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发表于 11-7-2007 01:38:42
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Housing in Sydney includes a mix of apartments, town houses and freestanding homes. Two bedroom apartments and three bedroom houses are the most common type of rental accommodation.
The standard of accommodation depends on the area and the type of housing. Rentals prices can be high, so be prepared for some initial disappointments when you first inspect properties. Many popular suburbs have a variety of properties extending over a diverse price range. The location and the quality of the home are the primary factors affecting the price. The standard of kitchens and bathrooms can vary in age, size and quality.
Most properties are leased unfurnished but there is an increasing number of furnished inner city apartments.
The basic inclusions in an unfurnished property are cooktop, oven, light fittings, floor coverings and curtains or window dressings. A dishwasher may be included.
Homes and apartments built or renovated over the past 10 years may have air-conditioning or heating, however the majority of properties do not have air-conditioning or heating as a basic inclusion. Australians generally use plug-in gas or electric space heaters during the colder months.
Residential Areas
Sydney covers an area of 1735 square kilometres, which is larger than Rome or Los Angeles County. Sydney is surrounded by national parks - Ku-ring-gai National Park to the north, Royal National Park to the south, the Blue Mountains to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. Sydney's layout is complicated by the Harbour with its numerous inlets and sandstone arms which leads to the hilly nature of the city. It's a confusing, but beautiful city with unexpected water views in many suburbs. Due to a combination of history and geography, Sydney is not as well laid out as most Australian cities - the streets are narrower and more convoluted.
Following is a brief description of some of the Sydney regions.
Eastern Suburbs and City Beaches: East of the city centre to South Head is the area commonly known as the Eastern Suburbs. This well-established area contains some of the most expensive properties in Sydney. Many of the suburbs have harbour views and access to the city and the airport is very quick. The beach suburbs of Bondi, Bronte and Coogee along the Pacific Ocean coastline offer a mixture of houses and apartments. There are a number of well-regarded private schools in the area. The suburb of Double Bay is renowned for its exclusive shops and boutiques, and Paddington for its terrace houses. The Eastern Suburbs has a good selection of apartments and houses.
Approximate Rental Range:
2 Bedroom apartments
$350 - $800+ per week
4 Bedroom houses
$900 - $2500+ per week
The South: From the city south to the Royal National Park at Sutherland are many suburbs with differing characteristics. Those located close to the city contain a blend of high - medium density living and some light industrial areas. Suburbs close to the airport can be noise affected. Further south along Port Hacking and the Georges River many suburbs have water views. Housing is predominantly freestanding homes on 1/4 acre blocks and there are many different styles of homes. Prices vary according to the location, size of the property and style.
Approximate Rental Range:
2 Bedroom apartment
$250 - $425+ per week
4 Bedroom house
$375 - $850+ per week
Inner West: The area immediately west of the city is referred to as the Inner West. Suburbs such as Glebe, Annandale and Newtown are only five minutes away from the city and are close to Sydney University. There are Victorian style terrace homes and many good restaurants in these areas. The surrounding suburbs of Balmain, Drummoyne, Leichhardt, Haberfield and Strathfield are busy and interesting and the close proximity to the city makes this area very popular. Traffic however, can be congested as some of the main roads service the industrial areas to the west.
Approximate Rental Range:
2 Bedroom apartment
$300 - $600+ per week
4 Bedroom house
$450 - $900+ per week
The Greater West: The western region of Sydney stretches to the Blue Mountains. This area is fairly flat and contains lower cost housing, with industrial suburbs located in the region. The city of Parramatta is well serviced and has a large shopping complex and a full range of facilities. Parramatta has many buildings of historical significance dating back to the early settlement of Australia. The main residential housing areas are to the north of Parramatta.
Approximate Rental Range:
2 Bedroom apartment
$200 - $350+ per week
4 Bedroom house
$200 - $500+ per week
Hills District: The Hills district located between Parramatta and Dural and overlooking Sydney's western basin, extends from Winston Hills to Kellyville and Glenhaven. Older homes do exist in this area, but houses generally are newer. Single dwelling houses predominate which attract many families. The northern suburbs of this area tend to be more expensive. There are good regional shopping complexes with a full range of services.
Approximate Rental Range:
2 Bedroom apartment
$220 - $350+ per week
4 Bedroom house
$350 - $1000+ per week
Upper North Shore: This area includes all suburbs north of Roseville and extends to Hornsby. These residential suburbs follow the Pacific Highway, which is the main northern arterial road. Access to the city is by road or rail. There is a good selection of single dwelling homes in well-established neighbourhoods with many older style or character houses available. There are a number of well-regarded private schools in the area. Housing prices vary depending on location and style of home.
