The beauty of Sydney is largely due to the generosity of nature. The loveliest harbour in the world started to be carved by its first settlers who dropped anchor at Sydney Cove on the afternoon of 26 January 1788.

Today, there are clear signs of these early years in the landscape of Sydney. The map of Sydney looks like a large bowl of spaghetti, with its 'unruly crooked streets'.

Finding a home in this city is just one in the series of potential nightmares for newcomers. You will be asking yourself many questions: Which suburb is right for you? Should you rent or buy? Should you live near your work, or far from it? If you have children, should you live near their school? If you are working, should their school be close to your work, or home?... and many more...

These are all questions that my husband and me thought of when we first relocated to Sydney 17 years ago. We decided on the suburb before we even relocated, as we got hold of some nice Sydney brochures. The problem was that the brochures were targeted at tourists, not at migrants! We moved two more times over the next 15 months before we finally found the suburb that was right for our circumstances (working parents with two small children).

Everyone will have their own needs and preferences, and the most important thing when moving is to consider all aspect of your family's needs and preferences. After moving 20,000 kms, you are in no mood of moving again, even if only a short distance.

I spoke with Dawn Rogers, a Mortgage Consultant for the realestate.com.au - Home Loans, to try and answer some of the questions newcomers might have when moving to Sydney.

> Next Page of "Deciding on a home when moving to Sydney - rent or buy, where and how?"

About the Author Dina Zavrski-Makaric is a professional coach, mentor and facilitator for expatriates, repatriates and skilled migrants helping them to maximize their global succes. A business member of the Newcomers Network, Dina is also a host of the 'Welcome to Sydney' social events. Information: challenging directions.com; Contact: dina@challenging directions.com.

Write a Comment about this Article

First Published: Nov 05, 2005