Guest chrissielt Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Hi All We are a family of 4 (52, 42, 16 and 12) moving out to Perth on 7th April. We have a short term rental secured in Applecross by my husbands employer and he will be working in the CBD. I don't think we can afford to get a long term rental in Applecross though - it's expensive. Our top budget is around $650 per week. I have looked at suburbs and there is just so many to choose from ... I quite like the sound of Woodvale and Edgewater but properties there are older and quite expensive, so I like Secret Harbour which is obviously further away but sounds quite up and coming and with newer properties and more affordable. Can anybody offer any advice please ? Is Secret Harbour easily accessible to the CBD (am i right in thinking approx 40 mins on train) and what are the schools like etc .. bars , restaurants, shops .... ? Any advice , pointers would be most gratefully received. Thanks Chrissie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moirclan Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 id look at the schools for your kids first and use that to lead you to school boundries you will need to live in , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 You could get somewhere in Leeming for $650-close to CBD and great high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chrissielt Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Hi Sal , Thanks Will look at Leeming now. Is that where you live ? It's such a daunting prospect and trying to research everything on computer from the other side of the world is near impossible. I'm trying to get a shortlist together so when we arrive we can drive out to each suburb and have a look .. Just so helpful for people that live there to offer advice. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chrissielt Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Hi , Thanks Can you recommend any schools ? Chrissie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi69 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 After living in Applecross, you may feel other suburbs a bit of a let down lol. IMO Applecross is really beautiful, a lot of the houses are just Wow. Like you i would love to live there, its a perfect spot. Sadly its a bit beyond our budget too. But $650 isnt a bad budget, we pay that for a huge 4x2 with pool not that far from Applecross. Any of the suburbs that come under Melville Council are good spots. Great areas with all the facilities you need. Easy access to the CBD, Freo nearby and the choice of the river or beaches within easy reach. If you are willing to live further out, that kind of budget would get you a very decent pad, have you looked at NOR also, nice areas there too. The further out the less choice of facilities, traffic in Perth can be horrendous, great public transport system but like any major city peak times are very busy. PS there is also a sticky thread on the home page (i think) where you will find useful info on different suburbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chrissielt Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Thank you I know Applecross is rather 'desirable' ... and have told the family to prepare themselves for when we move out of there and get our own place ! Lol ! Where abouts have you settled ? I've just been looking at Fremantle .. there's so much to take into consideration. I think most suburbs have theirs pros and cons - do you have any suburbs which you would consider an absolute 'No No' ? OH doesn't want to commute much more than 30 minutes each way (he's commuted for nearly 2 hours here for 4 years and has had enough .. bless !) I'm happy anywhere really , kids need decent schools and stuff to do x Also , we have the Applecross house for 3 weeks - is it realistic to find somewhere in that timescale do you think ? Thank you for your help Chrissie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi69 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 There are some suburbs that i wouldnt like to live but i wouldnt say on a public forum, but by the sounds of it your not looking anywhere near there. There are also some suburbs which arent much more than a housing estates, with nothing around them and totally lacking any kind of atmosphere. Freemantle is another great area, plenty of things going on. A lot of the buildings are heritage listed so totally different to anywhere else in Perth. Can be expensive with a lot of competition though. If you like the look of Applecross and Freo other areas you might like near to them include: Coogee, Hamilton Hill, White Gum Valley, Leeming, Melville, Myaree, Palmyra, Bicton, Alfred Cove. Not wanting to scare you but 3 weeks could be pushing it, the rental market is crazy here at the mo. Make sure you have a really good rental pack ready for when you arrive (make lots of copies too). Start looking at homes open times a couple of weeks before you come and get booked in for them. There are some god awful rental agents here, but one i can recommend is Ross & Gallway on Canning Highway, its on the doorstep of Applecross. Kate in there is really good and helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portlaunay Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 If interested in Freo then try Scoop. They've been pretty good with us, Tibs and Charlie there deal with rentals and they're lovely people. Freo is tough to find somewhere, when I last went to look at a place around the corner they'd received 83 applicants in less than 24 hours and the place was tiny and $300 more a week than we're paying. White Gum