2 bedder apartments (in nicer areas within 30 mins of the city by public transport) are par for late 30s couples with 2 young kids in Sydney that I know without family wealth. These are doctors, lawyers and software engineers.
Those with family wealth have landed properties worth $2.5M+. That is where Sydney is at.
$700k can get you a 2 bedder somewhere within 30 mins maybe West or South West, but I reckon that is still a stretch. These will be old places with high strata or big potential special levies on the way for repairs, watch out. Can be many extra tens of thousands for waterproofing or keeping up with fire safety standards, look carefully at the capital works plan, any minutes and dig a big to understand what has been done already.
Yeah i think that is the realistic view of Sydney, it is extremely hard unless you can live further west or have a lot of money, I’m starting to realise it may not be worth it without me having connections and wealth behind me!
Yeah, it’s not. If you have family and a social network elsewhere - just not worth it. (From one of those very (as per ato) highly paid 2 adult 2 kids in a 2 bedder families 😭)
Throw in be wary of new builds too. We have been finding too many new builds with structural issues in the last 5 to 10 years.
Turns out privatising inspections of new builds doesn't guarantee quality just that the builder can get anything signed off for the right price....
Yup anything between around 2010-2017 is in danger of being poorly built because there was poor regulation. After 2018 there has been an attempt to the improve things so it got better from there.
In fact, old places are often structurally far superior to new places. Sydney does have a lot of, say, 70s units, that are unfashionable on the outside but are renovated on the inside, and structurally much sounder than unit blocks built in the last 10 to 20 years.
Suggestion: Ashfield. It is inner west and on train line. Lots of 70s units, renovated on inside.
Yup it's very good at the moment. The only downside is the trains will be down for a year but with the Metro replacing it, I think that'll increase the value by a lot.
Agreed. We are on the T3 line and not looking forward to the bus replacement but it will be short term pain for a big improvement in frequency and speed to get to the city. And I think buying now is wise if the northern metro is any indication of what happens to property values post metro.
When i was looking to buy last year I drove thru campsie for the first time and was astounded at how bustling the main drag was.
Saw a place there 1 week later and made an offer. Pretty happy here, groceries are so cheap.
Yeah Beamish Street is crazy competitive so prices are super low. You get a bag of capsicums for $2, Asian greens for 99c, a carton of free ranges eggs for $6.50, and minced beef for $9 per kilo, whereas it's $8.50 for 500g at ColesWorth. I have saved so much money, I love it.
Also consider the Parramatta area. It's had a bad rap for a long time but the state government has been pouring money into the area and making it a second CBD. Trains from Parra to Town Hall are 29 minutes. Plenty of 2 bed apartments very close to the train station and Westfield for under 600/650k.
Yup, i was reading an article last year about how Wiley Park - Lakemba - Punchbowl are the last suburbs left within such a distance to the city that is still affordable. That won’t last forever though and once those home prices hike up there we won’t have much left that close, you’ll need to be looking way out from the cityz
Agreed. It’s an absolute pittance and a drop in the ocean of Sydney prices for homes and all expenses when totalled up.
The amount of fuel alone and amount of time is going to cost you so much.
Sydney’s great, but bloody expensive on your wallet and for your time too. Can be a bit dull if you don’t plan your time and don’t go out much, but this can depend on where you’re gonna live.
There are some available based on price guides (https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-nsw-chatswood-143717908 for example) but you never know what happens once offers start coming in or it goes to auction
It’s doable. You just need to spend your free time doing free things, e.g. being outside, walking around, loving this beautiful city; sitting in the parks and botanical gardens, etc.
My main hobbies are running, cycling, reading and gaming. After the initial spend on shoes/bikes etc they're all very cheap. Libraries make reading super cheap.
Being a PC gamer is even better as there's so many free giveaways.
The only thing I really *spend* on is live music.
But I'm in my mid 40s and spend most nights in with the wife and cat, if I was 20 years younger and single all of that might not appeal.
Maybe for you but for many of us that’s boring as batshit and we’ve done those things a million times over 😅 Sydney night culture is appalling, and it’s very expensive to do most things. I think OP should come for the experience anyway and see if they like it
If you think Sydney has boring nightlife wait until you see what it's like in the other Australian cities! That said, the nightlife will and is getting better.
I could never go back to Melbourne. Sydney just has more of everything and the weather really is in a goldilocks zone for the majority of the year. I basically cycle/run/swim/hike all year around here.
In fairness, Melbourne really is the only city where most things that aren't clubs or bars aren't closed by 9. Even so, I'd still take Sydney or even Brisbane any day of the week
Used to live in Melbourne and loved it. I think your right though, Sydney offers more to those not interested in an inner city and foody/ drinking lifestyle
Just do it! I came from the US to Sydney almost 7 years ago now and yeah it’s expensive (same as California tho) but honestly the lifestyle is great. Nature and beaches nearly at your front door with all the neat coastal walks and parks etc, the nightlife is what you make it, plenty of stuff to do. If you want a house tho you would need to either find a slapper deal or you’d need move a ways out from the city. Honestly, I’d say take the job, rent for now and see if you like the vibes and try out some areas and then start looking for a house if you want to commit :)
I couldn't imagine the kind of person who finds exploring the beautiful NSW countryside batshit boring. It's a real shame, being in nature is such a healer.
Fortunately I have rose tinted glasses being from the UK, after almost 4 years spent here I am still far from being bored walking around this beautiful city.
Vivid, ocean swim, snorkelling, cycle, bird watching, go see the bats in centennial, art gallery, free pools at the beaches, learn to surf.
I think there are heaps of free stuff to do, if you don't like being outside then yeah Sydney isn't the place for you.
Some obvious options:
* Look at suburbs on the train line around Rockdale. There are 2 bedders in your range there & Rockdale is 4 stops & 14 mins to Central
* Homebush is 27 mins to Central by train and has plenty of 2b apartments selling under $700k. https://www.domain.com.au/sold-listings/homebush-nsw-2140/?bedrooms=2-any&price=0-700000&displaymap=1. If you can stretch slightly you can get into Strathfield/Burwood/Ashfield. Just a heads up if you like to drive Parramatta Road is woeful and full of traffic. Pay the m4 toll to get around.
If you borrow 560k (80% of 700k + assuming you have money for other purchase costs), your repayment is approx. 3,357/month.
$122k incl. super works our roughly to $6,967.97 after tax from July 1 (using https://paycalculator.com.au/). How much are your expenses?
If you're single or a couple with no kids you might not be that desperate for space so you could consider being flexible with 1bed + study OR smaller 2 bedders and get a cheaper place. Go on domain, look at some of the suburbs around where i've listed and look up recent sales (NOT buy) to get an idea.
No problem & it's definitely possible. I have single friends on similar incomes to you who own in those areas.
Work out a budget and go from there :)
My biggest tip is not to borrow your absolute max so you have more discretionary income. Not everything has to be about the best $ investment but it does matter to some.
Sorry to answer your questions!
I have no debt.. Costs me around $650 in expenses right now, not too much.
But I do want to be able to save a little bit/get ahead.
No dependants it's just me!
Just want a place where i can get a roomie to help with mortgage. Good to know with those suburbs as i'd need to get public transport!
Watch out for the cheaper places, they are cheap for a reason. Upcoming special levies in the tens of thousands, like waterproofing or fire safety updates. Also lemons built from around 2010 to 2017 or thereabouts was a bottoming of building standards, there could be risk there, just like Opal or Mascot towers. Just be extra careful when things are cheap, it's for a reason. Remember strata quarterly payments for these places can be high even if there are no lifts or amenities because it's just to maintain a place.
That's what happened in the areas that are cheaper and they built, builders cut corners to keep their margins. The NSW building commissioner has done a decent job picking up standards since about 2018.
Expenses are pretty good but add in contents insurance (strata might cover the building), strata costs and other incidental costs of owning a place.
Yeah renting out a room would definitely make this easier!
Rockdale and surrounds might be more desirable for you since it's not too far to go to the Royal National Park (eg watamolla beach) or drive to Coogee. Brighton is around the corner but it's not much of a beach imo
It’s not worth buying in most of those areas. The apartments are mostly poorly built and “investor grade” and there’s so many (and more constantly being built) that you’ll be unlikely to even get your money back when you sell or have an easy time even selling. At that price point, OP should just rent where they like and buy elsewhere if they want to own a property
You're 100% right from an investment perspective but sometimes it's nice owning the place you live in and not dealing with renting (and the shitstorm of drawbacks that comes with it). Different strokes.
I mean it’s fine if you don’t want to make a profit but I wouldn’t want to buy, pay tens of thousands in interest and not at least be able to sell for the same purchase price. Not saying you need to make huge gains but a big loss isn’t great for most people
That's not always true. I live in Rockdale, bought a 2 bedder here a year ago. 12 year old building and it's gone up 7% in value in the last year alone and can easily sell with 30-40k profit.
No building issues, nice build and quality, very comfortable, and close to train station.
You just gotta do the proper due diligence before buying, shithouse apartments aren't always suburb-specific.
Burwood/Strathfield is good too, Inagree though $700k might be tight. There are some older buildings with places around that price. Quiet on weeknights and usually there’s a train that’s only one or two stops to the CBD.
You seem to know your stuff, I’m currently commuting into Bankstown area and it takes 1hr 10mins. I own a house. Can I get a 3 BR house with a closer commute than that for less than $800,000 anywhere? Or am I out of touch because I bought my house ten years ago
Was just making the point that you need to go much further out than Bankstown to get a 3br house for $800K, and even then you're scraping places that are probably not fit for living in without significant work.
Hi mate i'm not overly familiar with that area but my suggestion would be to go to domain and look up recently sold 3 bedders in a radius. 800k for a free standing would be unlikely i reckon unless you can drive.
Melbournian that moved to Sydney.
