi

          It depends entirely on what type of work you do..I am a Geotechnical Scientist…fancy name for Geologist…I live in a small country town about 3kms from the office…10km’s outside of town and houses are on small farm sized plots…..When I lived in Sydney I lived outside of the busy parts of Sydney..but I did have to travel for about an hour each way per day and time my journey very carefully to avoid traffic…which in the big cities is terrible.

          • obi September 3, 2013, 10:18 am |

            Thanks Bob and Mike. I am a Systems Analyst though I am confident that I can handle some other IT related jobs. I will also try to look outside the city. I am just not sure if the Seek website is capable of doing so. Most of the time I see filters for the different states as well as the cities. I don’t want to experience the travel time that you said Mike. As that’s one of the primary reasons why I’m moving to Australia.

            • BobinOz September 3, 2013, 9:46 pm |

              There are a couple of other employment agencies that are very good, you can find links to them on my page Getting a Job or a Sponsorship.

              Good luck obi, Bob

            • Mike October 14, 2013, 10:27 pm |

              G’day Obi

              I haven’t been around much as I have been busy with work..but another option is what a few friends have done. Which is get a unit in Town to live in during the working week (Monday to Thursday Nights) then they have another house well outside of the city where they can relax and enjoy life..It’s nice if you have the money, but I opted for the cheaper..live in a country town get one house..no traffic no city

  • Thomas July 23, 2013, 7:13 am |

    Hi Bob.

    What are the property/land tax i Queensland if you buy a house for lets say around 500.000 aus ? or how much do you pay for your house?

    Great site…

    • BobinOz July 23, 2013, 4:38 pm |

      Hi Thomas

      If you mean council rates, I’m paying around $300 a quarter here in Brisbane.

      Cheers, Bob

      • Thomas July 23, 2013, 7:53 pm |

        Thx….

        And your house is around 500.000 aus right ?

        So if you have no mortgage that all the “tax” you need to pay ?


        Bought Nadines e-book – great help…My wife had two interview the first week. I´ll post it the right place at the right time…

        • BobinOz July 23, 2013, 9:23 pm |

          Yes, I suspect my house would be pretty close to that figure, and I can’t think of any other taxes, although you will have to pay water and sewage cost, probably around $250 – $300 per quarter all in.

          You will have to pay some taxes when you buy the house, bit like stamp duty, but I can’t really think of anything else.

          Fantastic news about your wife’s two interviews, that’s a great result in just the first week. I’d love to hear how that goes, especially, as you say, if you post it in the right place 🙂

          cheers

          Bob

  • chris mitchell May 12, 2013, 11:43 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    Loving the website, full of useful info! I’ve been offered a job at the university of western Sydney, at the hawkesbury campus in Richmond, and I’m looking to move out in September.I appreciate you might not be able to answer this as you bought a house whilst in the UK, but can anybody comment on how easy it is to apply for a rental property before actually moving out there? I’m currently looking at lower blue mountains area, maybe Springwood.

    Thanks!
    Chris

    • BobinOz May 13, 2013, 10:07 pm |

      Hi Chris

      Hopefully someone who knows the market in Sydney well will answer you, but if it’s anything like it is here in Brisbane, then it’s quite difficult securing a rental when you are actually here, let alone applying from abroad.

      It is a problem for most people arriving here, you know how I solved it when I came, so I didn’t go through that first rental scenario. Can anyone reading this who did offer any advice?

    • Mike September 2, 2013, 9:34 pm |

      G’day Chris

      you probably don’t need this advice as you would have already found out the various issues..I have moved around quite a lot and generally it takes a few arguments to get a real estate agent to allow you to rent a property site unseen…but it can be done…it might just require you to offer more rental up front.

      • BobinOz September 3, 2013, 12:22 am |

        Yes, Mike is correct on this, thanks Mike. Just to clarify a bit, a rental agent is not legally allowed to ask you for more advanced rent than is required in that state, but you are entitled to offer it.

        Offering more may just give you the edge.

        Cheers, Bob

  • Peter April 29, 2013, 7:57 am |

    Hi !
    Im thinking about to take an intership in gold coast for six or a whole year in information system/computer science.. Im a poor student so i have to live cheap, something like renting a smaller room in a house, but still located at a good spot..
    Does anyone have some suggestions or tips to me, i mean maybe a webpage where i can fins rooms ?