Valley, Hamilton Hill, Hilton (some parts) are pretty good and close to Freo but I think you should also ask yourself what kind of life you want to live. Personally I'd hate to live in Applecross, I think most of the houses are vulgar and ostentatious and it's dull suburbia. Our place is small, has no A/C, is old and crooked but I've only put 4000km's on my car this year, we just don't use it. Freo is a great community, not just because of the entertainment and arts but the people are friendly and there's still a few hippies kicking around. (Like me!) We like busy and vibrant but then we came from London so living in the burbs would be a death warrant. I also didn't like any of the suburbs north of the city. Subi is nice but the closer I get to Joondalup the more isolated I feel, it's just too new and wrong. The other factor to consider is which High school is right for your kids. If they're academic then you might be better off looking at Willetton/Rossmoyne as I believe they are strong on that area. If they are sporty or creative there may be other schools around that best suit their needs. Look, every one of us on here knows how stressful it can be. To say you have a lot going on is something of a massive understatement but I do know one thing, and you're just going to have to believe me on this, it'll be worth it and it will all work out in the end. You may have to juggle, move, travel, and change a few times before you're comfortable but, if you like it here, you'll love it here. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scot01 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 If schools are high priority then go for the catchment areas of Willeton/Leeming/Rossmoyne. Great high schools - $650 might not get you in to catchment area for Rossmoyne and Willeton but Leeming would be OK. Some of the other areas mentioned are OK but high schools aren't as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walvia Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Just did a quick search and found this on gumtree http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/ardross/flatshare-houseshare/luxury-home-applecross/1011758690 It's within your budget, in Applecross and looks like a gorgeous house. You might want to check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portlaunay Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Just did a quick search and found this on gumtree http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/ardross/flatshare-houseshare/luxury-home-applecross/1011758690It's within your budget, in Applecross and looks like a gorgeous house. You might want to check it out. Hmmm. Read again, I think. $650pw gets you a room in that house, not the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chrissielt Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Thank you so much What do I need to include in my rental pack ? I can start getting them ready now ... I do like the new houses but they do seem to be in housing estate environments which isn't really what I'm looking for if I'm honest. Will have a look at Coogee, Hamilton Hill, etc today. With regard to school .. as long as we have secured a house within the catchment area are they obliged to offer us a place ? It's hard finding somewhere which will suit everybody .. hubby and I like a nice restaurant ,somewhere to walk to , kids want action , Nando's etc ... I've no doubts once we are there we will love it Will look up Ross & Gallway and try to make an appointment for when we arrive. Thank you x Chrissie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi69 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 No probs, its a daunting experience to go thru, one i still remember. Re Rental Packs, the more info the better, in these competive times think of it like a CV, it needs to stand out from all the others. Without doubt get copies of past 3 or even 6 months bank statements, current and savings accounts if poss, mortgage statements or a ref from previous landlords, a copy of OH's employment contract and details of who they can contact to confirm, copies of the visa. Other things i would add but you dont have too but in imo it helps are: character reference, recent paid or up todate hp agreements or credit card statements, photos of the house you are leaving, photos of you as a family, and a letter telling about why you are coming to Perth, where you are working/hope to be working, what the other members of the family are going to be doing, ie school/college/apprenticeship etc. Seems long winded i know, and a total a pain in the a**e to be honest, but thats just the WA way at the mo. It worked for us and we managed to secure our rental before leaving the UK and since then we have viewed and given feedback on houses for two other families moving out here and they too have gone straight to long term rentals, securing while still in the UK in the past few months. Sorry cant help with schools as mine had just left school/college when we left. There is plenty of Nando's, Maccas, Subways etc around, slightly different to UK ones though. Where we are in Melville they are all within a 5 min walk. 2 bars on our doorstep, loads of cafes/restaurants, a leisure centre, gyms, supermarkets, clothes shops, gift shops. Jump in the car and within 5 mins even more choice, Garden City shopping centre, cinema, and all of the former. Choice of 2 train stations, Bull Creek or Freemantle if you need to get to the city, so many buses going in all directions. Hope this helps Fi x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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