Have you been living overseas, or interstate, for a few years or longer? Ready to move back to Brisbane? Or maybe you’re moving to Brisbane for the first time?
There are a lot of things that you need to consider before making the move to ease the stress of relocating to Brisbane.
This beautiful city has changed a lot in the past few years and is continuing to evolve and develop.
Before relocating to Brisbane, it’s important to realise that areas you might have known previously, could have changed dramatically. New roads, commercial hubs and expansion may mean that your ideal location has changed from what you remember. There are some exciting Priority Development Areas in Brisbane which you can read about here. But of course you don’t want to choose an area that has been over developed.
For an expat, or a new citizen moving to Brisbane, there is a lot to consider which a relation and this article will address some of the top things that will help you along the way.
Things to know before moving to Brisbane to ease the stress of relocation.
How do you avoid making a costly mistake of choosing where to live when relocating to Brisbane?
Firstly, think about what you’re looking for in the area and what type of lifestyle you want in Brisbane.
Do you want to live in a high-density area, close to the CBD? Do you love nightlife and need to be close to restaurants, cafes, bars and the buzz of the inner-city areas? The amount of roof top bars, lane-ways and live music venues have increased exponentially in Brisbane – not only in the inner city areas but also in the middle ring suburbs popular with families. You can find some of the entertainment locations listed here.
Or would you prefer a greener area with lots of parks, family homes and a slower pace of life?
Do you now have a child (or children) and need to consider kindergarten and school? Raisingchildren.net.au has some really good information for families with children. More details on things to know about school catchments in Brisbane can be found in ‘Logistics’ below.
Does access to public transport or bikeways have importance for you? It’s important to consider what kind of lifestyle you want and also accessibility to work places.
Do you want to rent first and then buy? Or do you want to skip the extra cost and hassle of moving again and buy straight away?
When buying, be aware of the city’s development zones as identified by Brisbane City Council, as the area may be planned as a future higher density hub. You can access the local neighbourhood plans on the Brisbane City Council’s website. In conjunction with this you need to know the zones in residential areas to make sure you don’t buy your dream home today and then work out that the house next door is due to be demolished and town homes built in its place!
How do you get Information on Relocating to Brisbane?
Do you have someone living in Brisbane you can ask? Getting advice from friends and family is a great source of information, as long as they understand what kind of lifestyle is right for you. Just keep in mind – are they in the same life-stage as you and/or understand your needs and wants?
Public forums and social media platforms are an independent source of information. Groups who are in a similar situation join and share ideas. For example, “Aussie Expats Coming Home” and “Moving to Australia Tips” are two great Facebook Groups that can provide some useful hints and tips.
When relocating to Brisbane and looking to purchase a home before you arrive, Buyers Agents who work as your advocate can be an excellent help. They will interview you to get your brief of what you want then search, inspect and negotiate on your behalf. It’s important that they inspect the property in person and provide due diligence on every property that you’re considering. What due diligence is necessary? Here’s a short video to provide an overview on some of the key areas you should check.
Not all buyers agents are of the same standard! Make sure that the Brisbane buyers agent you choose is qualified and has a good network of agents to be able to source properties off market. There is a lot of competition in the real estate market so having someone with knowledge and experience in the industry is invaluable. A Brisbane buyers agent should be focused on working for you, by finding you the perfect home for the best price possible. You can find out more about the services of a Buyers Agent in the Blog Why Use a Buyers Agent in Brisbane?
Logisitics
Start as early as possible before your move to plan the logistics. Will you be moving with furniture and need a removalist company? If moving furniture from overseas you also have to consider customs and the time-frames and costs involved. You can find more information on the Australian Governments Agriculture website.
It’s a really good idea to de-clutter as much as possible before moving. This can greatly cut down the cost and time for packing your precious items. There’s also the option of selling your existing furniture and buying new, once you have your new home to move into in Brisbane.
When moving with babies and children look for a playgroup and/or kindergarten to help you ease into the community and make friends. Playgroup Queensland provides a full list of playgroups available here. Of course, this you can only do after selecting the area in which you want to move. There are also lots of classes and groups run through organisations such as PCYC and YMCA.
What about schools for your children? Have you considered if you need to be in a particular catchment to be able to send your kids to a good state school? Our blog on this goes in depth on How do you choose the best Brisbane School Catchment zone?
Keeping connected
Do some research into the energy and telecommunications companies you’ll want to use. These services can take some time to set up so it’s great to have your options decided on advance. There are services that can take the stress out and combine your search for all utility companies in the one go such as MyConnect.com.au.
If you’re moving from interstate such as Melbourne to Brisbane then make sure that Australia Post has your new address and you redirect your mail for an amount of time that suits you so as not to miss any important letters. Information on redirecting your mail can be found here.
Update your details! This can be a tedious process so start making a list now of everyone you need to notify. In addition to Australia Post, banks, insurance companies, your Driver’s License and the Australian Electoral Commission are just a few examples of where your details need to be updated.
As you can see, there are a lot of things to know before relocating to Brisbane. It’s best to start planning as early as possible and ask for help to make relocating to Brisbane stress free!!
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