    Kind regards, Pete..

    • BobinOz April 29, 2013, 9:19 pm |

      I’ve removed your email address from your post Pete, you will only get bombarded with spam. If you search Google for “rent room gold coast” you will see a couple of websites crop up that are dedicated to advertising room rentals only. Good luck!

  • imran April 25, 2013, 4:46 am |

    Good Day Bob,

    I am very much amazed and delighted by finding you blog website and by reading lots of stuff my lust for moving to OZ has triple up.
    I am married and have one son aged 3 and expecting one more in November 2013.

    Currently I am in Toronto Canada working as a General Accountant for 5 years. I have done my masters in Accounting from India and done some electives here. I am planning to Move to Adelaide and thinking of getting State sponsorship.

    I want to know how is life in Adelaide and what are the chances of getting accounting Job with no Australian job experience. Life in Toronto is way too hectic and it is freaking too cold. ( I am here over 9 years and still can’t adjust).

    Your help will be greatly appreciated.

    Thanking you.

    Sincerely

    Imran

  • Bev February 27, 2013, 7:49 pm |

    I want to buy a house in Australia and rent it for some years. Can I do this as a
    British citizen and what % of Aust tax would I pay on the rental return.?

    • BobinOz February 28, 2013, 12:49 am |

      Last time I looked, non-Australian residents can only buy houses in this country with the permission of the Australian Government, so I think you will need to look into that first.

    • Mike October 21, 2013, 5:30 pm |

      G’day Bev

      you would also find in Australia for the most part any city house would not make you any money as the mortgage repayments far out strip any rental return, less agent fees, less council rates, less sewerage and water connection…then less tax. You must lodge a tax return for all money earned in Australia. As a foreign resident you would be up for 32.5% tax on the rental for earnings up to 80,000. This can be found on the ATO website…There are relatively few places in Australia where rental covers your mortgage and many people use investments properties to offset other tax debts negative gearing and similar.

  • Margit February 19, 2013, 8:55 am |

    Hi Bob,

    I’m thinking of making a lifestyle change and moving from Perth WA to the Gold Coast.

    I love the beach, so a coastal suburb of middle working class, mix of blue and white collar workers, with families and I prefer housing that is not over 20 years old.

    I could really do with some advice of some good suburbs to start looking at, any advice or where to search on this?

    Thanks kindly,
    Margit

    • BobinOz February 20, 2013, 12:39 am |

      Hi Margit

      I have only visited casually, so I don’t really know the Gold Coast that well. A friend of mine lives in Benowa though, and I know he did plenty of research before he moved there.

      Seems like a good area with some modern homes, maybe you could start there. But what I do suggest is that you post a similar question on my page about the Gold Coast and have a look at the comments others have made about the area.

      Cheers

      Bob

  • BobinOz February 15, 2013, 4:58 pm |

    Hi Katie

    Usually your rates, that’s general rates to the council, are covered in the rent, so you won’t have to pay that. You’ll need to pay a little bit towards your water, but nothing towards the sewerage costs, so that won’t come to much.

    So really, I think the only additional charges will be electricity or gas and maybe some home contents insurance. Hope that helps.

    Bob

  • Katie February 14, 2013, 7:32 am |

    Hi, im looking at rental too but i cant seem to fine any more information apart from weekly rent. What are the utility bills like? Adsed in price or are they seperate? Is it expensive to run a gome like it is in england?? Sorry lots of questions.

  • Ayo January 3, 2013, 7:56 pm |

    not only housing, also includes getting a job..

    • BobinOz January 4, 2013, 8:47 pm |

      What I mean Ayo, is that this specific page is about housing, you would be better off posting your question on a more relevant page. The problem is I can’t answer your question, it’s a Specific question about visas.. My MARA agent could help you with the paperwork, but he would charge a fee.

  • Ayo January 2, 2013, 11:48 pm |

    Hi Bob,
    I am in the process of obtaining a skilled nominated visa (subclass 190) for me & my family ..i would like to know what this type of visa entails and how long i have to stat before getting a job.
    thanks

    • BobinOz January 3, 2013, 2:10 pm |

      This post is about housing???