Approximate Rental Range:
2 Bedroom apartment
$280 - $525+ per week
4 Bedroom house
$500 - $1500+ per week
Northern Beaches: The Northern Beaches stretches along the eastern coastline from Manly to Palm Beach and includes inland suburbs such as French's Forest, which is a very pleasant family orientated area consisting of free standing homes developed over the past 40 years. There are spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean above the coastal beaches. The suburbs of Manly and Fairlight have more apartment buildings.
Approximate rental range:
2 Bedroom apartment
$250 - $750+ per week
4 Bedroom house
$400 - $800+ per week
Lower North Shore: The Lower North Shore is located north of the Harbour Bridge between Mosman, Lane Cove and Chatswood. Many of these suburbs have excellent water views and the housing can be expensive with a mixture of apartments and freestanding homes. Mosman has a village atmosphere with good boutique shopping and street cafes. The area has a number of well-regarded private schools. Chatswood is the major retail shopping and commercial centre with a full range of facilities available.
Approximate rental range:
2 Bedroom apartment
$300 - $800+ per week
4 Bedroom house
$800 - $2000+ per week
Housing Styles
Homes in Sydney are generally constructed of brick. Newer houses are built of brick veneer and older style homes are built of full brick (double brick). Different areas display different styles of building, reflecting the location and the era. Suburbs closer to the city tend to have smaller blocks of land, more apartments and the housing style is Victorian with wrought iron lace work and verandahs. The suburb of Paddington is a good example of Victorian terrace style homes. Federation homes, built after the turn of the century, are characterised by red brick walls, dominant roofs with gables and ridges, verandahs, and lead light windows. The Californian Bungalow is seen in the many suburbs dating from the 1920s and 1930s.
The Sydney Property Market
Availability of rental properties varies according to the economic climate and the time of year (demand is highest from November to January). The availability of quality homes for rent is limited as Australians have historically sought to purchase their own property. The majority of people renting are therefore young couples saving to purchase, students, elderly and low wage earners. Executive homes are often only available when the owners are transferred away from Sydney.
There is no multi-listing system in Sydney, so it is our responsibility to contact all the agents in the areas in which you are looking. As this process takes time we ask you to give us prior notice of your arrival. Inspections of properties are best arranged during the week. Real estate agents are often busy on Saturdays and there are no Sunday inspections.
Landlords pay a commission to the real estate agent when a tenant is located for their property.
Rental Regulations
Application for tenancy: When a home is selected to rent, the Real Estate Agent will ask for an Application Form to be completed. This form requires personal details and credit references. In order to secure a property the equivalent of a week's rent is immediately payable which is deducted from your first month's rent. This deposit must be paid in cash or with a bank cheque. Once a deposit has been lodged the property is taken off the market. Should you decide not to proceed with the tenancy of that property you will receive back a pro rata proportion of the deposit paid according to the number of days that the property was taken off the market.
Bond: It is obligatory to lodge a bond with the Rental Bond Board. For unfurnished accommodation the bond is equivalent to four weeks rent. For furnished accommodation the bond is for six weeks rent. These amounts are reimbursed at the end of the tenure together with accumulated interest.
Rent: Rent is payable one calendar month in advance. As prices for rental are quoted on a weekly rate the monthly rate has therefore to be calculated. There are two methods used which produce slightly different figures:
1. weekly rent divided by 7 to get a daily rate multiplied by 365 to get the annual rate divided by 12 to get the monthly rate.
2. weekly rent multiplied by 52 to get an annual rate divided by 12 to get the monthly rate.
A landlord pays the council rates and water rates and the tenant is responsible for power, gas, telephone rental and metered water usage.
Residential Tenancy Agreement ("Lease"): Real estate agents use a two part form provided by the Real Estate Institute of NSW. The document is a legal and binding contract. The first part is signed by the tenant and the landlord. Additional clauses may be added listing any special conditions (eg garden maintenance or replacement of a specific item). The second part of the Agreement is a Residential Premises Condition Report. This is completed by the agent and the tenant once the tenant has moved in. The tenant and landlord sign two copies of the Residential Tenancy Agreement and each party keeps one copy of the agreement.
There is a $15.00 lease preparation fee payable to the leasing agent.
How to find a property: Real estate agents all have their own rent rolls. There is no multi listing. Generally landlords select only one agent to let and manage their property. The agent will receive a fee from the landlord for finding a tenant. Properties are advertised on Wednesdays and Saturdays in 'The Sydney Morning Herald'. The local newspapers also carry advertisements on a weekly basis. These are delivered free to homes but are also available from newsagencies.