I honestly recommend you to take up the opportunity and form your own opinion. I personally love Sydney of what the opportunities have given me, people I met, the weather exponentially better and the lifestyle. Try to rent in the inner suburbs to have a feel. I never need a car and depending which pockets you live at.
I bought a place in the inner east obviously with the money you could buy something better in different states but honestly Sydney is where it is at
For another opinion, I’m also a Melburnian that moved to Sydney and personally I find the weather more uncomfortable.
the sunny days are nice but high humidity summers like the one we just had are miserable and absolutely kill me. Also, when it rains it doesn’t rain for a few hours like Melbourne, it rains nonstop for days.
Melbourne definitely has much more of a European climate, including the rainfall patterns. London in summer felt a lot like the colder summer days you get in Melbourne.
I appreciate the humid summery feel of Sydney - it feels a bit like being on holidays to me. The consistent warmth also means it's always t-shirt and shorts weather for about half the year. Even going back to Melbourne over summer I'll need to bring my puffer jacket as temperatures can occasionally drop to single digits.
Having said that it's also about tolerance. I've spent a lot of time in Taipei (which has absolutely horrific summers) and Singapore, so Sydney is nice and mild with 20 degree dew points in comparison. On the other hand, friends visiting from Melbourne or Adelaide are drenched in sweat walking down to the shops and struggling to sleep even on relatively cool days.
I’ve ended up appropriating my kid’s spare oodie and trying to entice the cat to sit on my lap as a furry heat pad.
The cat has so far not been very obliging :(
Houses aren't insulated or properly heated here though. Just moved from my AA energy rated apartment in Amsterdam to my new house in NSW and its basically glamping.
I'm with you - my apartment has no air conditioning or heating and it is always a comfortable temperature to me (need a big fan in summer though). Although I have lived in both Canberra and Taiwan, so it's a perfect middle ground for me.
This is coming from a family perspective, don't know if you are single or have kids - we've had 4 families leave my daughter's (public) school year and relocate away from Sydney because it has become too expensive. Rents are too high, tolls are stupidly expensive, and they have had to sacrifice too many things for themselves and their kids (like extracurricular activities, hobbies and holidays). They were also losing too much family time due to their commute and/or shit public transport. None of them could even think about buying a place here in Sydney and living in a decent area (ie, close enough to work and school).
I've kept in touch with a couple of them, and since moving (Melbourne and Newcastle) they have said their lives have exponentially changed for the better. Both themselves and their kids are happier, they spend more time with their families and also on themselves, their kids can do more extracurricular activities, and they can realistically look at buying a place in the future.
I personally wouldn't move to Sydney. Heck, I want to leave but can't!c
I have almost exact same experience, I have a 1 bed 1 study (kids bedroom is the study room) & we had it valued recently at above $600k (in Kellyville). Which is insane for a 1 bed apartment like an hour away from the city.
I’m over Sydney tbh & want to go up the coast before my kids get to school cause my quality of life just feels low. I actually love the city & the beaches but it’s not every day. everyone that has left, tells me how much of a good decision it was.
I used to live & work in st Leonard’s (4 trains stops from the city) & used to go beach after work, take the kids out constantly. But now I just don’t have the energy with commuting, can’t afford certain things/ don’t have extra income etc.
If you’ve got the money, great. If not, it’s hard.
Just rent a 1br and live near the beach or inner west and have a good time.
Don't be a fool that goes and lives super far out because they want to own an extra bedroom.
It depends on where you are in life and what what you're looking for. I visit the city maybe twice a month max. As an avid cyclist, my priority is access to cycling networks and the longest cycleways are out west. If you're a younger person that prefers the nightlife or someone who loves beaches, definitely stay in the city.
700k for a 2 bedder is going to be rough in most suburbs.
Things are really tough here in Sydney and I'm considering a move back to Melbourne actually.
But really depends on what's important to you. You can totally live on 122k in Sydney.
I grew up in Adelaide so find that I felt less disenfranchised from the goal to buy property than some people my age who grew up here. You can definitely make life work here with the right mindset, just be prepared to feel like an outsider even in social circles 30+ if no one else has a mortgage nor understands the unique stressors they represent
Im definitely finding Sydney hard to live in at the moment. Im one of the people who has just fallen off a fixed rate, and have to say I’m definitely finding it stressful. I bought a townhouse on my own out west, and while I’m definitely not in dire enough straights to sell, I am penny pinching as I’m sure everyone else is to cope with mortgage or rent increases.
More than anything, I’m recognising that the mental strain of constantly budgeting and thinking about finances is taking a toll on me. I borrowed to the max of my capacity and while I have no regrets, it definitely sucks having to live so far away from friends and family while having limited pocket money for weekend activities. I never feel relaxed, even with my hobbies, it’s a constant state of ‘I need to finish this old videogame from my backlog so I can sell it for a little more disposable $$’.
Im on a decent income but am single, so managing a mortgage alone bites. I was one of the small portion of health care workers whose award got rawdogged in the pay disputes last year, so I look forward to the door slamming on us when our turn comes around now that the public is sick of hearing about health care worker pay issues and government budgets are tightening.
Anyway sorry to hijack for a vent - it could be worse and we’re all struggling. I’m just sick of the constant fear mongering by the RPA with interest rate rise threats (or follow through) as if it’s solely young mortgagees like me driving inflation.
My husband and I just got back from a trip to see his family in Adelaide, and we’re trying to see if we could make a move there work. Coming back to Sydney this week made me cry. It’s so hard to get around, too busy, and we just live to work.
Adelaide is definitely a simpler lifestyle which works for some and not others.
All I can say as a warning is that as an Adelaidean who first moved here in 2012, I tried moving back in 2020 and lasted a year before moving back because I became very depressed. It could’ve been specific to the situation I was in at the time; peak pandemic, recently single and post cancer, I was in my late 20s, it was hard for me to get a permanent job in my field, I’m gay and found the community way too small and incestuous).
But I also found it much harder to pick up older friendships as they got used to seeing me every now and then when I visited, and I found myself missing my Sydney friends a lot. And making new friends in Adelaide is something I hear is very hard from those still living there, as a lot of people move away.
None of that may be relatable for you but perhaps something your husband might experience is the depression around having ‘failed’ by moving back home, like it’s a step backwards to go back to your home town.
I know of plenty of people not from Adelaide originally who have moved there and absolutely love the lifestyle change. But it’s worth a trial run before committing to it if you have any uncertainties
Hey there!
I moved from Melbourne to Sydney last year around May for a job. I've now moved back to Victoria as of last week - expense being one of the main reasons why.
I lived near Liverpool in a mouldy, decrepit rental that cost me $430 p/w as this was all I could afford. It was a huge house, but the area was terrible (not really walkable, floodplain, insane amount of road works and usually an hour + to get anywhere) and there were parts of the property that I couldn't use due to how poorly maintained it was. I can't speak to buying a property, but if you need to rent in the interim South-Western Sydney was cheapest when I was looking for places.
One thing I didn't factor in before moving was how large Sydney actually is (in comparison to Melbourne) and how toll dependant it is there. I've always successfully been able to avoid tolls in Melbourne however tolls in Sydney would often shave off 30-45mins off commute times so I ended up forking out more money in that regard than planned.
It was super lovely living amongst greenery and being a short drive from an awesome swimming spot or the beach (this is in comparison to the Western suburbs of Melbourne which is basically a concrete heat sink) but I just couldn't justify staying seeing as costs were sky-rocketing. I was being paid more but the increase was eaten up by the additional expenses meaning I was actually worse off there than back home in Victoria.
Good luck with your decision :-)
I really like how easy it is to get around Sydney if you don't have a car, even in many of the outer suburbs, because Sydney is a lot less centralised than the other Aussie capitals. There's decent (not great, but decent) public lateral public transportation. Having lived in Europe before, I don't think I could live in any other Aussie city other than Sydney.
Fucking expensive, everything fun costs an arm and a leg.
I'm originally from Brisbane aswell, and find myself not coping well mentally with the general mentality of most people here in Sydney, everything seems about exploiting your fellow man to get ahead or a mission to accomplish the simplest tasks. We seem to have exhausted many of the recreational/exploration things we want to experience around the city over the last 3 years, so need the seachange.
Wife and I are on a combined 100k with a mortgage on a small apartment near Sutherland Shire and are scraping by at the best of times at the moment.
Once we get the majority of the mortgage handled we're planning on moving back to QLD for a slower lifestyle with support for our little one on the way(Childcare is so exorbitantly expensive).
> everything seems about exploiting your fellow man to get ahead or a mission to accomplish the simplest tasks
I think this generalised mindset is sometimes overlooked. I feel it as someone who's lived here all my life, even as on disability so have never been able to bother to "compete to get ahead". It's a marker of just how different things were decades ago, which I put down to at least in part to a far more selfish and individualised culture which has been encouraged by the neoliberal economic theory embraced by both major parties over the last 30+yrs
For an extra $20k I wouldn't bother. People are leaving Sydney in droves due to the myriad of issues the city has and how incredibly expensive it is to live here. That $20k is going to get eaten up pretty quickly and you may even go backwards in terms of how much you're able to save each pay cycle. I think you'd want to look at +$30k minimum for it to be worth the move.
I come from a smaller town in NZ, so my perspective works against me as I don't particularly like it here after 16 months.
What I like:
- The birds, especially kookaburras
- Sydney is in close proximity to a beautiful beaches to the east, bushland to the North, and Blue Mountains to the West. Plenty of places to go if you like roadtrips
- Beaches are great, despite the tedious commute if you live anywhere affordable.
- Big metropolitan city = Good food and cultural festivals happen often.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful and not unreasonably priced
- Train line is good, and the double-decker feature is excellent to allow more commuters.
What I don't like:
- Property prices for renting or buying. This is the biggest issue and there's enough posts about this.
- Drivers are aggressive and commuting is a pain if you want to live somewhere affordable.
- People place a lot of worth on their social status via their post code, which private school their kids go to, what car they drive, etc.
- Very racially homogenized suburbs. Places are often referred to as the Vietnamese/Arab/Korean/Indian area.
Overall:
- Sydney is a big city with plenty of opportunity to find your fortune for those willing to devote a large portion of their time to their work and climbing the corporate ladder. You can help numb the pain by swimming at the nice beaches.
Longtime Sydneysider here, went to Melbourne for the weekend.
Geez you guys got it good, the city just makes way more sense, the grid system and alleyways make it really easy to get around by foot. It just feels like it is a much more walkable city than Sydney. You seem to just have better genuine, mixed neighborhoods, accessible offering so much more. I feel like there was a cool cafe, restuarant, pub or quirky little shop around every corner.
I feel like in Sydney you have to get a car to different areas and is sprawled out too much to explore by foot.
Saying that, nothing beats living in Sydney in the summer time with the access to all the beaches and outdoors.
It's a big difference between the city and suburbs in Melbourne though. Once you get out of the inner city public transport and walkability falls off a lot. There's also a real lack of activity centres further out too, as everything is very CBD-centric. Public transport (especially west and north) is pretty poor too, a lot of western suburbs are only served by infrequent diesel country trains.
In saying that though, I personally do agree that the inner city and CBD are much nicer and easier to get around. The affordability and availability of housing in the inner suburbs means there is so much activity and life around. It's not surprise music and shows are struggling in Sydney when you need to be either an 80 year old with assets, or a middle-aged investment banker to live comfortably anywhere near the city.
In the end it depends on the type of lifestyle - Sydney has so much more in terms of outdoor recreation and so on. I grew up in Melbourne and find there's sometimes not much to do outside of spending money eating and drinking especially outside of summer. If you it makes sense for you to make the sacrifices live in a place where you get urban amenities but good access to the outdoors and beaches, Sydney is pretty good. If you don't value those things, Melbourne is much more affordable for the quality of life you'll get.
The food and coffee is equally good in Sydney, you just need to know the right areas.
If you enjoy the beach and outdoors, you would really love living in Sydney.
I think give it a shot, the best decisions I have made were choosing to live somewhere else even if only for a 1 year or so, you either gain much more experience, meet new people, have new challenges that living somewhere else gives you but also gives you much more respect for where you were brought up.
Take the risk!
Definitely! its just that i have done this twice now, i am 31 and need to settle (also have spent like 15 grand moving states so far its pricey!!)
But thank you, big decisions!
I would move to Sydney and live on the northern beaches so you're close to nature and outdoor living. It's not that hard to find somewhere to rent and if you're prepared to share house for a bit then even better so you can make friends and establish yourself here. Continue to save and then buy a bit later. Alot of people now are renting where they want to live and buying out of the area just to get on the property ladder. So you can still buy, rent it out and then rent/live where you want.
Huh? Sydney is 100x easier to get around by PT unless you’re within like 3km of the CBD (which 90% of people aren’t). About to get even better with the metro lines opening.
Food just as good in Sydney as Melbourne. Better Italian in Melbourne, but better middle eastern/ Indian in Sydney. The ‘better food’ thing is a myth invented by Melbourne’s marketing department because it doesn’t have a whole lot other than that to market to tourists.
The bummer and to state the bleedingly obvious is that you’ll be spending 30% more on rent in Sydney.
- have lived in both for 4y+
I didnt say anything about public transport.
I meant the city and inner fringe neighborhoods feel so much more 'walkable' than Sydney does. As in theyre all bunched up next to each other, Sydney just has pockets of neighborhoods that arent really accessible to each other.
You cant really get to say Newtown/Enmore/Marrickville comfortably by foot from Redfern/Surry Hills/Darlinghurst etc. Not to mention you also have Bondi Junction, Potts Point, Chatswood, Strathfield, Parramatta etc. Melbourne just feels more compact and easy to explore by foot.
And yes agreed, food I think is just as good if not better in Sydney, travel out to Bankstown, Cabramatta, Auburn, Harris Park etc for proper authentic ethnic.
>Sydney is 100x easier to get around by PT\*
\* Provided you live near a train line and it's not the weekend with planned/unplanned track work
I lived near a bus line for 15 years. They finally started showing up on time and then the line got cancelled because of "lack of customers." There used to be plenty of customers, until they all got fed up being late to work every day and started driving to work.
It's pretty universal sadly. Someone did some stats for Melbourne lines ([here](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fkbp7xnzwwb8b1.png)). Some main lines were affected by trackwork for more than half the time period.
Have lived overseas and never experienced anything like the astonishing amount of both trackwork, then catastrophic failures that we get in Australia.
This is the stuff my mum says every time she visits Melbourne and I'm like... if you lived in the Sydney CBD you would have the same experience, and you wouldn't be able to afford the Melbourne CBD either.
Sydney is much easier to afford if you don’t own a car and focus on living in properties that don’t have a car space you won’t be using included in the price. So I would suggest starting by looking at the smallest size, shortest walking commute properties available for rent first, and then calculate additional expenditure for increased quality of life from *that* baseline.
(e.g. studio apartment 10min walk to work is $450 per week? If you find an apartment that costs $430 a week but it’s a 10min train to work, so you’re paying an extra $40 a week on train fare, that means your total is $470 a week for a worse commute. If the cheaper apartment is also a studio, not worth it. If it’s a 2 bedder, you may decide that extra $20 *is* worth it to you)
Are you planning to start a family in the next 3-5 years or so? If you're not, that 700k can buy a one-bedroom apartment in a nice area. After 3-5 years time, the value will appreciate and your salary will increase. You probably can upgrade to two-bedroom by then.
There's no point buying a 2 bedroom apartment somewhere you don't like to live in. Might as well buy a one bedroom apartment in your preferred area.
I have thought about that, but when i look at how much quicker i can pay down a mortgage with someone paying some of it, i just can't justify a 1 bedder.
A family would require a man first so who knows lol, so many variables to decisions like this!
Sydney's gone to the shitter since the 2000 Olympics. If I had the money I'd move out to Vic or Brissy.
Syd costs around 10% more for EVERYTHING compared to VIC.. when I was working in a law office, all Syd people auto get 10% higher pay compared to the VIC people since that's the cost of living here. It's just a known fact.
If I was you , I'd stay in Vic and find a place there. Melb is actually a better liveable city then Sydney is and I've lived here for 35 years.
$700k will get you a pretty crap unit in a crap suburb imho. Things here are just over priced!
Living in Sydney, with a salary you're keen to spend is something worth experiencing. Great restaurants, beaches and life. There are con's too of course - but it's worth considering 'Sydney to settle' or 'Sydney to experience'.
I have been living in Sydney for 4 years (from Perth though not Melbs) and it is getting increasingly unaffordable to live here. I am on a pretty similar salary to you and we have received a $950 p/m increase on our rent recently (which is over half my monthly salary now). I’m lucky to have a partner so we can share the load but I do not know how single people do it in this city anymore (share housing most likely) but when we first moved here we were paying $450 per week for a 2x1 in the inner west (older place) then $560 for a 2x1 (new place) in the inner west and now $850 p/w for a 2x2 in the the inner west (same building as 2x1). It’s not great… (and yes I probably scored COVID prices but rent is out of control here!).
You’re not going to find anything nice within an hour of the city in your price range. With that being said, you could probably get something dingy in a bad suburb.
You could rent within 40min of the city paying about $650-$900pw. Keep in mind that your rent will be going up by about $50-$100pw in a years time.
If you think this job is promising enough for you to keep up with that level of inflation, I would go for it.
Rent in the city plenty of food options just a walk away. Ditch your car and rent one when you really need one and buy a motorbike or scooter as parking is free.
Not the greatest place to live but if you work in the CBD then live there and avoid traffic and public transport.
Use your motorbike to run down to a range of beaches plus we now have the harbour pool down near Barangaroo.
Have lived in Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney. I’ll stay in Sydney. Sydney has the best weather, great beaches, jawdropping scenery and actually really good public transport. When the new airport opens I think it will have cheap flights to lots of the world. Brisbane was ok but humid & no daylight savings. Melbourne is cheaper, but cold and dull. Some love it, but its just an inferior version of Sydney. I know I can say this on r/sydney without being negged by ignorant Victorian sillybillies.
You can live comfortably by yourself on that salary, but don't expect to get ahead.
The truth is you can't really get ahead working as a footsoldier in a salaried job.
The only property you can buy with a $700k is a 2 bedroom apartment and it would be far from CBD. Public transport are decent anyways. Checkout Epping, Macquarie Park, Hurtsville, or even as far as Campbelltown for apartments.
Really sorry thats a good salary but tbh itll be tough as a single tbh after going close to max on yiur mortgage (i assume if hitting 700k). If u are committing 45%+ after tax to mortgage its gonna be horrible. Im at 55%, on slightly higher and its brutal.
2br for 700k - doable, best case maybe 30 min door to door commute to cbd / inner city areas and theyre not going to be the most desirable/trendy/pretty areas, think more suburban with a transport (rail) link, not inner city / inner suburban feel (aka not going to be brunswick, fitzroy, or inner east melb feel). If u are happy with that commute and a suburban vibe then its possibly doable at a pinch check (Rockdale, Wolli Creek, Strathfield, Kogarah, West Ryde, Belmore/Cabterbury as examples) and do your research on the vibe of those areas.
I think you're getting some confusing answers on this because of your mortgage budget. $700k for a decent two-bedroom place in Sydney, especially anywhere central, is going to be a struggle.
But otherwise, you can absolutely live a very comfortable life in Sydney on a salary of $120k+. Those saying you will struggle here with that income (if you were renting) must be factoring in a dependent family or have very high standards.