  • sabrina Venter November 2, 2012, 5:45 am |

    Great site, thank you.
    My husband and i and our 2 year old son desperatly want to immigrate to Bribane, how big is the South-African community there? and how difficult or easy to come over on a 457 visa and then get a job and have the company apply for your work visa leading to hopefully getting PR eventually. Is it even possible and is there many people doing it that way, as that’s what i have heard?

    • BobinOz November 2, 2012, 6:23 pm |

      Yes, of course it’s possible, but it really depends on your skills and qualifications, it’s all about getting points. Best place to start to look into it is my page about Visas. We do have quite a few South Africans here in Australia, I know a couple of them myself, so they are here for sure.

  • Chris October 9, 2012, 11:54 pm |

    I have a kind of weird question.

    I have been researching Brisbane A LOT and think that’s where I’m going to move my family, but when it comes to looking for houses, many of them have “gated communities” or “security feature X” installed.

    Is that a big selling feature there to be living within Fort Knox? Is there bad crime in the city or is it to lower home owners insurance? I don’t quite get it?

    • BobinOz October 10, 2012, 4:26 pm |

      That is a bit weird, I only know of one gated community around here, they are not very common as far as I’m aware. Crime rates vary from suburb to suburb, but I certainly wouldn’t say we have any particular problem here at all. Brisbane is a pretty safe city.

      Many houses do have security grills fitted to the windows though, but that’s simply so you can leave the windows open when you go out and keep the breeze coming into the house.

  • andrews aboagye October 2, 2012, 7:23 pm |

    what will be the cost of every week renting 1 bedroom in perth or melbourne

    • BobinOz October 3, 2012, 9:54 pm |

      Click on the “search here to rent” link in the above article and check it out for yourself, that’s what it’s for.

  • tracy August 21, 2012, 1:55 am |

    tks for that bob , my husband is of the same mind as you and we will manage, im a bit of a worrier as i have a very good job at a senior level and i know if we dont settle i will prob not get that level again becaouse of the economy here plus our oldest child who has just turned 11 does not want to go. all this aside though deep down i know its the best thing we will ever do . plus we very close to my family and they have no idea this on cards i think if they knew and were positive then i would be more settled but im big scardy cat who cant face telling them tk anyway .ps could you tell my parents for me lol

    • BobinOz August 21, 2012, 9:42 pm |

      No worries, give me your mums email address and I’ll break the news to her gently. She can then tell your dad 🙂

      And your 11 year old might not want to go, but sometimes 11-year-olds don’t want to go to school/church/grannies house/PE, it’s what the 11-year-olds do. But this one, it’s a life changing decision and if your child ever finds out you could have but didn’t, you might find yourself having to answer some serious questions as to why you listened to an 11-year-old in the first place.

      I know it’s a big move, lots of hard decisions, lots of things to worry about, but if you don’t give it a try, you’ll never know will you?

      • tracy August 22, 2012, 1:21 am |

        That exactly what my husband has said she only 11 an will love it when she there, can i ask a few other things do you get furnished properties or are they all unfurnished, if so do you have second hand furniture stores or stores like ikea or argos or equivalant? also at minute we waiting on husbands contract which he nees to read an sigh then we have the visa process and all that entails prob medicals etc company are booking our flights how long do you think this will take from now do you think this side of christmas my husband thinks oct im not sure, the longer i have to tell my parents the better!!! tried to drop a hint today on phone to my mum but chickened out again!! you wouldnt think i was a woman in my late 30 s lol

        • BobinOz August 22, 2012, 1:45 pm |

          It is possible to get furnished accommodation here, but the vast majority of rentals are unfurnished. I think your pay a premium for furnished accommodation, so it may be better to try and furnish your house on the cheap.

          Plenty of second-hand stuff around, mainly through eBay or a magazine called Trading Post or search for Gum Tree. Also, do a search for freecycle and join it for your local area. That’s where people give away stuff for free, all you have to do is go and collect it from their house. We do have a few IKEA stores in Australia as well.

          I have no idea how long or short the process will be for you, sometimes it’s slow and sometimes it’s very fast. Just spit it out to your mum and get it over with!

