Where to rent,schools for 4 kids, jobs, kids clubs, omg my head is spinning!!

First off, how old are your children. Second, do you hVd any idea where work might be for commute reasons?

Then have you a preference for coastal or more inland and what kind of budget are you thinking?

I'd get a short term rental sorted as a starting point.

Hi Bayfords!

I would suggest as a starting point you spend a few hours reading, reading, reading on here, there is LOTS of information on all of those things and more.

Once you have a bit more of an idea of what you actually want/need then ask more specific questions which you will get a better response to.

Good Luck and Happy Reading!

Now I have a bit more time and am at a computer Was running around this morning trying to get sorted for school run and work.

It can seem and be overwhelming but it usually falls into place the further along the process you get. C&T made a good suggestion to read around the forum. The search function can be handy with regard to finding older threads on specific areas, schools and so on. Bear in mind though that some stuff from a few years ago might no longer really be relavant or correct now so feel free to ask questions.

When do you hope to arrive in Adelaide? Christmas period tends to be slow work wise according to posts on here in the past and rentals are usually booked up well in advance. Other times of the year may be better but bear in mind the holiday times again as holiday rentals can be booked out.

Short term rentals are the starting point for most when they are planning their move here. We have a few forum members with short term furnished rentals but also sites like Stayz are popular and I think can offer a wider area to choose from as there is a lot more choice and listings. I'd consider when you hope to arrive and try and research where appeals initially (and possibly in the longer term) and see if you can find a short term let in those areas. Although many people end up moving further afield from where they start off, it is at least a place to get you going to find a rental in the longer term etc.

For us, we have had a lovely 7 months or so starting off in a popular suburb but living here long term is not an option. House prices are high here and unless you have a big budget, you don't get much for your money. We initially wanted to be around the Marion area but having spent months in the area and using all the facilities etc and viewing property around there, we decided to rethink and looked elsewhere. We didn't want coastal at all as its not a priority for us, we wanted a more rural feel and hills, scenery and so on. We also didn't want to be too far out and further than a certain distance/time from the city etc. It means we are moving our son to a different school next term as it will be too far to drive him each day in the long term to his current school but we bought in area for a fab zoned primary school and with 2 others to choose from also. Plus a really good state high school and options for private not a million miles away if we wish. We are really happy as we have found an area that ticked our boxes, school options aplenty and right on the edge of countryside and away from the hustle and bustle of the Bay, which while lovely in many ways has also become rather draining in others. But also only 15 minutes drive or so back to Glenelg and only 25-30 mins to the CBD, traffic permitting And still easy access to lots of places and facilities we use and visit.

Good luck with everything

I know someone who used Google Earth to look at areas in Adelaide. It showed Terrain, housing density, road networks, schools, hospitals etc, etc, etc.

From this, they decided on an area to start off in, love it as it has just what they wanted and have now bought a house in the same suburb. When they were first here, they already knew names of roads, relationships of suburbs to each other and how to get from A to B, just from spending time of Google maps. They recognised streets such as Frome Rd as they had already "driven down it", virtually. (Very distinctive trees for those who don't know, Frome Rd)

I thought this was all pretty amazing, they obviously had a clear idea of what they were looking for and couldn't be happier with their chosen location. They had never been to Adelaide before.

Not for all, but an idea.

In my mind, choosing the place to live in, both renting to start with and then buying was one of the hardest parts of the whole move. Adelaide is big, sprawled, varies in costs and you will get so many differing opinions. The good news is that a year in and we did find the place we wanted to be in so don't panic...all part of the journey.

Surely it all depends on what you do for work hence your commute.

You could move down south, be surrounded by POMS , and live in the suburbs. Life could be so normal it would hardly be worth moving half way across the world. Or you could live in the glorious Barossa where there are few English, few vile metal 'Goodneighbour' fences, and lots of glorious space. And wine.

Where ever you move life could be a chore if you have a long commute. After all isn't that one of the things we all came here to leave behind.

Good luck.

Thankyou for all the advice all and any help is very much appreciated...snifter our children's ages are 18 14 3 1, I would preferably like the coast and we have be looking around aberfoyle, Hallett cove area as my partner has a few friends in that part and possible work opportunities,we're hoping to move out there in august.

Claire-n-tel I've started to read some of the threads on here, some are good and then others jet confuse me more lol.

howde I've also been using google earth it's brilliant, I just wish I could please everyone and not have to keep moving around.

Zebedee I'm sure it will work out I just hope I don't have to move around a lot, would be nice to wave a magic wand and stay in the first house.

Our eldest will be 18 in July and wants to join the police force and also plays football at present he's at college doing a sports coaching coarse, our eldest daughter will soon be 14 she is really into her sports she currently plays football,and would also like to get back into her kick boxing/boxing again and eventually would like a career in sports/sports science, the 3 year old loves singing and dancing and loves going to her pre-school and mixing with other children so that is a must and the little one will be 2 in August and loves all her play groups and play centres,I'm a hairdresser and even though I can turn my hand to anything would love to either teach hairdressing or become a teachers assistant, my partner works in data/voice cabling etc. I'm hoping I can try and settle somewhere that can cover everyone's needs but I can see myself doing a lot more research.

