Hi
Me and my family are relocating to Sydney. We should be arriving in Sydney late November 08. Our container Will be arriving 1 to 2 months later. My wife will be working in Pyrmont. We are from South Africa, 3 adults and 2 kids.

Can you please advise us of rental possibility's, around Pyrmont or close to public transport, for us 5 for that time and period. I know it is high season, but we do not need fancy Holiday accommodation. But it must be furnished and self catering.

After this initial period we will be renting on a more permanent base to be ready when the container arrives..

Our budget is about $500 a week.

Thanks in advance
Eben

Eben,

Not wanting to disillusion you but somehow I reckon you're near approaching mission impossible (there are going to be difficulties), not with your move because that is fine but just seeking furnished accomodation up to $500/w.

I don't live anywhere near Sydney but know the city reasonably well though I had to re confirm my belief where Pyrmont was only because I was sure there is probably limited accomodation about there.
. Sydney Map - Google Maps if you haven't already.

On top of that the Sydney realestate/rental market is as tight as a drum, well tighter in fact and I reckon for family furnished accomodation you would have to look at two options (or a few) but just of the top of my head:

. you will have to look for somewhere very outer suburbanish , perhaps even country town (and little point in looking coastal as there is always a premium attached, especially with summer coming) and your wife looking at a rather longish commuting hours.
So using the mapping and following railway lines (south, southwest and west) put a few suburb names into http://www.australiaforum.com/housing/www.domain.com.au and see what you find.

You may have to commit to a minimum three months lease if something is available and an associated approach could be to google up a suburb/town name and look for acommercial link that could list real estate agencies, Ray White, The Professionals, Century 21, LG Hooker being a few that spring to mind and then make a direct contact for especially in outer areas they may have been contacted by someone seeking house sitters or know of an older style farmhouse or something that an owner is keen to let, and even if it is unfurnished, that could partly be a bonus for if say $200/w cheaper, a $1000 spent at secondhand and community stores could set you up.

. second option, a variation on the above in that to save your wife all that travelling, maybe she considers staying in town during week while the mob is out at the country retreat! - hostelling if she can hack that being best approach and she may have to skip working and take a Xmas break for most hostels will already be booked out.

. third option is the whole family kind of hostels it - most have four bed dorms, some with ensuites and one I stayed at in Sydney and have mentioned on here to others is Alfred Park (on BUG - the Backpackers' Ultimate guide to budget travel in Australia) for part of it is an old motel - nothing too flash but clean and comfortable and the sort of place you might be able to do a deal with management to take one of the motel room dorms so at least you have a fridge, tele and ensuite (and a big park on opposite side of road)
And Central Railway Station is on other side of the park and there is a light train/tram service from there down to Pyrmont.

. 2 & 3 would also give considerable savings on transport.

Sydney at least has plenty of attractions and with warmer weather and daylight saving you can be out and about exploring so it is not as if you would have to be cooped up too much.
As to deal, it could be you could negotiate a rate getting down near that $500/w for a 8-10 week stretch and if Xmas bookings are a problem, maybe you have to get yourself some camping gear and head off down or up the coast a bit for a Xmas camping holiday.

Another place that could be worth considering to do something similar is Backpacker accommodation Sydney, Sydney Terraces, budget, cheap, hostel, taking two units and sharing facilities.

But it is going to be more a case of what is available and booking it quick rather than being able to pick and choose, and we have a few posters in the RE biz it seems and so you might even get some PM offers, but they could also be involved more in investments and sales rather than rentals.

Good luck and do let us know what you can arrange for it will be good info for others like minded, and also ask re info/insight on particular locations if desired.

www.gumtree.com.au is also a site where you might find something on offer.

Hey Eben,

I work near Pyrmont and travel from the inner west.

Areas such as dulwich hill, ashfield, enmore are good cheapish areas and public transport form there to broadway is quite easy. Most buses 422, 423, L23 can get from these areas to broadway in around 20mins. From broadway to pyrmont is about a 15min walk or a 5min bus ride on the 501.

