Pre-arrival tips

Some important tips for new arrivals:
- furnished houses are hard to find and expensive
- most houses have built in wardrobes so leave large wardrobes behind
- homes for rent are managed by real estate agents' employees who are NOT on commission to rent the property - agents get their % from landlords only
- relocation agents are not on commission and agents do not multi list
- we tell the truth in Australia - what you see is what you get
- there are very few international schools - 1 in Sydney only and that is not close to the CBD - new expats assimilate into our local schools
- private schooling is popular for secondary and is very expensive
- rent is advertised as weekly but charged monthly
- the market is competitive and rental properties often don't include fridge, washer, dryer - only kitchen appliances
- landlords mostly won't add or change anything for a tenant
- 1 month's rent and and 1 month rent equivalent for bond is usually required up front
- opening a bank account is easy - passport holds for 100 pts up to 6 weeks after arrival - you can open an account prior to arrival on line