Personally I think if you settle somewhere where your kids will be happy then it will make your life a lot easier. I have seen a few posts where people are very unsettled due to kids not settling. I know there is a good football club for girls and boys in Christies (which is not that far for from Hallett Cove). There is also a boys football team in. Hallett Cove as my friends son plays there. It really all is down to personal choice, hope you get it all sorted and I am sure you will get a lot of help on here. Good luck

If you are looking for renting/buying based on good public schools around then you can use http://www.findschoolzones.com.au - a mobile friendly app/website which puts school zone/catchment information at your finger tip. The app shows and sorts state zoned schools based on their latest NAPLAN results which as you would already know should not be used in isolation but can be good guide to start with.

It provides the basic info on the school (website, phone, address etc) and links to the properties for sale and rent (uses realestate.com.au) around that school catchment area. Also if you enter a home address, the app can help you find all the schools which are zoned for that address along with latest NAPLAN results and school route using google maps.

Also look out for other useful apps in this thread which I started and hopefully can be built on to include some other useful apps.

Hope this helps in someway with your headache of settling in a new place. Good luck!!

Thank you niajp

If you are keen to not move around too much, I would look at both the costs of renting and buying before choosing and try (though its hard) to work out what you maybe able to stretch too. Part of our issue was renting near Henley Beach (lovely area) but after a year we wanted our own place and there was no chance of buying a place there of the size we wanted (3 kiddies). We did look at prices first but just didn't think through the longer plan as much as we could have. That entailed another move, which was cool as we love McLaren Vale (you get the closeness to the beach, the countryside plus that town feel) but it was a whole big change on top of another change - I think we could have down without it and it was another change for the kiddies. Just part of our learning experience.

Our eldest will be 18 in July and wants to join the police force

You'd have to check it out, but I think you need to be an Australian Citizen to join the police force.

Wendy

Surely it all depends on what you do for work hence your commute.

 

You could move down south, be surrounded by POMS , and live in the suburbs. Life could be so normal it would hardly be worth moving half way across the world. Or you could live in the glorious Barossa where there are few English, few vile metal 'Goodneighbour' fences, and lots of glorious space. And wine.

 

Where ever you move life could be a chore if you have a long commute. After all isn't that one of the things we all came here to leave behind.

 

Good luck.

You might not to shout too loudly about the benefits of going north or you may find yourself surrounded by poms

Thank you I'll definetly have to check this out.

I have got several friends that moved here from UK & several people that started working for me soon after arriving in OZ.

The various stories that they have told me lead me to believe that the keys are all on this site, its just a matter of finding them.

It seems that the most important are:

1. Get a holiday rental if you need accommodation as soon as you arrive (they are fully furnished etc & are a lot cheaper than some of the other short term rentals)

2. Find a place to settle that is close to most things for the kids eg sports grounds, dance classes, school(s) etc this will help the kids settle quicker & easier.

3. Most work places would be less than an hour from hallett cove, aberfoyle park etc & after recent upgrades our public transport systems are reasonably good as well.

4. Research any qualifications that you may need to get in OZ to work in your chosen field, sometimes it seems that the government here use things like this as a money grabbing opportunity.

For example, I know 3 people that were plumbers in UK, to do courses etc in OZ so they can get a plumbing license here was going to cost between $4000 - $9000 so they are all working in different industries now because they didnt want to or couldnt afford to pay the money and couldnt spare the time to do all the study when they needed to be earning to support their families.

That being said, its not all doom & gloom, these three guys have all been here between 2 & 8 years and love it.

Hi Bayfords

We are going through the same process at the moment even though we have been to adelaide before. We are due to touch down in august as well but haven't got a rental as yet.

Zebedee is spot on you have to look at the prices of the properties before you chose an area to rent (presuming that you want to buy later). We do like the hallet cove area it's not every bodies cup of tea but It ticked a lot of boxes for us.

We have 3 children 18 16 12, funny but our 16 year old wants to be in the police.

Some friends of ours moved out 4 years ago and have kids of a similar age to yours and they live in Woodcroft and love it there, they say the school and area is great. There kids are involved with loads of clubs, wherever you settle this is a place for the kids.

We loved it there and can't wait to get started with our new lives.

Casual -You touched on the retraining that tradies have to do, being an electrician myself and having worked for myself for some years, now I am thinking that it could be time to try something else.

I am looking to carry out the gap training which I'm sure I can do but the hurdle may be getting a company to baby sit me through the process. Yet another challenge me thinks.

What jobs did your plumber colleges opt for in the end?