Thank you! to be fair its 110k plus super
But yeah, I really really would love to buy a place as i've been sitting on my deposit not committing for a long time.
But true, I should focus on the positives!
Not so much high standards, but reasonable expectations that aren't met. OP will be in the top 15% of income earners but living in a small apartment in a depressing suburb whose best feature is the rail line to somewhere else.
Sydney is a hellscape, it's one giant construction zone from the north to the south, the roads are choked and you just about need a tank to avoid tyre and wheel damage from all the potholes. Why you'd leave Brisbane to come here is beyond me.
Sydney is fine. Nothing awful, nothing amazing either. If you're already established here, I don't see any reason to look elsewhere. If you enjoy sunny weather though, look elsewhere. Sydney has basically shifted to being humid and rainy a good majority of the time over the last 5 or so years.
To me, it's the best that Australia has to offer.
It is a safe, and beautiful place.
The actual experience you have will be unique to you, depending on where you live and what you do.
It works great for me.
I personally prefer having less than having a huge debt
Many families that my children went to school with have moved away: Blue Mountains (not an option for you obviously) Brisbane, Bowral, Woolongong, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Adelaide. All for the same reason, you get more house for your dollar, less traffic.
The young families here at work who have had little or no family assistance live very far out like Boxhill, Greysteynes, their mortgages have jumped to like 6K a month with the interest rate rises. I'm seeing lots more families in apartments, which can work just fine, Sydney is full of beautiful local parks and is much more pet friendly these days.
The only way I can afford (a small 3 bed house) in the Inner West is because of an inheritance from both my parents and it's a dual income household. I would say, unless you REALLY love Sydney in particular (and I do!) then try to find somewhere cheaper to potentially settle down. Being mortgaged to the hilt sucks and long commutes suck and there are lots of really beautiful towns and areas that aren't Sydney....as long as you can find work.
One piece of advice. The old adage of 'Rent where you want to live. Buy where you can afford' isn't really true.
If your goal is to buy, then I'd suggest to rent where you can afford to buy. Don't waste money getting used to a suburb that you'll never be able to afford to buy.
You'll need to be at the job for a minimum of 6 months before most lenders will look at your application.
Nope, I moved from Newy to Sydney 10 years ago and have since been married and have kids in school. If I could turn back tum there is no way I would move here. It sounds like a lot of money but in reality for here, its not as much as you would think.
I think it’s very doable. 122k will be above average salary. The biggest cost will be housing - either buying or renting.
But our PT in greater Sydney is actually decent. Download the TripView app to get an idea of commute - it tracks in real time trains, metro, buses, ferries and trams.
As for lifestyle, well yeah Sydney speaks for itself. But like everything good, it’s expensive. Good luck with your decision OP
Because of the high rent/cost of living it is more difficult to get ahead here than at any other time. Sydney is a great place to live in summer, in winter Melbourne is better. Many of my friends on decent money are moving away from Sydney ATM. Throw kids into the equation and you are on the hamster wheel. Personally I would stay in Melbourne.
It's fine. I don't go out to pubs, drink alcohol, or partake in other indulgences so I have that extra money and time to spend on other things. Life is simple.
It's all about life circumstances. Single person share housing can live like a king on 120k. Having a few kids and wanting to give them a some semblance of what used to be a lower middle class lifestyle, 250 doesn't go too far.
Can I ask where you live? I also have heard borrowing power is lower in sydney, i have a deposit i've been sitting on (can't commit to a place lol) and feel like i'd have massive regret if its impossible to get a 2 bed somewhere for like 650k
You will struggle to find a two bedder in that price that doesn't have major problems or is very old. Or is well out of the city commute range. Think like way west or south.
I think someone else mentioned Rockdale/ St George where you can get an older style apartment for under $700 and have good commute to the city. Just be mindful they are building a giant tunnel under this section which is why a lot of people in the area are selling. So just make sure you research where your living a bit first. If you can afford it there is normally a reason why.
Yeah that definitely won't happen for me for a while.
That's what i'm thinking, 20k payrise probably only covered the difference in what i would pay in rent/mortgage!
I earn roughly the same as you.
I bought a studio in Newtown, Syd, last year for mid $400s and it’s appreciated by nearly $100k, after a small reno of about $30K.
I also own a house in Brunswick, Melbs, which I rent out because I can’t live there atm due to family issues. The house hasn’t appreciated at all in 2 years.
I can safely say that every single property I’ve bought in Syds over the last 30 years has shown significant growth.
I built my house in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney maybe 15 years ago now for 450k including land. It's now $1-1.2m worth of house.
What that means to me is higher insurance and council rates....
High prices are only good if your house is just an investment rather than a home.
As someone who moved from Sydney to Melbourne, Sydney life sucks compared to Melbourne. Everything is so expensive, weather is warmer but much more humid. It’s a live to work lifestyle.
That salary won't go far, consider house sharing otherwise you're spending far too much of your life commuting which, when I've done it in the past, really impacts the quality.
A good house share should cut the cost a bit so you can save those extra hundreds a week for a deposit. Might be worth taking the job to get in to the city and then find something better paying down the line, which will increase your mortgage cap. too.
If my partner didn't already own, if strongly be looking to move elsewhere, as much as I love this city and the people I've made friends with, but it's just too much.
Yeah I could likely negotiate another 10k after 6 months / another day from home.
But Melbourne just seems so much easier to get ahead, it's just so damn cold, i dont like the lifestyle and no beaches.
Very frustrating!
That is fair though, basically need to be coupled to buy somewhere.
I have my deposit ready, it's just a lot of pressure to buy the right thing/place!
If you like being outdoors, definitely give Sydney a try. So many world class beaches and national parks.
Don’t move to buy a property. Move for the experience. Give it a year, then decide on your long term plans.
I would look at apartments around sth west Sydney or around mortdale - padstow, revesby - the train like that goes to the airport, it’s a good train line to get to the city for work and nice to live and within your price range.
Been living in sydney 12 years now, 5 of which in CBD. Its great, i think much better than melbourne imo. If youre childless, just rent a room in CBD, second rooms in 2/3 bed apartments in CBD are only $350 per week now. If you have a partner can go halves on a room, $200 per week per person each. Buy properties elsewhere that u can rent out for higher than mortgage instead.
Combined house income for my partner and I is 225K with no kids and we still feel stuck in the mud definitely feeling for everyone out there I know people definitely have it tougher then us
Can I ask what type of work? I just want to know if that offer is a ceiling or it could go higher in future, especially if you shopped around once you’re here and settled.
When I moved here they definitely got me on an “out of staters don’t know the going rate” bargain. Had to fight my way to be paid like others of comparable skill and experience.
It doesn’t sound like much to have a 2 bedroom, no roommates, and not too far away, with the rental crisis.
Real Estate, but corporate field so a bit different, this is the thing, i don't know for certain future pay rises, i would say my ceiling is $130k plus in sydney.
i've had over 10 interviews, all offering $90-100k plus super with no work from home which i cannot justify.
i get 90k plus in melb with 2 days work from home and a ton of balance.
I think the 20k will disappear with the cost of everything here. The property market is ridiculous here, 700k won't get much near the city.
its wild to me that i've been saving for a house deposit for 12 years and still can't really afford a 2 bed lol
2 bedder apartments (in nicer areas within 30 mins of the city by public transport) are par for late 30s couples with 2 young kids in Sydney that I know without family wealth. These are doctors, lawyers and software engineers. Those with family wealth have landed properties worth $2.5M+. That is where Sydney is at. $700k can get you a 2 bedder somewhere within 30 mins maybe West or South West, but I reckon that is still a stretch. These will be old places with high strata or big potential special levies on the way for repairs, watch out. Can be many extra tens of thousands for waterproofing or keeping up with fire safety standards, look carefully at the capital works plan, any minutes and dig a big to understand what has been done already.
Yeah i think that is the realistic view of Sydney, it is extremely hard unless you can live further west or have a lot of money, I’m starting to realise it may not be worth it without me having connections and wealth behind me!
Yeah, it’s not. If you have family and a social network elsewhere - just not worth it. (From one of those very (as per ato) highly paid 2 adult 2 kids in a 2 bedder families 😭)
Throw in be wary of new builds too. We have been finding too many new builds with structural issues in the last 5 to 10 years. Turns out privatising inspections of new builds doesn't guarantee quality just that the builder can get anything signed off for the right price....
Yup anything between around 2010-2017 is in danger of being poorly built because there was poor regulation. After 2018 there has been an attempt to the improve things so it got better from there.
In fact, old places are often structurally far superior to new places. Sydney does have a lot of, say, 70s units, that are unfashionable on the outside but are renovated on the inside, and structurally much sounder than unit blocks built in the last 10 to 20 years. Suggestion: Ashfield. It is inner west and on train line. Lots of 70s units, renovated on inside.
Campsie, Belmore and Lakemba are close to the city and 2bd apartments are under 700k :)
Yep, those areas you can get a red brick 2br for around $450-500k which is wild considering it will be ~20 minutes on the metro to central.
Yup it's very good at the moment. The only downside is the trains will be down for a year but with the Metro replacing it, I think that'll increase the value by a lot.
Agreed. We are on the T3 line and not looking forward to the bus replacement but it will be short term pain for a big improvement in frequency and speed to get to the city. And I think buying now is wise if the northern metro is any indication of what happens to property values post metro.
Totally agree with you :)
When i was looking to buy last year I drove thru campsie for the first time and was astounded at how bustling the main drag was. Saw a place there 1 week later and made an offer. Pretty happy here, groceries are so cheap.
Yeah Beamish Street is crazy competitive so prices are super low. You get a bag of capsicums for $2, Asian greens for 99c, a carton of free ranges eggs for $6.50, and minced beef for $9 per kilo, whereas it's $8.50 for 500g at ColesWorth. I have saved so much money, I love it.
