audgalilly

An opportunity at University of Sydney will be bringing my family of four to Sydney this January for 5-6 months. Having a hard time figuring out where to rent that will feel like a vacation for my wife (beach might be good), easy commute to campus (30 mins or less), and good primary school for the kids. Limited budget (500/wk or less) means being creative and prioritizing location over size. Any insight or suggestion on rental agencies to help us find something greatly appreciated!

lavandula

Hi, usually people from USyd live in Glebe, Forest Lodge, Newtown or Camperdown. Newtown is a little grittier than Glebe, so I prefer Glebe. All are walking distance to work and a short bus ride into the city. But having said that, if you want beach, Manly (on the northern side of the Harbour) or Bondi are possibilities. I used to work at USyd and I had a colleague who chose to live in Manly for roughly the same reasons as you. Downsides of Manly and Bondi are the distance to work by public transport - not prohibitive but not exactly close either. Plus rents will be significantly higher there than Glebe or Newtown. There are also beaches near Mosman (Balmoral) and small harbour beaches in the Eastern Suburbs (Double Bay, Rose Bay). Those options may be very pricey but you might just get a flat (2-3 bedrooms) in Double Bay for around the $500 - 600 mark - they do exist. Most suburbs have a primary school, Double Bay has one with a massive park across the road, a small beach and a ferry wharf.
The downside of Glebe is the backpacker hostels, but otherwise you might just find a nice terrace there. Pretty architecture.
There is a bit of crime in Redfern, Darlington, Chippendale. Definitely avoid Redfern. The crime may or may not bother you in the other two. My husband lived in Chippendale as a student and he was broken into, a friend of his was mugged, and the local drug dealer lived across the road. He was quite happy to leave the suburb.
Any questions about individual suburbs, I am sure I or other Fodorites can answer - I think some of the other regulars on the board know the Newtown area quite well.
Rentals are at a premium in the inner west at the moment - hard to find properties. But you should probably start looking in Domain (Sydney Morning Herald's website / newspaper section for real estate), as that will help you familiarise yourself with prices, areas and agents.

www.domain.com.au

Lavandula

lavandula

Another thought - you might get some of your colleagues in Sydney to publicise your arrival via their networks to see if anyone at the uni is going on leave for a semester (SSP) and who has a house they are willing to rent you. And I guess you probably want somewhere furnished. There are furnished apartments available through Medina (this is a chain, but there is one on City Rd, Chippendale). There is also a branch of Radio Rentals at the Broadway Shopping Centre - they rent furniture, whitegoods and TVs for short-term periods.

Lavandula

Bokhara2

Generally speaking, properties are rented unfurnished, unless they are holiday rentals. Rentals are expressed in per week prices.

Lavandula has given you good advice about the Inner West and renting furniture. Another alternative (which we've done with family & friends needing relatively short-term furniture), is buy 2nd hand pieces, either from 2nd hand shops/auctions or ebay. This can work out cheaper than renting furniture for 6 months. When you leave you can sell/donate to charity/other Uni students and send the rest to the tip.

Shops like Target, KMart, Big W can be a good source of inexpensive linens, household and decorator items. You're coming at a good time; there are usually good post-Christmas Sales extending well into January.

If you're looking for proximity to beaches, you might look at suburbs within the boundaries of SanSouci to the south and Randwick/Coogee in the eastern suburbs. Depending on the times you travel and whether you drive or take public transport, these may get you to Sydney Uni within 30 mins. Sydney's the same as most large international cities - peak hour rush can be "peak several hours' crawl".

Two links which will give you a guide are Domain and RealEstate.com

http://www.domain.com.au/Search/rent...rchterm=Coogee

http://www.realestate.com.au/rent/in...ocation-search

Another option may be to look at a holiday letting link like Stayz and do a deal with an owner for a longer rental. Most of the Stayz properties will be furnished.

http://www.stayz.com.au/accommodatio...ogee?view=list

Most of the rental chains - Medina etc., will rent a furnished apartment on a medium/longer term basis and you should be able to strike a better rate than that advertised for overnight rentals.

wotif.com.au will give you a guide. http://www.wotif.com/search/Advanced...rrencyCode=AUD

The first thing you need to do is arm yourself with a good map of Sydney, so you can orientate yourself. No point falling in love with a fabulous house for $250 per week if it's 2 or 3 hours away. Google maps are good for getting directions from suburbs you think may fit your criteria, to Sydney Uni.