  • tracy mears August 20, 2012, 5:11 am |

    my husband has been offere a job in perth, We have been unable to sell our house as the housing market has collapsed in ireland therefore it is rented, we cannot now rely on the money from the sale of our house to set us up in oz, can i ask would you or anyone have an idea how much roughly we would need , we have a car on arrival and a house for 6 weeks but then we need to fine house rent furnish it etc plus any other day to day expenses like school uniforms etc do you tk 10,000 dollars would be enough to get house and essentials until my husband starts to get paid.

    • BobinOz August 21, 2012, 12:33 am |

      Difficult for me to save Tracy, it may just about be enough, but it will probably be tight. $3000 will probably be the minimum you would get away with to rent a place, that’s two weeks rent in advance +4 weeks rent as a bond.

      But providing you spend the rest carefully on only the essentials, you should be all right I would think. If I were you though, I would not be entertaining the idea that you’d better not come, because you could be kicking yourself for the rest of your life. I’d go for it, no matter how much of a struggle the early months might be.

      Anybody else have any advice here?

      • Andy Painter August 22, 2012, 6:48 pm |

        I’d be having a good look on http://www.Realestate.com.au in the areas you are thinking about in Perth. What areas do you have in mind? It’s a great website and will give you an good idea of the cash you’ll need, and areas you can afford. Perth isn’t a cheap place, but i’m sure there are good areas to suit every budget. I’ve been to Perth a few times on business and i loved Freemantle, which might be a great option, as it puts you on the coast with access to the city.

        If your hubby is on a 457 visa, it shouldn’t take very long to get, ours only took 6 weeks from the employer applying to us filling in the paperwork, and you won’t need a medical, just insurance to cover you before you get insurance/medicare cover when you are in Oz.

        Good Luck. We have been here just over a year in Melbourne and loving it, you won’t regret giving Oz a go!

        • BobinOz August 24, 2012, 1:44 pm |

          That reminds me, there’s a great comment by Gekko71 on my page about Western Australia. Well worth a read for some insight on where to live in Perth.

          Bob

  • Patrick July 11, 2012, 2:59 am |

    Hi Bob, you have a great informative website here!
    I’m thinking of coming over to Australia when I have a few more qualifications in construction under my belt… i.e- HNC (University Qualifications).
    I was just wondering if you could provide any information on how the construction industry is doing over there?
    And also, I would love to move to Cairns… is there much work in construction in that part of Australia?

    Thanks

    • BobinOz July 11, 2012, 8:20 pm |

      Hi Patrick

      The construction industry here is very much a moving target as I understand it. Perth is the place to be right now, that’s where most of the building work is taking place. But where it will be next year, who knows?

      There are lots of boom towns, thanks to mining, I’m sure construction in those areas is quite lively, but I think the message to you is it’s not “Australia” that would be busy, just selected areas.

      Cheers!

  • Chris June 3, 2012, 2:39 am |

    I currently live in USA and am thinking of moving to Australia, specifically Brisbane.

    I’m trying to find out how much it costs to rent an apartment on a long-term basis. Here I am used to 6 or 12 month leases where you spend $1000/month on rent…etc..

    Whenever I try to search for apartments in Brisbane, I always get per week pricing which I’m guessing is for tourists.

    My question is: How do I find long term pricing for apartments?

    • BobinOz June 4, 2012, 1:04 am |

      No, you found it. All rental properties are priced on a weekly basis here, and yes, that’s what they cost. I suspect you are looking at $400-$500 a week and thinking “that can’t be right”.

      It is.

      Check out my page about Cost of Buying or Renting a House in Australia.

  • MARTY April 19, 2012, 8:47 pm |

    It’s not worth buying in Adelaide. We rather rent.!
    1. no capital gain in the last 2 years.
    2. interest @ 5% vs. Renting and saving the difference.
    3. emission Tax, new Water tax, council rates to high!
    4. Cost of living goes up and up and up salary stays the same!
    5. the real land value is not worth much, as population is low and a bit stagnant!
    6. end up paying 1.2Million for a cheap house.

    • BobinOz April 20, 2012, 12:58 am |

      How can a 1.2 million house be cheap? It’s rhetorical question.

      I’m not a fan of renting, and your list has not convinced me to change my mind. Renting is money down the drain. 25 years paying, say, $450 a week rising to, who knows? In 25 years that could be $900 a week or more. That’s about $1 million or more paid for nothing. And then you still have to rent for another 25 years.