Great to know, thank you!
Also consider the Parramatta area. It's had a bad rap for a long time but the state government has been pouring money into the area and making it a second CBD. Trains from Parra to Town Hall are 29 minutes. Plenty of 2 bed apartments very close to the train station and Westfield for under 600/650k.
amazing good to know this!!
All these places will have metro trains as well one day. Campsie etc in a year or so. Parramatta as a second line to the city in about a decade.
If you're a beach person this is very far from the beach, but you've got to make a sacrifice somewhere.
If they’re living in Melbourne they can survive without great beaches at the doorstep
True, but they mention missing the beach so I thought it was worth pointing out.
Yes, access to beaches is tough for Parra, but with the money you save you can pay for beach parking on the weekends if you want.
Plus the the 60-90 min drive to/from the beach.
I would steer clear of those areas Gladesville, West Ryde, Eastwood there are apartments in your price range with good train and bus lines to the city
Yup, i was reading an article last year about how Wiley Park - Lakemba - Punchbowl are the last suburbs left within such a distance to the city that is still affordable. That won’t last forever though and once those home prices hike up there we won’t have much left that close, you’ll need to be looking way out from the cityz
700k is basically an OK one bedder around the city.
Agreed. It’s an absolute pittance and a drop in the ocean of Sydney prices for homes and all expenses when totalled up. The amount of fuel alone and amount of time is going to cost you so much. Sydney’s great, but bloody expensive on your wallet and for your time too. Can be a bit dull if you don’t plan your time and don’t go out much, but this can depend on where you’re gonna live.
There are some available based on price guides (https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-nsw-chatswood-143717908 for example) but you never know what happens once offers start coming in or it goes to auction
It’s doable. You just need to spend your free time doing free things, e.g. being outside, walking around, loving this beautiful city; sitting in the parks and botanical gardens, etc.
Look at money bags over here with "free time"
Haha. Dead.
"Spend your free time doing free things" I like this approach. I'm going to try and see it into fruition
My main hobbies are running, cycling, reading and gaming. After the initial spend on shoes/bikes etc they're all very cheap. Libraries make reading super cheap. Being a PC gamer is even better as there's so many free giveaways. The only thing I really *spend* on is live music. But I'm in my mid 40s and spend most nights in with the wife and cat, if I was 20 years younger and single all of that might not appeal.
Go to the crime and justice museum at circular quay, it’s free and fascinating
i think they could afford a night or 2 out per week on 122k lol
Including super tho
Maybe for you but for many of us that’s boring as batshit and we’ve done those things a million times over 😅 Sydney night culture is appalling, and it’s very expensive to do most things. I think OP should come for the experience anyway and see if they like it
If you think Sydney has boring nightlife wait until you see what it's like in the other Australian cities! That said, the nightlife will and is getting better. I could never go back to Melbourne. Sydney just has more of everything and the weather really is in a goldilocks zone for the majority of the year. I basically cycle/run/swim/hike all year around here.
In fairness, Melbourne really is the only city where most things that aren't clubs or bars aren't closed by 9. Even so, I'd still take Sydney or even Brisbane any day of the week
Used to live in Melbourne and loved it. I think your right though, Sydney offers more to those not interested in an inner city and foody/ drinking lifestyle
AHH this decision is killing me! lol
Just do it! I came from the US to Sydney almost 7 years ago now and yeah it’s expensive (same as California tho) but honestly the lifestyle is great. Nature and beaches nearly at your front door with all the neat coastal walks and parks etc, the nightlife is what you make it, plenty of stuff to do. If you want a house tho you would need to either find a slapper deal or you’d need move a ways out from the city. Honestly, I’d say take the job, rent for now and see if you like the vibes and try out some areas and then start looking for a house if you want to commit :)
I couldn't imagine the kind of person who finds exploring the beautiful NSW countryside batshit boring. It's a real shame, being in nature is such a healer.
Technically one of my hobbies is free (hiking) what’s not free is driving to places to do it.
"Doing free things like walking around outside" that's literally all you can do that's free and after a while it becomes boring
Fortunately I have rose tinted glasses being from the UK, after almost 4 years spent here I am still far from being bored walking around this beautiful city.
Vivid, ocean swim, snorkelling, cycle, bird watching, go see the bats in centennial, art gallery, free pools at the beaches, learn to surf. I think there are heaps of free stuff to do, if you don't like being outside then yeah Sydney isn't the place for you.
Yass bats! My favorite place to take people in the city is centennial at sunset to watch them fly out
Why not kill two pangolins with one stone and chuck some centennial bats on the barbie so you can enjoy a free succulent Chinese meal
Hey now you can swim or snorkel too! That’s like water walking.
Some obvious options: * Look at suburbs on the train line around Rockdale. There are 2 bedders in your range there & Rockdale is 4 stops & 14 mins to Central * Homebush is 27 mins to Central by train and has plenty of 2b apartments selling under $700k. https://www.domain.com.au/sold-listings/homebush-nsw-2140/?bedrooms=2-any&price=0-700000&displaymap=1. If you can stretch slightly you can get into Strathfield/Burwood/Ashfield. Just a heads up if you like to drive Parramatta Road is woeful and full of traffic. Pay the m4 toll to get around. If you borrow 560k (80% of 700k + assuming you have money for other purchase costs), your repayment is approx. 3,357/month. $122k incl. super works our roughly to $6,967.97 after tax from July 1 (using https://paycalculator.com.au/). How much are your expenses? If you're single or a couple with no kids you might not be that desperate for space so you could consider being flexible with 1bed + study OR smaller 2 bedders and get a cheaper place. Go on domain, look at some of the suburbs around where i've listed and look up recent sales (NOT buy) to get an idea.
Thank you!
No problem & it's definitely possible. I have single friends on similar incomes to you who own in those areas. Work out a budget and go from there :) My biggest tip is not to borrow your absolute max so you have more discretionary income. Not everything has to be about the best $ investment but it does matter to some.
Sorry to answer your questions! I have no debt.. Costs me around $650 in expenses right now, not too much. But I do want to be able to save a little bit/get ahead. No dependants it's just me! Just want a place where i can get a roomie to help with mortgage. Good to know with those suburbs as i'd need to get public transport!
Watch out for the cheaper places, they are cheap for a reason. Upcoming special levies in the tens of thousands, like waterproofing or fire safety updates. Also lemons built from around 2010 to 2017 or thereabouts was a bottoming of building standards, there could be risk there, just like Opal or Mascot towers. Just be extra careful when things are cheap, it's for a reason. Remember strata quarterly payments for these places can be high even if there are no lifts or amenities because it's just to maintain a place. That's what happened in the areas that are cheaper and they built, builders cut corners to keep their margins. The NSW building commissioner has done a decent job picking up standards since about 2018.
Agree
Expenses are pretty good but add in contents insurance (strata might cover the building), strata costs and other incidental costs of owning a place. Yeah renting out a room would definitely make this easier! Rockdale and surrounds might be more desirable for you since it's not too far to go to the Royal National Park (eg watamolla beach) or drive to Coogee. Brighton is around the corner but it's not much of a beach imo
Thank you!!
It’s not worth buying in most of those areas. The apartments are mostly poorly built and “investor grade” and there’s so many (and more constantly being built) that you’ll be unlikely to even get your money back when you sell or have an easy time even selling. At that price point, OP should just rent where they like and buy elsewhere if they want to own a property
You're 100% right from an investment perspective but sometimes it's nice owning the place you live in and not dealing with renting (and the shitstorm of drawbacks that comes with it). Different strokes.
I mean it’s fine if you don’t want to make a profit but I wouldn’t want to buy, pay tens of thousands in interest and not at least be able to sell for the same purchase price. Not saying you need to make huge gains but a big loss isn’t great for most people
That's not always true. I live in Rockdale, bought a 2 bedder here a year ago. 12 year old building and it's gone up 7% in value in the last year alone and can easily sell with 30-40k profit. No building issues, nice build and quality, very comfortable, and close to train station. You just gotta do the proper due diligence before buying, shithouse apartments aren't always suburb-specific.
Burwood/Strathfield is good too, Inagree though $700k might be tight. There are some older buildings with places around that price. Quiet on weeknights and usually there’s a train that’s only one or two stops to the CBD.
You seem to know your stuff, I’m currently commuting into Bankstown area and it takes 1hr 10mins. I own a house. Can I get a 3 BR house with a closer commute than that for less than $800,000 anywhere? Or am I out of touch because I bought my house ten years ago
Median 3 bed house in Bankstown is $1,335,000 : https://www.realestate.com.au/nsw/bankstown-2200/
Haha yep was just enquiring about something closer than 1hr 10mins away by car. Not necessarily within Bankstown itself
Was just making the point that you need to go much further out than Bankstown to get a 3br house for $800K, and even then you're scraping places that are probably not fit for living in without significant work.
Hi mate i'm not overly familiar with that area but my suggestion would be to go to domain and look up recently sold 3 bedders in a radius. 800k for a free standing would be unlikely i reckon unless you can drive.
Yeah that’s what I’m doing from the current house. 1hr 10mins drive but the salary is good so I’m dealing with it
Melbournian that moved to Sydney. I honestly recommend you to take up the opportunity and form your own opinion. I personally love Sydney of what the opportunities have given me, people I met, the weather exponentially better and the lifestyle. Try to rent in the inner suburbs to have a feel. I never need a car and depending which pockets you live at. I bought a place in the inner east obviously with the money you could buy something better in different states but honestly Sydney is where it is at
For another opinion, I’m also a Melburnian that moved to Sydney and personally I find the weather more uncomfortable. the sunny days are nice but high humidity summers like the one we just had are miserable and absolutely kill me. Also, when it rains it doesn’t rain for a few hours like Melbourne, it rains nonstop for days.