Every town & city has its good & bad areas, that a stranger wouldn't know. And once you've rented, it's too late. So, when you find something you think may suit you, ask what the locals on here think. There's sure to be someone who knows the area.

Good Luck - it's a great opportunity for you & your family to experience life in Australia.

Susan7

Another possibility, try Sabbatical Homes:

http://sabbaticalhomes.com/

lavandula

Susan, that's a great resource - I didn't know about this but will pass on the link to other colleagues. Thanks.

Lavandula

audgalilly

Thank you for your responses. This has given me a great place to begin, and also a place to list my own home in the U.S. while we're gone (Sabbatical Homes.) In looking at current Inner West possibilities, a couple of seemingly good options have come up including Banksia, Dulwich Hill, and Marrickville. Any thoughts on these three suburbs as well as being even further west than Glebe/Newtown area?! Many thanks.

Susan7

I used to live in Marrickville and commuted by bus to UTS, just up the road from USyd. Marrickville is bettered served by buses than Dulwich Hill. There is also the train, but then you need to walk from Redfern station to the university which can be a bit scary at night.

I know people who work at Sydney Uni that live around Banksia, Tempe and Arncliffe, but they all seem to drive. I'm not sure of the bus situation, perhaps someone else can advise on that.

Also consider Summer Hill and Ashfield. There are trains and buses from there.

lavandula

Agree with Susan on inner west. Dulwich Hill is becoming more gentrified lately - there are some lovely big houses there. Likewise with Summer Hill and Ashfield - some big houses. Ashfield has a shopping centre, which is dominated by Chinese businesses and restaurants. You might also consider Croydon, which is bifurcated by Liverpool Road (Hume Highway). There are trains and also a bus along Parramatta Rd., and there is shopping at Ashfield and Burwood, which is a big shopping centre too. I know a family which was on the southern side of Liverpool Road until recently and they had a 2-bedroom house with a massive backyard for the kids, for $440/wk. But - and this is the pain - they had to look for a while before they found somewhere to rent, because it's so competitive in the inner west. There are even rental auctions. This family dressed up in business clothes when they met their real estate agent and finessed them, so to speak, and they believed this gave them a competitive edge. Well, I guess it worked for them.

Not sure about Banksia, I know where it is but don't know its reputation.

Good luck!

Lavandula

Bokhara2

You might also have a look at Tempe, Marrickville, Waterloo. All within easy distance of Sydney Uni. As Lavandula says, the rental market is very competitive.

frisor111

Sounds really cool

MissGreen

I wish I lived closer to Sydney city as we could of looked at a house swap if you are from a fab location in the US. I think you'll need to widen your rental location with your budget. I would of thought the suburbs lavandula mentioned would be too pricey for $500 a week.

I wish I was going on your adventure

Geordie

Miss Green I think they've already been and gone back in 2011

MissGreen

I didn't look at the dates... someone topped it so I added on to it.

I guess now they really won't get where they want to rent.. prices have gone up heaps in 2 years! lol

tyronesmith001

You may find house for rent in the internet.

Bokhara2

Two year old thread!

redheadj

The latest on the thread is a few years old, so I'm wondering if anyone can give me an update on the neighborhoods? Is Glebe still kind of shady with backpacking hostels? Is Redfern still dangerous? Is the inner west still a great place? Which neighborhoods are good without a car?
Thanks so much!

lavandula

The neighbourhoods and their reputations have not changed significantly in the meantime. Glebe is not that bad, never was, and there are many lovely streets there, in spite of the hostels. Redfern is slowly being gentrified but still has a dodgy reputation. Most of the inner west is really pretty good; real estate wise it's great. Erskineville is quite a happening place now. Parts of Alexandria (inner south, I guess you'd call it) are opening up as more and more people move in (large-scale housing developments, lots of furniture stores and some cafés).

I (or others here) would be happy to suggest neighbourhoods to you based on your own variables. Where do you need to be? Workplace? Schools? Shops? Near to IKEA ? For what length of time?

Lavandula