Eastern Suburbs
The Wentworth Courier
Thursdays
Manly and beach areas
The Manly Daily
Wednesdays & Saturdays
Lower North Shore
The Mosman Daily
Thursdays
Upper North Shore
The North Shore Times
Wednesday & Friday
Sutherland Shire
The Leader
Tuesday & Thursday
Real Estate websites:
www.domain.com.au is the Sydney Morning Herald's property website.
www.realestate.com.au
www.justlisted.com.au
www.homebound.com.au
Home Insurance for Rental Properties
The landlord is responsible for building and public liability insurance. Tenants are recommended to take out their own insurance for the contents of the property.
See section "Insurance" for further details.
Purchase
Citizens and permanent residents may purchase property freely. For temporary residents there is a requirement to obtain approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board.
www.firb.gov.au
6263 3795
Private housing is purchased by either "private treaty" or at auction.
The real estate agent receives a commission from the seller on the sale of the property.
'Stamp Duty' is a tax on the sale of the property and is payable by the purchaser.
The legal formalities of buying are handled either by solicitors or non-legal specialists. As well as looking at the sale contract they organise searches (eg. for restrictions on land use, validity of title) and arrange inspections (eg. pest and building inspections,). They also attend the final settlement to ensure all payments are made.
Electricity
Energy Australia 131 535: For connection Energy Australia will require personal and rental details. Plugs are three pin (not compatible with the English three pin sockets). Average two bedroom apartment - $500 to $800 per year. Average four bedroom house - $1000 to $2000 per year (depends on the appliances used eg air conditioning, clothes dryer or swimming pool). Refundable Security Bond - $200.
Gas
AGL 131 245: For connection AGL will require personal and rental details
Average two bedroom apartment - $200 to $400 per year. Average four bedroom house - $400 to $800 per year (depends on the appliances used eg cooking, water heating or central heating) Reconnection fee - $20. Refundable Security Bond - $100.
Water Rates
Sydney Water 132 092: Renters pay for metered water use only organised by real estate agent. Approximate costs are: Four-bedroom house - $400 per annum
Two-bedroom apartment - $150-$200 per annum.
Council Rates
Four bedroom house approximately - $700 to $1200 depending on area, payable by owner.
Telephone
Telstra 132 200: For connection Telstra will require personal and rental details.
Connections made within 48 hours if existing line connected. Land-Line costs.
Line rental
From $19.95 per month
Reconnection fee to network
$59
Local calls
30c (no time charge)
Local public call box calls
40c
Installation of new line
$299 (excluding trenching)
New Telstra phone
$20
Telephone Rental
$2.99 per month
Telstra Phonecard is a pre-paid debit card for use in public telephones. The cards cost $5, $10, $20 and $50 and can be purchased at newsagents and phoneshops.
Mobile Telephone Services
The network suppliers are Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Typical pricing arrangements involve a nominal payment for the handset and a minimum monthly charge of $10 - $60 for a 12 - 24 month contract. Call charges depend on the pricing and contract arrangements chosen. Prepaid mobile phones are also available and cost from $99 - $500. Mobile phone stores are located in all major shopping or commercial centres.
Telephone Service Providers
Other companies offering local and international connections are:
AAPT
www.aapt.com.au
13 88 88
DigiPlus
www.digiplus.com.au
1300 361 441
Optus
www.optus.com.au
1300 300 937
Primus Telecom
www.primus.com.au
1300 361466
Internet Service Providers
AOL
www.aol.com.au
1300 734 357
Optusnet
www.optusnet.com.au
1800 558 558
Ozemail
www.ozemail.com.au
1800 805 874
Telstra Big Pond
www.bigpond.com.au
1800 804 282
TPG
www.tpg.com.au
1300 360 855
Unwired
www.unwired.com.au
1300 761 881
Cable Television
Available through Foxtel and Optus. Costs for installation are $29.95. Monthly charges vary from $36.95 - $101.95 depending on the number of channels chosen.
Foxtel
www.foxtel.com.au
13 19 99
Optus
www.optus.com.au
13 33 11
Home Insurance for Rental Properties
The landlord is responsible for building and public liability insurance. Tenants are recommended to take out their own insurance for the contents of the property.
The cost of an insurance policy may vary depending on the area in which you live, the type of cover you request and any special items listed on the policy. Items such as 'theft anywhere in Australia' and 'new for old replacement' will incur additional costs.
For example: Contents Insurance for $60,000 will cost from $240 to $480 per annum
A number of insurance companies will provide contents insurance. For example:
AAMI
www.aami.com.au
13 22 44
ALLIANZ
www.allianz.com.au
1300 137 664
AMP
www.amp.com.au
13 34 48
GIO
www.gio.com.au
13 10 10
NRMA
www.nrma.com.au
13 21 32
ZURICH
www.zurich.com.au
13 26 87
Note: Some companies (NRMA and GIO) offer discounts if you ensure both home contents and motor vehicles with them.
[ 本帖最后由 lookaround 于 11-7-2007 00:43 编辑 ] |
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发表于 11-7-2007 01:37:01
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