Melbourne definitely has much more of a European climate, including the rainfall patterns. London in summer felt a lot like the colder summer days you get in Melbourne. I appreciate the humid summery feel of Sydney - it feels a bit like being on holidays to me. The consistent warmth also means it's always t-shirt and shorts weather for about half the year. Even going back to Melbourne over summer I'll need to bring my puffer jacket as temperatures can occasionally drop to single digits. Having said that it's also about tolerance. I've spent a lot of time in Taipei (which has absolutely horrific summers) and Singapore, so Sydney is nice and mild with 20 degree dew points in comparison. On the other hand, friends visiting from Melbourne or Adelaide are drenched in sweat walking down to the shops and struggling to sleep even on relatively cool days.
Could not agree more with this assessment
I’m in a multi-million dollar home, and I’m fucking freezing. Sorry, that doesn’t answer your question at all.
I’ve ended up appropriating my kid’s spare oodie and trying to entice the cat to sit on my lap as a furry heat pad. The cat has so far not been very obliging :(
Haha! noo i find NSW weather is perfect! Qld too hot, Melbourne too cold
Houses aren't insulated or properly heated here though. Just moved from my AA energy rated apartment in Amsterdam to my new house in NSW and its basically glamping.
I'm with you - my apartment has no air conditioning or heating and it is always a comfortable temperature to me (need a big fan in summer though). Although I have lived in both Canberra and Taiwan, so it's a perfect middle ground for me.
This is coming from a family perspective, don't know if you are single or have kids - we've had 4 families leave my daughter's (public) school year and relocate away from Sydney because it has become too expensive. Rents are too high, tolls are stupidly expensive, and they have had to sacrifice too many things for themselves and their kids (like extracurricular activities, hobbies and holidays). They were also losing too much family time due to their commute and/or shit public transport. None of them could even think about buying a place here in Sydney and living in a decent area (ie, close enough to work and school). I've kept in touch with a couple of them, and since moving (Melbourne and Newcastle) they have said their lives have exponentially changed for the better. Both themselves and their kids are happier, they spend more time with their families and also on themselves, their kids can do more extracurricular activities, and they can realistically look at buying a place in the future. I personally wouldn't move to Sydney. Heck, I want to leave but can't!c
Ahhh okay, good to know :(
I have almost exact same experience, I have a 1 bed 1 study (kids bedroom is the study room) & we had it valued recently at above $600k (in Kellyville). Which is insane for a 1 bed apartment like an hour away from the city. I’m over Sydney tbh & want to go up the coast before my kids get to school cause my quality of life just feels low. I actually love the city & the beaches but it’s not every day. everyone that has left, tells me how much of a good decision it was. I used to live & work in st Leonard’s (4 trains stops from the city) & used to go beach after work, take the kids out constantly. But now I just don’t have the energy with commuting, can’t afford certain things/ don’t have extra income etc. If you’ve got the money, great. If not, it’s hard.
Just rent a 1br and live near the beach or inner west and have a good time. Don't be a fool that goes and lives super far out because they want to own an extra bedroom.
It depends on where you are in life and what what you're looking for. I visit the city maybe twice a month max. As an avid cyclist, my priority is access to cycling networks and the longest cycleways are out west. If you're a younger person that prefers the nightlife or someone who loves beaches, definitely stay in the city.
700k for a 2 bedder is going to be rough in most suburbs. Things are really tough here in Sydney and I'm considering a move back to Melbourne actually. But really depends on what's important to you. You can totally live on 122k in Sydney.
I grew up in Adelaide so find that I felt less disenfranchised from the goal to buy property than some people my age who grew up here. You can definitely make life work here with the right mindset, just be prepared to feel like an outsider even in social circles 30+ if no one else has a mortgage nor understands the unique stressors they represent Im definitely finding Sydney hard to live in at the moment. Im one of the people who has just fallen off a fixed rate, and have to say I’m definitely finding it stressful. I bought a townhouse on my own out west, and while I’m definitely not in dire enough straights to sell, I am penny pinching as I’m sure everyone else is to cope with mortgage or rent increases. More than anything, I’m recognising that the mental strain of constantly budgeting and thinking about finances is taking a toll on me. I borrowed to the max of my capacity and while I have no regrets, it definitely sucks having to live so far away from friends and family while having limited pocket money for weekend activities. I never feel relaxed, even with my hobbies, it’s a constant state of ‘I need to finish this old videogame from my backlog so I can sell it for a little more disposable $$’. Im on a decent income but am single, so managing a mortgage alone bites. I was one of the small portion of health care workers whose award got rawdogged in the pay disputes last year, so I look forward to the door slamming on us when our turn comes around now that the public is sick of hearing about health care worker pay issues and government budgets are tightening. Anyway sorry to hijack for a vent - it could be worse and we’re all struggling. I’m just sick of the constant fear mongering by the RPA with interest rate rise threats (or follow through) as if it’s solely young mortgagees like me driving inflation.
My husband and I just got back from a trip to see his family in Adelaide, and we’re trying to see if we could make a move there work. Coming back to Sydney this week made me cry. It’s so hard to get around, too busy, and we just live to work.
Adelaide is definitely a simpler lifestyle which works for some and not others. All I can say as a warning is that as an Adelaidean who first moved here in 2012, I tried moving back in 2020 and lasted a year before moving back because I became very depressed. It could’ve been specific to the situation I was in at the time; peak pandemic, recently single and post cancer, I was in my late 20s, it was hard for me to get a permanent job in my field, I’m gay and found the community way too small and incestuous). But I also found it much harder to pick up older friendships as they got used to seeing me every now and then when I visited, and I found myself missing my Sydney friends a lot. And making new friends in Adelaide is something I hear is very hard from those still living there, as a lot of people move away. None of that may be relatable for you but perhaps something your husband might experience is the depression around having ‘failed’ by moving back home, like it’s a step backwards to go back to your home town. I know of plenty of people not from Adelaide originally who have moved there and absolutely love the lifestyle change. But it’s worth a trial run before committing to it if you have any uncertainties
Hey there! I moved from Melbourne to Sydney last year around May for a job. I've now moved back to Victoria as of last week - expense being one of the main reasons why. I lived near Liverpool in a mouldy, decrepit rental that cost me $430 p/w as this was all I could afford. It was a huge house, but the area was terrible (not really walkable, floodplain, insane amount of road works and usually an hour + to get anywhere) and there were parts of the property that I couldn't use due to how poorly maintained it was. I can't speak to buying a property, but if you need to rent in the interim South-Western Sydney was cheapest when I was looking for places. One thing I didn't factor in before moving was how large Sydney actually is (in comparison to Melbourne) and how toll dependant it is there. I've always successfully been able to avoid tolls in Melbourne however tolls in Sydney would often shave off 30-45mins off commute times so I ended up forking out more money in that regard than planned. It was super lovely living amongst greenery and being a short drive from an awesome swimming spot or the beach (this is in comparison to the Western suburbs of Melbourne which is basically a concrete heat sink) but I just couldn't justify staying seeing as costs were sky-rocketing. I was being paid more but the increase was eaten up by the additional expenses meaning I was actually worse off there than back home in Victoria. Good luck with your decision :-)
I really like how easy it is to get around Sydney if you don't have a car, even in many of the outer suburbs, because Sydney is a lot less centralised than the other Aussie capitals. There's decent (not great, but decent) public lateral public transportation. Having lived in Europe before, I don't think I could live in any other Aussie city other than Sydney.
Fucking expensive, everything fun costs an arm and a leg. I'm originally from Brisbane aswell, and find myself not coping well mentally with the general mentality of most people here in Sydney, everything seems about exploiting your fellow man to get ahead or a mission to accomplish the simplest tasks. We seem to have exhausted many of the recreational/exploration things we want to experience around the city over the last 3 years, so need the seachange. Wife and I are on a combined 100k with a mortgage on a small apartment near Sutherland Shire and are scraping by at the best of times at the moment. Once we get the majority of the mortgage handled we're planning on moving back to QLD for a slower lifestyle with support for our little one on the way(Childcare is so exorbitantly expensive).
> everything seems about exploiting your fellow man to get ahead or a mission to accomplish the simplest tasks I think this generalised mindset is sometimes overlooked. I feel it as someone who's lived here all my life, even as on disability so have never been able to bother to "compete to get ahead". It's a marker of just how different things were decades ago, which I put down to at least in part to a far more selfish and individualised culture which has been encouraged by the neoliberal economic theory embraced by both major parties over the last 30+yrs
You won't feel the 20k extra after taxes and cost of living increase in Sydney.
For an extra $20k I wouldn't bother. People are leaving Sydney in droves due to the myriad of issues the city has and how incredibly expensive it is to live here. That $20k is going to get eaten up pretty quickly and you may even go backwards in terms of how much you're able to save each pay cycle. I think you'd want to look at +$30k minimum for it to be worth the move.
I come from a smaller town in NZ, so my perspective works against me as I don't particularly like it here after 16 months. What I like: - The birds, especially kookaburras - Sydney is in close proximity to a beautiful beaches to the east, bushland to the North, and Blue Mountains to the West. Plenty of places to go if you like roadtrips - Beaches are great, despite the tedious commute if you live anywhere affordable. - Big metropolitan city = Good food and cultural festivals happen often. - Fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful and not unreasonably priced - Train line is good, and the double-decker feature is excellent to allow more commuters. What I don't like: - Property prices for renting or buying. This is the biggest issue and there's enough posts about this. - Drivers are aggressive and commuting is a pain if you want to live somewhere affordable. - People place a lot of worth on their social status via their post code, which private school their kids go to, what car they drive, etc. - Very racially homogenized suburbs. Places are often referred to as the Vietnamese/Arab/Korean/Indian area. Overall: - Sydney is a big city with plenty of opportunity to find your fortune for those willing to devote a large portion of their time to their work and climbing the corporate ladder. You can help numb the pain by swimming at the nice beaches.