      At least when you buy a house, eventually you own it.

      As for “no capital gain in the last two years” – try checking out the last 10 years and see how much you could have gained.

  • Julian March 31, 2012, 6:38 am |

    Hi Bob
    What a brilliant website!! Thoroughly enjoying your insights and knowledge.
    My wife and I re taking the plunge and coming out to Brisbane in June. We are hoping to start by renting a furnished property but there doesn’t seem to be many furnished properties around. Apart from mainly 1 bed furnished apartments, furnished houses are very few and far between. Is this typical or are we looking on the wrong websites?
    Thanks in advance

    • BobinOz April 2, 2012, 8:53 pm |

      Hi Julian, thanks, glad you like it. I think you’re right, it is typical that most rentals here are unfurnished. I would imagine the best thing to do would be to register your interest with this many real estate agents as possible and to specify that you want furnished only. Sorry I can’t be more helpful, good luck!

  • Vik February 19, 2012, 11:32 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    Your website and blogs are quite impressive and i must say quite addictive too…You want to visit off and on to your website which has a detailed information and also your experiences, I am currently in India, and willing to migrate to Australia. Hows the real estate business going on? I am a realtor by profession. Hope you would suggest on how do I get a job as a Real estate Sales Manager in Australia? Thanks in advance.

    • BobinOz February 21, 2012, 5:33 pm |

      I have no idea Vik, but I can’t imagine it would be easy. You will need to qualify to be an Australian realtor, there is some kind of course and exam. Other than that, I can’t really help you.

      • vik June 3, 2012, 12:02 pm |

        Thank you Bob, appreciate your response.

        • BobinOz June 4, 2012, 1:16 am |

          Thanks Vik, sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.

          • vik June 4, 2012, 1:19 am |

            Its absolutely fine Bob. Am happy you are helpful to so many people on this site
            . Hats off. Cheers.

  • Jake January 7, 2012, 12:49 am |

    Hi me and my brother are from the UK we are both 21, come summer were moving to Australia for a year. We are both personal trainers but will pretty much do any job out there for the year providing their is a good gym for us to work out in and we can afford to live and just to see if we like the Australian life style ( pretty sure we will!!) Are their any other recommendation where you think we would enjoy????

    Thanks

    Jake

    • BobinOz January 9, 2012, 1:20 pm |

      I reckon you’d love it anywhere near the beach, but if you like your nightlife noisy, try Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. But if you’re coming for a year, I’d also recommend moving around a bit. Above all, have fun!

  • Heidi December 15, 2011, 8:37 am |

    Hello Bob,
    Happy Holidays to you and your family.
    I have been searching on the net for an answer to my question and had no luck. Is it possible to purchase property in Oz and not be a citizen? Thanks, Heidi

    • BobinOz December 16, 2011, 8:28 pm |

      Yes, you can, You don’t have to be an Australian citizen to buy a house. Not as I write this anyway, obviously rules can change. We bought our house as permanent residents, but I do know that non-residents of Australia need to seek permission from the relevant controlling government body if they want to buy a property.

      I’m not sure if temporary residents can buy though, anybody know?

      • amelia August 13, 2012, 12:39 am |

        as a TR, you are eligible to purchase old houses. as for a foreigner you are only eligible to purchase land ( with FIRB approval) and have to build a house within 2 years or buy a land and house package from the developer.

        • BobinOz August 13, 2012, 1:44 pm |

          Thanks Amelia for clearing that up, much appreciated 🙂

  • Rachael November 30, 2011, 8:04 pm |

    Hey Bob,

    I am an Australian who’s been living in Ireland for the last 2 and 1/2 years in which i have now met someone and started a family. We are moving back to Aus and I am a little nervous about finding appropriate accommodation for rent for my family and I immediately. I know that a real estate company is unlikely to give us a lease without work references and at least 3 months employment etc and various other conditions. Do you know any way around this in, of course, the most cost effective way. And how much money do you think we will need? I am hoping to have some kind of work lined up either before I leave Ireland or at the very least interviews.
    Please help, I think I am getting a little unnecessarily stressed.

