|
Where to stay?
It's REALLY important to choose the right place
to stay when you first arrive. You may be tempted to stay with
well-meaning relatives, or friends - DON'T: The last thing that
you need is the additional stress of living in someone else's house,
scared that the kid's will break anything or are too noisy. You also
need privacy to discuss the major decisions that you have to make. We
hear too many stories of people desperate to get away from their initial
accommodation.
Furnished Rentals
Perth has many private
landlords offering fully-furnished properties available for short-term lets.
Fully-furnished properties are generally designed to be short-stay
(weeks) and will come with everything included (furniture, linen,
cooking utensils etc.). Many migrants choose to stay in these type of properties
when they first arrive as they provide an excellent base to find more permanent accommodation
(remember, chances are that your furniture will be in transit for many
weeks).
Prices should include
all bills and will vary significantly depending upon the suburb, style
and size of house. Most properties will not have a phone, or the phone
will be restricted to local calls only.
Tip:
either take a sim-free mobile with you - and get a new sim, or buy a
pre-paid mobile as soon as you arrive. Also, bear in mind that
you won't have computer access - which makes finding long-term
accommodation a bit harder... Tip:
ensure that you know where the nearest
internet cafe or library with net access is located.
***NOTE:
We've been informed of some landlords that are charging between $300 and
$500 up-front cover utility bills. Beware... Most landlords include this
in the rental price - but if you are staying longer in a property then
they might transfer the utility bills into your name. CAREFULLY READ THE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS for any properties that you are considering renting
- and don't just compare weekly rental prices when making your choice -
factor-in any additional charges.
Finding good furnished
accommodation can be a hit-or miss affair - there are a number of
commercial websites advertising their own properties and some that allow
landlords to advertise directly. It can be difficult to assess the
quality of some properties (particularly as some we've heard about don't
even contain the same furniture as they're photographed with...) - so if possible, get
personal recommendations before
booking (check-out our feedback forum). Tip:
Also try to choose a property that is near to your shortlisted suburbs.
One of the reasons for setting up this site was
that we kept getting asked to find accommodation for friends and
acquaintances. We got tired of checking-out properties that were either
furnished from the 70's, dirty, or crawling with uninvited guests...
so we started a service whereby we only allow landlords to advertise
their property with us if it continually meets our standards for
cleanliness, furnishing/equipment and value-for-money... Basically, if
we would be happy for our kids to stay there. You can browse through our
current homes here - or simply
tell us when you are arriving and we'll use our contacts to find you
somewhere suitable. The
furnished rental finder assistance is a FREE service that we offer
to our users.
Alternatively, you might want to consider one of our
relocation packages
where we can help a lot more than simply finding accommodation.
The links opposite are to
other commercial websites offering furnished accommodation in Perth. We
have no commercial arrangements with them, nor can we control the quality of the properties advertised there.
Finally, we encourage all
our users to provide feedback in our community forum about their
experiences staying in any Perth rental. This helps future arrivals
weed-out the good properties from the crummy ones.
|