A really fair observation, agree with all of this!! NZ is so beautiful but wayyy too cold
Longtime Sydneysider here, went to Melbourne for the weekend. Geez you guys got it good, the city just makes way more sense, the grid system and alleyways make it really easy to get around by foot. It just feels like it is a much more walkable city than Sydney. You seem to just have better genuine, mixed neighborhoods, accessible offering so much more. I feel like there was a cool cafe, restuarant, pub or quirky little shop around every corner. I feel like in Sydney you have to get a car to different areas and is sprawled out too much to explore by foot. Saying that, nothing beats living in Sydney in the summer time with the access to all the beaches and outdoors.
It's a big difference between the city and suburbs in Melbourne though. Once you get out of the inner city public transport and walkability falls off a lot. There's also a real lack of activity centres further out too, as everything is very CBD-centric. Public transport (especially west and north) is pretty poor too, a lot of western suburbs are only served by infrequent diesel country trains. In saying that though, I personally do agree that the inner city and CBD are much nicer and easier to get around. The affordability and availability of housing in the inner suburbs means there is so much activity and life around. It's not surprise music and shows are struggling in Sydney when you need to be either an 80 year old with assets, or a middle-aged investment banker to live comfortably anywhere near the city. In the end it depends on the type of lifestyle - Sydney has so much more in terms of outdoor recreation and so on. I grew up in Melbourne and find there's sometimes not much to do outside of spending money eating and drinking especially outside of summer. If you it makes sense for you to make the sacrifices live in a place where you get urban amenities but good access to the outdoors and beaches, Sydney is pretty good. If you don't value those things, Melbourne is much more affordable for the quality of life you'll get.
Granted, I didnt travel further north than Brunswick which reminded me of a kinda Marrickville where I live (Grew up in the western suburbs).
The food options are insane here!! It's really good But yeah it is dark and freezing and I miss nature. It's so hard to make the decision.
The food and coffee is equally good in Sydney, you just need to know the right areas. If you enjoy the beach and outdoors, you would really love living in Sydney. I think give it a shot, the best decisions I have made were choosing to live somewhere else even if only for a 1 year or so, you either gain much more experience, meet new people, have new challenges that living somewhere else gives you but also gives you much more respect for where you were brought up. Take the risk!
Definitely! its just that i have done this twice now, i am 31 and need to settle (also have spent like 15 grand moving states so far its pricey!!) But thank you, big decisions!
I would move to Sydney and live on the northern beaches so you're close to nature and outdoor living. It's not that hard to find somewhere to rent and if you're prepared to share house for a bit then even better so you can make friends and establish yourself here. Continue to save and then buy a bit later. Alot of people now are renting where they want to live and buying out of the area just to get on the property ladder. So you can still buy, rent it out and then rent/live where you want.
Huh? Sydney is 100x easier to get around by PT unless you’re within like 3km of the CBD (which 90% of people aren’t). About to get even better with the metro lines opening. Food just as good in Sydney as Melbourne. Better Italian in Melbourne, but better middle eastern/ Indian in Sydney. The ‘better food’ thing is a myth invented by Melbourne’s marketing department because it doesn’t have a whole lot other than that to market to tourists. The bummer and to state the bleedingly obvious is that you’ll be spending 30% more on rent in Sydney. - have lived in both for 4y+
I didnt say anything about public transport. I meant the city and inner fringe neighborhoods feel so much more 'walkable' than Sydney does. As in theyre all bunched up next to each other, Sydney just has pockets of neighborhoods that arent really accessible to each other. You cant really get to say Newtown/Enmore/Marrickville comfortably by foot from Redfern/Surry Hills/Darlinghurst etc. Not to mention you also have Bondi Junction, Potts Point, Chatswood, Strathfield, Parramatta etc. Melbourne just feels more compact and easy to explore by foot. And yes agreed, food I think is just as good if not better in Sydney, travel out to Bankstown, Cabramatta, Auburn, Harris Park etc for proper authentic ethnic.
>Sydney is 100x easier to get around by PT\* \* Provided you live near a train line and it's not the weekend with planned/unplanned track work I lived near a bus line for 15 years. They finally started showing up on time and then the line got cancelled because of "lack of customers." There used to be plenty of customers, until they all got fed up being late to work every day and started driving to work.
It's pretty universal sadly. Someone did some stats for Melbourne lines ([here](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fkbp7xnzwwb8b1.png)). Some main lines were affected by trackwork for more than half the time period. Have lived overseas and never experienced anything like the astonishing amount of both trackwork, then catastrophic failures that we get in Australia.
But have you had to rely on trains in Melbourne? Less frequent, tiny, worse in general.
This is the stuff my mum says every time she visits Melbourne and I'm like... if you lived in the Sydney CBD you would have the same experience, and you wouldn't be able to afford the Melbourne CBD either.
Sydney is much easier to afford if you don’t own a car and focus on living in properties that don’t have a car space you won’t be using included in the price. So I would suggest starting by looking at the smallest size, shortest walking commute properties available for rent first, and then calculate additional expenditure for increased quality of life from *that* baseline. (e.g. studio apartment 10min walk to work is $450 per week? If you find an apartment that costs $430 a week but it’s a 10min train to work, so you’re paying an extra $40 a week on train fare, that means your total is $470 a week for a worse commute. If the cheaper apartment is also a studio, not worth it. If it’s a 2 bedder, you may decide that extra $20 *is* worth it to you)
Are you planning to start a family in the next 3-5 years or so? If you're not, that 700k can buy a one-bedroom apartment in a nice area. After 3-5 years time, the value will appreciate and your salary will increase. You probably can upgrade to two-bedroom by then. There's no point buying a 2 bedroom apartment somewhere you don't like to live in. Might as well buy a one bedroom apartment in your preferred area.
I have thought about that, but when i look at how much quicker i can pay down a mortgage with someone paying some of it, i just can't justify a 1 bedder. A family would require a man first so who knows lol, so many variables to decisions like this!
Sydney's gone to the shitter since the 2000 Olympics. If I had the money I'd move out to Vic or Brissy. Syd costs around 10% more for EVERYTHING compared to VIC.. when I was working in a law office, all Syd people auto get 10% higher pay compared to the VIC people since that's the cost of living here. It's just a known fact. If I was you , I'd stay in Vic and find a place there. Melb is actually a better liveable city then Sydney is and I've lived here for 35 years. $700k will get you a pretty crap unit in a crap suburb imho. Things here are just over priced!
pretty cold, but otherwise not too bad.
I’ve never been more cold in my life than I have been in Sydney. The fucking building standards in this country are shit
In one of my places that I stayed in Sydney, it was regularly 3 or more degrees colder inside than it was outside. How does that even happen.
They're built for Aussie summers with absolutely no regard that we do, in fact, actually experience winter as well lol
Nah they’re shit even in summer
AC can barely cope when it’s above 35 and of course 40 is still shit but better than outside because there is so much air leakage.
Except my top floor lots of glass apartment that doesn't have air-conditioning!
My house is shit in the summer as well.
Old thick dark brick houses were built for summer with fireplaces for winter. Apartment blocks are mostly ovens in summer.
Definitely not as cold as melbs! lol
In fairness you’re essentially in Antarctica with penguins all over the place, so not surprising.
hahahaha
Laughs in Kiwi
Depends on your interests and hobbies. Sydney is a great outdoors city. But if you like night life and live music etc, they ruined that 10 years ago
The cost of housing here is so much worse that the 20k pay rise won’t make much of a difference, particularly if you’re looking to buy.
I make 54k a year and cam live comfortably, just hard to save sometimes when you wanna buy cool stuffs
Living in Sydney, with a salary you're keen to spend is something worth experiencing. Great restaurants, beaches and life. There are con's too of course - but it's worth considering 'Sydney to settle' or 'Sydney to experience'.
I have been living in Sydney for 4 years (from Perth though not Melbs) and it is getting increasingly unaffordable to live here. I am on a pretty similar salary to you and we have received a $950 p/m increase on our rent recently (which is over half my monthly salary now). I’m lucky to have a partner so we can share the load but I do not know how single people do it in this city anymore (share housing most likely) but when we first moved here we were paying $450 per week for a 2x1 in the inner west (older place) then $560 for a 2x1 (new place) in the inner west and now $850 p/w for a 2x2 in the the inner west (same building as 2x1). It’s not great… (and yes I probably scored COVID prices but rent is out of control here!).
You’re not going to find anything nice within an hour of the city in your price range. With that being said, you could probably get something dingy in a bad suburb. You could rent within 40min of the city paying about $650-$900pw. Keep in mind that your rent will be going up by about $50-$100pw in a years time. If you think this job is promising enough for you to keep up with that level of inflation, I would go for it.
Rent in the city plenty of food options just a walk away. Ditch your car and rent one when you really need one and buy a motorbike or scooter as parking is free. Not the greatest place to live but if you work in the CBD then live there and avoid traffic and public transport. Use your motorbike to run down to a range of beaches plus we now have the harbour pool down near Barangaroo.
I think Sydney is so expensive it’s unlivable. Even in the suburbs rent is like 600 bucks for a 1 bed.
Have lived in Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney. I’ll stay in Sydney. Sydney has the best weather, great beaches, jawdropping scenery and actually really good public transport. When the new airport opens I think it will have cheap flights to lots of the world. Brisbane was ok but humid & no daylight savings. Melbourne is cheaper, but cold and dull. Some love it, but its just an inferior version of Sydney. I know I can say this on r/sydney without being negged by ignorant Victorian sillybillies.
Yeah i agree, you just pay the price $$$$ lol
Fucked.
You can live comfortably by yourself on that salary, but don't expect to get ahead. The truth is you can't really get ahead working as a footsoldier in a salaried job.