    Cheers

    Rach

    • BobinOz December 2, 2011, 9:23 pm |

      Hi Rachael

      All I know at the moment is that you will need some good references, probably two, you’ll have to pay a bond, usually around $500 – correction: The deposit you have to pay to rent a flat will vary depending upon which state you move to. Typically it is 2 to 4 weeks rent in advance plus a bond equivalent to about four or six week rent.

      Finding out more about the rental market is on my list “to do”, so I hope to get back to you with more information soon. Promise!

      Cheers

      Bob

      • BobinOz December 16, 2011, 8:24 pm |

        Hi Rachel

        I got a little more information for you. I spoke to a woman who runs a house rentals agency and she tells me there is no clear-cut answer to how you would get accepted as a rental applicant.

        The good news is you do not need at least three months employment behind you. Apparently they will want to look at your bank statements, mainly to see how much money you have brought into the country. They’ll want to know what you do for a living, that will help them assess how quickly they think you will find work and how much you will earn. They will want to take references and for that they’ll want to know who you sold your house through in England or, if you rented, your landlords details to get a reference there.

        You will need to pay a bond, as mentioned above but now amended. Four weeks rent would probably be around $1600 and you also need to pay some rent in advance. The maximum legal amount of advance rent a landlord can ask for varies from state to state. 2-4 weeks is typical, but not always the case. Bonds vary too, 4 weeks being most common though. But a prospective tenant can offer more if they want to improve their chances of getting accepted.

        Of course, that is all according to the person I spoke to. Whether it is true of all states in Australia or not, I don’t know. Whether it is true AT ALL or not, I don’t know either 🙂 But I do know she does really run a successful house rental agency, so I suspect she knows what she’s talking about.

        Hope that helps a bit.

        • Thomas August 15, 2013, 6:25 am |

          Hi Bob.
          Regarding rentals.

          Is it common to negotiate about the price or do you just accept the price ?

          Thanks,

          Thomas

          • BobinOz August 15, 2013, 9:43 pm |

            Hi Thomas

            Yes, it’s always worth negotiating the price whether it be rental or house purchase. Much depends (of course) on supply and demand; some areas it’s a landlords market and in other areas it’s a renters market.

            If you are in an area where there is a shortage of rental accommodation, a landlord will literally pick and choose his tenant from a pile of applicants. If that’s what’s happening where you are looking to rent, obviously trying to get the place cheaper isn’t going to go down too well. On the other hand if there are plenty of places available, chip away 🙂

            Good luck,

            Bob

            • Nishit May 7, 2015, 3:54 am |

              Hello sir,good evening
              I m an anaesthetist at India.please let me know the process of PR for Australia.I m desperate to come to Australia.I have done Anaesthesia and critical care.Total 4 yes of experience.

        • Karen January 30, 2015, 10:32 am |

          Hi Rachel and BobinOz,

          I recently returned to Australia, Brisbane in fact 🙂 and found renting a property easier through Gumtree.

          It became clear that the major rental agencies wanted more than blood to have a tenant including the prospective tenant handing over all identity information and also any claims of how they use the info.

          You are right the agencies want details of your passport, drivers licence, bank statements to prove you have funds to pay the rent if you don’t have a job, a guarantor. Sometimes they even want bank statements of the the guarantor.

          I decided renting directly from the landlord would lead to a more meaningful discussion.

          Gumtree proved itself and would certainly use it again.

          Hope this helps

  • Sean July 18, 2011, 8:20 pm |

    Hi Bob,
    I’m just starting the process of getting a 175 visa, I plan to live in Melbourne as I know some people there.
    I’ve always dreamed of building my own house (I’m a civil engineer and work in construction), have you got an idea what land costs are? I know that’s a very open question, depending on location etc, but any rough idea how much a decent size plot in a nice suburban area would cost, say compared to the UK?

    Thanks for your site by the way, it’s really inspired me to go!

    • Andy Painter July 18, 2011, 8:56 pm |

      I’ve been over here 6 weeks now and have been on the hunt for rental properties. Having seen some plots of land around, i think they are about the same as in the UK. It comes down to where you want to live in Melbourne and that area will be a reflection on the price you are going to need to pay. Live further out, away from the coast and you will pay less. Want to live on the coast or in the city, and you pay more. I also think you will get more for your money than in the UK, but it’s not cheap, if that is what you are hoping/expecting. Melbourne like other Ozzie cites has had a housing boom, and prices are high, just like the UK unfortunately. Having said that prices are starting to fall, so buying now, may be a good move. Site i use to check on prices is http://www.realestate.com.au, i think you can also search for land there. Do you have any idea about where you want to be in Melbourne, its a big place. Good luck – Andy

      • Sean July 18, 2011, 9:14 pm |

        Hi Andy,
        Thanks for your reply, I’m just doing trying to get a feel for stuff at the moment.
        It’s going to be 2 years min before I get my visa and am ready to come out.
        My Idea is to work freelance for 6 months in Oz, 6 months in the UK, as I have a little girl (she lives with my ex) who’s 8 at the moment, I’m planning on doing that till she’s about 16 then coming over permanently. I’m thinking of slowly building up contacts, friends, maybe a bit of property over that time, so will take my time deciding exactly where to settle.

        How are you finding it over there workwise?

        Sean

        • BobinOz July 19, 2011, 12:43 am |

          Hi Sean

          Just to let you know, Andy (thanks Andy) pointed you to exactly the same place I would have done. Just be aware that once you have bought the land, you may have to pay additional fees to the local council before you can register it for building.

          Here in Brisbane, those fees used to be about $40,000 per plot, but I recently heard they have now been capped at $29,000. I have no idea what it would be in Melbourne, but you will need to find out. Here they are called “contributions to infrastructure”.

        • Andy Painter July 19, 2011, 2:34 pm |

          Sean,

          Work here is good, (at the moment), depends on on what trade you are in. I do IT, and have done for a number of years. I specialise in the ‘Data and Information’ area, so there is alwasy plenty of that type of IT work whereever you are in the world. You might find it a lot quicker to try and go via for a 457 sponsorship, if you are in demand, skillwise, then apply for PR whilst you are overhere, (but i guess that may not work with the freelance plans). 2 years is a long time to wait, a lot can happen in that time, including another GFC, (Global Financial Crisis). Don’t underestimate the impact of China on the work equation.

          Whilst i’m not trying to nose into your situation, 6 months away from your kids is asking a lot, you must really have a desire to come over here. I’m already missing my kids and i’ve only been here less than 2 months. I personally wouldn’t be able to do 6 months away, 6 months at home, as you miss so much, and kids grow up so quickly. What’s the drivers to bring you to OZ, rather than stay in the UK?

          Andy

        • linda akbari March 16, 2013, 5:02 pm |

          I am interested in migrating to Austraila in the summer. I am a “Master Esthetician” skin care specialist.. How long does it take?

          linda

  • Andy Painter June 28, 2011, 5:15 pm |

    Hi,

    I’m now over here on my 457, it’s been about 3 weeks. I’m still searching for our rental property, but one of the guys in the office suggested this site as a good resource to get an idea of what property has been sold for and rented for.

    http://house.ksou.cn/

    Regards

    Andy

    • BobinOz June 29, 2011, 9:32 pm |

      Welcome to Australia Andy, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

      Interesting site, I am sure I have seen the design and layout somewhere before. I just can’t think where…

  • Richard Sim June 5, 2011, 4:47 pm |

    Hi Bob

    I’m keen to take up a special VISA working as a consultant quality improvement, infection control in Perth or Melbourne.

    I would appreciate it very much if you could assist or point me to the relevant contacts.

    Thank you very much.

    Warms Regards
    Richard Sim

    • BobinOz June 6, 2011, 2:58 pm |

      Actually Richard, I don’t know any contacts. But you could always check out my pages on visas and sponsorships.

      Good luck!

      • yolanda December 7, 2013, 6:35 am |

        Dear Bob

        I and my husband am thinking of coming to Australia for 4years ,he already did the applying we are waiting for 2comppanies to give the final go ahead we are from South Africa Mpumalanga Witbank .I would like to know if there is any houses to rent that is furnished and howmuch does it cost for a family of 2adults an 2kids 6 and 8 for groceries pm would appreciate if u can get back to me and also in the state schools do they have Afrikaans with English thank you regards Yolanda sorry for your dog that passed away and watch out for the snakes lol did you get a rubber boat for the rains yet

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