Are you a new expat in Australia searching for accommodation? Thinking about making the move soon? then I’ve got you covered.
I’ve lived in every type of accommodation you can think of. Since moving here in 2020, I’ve stayed in share-houses, hostels, hotels, and Air Bnb’s. I also lived in private apartments and even slept in my car. I wouldn’t recommend sleeping in your car but you get my drift.
Timing Your Move to Find Accommodation in Australia
Trying to find somewhere to call home can be challenging . Especially when you’ve decided to pack up your life and move across the world.
Timing is everything when moving to Australia! If you move to Australia in the summer months: December, January and February you may really struggle to find somewhere. This is peak season for tourists and new expats.
Most expats believe they’ll move to Australia just in time for summer. They expect to enjoy the Aussie weather. You’re right. The weather is beautiful then. But, it’s the worst time, in my opinion, to find accommodation in Australia. Everyone thinks the exact same thing.
The Season Matters
Winter can be a much better time to find accommodation in Australia. In the big cities like Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne, there is already a shortage of accommodation. This shortage is definitely exacerbated in the summer months. I would strongly encourage you to move here in Winter if you can: June, July and August. This will give you the best opportunity to find somewhere to live.
Of course, it’s not impossible to find accommodation in Australia in Summer. Still, don’t be surprised if you have to extend your stay in a hotel or hostel while you’re searching.
From my experience, Winter is often a time when the Aussies seek sun elsewhere. They rent out their place or offer house sitting. Also, many expats on Working Holiday Visas go off in the winter for their regional work for 3 months. Rather than them losing their accommodation and ending their lease, they often put it up for sublet.
This can be the perfect opportunity for you to find your feet. It gives you enough time to get settled and find a place of your own.
House-Shares
House shares are one of the most common forms of accommodation in Australia for expats. My partner and I have house-shared for the last 4 years. We decided to live on our own only within the last 6 months.
Finding your House-Share
The best ways to find a house-share is either on Facebook groups like Irish Around Sydney and Flatmates. You don’t need to be Irish to join the Facebook groups FYI!
Flatmates is super helpful. If you’re looking to house-share, you can post on there. You can review your potential flatmates profiles and see if you would be a good fit.
Opportunity to Meet People
House-shares are a great way to reduce your rent and an opportunity to meet new people.
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are full of expats looking to make friends. House sharing is perfect if that’s what you’re looking for.
I lived with a Welsh girl for 2 years in Bondi and we became really good friends. We even went off together to travel Western Australia for a month. We camped in Monkey Mia and swam with Whale Sharks. Had I not met her through house sharing we never would have had those amazing life experiences.
You Won’t Like Everyone
House sharing is not for everyone. It can be hit or miss. This depends on who ends up living with you. Not everyone will get on and people will have different levels of cleanliness etc.
But that’s all part and parcel of the experience of moving here. To put your big girl pants on, navigate through different personalities and find what works for you.
When you’re going to the viewings for house sharing, don’t just look at the house.
Does this person look like someone you will get on with? You don’t need to be best friends if you don’t want to. That’s totally fine. Just make sure you have respect for each other and each other’s personal space.
When I first moved here I had never shared a house and was really apprehensive about it. I thought to myself, is this weird that I’m basically living with a stranger?
But honestly, after a couple of weeks, it just became normal. Now, sometimes the apartment feels a bit empty because we live on our own.
House Sharing Can Save You Some Serious Coin
The main reason people choose to house share is because living on your own in private accommodation is EXPENSIVE!
It can be super helpful if you’re in a couple too, to further split the rent.
For instance, for my partner and I, we paid 200 dollars each per week to sublet our second room. Now that we live alone, that cost has doubled to 400 dollars each per week. A huge difference!
Furnished/Unfurnished Accommodation
Another benefit of house sharing is the house/apartment is likely already furnished. The majority of places in Australia come unfurnished.
If you’re coming on a WHV for 1 year, it’s best to avoid spending a lot of money on new furniture. This is especially true if you plan on travelling around a lot.
But if you share a house with the lease owner, you can expect the big ticket items to be sorted. Someone will have already taken care of things like a fridge or sofa.
You may have to buy items for your room like bedding or a desk. Nonetheless, that beats furnishing a whole apartment from scratch.
Find Rental Accommodation in Australia as an Expat
Renting from a real estate agent can offer you a lot of stability. This is especially true when you finally find the right place.
To find your own place you need to download the Domain App and the Real Estate App . These are the most common sites to find accommodation.
Securing Your Accommodation in Australia
Due to the lack of accommodation in the capital cities you’ll rarely ever attend a private showing. Typically, real estate agents here hold an open house. You can expect to sometimes see 60 people all competing for the same place.
Some people will send an application even before they go to view the place to try to get there first. Some people will try to offer even 20-30 dollars more rent per week to secure the place. I don’t really recommend this. It can drive the price up further.
What You Need
When you start looking, you need to make sure you have:
- Proof of funds in the bank
- Proof that you’ll have an income with a job offer or recent payslips
- Rental references.
Gather your references from home first. This will make the process a bit easier on yourself.
You will also need to have about a month’s rent upfront. A bond is required which is usually 2 weeks rent and then you pay the first two weeks rent upfront.
Top Tip
Take pictures of everything wherever you move into.
I’ve heard some pretty shady stories. Landlords and real estate agents sometimes try to pin old damage on a new tenant. Send the pictures to the landlord before you sign the rental agreement.
Save yourself the hassle and thousands of dollars for something you didn’t do.
Furnishing your Accommodation in Australia
Equipping the place from scratch can be a hassle. It can be annoying, and to be honest, it was the last thing I wanted to do. I didn’t know how long we were going to be here. I didn’t want to spend shocking money on brand new furniture.
Choose Second Hand
Facebook Marketplace and Kmart are your absolute best friends for furnishing your place. We furnished our entire place with second half stuff all for a reasonable price. You’re also helping the planet too!
So many people are constantly coming and going. There are actually pretty good deals on marketplace.
The only thing you need to worry about is renting out a van to collect the bulky items. These are pretty cheap. We tried to organise our bulkier items to be picked up on the same day. This saved us from renting it out over multiple days.
Transporting Your Furniture
Go Get is really common here. I think it cost us about 60 dollars to hire a transit van for 2 hours.
If you’re not confident to drive a van or need help carrying the stuff you can also use Air Tasker.
Air Tasker is full of people looking to pick up handy jobs. We paid someone 80 dollars for a few hours. They came to help us with a van and to move some furniture. Super handy and would definitely recommend using it if you’re coming on your own.
Top Tip
To save money if your place has a car park space that you don’t need, rent it out.
This is so handy and such an easy way to help bring your rent down.
Parking in the cities is insanely expensive. People are willing to pay approximately 80-100 AUD per week. This depends on the area of Australia.
Think Location
Location is so important when choosing your accommodation in Australia. Think are you close to public transport for your commute? Are you close to the beach if that’s what you value? Try and strike the balance between a long commute everyday and being by the beach.
I personally think the trains are so good here compared to public transport in Ireland. Live by a train station/tram line you can’t steer too far wrong.
Finding accommodation in Australia as an expat can be a challenge at first. With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to find your new home.
Good luck on your search and let me know if you have any questions or thoughts.
If you need help identifying which visa is right for you, click the link for my post. It covers sponsorship and WHV417..