The Pyrmont area is very overpriced and really doesn't have much of a nightlife for eating etc, although darling harbour is about a 10min walk away (also pricey). If you are to work here I recommend packing your lunch or using the IGA or Coles nearby.

Good luck

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If you click on the Google Ads - Sydney Rentals on page header you get a whole heap of links Eben.
One of them Holiday Accommodation, Holiday Rentals, Homes & Serviced Apartments in Australia ? Rent-A-Home.com.au and entering Sydney metro can bring you up something like:
. Sydney Rental - Ingleburn Holiday Accommodation, Holiday Rentals, Holiday House/Villa - Rent-A-Home.com.au

I just chucked in a random date of Nov.20 to Jan30 and you can see price range is $80/n (be alright if true to give $560/w) but somehow I expect it could be closer to the $200/n 9especially for Xmas period if available!
But no harm in pursuing enquiries.

Thanks, I will go through all these possibilities, and keep you updated. What if we leave all our beds, and essentials, use 20" container instead and rent a empty house, buying then the essentials when we get there? Or another possibility is to rent needed furniture, till the container arrives..

Regards
Eben

You certainly ought to look at what you'll pay for larger items freight plus what you might be able to sell them for Vs costs in Australia, and giving you an idea:
A single slat supports pine bed you buy here for anywhere between $200 - $400 depending on quality and where you buy it from, and fancier ones a lot more, Mattresses being another issue as again depending on how fussy you are, you can start off at about $200 for a reasonably cheap one and get a reasonably good quality one for say $500 or if you want to go real fancy, anything up to $2500 or more! and double/triple all above for queen size

White goods and dining table sets anywhere between $500 - $1000 for basic and several thousand for the fancier units, televisions and stereos much the same, and a couple of thousand to several thousand for a lounge suite.
Wardrobes, I'd leave behind as more modern homes have built in robes.
Side table and dresser units come in all shapes and types, living in Qld., we have some cane ones that are you beaut in that everything breathes and they're durable yet light, ideal for moving and cheap without being nasty.

So for all that bulky stuff, you could say one way or another there's not much change if anything at all out of say ten grand for round figures, but I've used what are new prices (and there's obviously going to be huge variation dependant on your tastes)

And if it suits, what you can do is have a look not just in secondhand stores (and some can be good stuff ex hotels having done a decor refresh) but also factory seconds or superceded stock wharehouses, there being quite a few places where auctions are run, and a lot of factory seconds could just mean there's a scratch or small ding on the side of a fridge.
So all up, I'd reckon you could deck out with basic gear for a family for about $3000 at a guess.
And if you want to do it just as an interim waiting for your gear to arrive, I'd reckon on you being able to drop it even further in cost.

I am not familiar at all with the furniture rental market but I would not reckon on it being too cheap an option, and probably more than getting some cheaper stuff, and a thought I had earlier - is the family camping outdoors orientated, and no time too soon to start in Oz if not with no lions tigers or other big hooved, clawed or horns to tear or trample tents/trailers etc. .

For you could get yourself some camping type gear to be kept for later on, and as way out as it may seem, end of November through to January or so apart from the odd summer storm is not a bad time of year Sydney way to be living in a tent or trailer camper, the type that have a tent that folds out of a trailer.
Lane Cove on the next link is about closest into CBD
Sydney Caravan Parks - Google Maps and Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park, Sydney, NSW - Caravan Park, Big4 Parks and accommodation directory australia is not too bad right on a lake near the beach.

Check out ebay.com.au under cars, bikes, boats and I think you'll see used and new camper trailers, and also tradingpost.com.au if interested and I'd reckon you could get a decent tent and gear for under $2000 and make it $3000 if going for a trailer - some links here: Camper Trailers - Google Search

Main issue will still be getting in and you would need to book quick and also possibly consider a move for Xmas/NY period - holidays peak etc., but even if it is a mobile home of sorts at least you'll have a roof over your head - the big problem even with secondhand or rented furniture will still be finding a suitable house for a shorter term use.