You’re Moving to Sydney, Yay! Are You Excited? Overwhelmed?
Or maybe a bit of both with a dash of AM-I-REALLY-GOING-TO-DO-THIS sprinkled on top?
Australia Moving Checklist
What You Need to Know, 12 Months Before You Pack Up and Go.
There’s only one way to stop feeling overwhelmed and silence any thoughts of self-doubt. It’s time to get organized!
My moving checklist is 39 pages, packed full of resources. AND IT’S FREE.
Plus You’ll Get Access to My PRIVATE Facebook Group with Over 2,600 members.
I’ll also send you a series of emails to help you jumpstart your move as well as regular updates.
👋 Hi, I’m Lauren, and I’ve Helped Thousands of People DIY Their Move to Sydney, Australia.
I started blogging about my move to Sydney back in 2009.
After only a few months of blogging, my inbox was overflowing with questions about how we moved to Australia. The more I wrote, the more questions I got until I wasn’t able to keep up.
That’s when I created Sydney Moving Guide.
My goal is to create a resource where you’ll find answers to all your questions.
So Let’s Get Started!
If You Haven’t Downloaded My Checklist Yet, THEN DO THAT FIRST.
It’s completely free, no strings attached. And you’ll get access to my private Facebook group. (*details on page 2 of the checklist.)
My Facebook group has a good mix of members, from all over the world, who are getting started with their move to Sydney and expats currently living in Sydney, for several years now. It’s a great place to get recommendations and answers to all your questions from where to live, schools in Sydney, the cost of daycare, and moving with a dog or three dogs and a cat.
Everything You Need for Your Move to Sydney in One Place
Not Sure You Should Move?
It’s a big decision and a lengthy process. Will all the time and money be worth it?
Yes, this is going to take time and a lot of patience. As for the cost of moving, you won’t have to pay for everything at once. You can start budgeting for your move today.
But, is worth it? I can tell you that most expats living in Sydney never want to leave. If they do, it’s with a very heavy heart.
Sorting Out Your Finances
When we moved to Sydney, we made several costly mistakes with our finances from choosing a bank to transferring money.
Please, take the time to estimate how much in savings you’ll need when you arrive and the best way to transfer those funds BEFORE you move.
Luckily, this can all be done online, months before you leave home. It just might be the easiest part of your move.
Packing & Shipping Your Household
Packing up and shipping your belongings to Sydney is going to cost more than you think. Not just to have everything shipping, but also the fees when your shipping container arrives in Australia.
Always, always, always, get an in-house moving quote from the international shipping company.
Do not try to estimate the size of your shipment yourself. It’s best to have someone who has a good understanding of what can fit in a 20 ft or 40 ft shipping container walk with you through your house and see everything you want to ship to Sydney.
Finding a Job in Sydney
After reading my cost of living in Sydney posts, most people hit the panic button.
The next thing they do is one of the biggest mistakes I see.
They start to apply for every job in Sydney advertised in their field. Then they get even more panicked when they don’t receive a single reply back. Complete radio silence.
Why didn’t they hear anything back? Well for one, they’re applying from overseas. The second reason is they didn’t have an Australian formatted resume.
Renting Your First Place in Sydney
The rental market in Sydney can be very competitive.
To give yourself an advantage, you’ll need to figure out where in Sydney you want to live and what you can afford.
This isn’t as easy as it sounds.
For example, there are over 600 suburbs in Sydney.
Besides price and location, there are other factors you need to consider like commute times and local schools.
Moving to Sydney with Kids
Mom and Dad, I know you’re worried and have tons of questions. Most of the emails I get are about schools and daycare in Sydney.
The good news is the answers to your questions can be found either here or in my Facebook group. Majority of the group is expat parents that have successfully enrolled their kids in school and can help with the process.
The bad news is you’ll have to wait until you’re in Sydney to enroll your kids in a public school. But don’t worry, you’ll have all your research done and know exactly what to expect.
Moving with Pets
Moving to Australia with your dog or cat is expensive, like first-class expensive.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to enjoy first-class with your pets because of Australia’s strict quarantine policy.
In Australia, your pets will be quarantined for at least 10 days after they arrive. No, that’s not quarantined at a hotel or your house. And yes, that’s the minimum if all the paperwork is correct and they’re vaccines are up-to-date.
The whole process takes over 6 months BEFORE they arrive in Australia.
Quick Guides to Australian Visas
There is one thing that you absolutely must have before you leave home.
A valid visa for Australia.
It doesn’t matter if you’re moving or going to Australia for vacation, you need to have a visa to enter the country.
There are so many different visas for Australia that it’s hard to cover all of them.
Instead, I focus mainly on Australian work visas for skilled migrants.