808shaun808

One of the plumbers is now a general maintenance person (painting, plastering, carpentry, tiling etc I think similar to what you guys call a kitchen fitter???) and the others are working in cabinet making factories.

I was speaking to an electrician the other day that told me, for him to get his license here, he had to pay out over $2000 and had to "dumb down" to pass the test.

Apparently our electrical is a lot different to yours.

You probably would struggle to get a job in electrical until you are licensed but no reason why you couldnt get a job in maintenance/building etc, unlike aussies, you guys seem to do anything that you are capable of doing, whereas aussies (painful for me to say) have the one man one job attitude.

Be prepared but dont over think things, you'll be OK.

Casual -You touched on the retraining that tradies have to do, being an electrician myself and having worked for myself for some years, now I am thinking that it could be time to try something else.

I am looking to carry out the gap training which I'm sure I can do but the hurdle may be getting a company to baby sit me through the process. Yet another challenge me thinks.

What jobs did your plumber colleges opt for in the end?

Casual

That's pretty much what a sparky told me in February when we were over to activate our Vesa's.

I was thinking that maybe maintenance would a good options for me, I use to be a welder and fabricater building truck bodies before being an electrician.

Thanks for your response and I'll try not to over think it.

Sorry Bayfords for taking the thread off course a little

I got chatting to a pom in Adelaide once who came round to read our water meter. He was a tradie in the UK and decided he didn't want to do all the retraining when he came over and fancied a change. He really enjoyed his new job and being out and about in the sunshine.

I meet plenty of people (migrants and Aussies) who change career or have multiple skill sets. I think if people are open to new opportunities, can adapt and look at the bigger picture it increases your chances of staying more employable in the long term. I have worked in many different industries and some roles that I didn't have direct experience of in the UK, but this now gives me different skill sets, so if one area of work dries up I can target another area.

oh I hear you!!!!!!

[quote=Casual;292965

1. Get a holiday rental if you need accommodation as soon as you arrive (they are fully furnished etc & are a lot cheaper than some of the other short term rentals)

Hi Casual,

Just wondering how you came to this statement??

I cannot understand how you come to this conclusion.

Most if not nearly all holiday homes are advertised on the usual sites such as Stayz.

The per night price is higher due to the fact they have to pay commission - true for nearly every holiday rental site.

$120/140 per night for short stays some discount for longer. Some will discount for longer stays.

Short term rentals (which are the same as holiday rentals -I know no different) charge the same if doing nightly rates for very short stays such as weekend but the weekly rates are much cheaper - $600 /$650 per week.

We advertise on the "Holiday rental sites " but have to pass on the commission charged - directly we are cheaper and having been in this business for seven years I know it to be across the board.

There will be someone out there cheaper (might be a rubbish place) but I'm speaking in general.

Thankyou for all the advice all and any help is very much appreciated...snifter our children's ages are 18 14 3 1, I would preferably like the coast and we have be looking around aberfoyle, Hallett cove area as my partner has a few friends in that part and possible work opportunities,we're hoping to move out there in august.

Claire-n-tel I've started to read some of the threads on here, some are good and then others jet confuse me more lol.

howde I've also been using google earth it's brilliant, I just wish I could please everyone and not have to keep moving around.

Zebedee I'm sure it will work out I just hope I don't have to move around a lot, would be nice to wave a magic wand and stay in the first house.

Our eldest will be 18 in July and wants to join the police force and also plays football at present he's at college doing a sports coaching coarse, our eldest daughter will soon be 14 she is really into her sports she currently plays football,and would also like to get back into her kick boxing/boxing again and eventually would like a career in sports/sports science, the 3 year old loves singing and dancing and loves going to her pre-school and mixing with other children so that is a must and the little one will be 2 in August and loves all her play groups and play centres,I'm a hairdresser and even though I can turn my hand to anything would love to either teach hairdressing or become a teachers assistant, my partner works in data/voice cabling etc. I'm hoping I can try and settle somewhere that can cover everyone's needs but I can see myself doing a lot more research.

Hi,

Although 9 years ago for us now, i still remember it well the scariness of moving to the other side of the world with 4 kids!

Anyway i can help you out a little bit with couple of questions.

18 year old and police force - There's either SA or federal. Federal i think you have to be an aussie citizen, but for SA you just need perm residency. Are you coming out on a permanent visa? My daughter is 19 this year and is thinking of applying for the police force but not yet. They like you to have some proper 'life experience' first, maybe do volunteering work first. TAFE do a course in Policing, but dont bother with that. Spoken to a couple of Police Officers, including one who is a trainer and say the course is a waste of time!

Football.......can definitely help with that one! I think its my son McGintyoz was referring to. Any advice you want for that i'm, happy to help. My son is U16 GK at Cove and has experience of other clubs. Also plenty of opportunities at some clubs for girls to play.

3 year old - singing and dancing. My younger son is also well into all this and attends a club called Theatre Bugs. He loves it and attends classes in Aberfoyle Park.