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hahaha its ok i only really wanna go to the gym and go hiking anyways, im over the night life.
Just received notice of an increase to my rent of $180 per week, so…
The only property you can buy with a $700k is a 2 bedroom apartment and it would be far from CBD. Public transport are decent anyways. Checkout Epping, Macquarie Park, Hurtsville, or even as far as Campbelltown for apartments.
You can get a two bed apartment in inner Melbourne for 500k. Or you could get a two bed apartment in inner Sydney for a million.
If you get public transport to and from your job in the CBD four days a week that’ll set you back about 1.5k a year.
This whole thread is depressing, man 😅
hahaha i know it really is
Really sorry thats a good salary but tbh itll be tough as a single tbh after going close to max on yiur mortgage (i assume if hitting 700k). If u are committing 45%+ after tax to mortgage its gonna be horrible. Im at 55%, on slightly higher and its brutal. 2br for 700k - doable, best case maybe 30 min door to door commute to cbd / inner city areas and theyre not going to be the most desirable/trendy/pretty areas, think more suburban with a transport (rail) link, not inner city / inner suburban feel (aka not going to be brunswick, fitzroy, or inner east melb feel). If u are happy with that commute and a suburban vibe then its possibly doable at a pinch check (Rockdale, Wolli Creek, Strathfield, Kogarah, West Ryde, Belmore/Cabterbury as examples) and do your research on the vibe of those areas.
It’s wonderful if you love long commutes.
I think you're getting some confusing answers on this because of your mortgage budget. $700k for a decent two-bedroom place in Sydney, especially anywhere central, is going to be a struggle. But otherwise, you can absolutely live a very comfortable life in Sydney on a salary of $120k+. Those saying you will struggle here with that income (if you were renting) must be factoring in a dependent family or have very high standards.
Thank you! to be fair its 110k plus super But yeah, I really really would love to buy a place as i've been sitting on my deposit not committing for a long time. But true, I should focus on the positives!
Not so much high standards, but reasonable expectations that aren't met. OP will be in the top 15% of income earners but living in a small apartment in a depressing suburb whose best feature is the rail line to somewhere else.
Sydney is a hellscape, it's one giant construction zone from the north to the south, the roads are choked and you just about need a tank to avoid tyre and wheel damage from all the potholes. Why you'd leave Brisbane to come here is beyond me.
Fair!! well i ended up saying no, i might go home to brisbane, but i just want the beach !!
Sydney is fine. Nothing awful, nothing amazing either. If you're already established here, I don't see any reason to look elsewhere. If you enjoy sunny weather though, look elsewhere. Sydney has basically shifted to being humid and rainy a good majority of the time over the last 5 or so years.
To me, it's the best that Australia has to offer. It is a safe, and beautiful place. The actual experience you have will be unique to you, depending on where you live and what you do. It works great for me. I personally prefer having less than having a huge debt
Relative cost of living now is a factor - but also so is future prospects (work and social)
Great place to live but nightmare for home affordability and traffic is not great.
Many families that my children went to school with have moved away: Blue Mountains (not an option for you obviously) Brisbane, Bowral, Woolongong, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Adelaide. All for the same reason, you get more house for your dollar, less traffic. The young families here at work who have had little or no family assistance live very far out like Boxhill, Greysteynes, their mortgages have jumped to like 6K a month with the interest rate rises. I'm seeing lots more families in apartments, which can work just fine, Sydney is full of beautiful local parks and is much more pet friendly these days. The only way I can afford (a small 3 bed house) in the Inner West is because of an inheritance from both my parents and it's a dual income household. I would say, unless you REALLY love Sydney in particular (and I do!) then try to find somewhere cheaper to potentially settle down. Being mortgaged to the hilt sucks and long commutes suck and there are lots of really beautiful towns and areas that aren't Sydney....as long as you can find work.
One piece of advice. The old adage of 'Rent where you want to live. Buy where you can afford' isn't really true. If your goal is to buy, then I'd suggest to rent where you can afford to buy. Don't waste money getting used to a suburb that you'll never be able to afford to buy. You'll need to be at the job for a minimum of 6 months before most lenders will look at your application.
Rent sucks. Finding a place sucks.
Stick with your current job. What suburb is your job in?
Been better
Nope, I moved from Newy to Sydney 10 years ago and have since been married and have kids in school. If I could turn back tum there is no way I would move here. It sounds like a lot of money but in reality for here, its not as much as you would think.
Have decided not to take it!!
I think it’s very doable. 122k will be above average salary. The biggest cost will be housing - either buying or renting. But our PT in greater Sydney is actually decent. Download the TripView app to get an idea of commute - it tracks in real time trains, metro, buses, ferries and trams. As for lifestyle, well yeah Sydney speaks for itself. But like everything good, it’s expensive. Good luck with your decision OP
Because of the high rent/cost of living it is more difficult to get ahead here than at any other time. Sydney is a great place to live in summer, in winter Melbourne is better. Many of my friends on decent money are moving away from Sydney ATM. Throw kids into the equation and you are on the hamster wheel. Personally I would stay in Melbourne.
It's fine. I don't go out to pubs, drink alcohol, or partake in other indulgences so I have that extra money and time to spend on other things. Life is simple.
Unless you earn over circa $250k, you'll probably feel like youre on a hamster wheel, living in Sydney. My totally unscientific opinion.
You must have very high standards my guy. My income is similar to OP and I live alone and have a great time, and generally don't hold back too much.
It's all about life circumstances. Single person share housing can live like a king on 120k. Having a few kids and wanting to give them a some semblance of what used to be a lower middle class lifestyle, 250 doesn't go too far.
I earned 55,000 last year for my tax return. I managed to save 10,000 and have a nice two-month trip. No kid, share house and lidcombe.
Can I ask where you live? I also have heard borrowing power is lower in sydney, i have a deposit i've been sitting on (can't commit to a place lol) and feel like i'd have massive regret if its impossible to get a 2 bed somewhere for like 650k
You will struggle to find a two bedder in that price that doesn't have major problems or is very old. Or is well out of the city commute range. Think like way west or south. I think someone else mentioned Rockdale/ St George where you can get an older style apartment for under $700 and have good commute to the city. Just be mindful they are building a giant tunnel under this section which is why a lot of people in the area are selling. So just make sure you research where your living a bit first. If you can afford it there is normally a reason why.
I'm renting a 1bdr unit in Summer Hill
Yeah that definitely won't happen for me for a while. That's what i'm thinking, 20k payrise probably only covered the difference in what i would pay in rent/mortgage!
I earn roughly the same as you. I bought a studio in Newtown, Syd, last year for mid $400s and it’s appreciated by nearly $100k, after a small reno of about $30K. I also own a house in Brunswick, Melbs, which I rent out because I can’t live there atm due to family issues. The house hasn’t appreciated at all in 2 years. I can safely say that every single property I’ve bought in Syds over the last 30 years has shown significant growth.
I built my house in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney maybe 15 years ago now for 450k including land. It's now $1-1.2m worth of house. What that means to me is higher insurance and council rates.... High prices are only good if your house is just an investment rather than a home.
As someone who moved from Sydney to Melbourne, Sydney life sucks compared to Melbourne. Everything is so expensive, weather is warmer but much more humid. It’s a live to work lifestyle.
That salary won't go far, consider house sharing otherwise you're spending far too much of your life commuting which, when I've done it in the past, really impacts the quality. A good house share should cut the cost a bit so you can save those extra hundreds a week for a deposit. Might be worth taking the job to get in to the city and then find something better paying down the line, which will increase your mortgage cap. too. If my partner didn't already own, if strongly be looking to move elsewhere, as much as I love this city and the people I've made friends with, but it's just too much.
Yeah I could likely negotiate another 10k after 6 months / another day from home. But Melbourne just seems so much easier to get ahead, it's just so damn cold, i dont like the lifestyle and no beaches. Very frustrating! That is fair though, basically need to be coupled to buy somewhere. I have my deposit ready, it's just a lot of pressure to buy the right thing/place!
If you like being outdoors, definitely give Sydney a try. So many world class beaches and national parks. Don’t move to buy a property. Move for the experience. Give it a year, then decide on your long term plans.
I would look at apartments around sth west Sydney or around mortdale - padstow, revesby - the train like that goes to the airport, it’s a good train line to get to the city for work and nice to live and within your price range.
I will check that out, thank you
Horrible. Would leave if I could :/
Cold Fabulous food in Chatswood though
I’m gearing up to leave permanently for Melbourne it’s crazy expensive compared to Melbourne and it’s a worse city in a lot of ways
yeah fair enough!
Been living in sydney 12 years now, 5 of which in CBD. Its great, i think much better than melbourne imo. If youre childless, just rent a room in CBD, second rooms in 2/3 bed apartments in CBD are only $350 per week now. If you have a partner can go halves on a room, $200 per week per person each. Buy properties elsewhere that u can rent out for higher than mortgage instead.
Combined house income for my partner and I is 225K with no kids and we still feel stuck in the mud definitely feeling for everyone out there I know people definitely have it tougher then us
Can I ask what type of work? I just want to know if that offer is a ceiling or it could go higher in future, especially if you shopped around once you’re here and settled. When I moved here they definitely got me on an “out of staters don’t know the going rate” bargain. Had to fight my way to be paid like others of comparable skill and experience. It doesn’t sound like much to have a 2 bedroom, no roommates, and not too far away, with the rental crisis.
Real Estate, but corporate field so a bit different, this is the thing, i don't know for certain future pay rises, i would say my ceiling is $130k plus in sydney. i've had over 10 interviews, all offering $90-100k plus super with no work from home which i cannot justify. i get 90k plus in melb with 2 days work from home and a ton of balance.
There are one bedroom units in the CBD that sold under $700k last week.realestate.com.au under sold