For all of you that have already arrived, how long did you stay in temp accomodation before getting a rental property? I am shortly going to book a holiday unti in either Marion Holiday Park or the Belair Caravan park, but it will be quite expensive for a month.

If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know, we are a family of four, so will want something thats OK and near to Belair, as this is where we have the kids booked into a school.

Thanks

Paul

Hi Paul,

It took us four weeks to find our rental but I think we were particularly fussy, it paid off though as we ended up in a great place.

Tracey :dance:

Tracey

Were you staying with friends or did you book into a hotel whilst you were looking for your rental property?

Sasha :)

Hi Sasha,

We stayed one week in a hostel, two weeks with friends and one week back in the hostel.

We felt we had outstayed our welcome at our friends house so we left before we fell out with each other.

The hostel cost $88 per night and we had a quad room with a queen sized bed and a bunk bed for the kids. We really enjoyed it there, they had a bar over the road and the backpackers loved having the kids round.

It gave us a break too, the kids really enjoyed beating the backpackers up!!! so we could relax have a couple of beers chat and play pool.

They had internet access in reception, a free dinner on Wednesday nights, and it was free to play pool.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the place to anyone who needed accommodation.

Tracey :dance:

Hi there
We used the Government's meet and greet service with the on-arrival accommodation but ended up in Christie Downs and it wasn't a very nice area so we only stayed there for 2 weeks before moving into a rented house in Henley Beach just before Christmas. In hindsight should have taken longer looking for rental properties to see what was available but we were desperate to get settled before Xmas and being Xmas there weren't that many around. We've been in here 3 months but hope to buy somewhere in near future.
All the Best
Rach

Paul...if you need to be near Belair, i really wouldnt go for the Marion site.Its a bit of a way from Belair.

Thanks all,

I didn't want to do the meet & greet as I had heard that the accomodation is a bit rough and can be anywhere.

I get the impression that the holiday parks are around $100 a night for a 2 bedroom unit, and that I'm going to need around 30 nights to get a rental property unless I can one rented from the UK. The area will be quite important for us, so I think I'll just have to bite the bullet and book it by mid March, (arriving 25th April - 457 Visa depending). I have a job lined up and references available, so hopefully it won't be too difficult.

Cheers

Paul

PodgyPossum,

Thanks for the info, its only because the kids are going to School in Belair, and its the centre of our accomodation search.

Do you any idea what the the Belair Caravan Park Cabins are like? The Marion ones look pretty nice...

Rach

What was the actual accommodation like? Was that horrible as well? :(

Sasha :)

Is most of the rental properties in Adelaide unfurnished? If so, what do you do about essentials whilst waiting for your furniture to arrive? From big things like washing machines, TV, sofas, beds to little things like your iron, crockery etc.?

Have most of you gone out and bought double? If so, seems pointless bringing it in the first place.

Advice/info appreciated. :huh:

Theresa :blink:

Hi Paul
Arriving 25th April?
That's Anzac Day and a public holiday so you might not find too much open that day!

It's also our wedding anniversary which is how come I remember when Anzac day is...

We stayed 4 weeks at Brighton caravan park for $550 per week in November - high season rates. Should be less in April! None too close to Belair though.

Wished we'd had longer to look around before choosing a suburb... wished we could have done meet and greet but they didn't have anything available for us! Still, happy now with where we are in Marion. :rolleyes:

Elaine

Hi Theresa,

We were without our furniture for three months in 'un-furnished' rental accommodation.

We left our washing machine in the UK as it was over ten years old and on its way out. So we bought one here.

We bought airbeds to sleep on, so if anyone wants to borrow them we'll lend them out. I think everyone who arrives buys airbeds!!!

The house had a dining room table and chairs, plus we left ours in the UK as it was rubbish, so we are making do with that until we buy our own house.

The house also had a couple of wardrobes and chests of drawers, so we had somewhere to put our clothes, the owner lent us a couple of lawn chairs, some crockery and the cabinet maker who did some maintenance on the kitchen lent us a TV and a playstation.

I brought my iron and hairdryer in my luggage.

We bought a laptop whilst we were over here, as I needed one for my uni studies straightaway.

I would be quite happy lending anything I have spare to anyone that needs anything, I know a couple of others who would to, so if anyone is desparate for anything don't be shy!!!

Even if you just want us to bring the hoover round for an hour or so, thats OK!!

All the best,

Tracey :dance:

Hi Sasha
The accommodation was basic ie wooden floors, basic beds wardrobes, painted magnolia, no pictures or lightshades but having said that it was around $170 odd a week and it was somewhere to stay while you got your bearings, and you do need some time as jet-lag kicks in etc etc and it is furnished.

Most of the properties are unfurnished rentals so its one long wait til your stuff arrives, I think most of us bought the cheapest crockery, cutlery and glass sets with a couple of pans to last us until rest of stuff came. We bought new fridge/freezer, wash machine (from a seconds shop -but also a lot available 2nd hand from Trading Post newspaper) but I was still glad when my old washing machine came as it was a better model and the fridge freezer we may well use as a very large beer fridge!!!!! Really wish I'd got my tumble dryer but it broke just before we came. Even though its hot here the dryer gets rid of the creases and cuts down on the ironing.

Also a lot of rentals come with built in wardrobes. We bought a very cheap second hand 3 piece suite (but we will prob put it in rumpus room if we move) so all in all you make do but it is nice to get your container contents through.

People here have bits and bobs to borrow (i.e. iron etc) and you will need an aussie tv and video anyway.

Good Luck
Rach :medium smiley:

Paul just negotiate , a better price with park management, its off season ,they would rather have some their for a month at a reduced price , than an empty cabin.........mm

At the suggestion of my future employer I have booked a serviced apartment, which is about the same price as the Marion and some extras, like a phone and laundry. They reckon it will take about 20mins to Belair from the centre. See the link for info:

http://www.adelaideregent.com.au/new/L_windsor.php

We used the meet and greet service when we were STNI'd and stayed at Justin Crescent Christie Downs for 10 weeks,the house wasn't too bad but the area was little bit undesirable. It was very close to the train stop just over the road in fact and we took full advantage of this until we brought a car a few weeks later.

In our opinion - ok so the house was very basic, but it was clean had everything we needed except for a telephone, and the best part was all the utility bills were included in the rental which was around $150 ish "but that was a year ago"

After 10 weeks we moved into the house we brought at Flagstaff Hill and had the shippers around the same day to unload all of our worldly posessions. It was good to be in our own house and know we were going to be settled in a very short time.

I say go for the accomodation if you get offered it even if it's just until the shipping arrives you'll know that you'll have somewhere to eat and sleep without having to spend too much.

Well it looks like we will be coming over in the next few months as the wife has been offered a job at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. We are now trawling through the site looking for a rental for 6 months.

The question is, how much woud we have to spend for a 4 bed rental? We were thinking $250pw but there doesn't seem much about for that. :doh:

What have the rest of you guys settled for per week?

The hospital have suggested that we stay within 10km so what would be the best place. I imagine that near the city centre the prices rocket up

Well that's all for now but hope to post more soon as the move gets nearer

Well congrats on getting the job :D

Is your wife a nurse?
There seems to be quite a few of us escaping the NHS!

Hope your move runs smoothly.

Kirkbygirl

:dancing dog: