Canberra here we come (where to rent)

Geographically speaking Woden is the centre of Canberra (although that central point may have shifted noth a bit with the growth of the far northern suburbs).

Whatever you do don’t choose Kambah. Full of bogans. Scary shops. underperforming schools.

Based on the info gievn in post #19 I would agree with the recommendations for Ainslie and Lyneham. Also consider Campbell if you’re keen on inner north. All three suburbs have a good mix of shops and the housing you are after. O’Connor, too, fits the bill.

Some of the closer Belconnen suburbs to the city might also be suitable. A few have been mentioned, Aranda, Cook, Page, Bruce, Giralang and the like.

Southside, not sure how far your rental budget would go with the inner suburbs, but Deakin or Yarralumla have pretty good local shops and are well established areas with plenty of greenery around.

Curtin ticks all your boxes, too. Actually, Curtin is probably a pretty good starting point.

A bit further south still and Hughes or Garran might be good, or even Mawson or Chifley if you’re happy to go another few bus stops along.

As an inner north resident myself I would recommend there as its a pretty nice place to live.

Cook or Aranda are both nice suburbs, Cook has a good local shop, both are close to the Jamison Centre (which is quite nice after some much need refurbishments), and best of all, you can be in Civic in ten to fifteen mins by car, or 20 to 30 by bus or push-bike.

Ok, so as a northsider so I’d never consider anything down south.. (*shudders*) So FROM a north perspective, I’d be choosing suburbs like Kaleen, South Bruce, Aranda or O’Connor – they’re established suburbs with lots of trees. They’ve also got lots of main road options and they seem to be just as close to the Belconnen Town Centre as they are to Civic so they’re very convenient from a getting around point of view.

Charnwood, Richardson, The Causeway, Duffy and Jerrabombera are all worthwhile choices from a lifestyle perspective. Sure, the services there can be basic, but you’ll get to know your neighbours very well once you move in.

Anywhere in Gunghalin is worth looking into if you like fast broadband. The infrastructure there is all new relative to the rest of Canberra.

Ainslie has the best trees in Canberra and one of the nicest local shops. Ainslie or O’Connor are my votes!

I know I know the inner north is overpriced and the all, but it sounds like you have a more than adequate budget to be looking at Inner North, especially considering you are going to work in Civic. I live in Downer which I think is a very nice suburb all things considered (No shops but only a couple of minutes to Dickson shops)- otherwise I’d look at Ainslie or Lyneham or even Dickson. All have good public transport links as well, and I think its the way to go, especially as your budget should get you a pretty decent 2 or 3 bedroom house for rent.

desertdreaming said :

Thanks for your comments everyone and the recommendations thus far.

We will both be working in Civic but don’t want to live there so we are heading to the ‘burbs. So a good bus route to /from Civic would be ideal but not essential, more importantly it would be good to rent in a suburb that had a decent set of shops with a bit of energy and variety, established trees and gardens – a good place to go home to. Is this a Belconnen suburb ? Is this a Woden suburb ? Tuggeranong ? Kingston is very nice but we have two cars not sure about parking.

Wanniassa. Established suburb with lots of trees, good shops, quite good bus connections to the City (via Woden – you usually don’t have to change buses). Plus for $450 you will get something much better than the freezing ex-govies you get in Belco, Weston Creek and the Inner North and Inner South.

Welcome to Canberra, good luck!

desertdreaming said :

We will both be working in Civic but don’t want to live there so we are heading to the ‘burbs. So a good bus route to /from Civic would be ideal but not essential

Oh, sorry to hear that. It might just be easier to live in Civic, unless you really like 95 minute bus trips.

, more importantly it would be good to rent in a suburb that had a decent set of shops with a bit of energy and variety, established trees and gardens – a good place to go home to. Is this a Belconnen suburb ? Is this a Woden suburb ? Tuggeranong ? Kingston is very nice but we have two cars not sure about parking.

Kingston wins out for all of the above IMNSHO, and is very close to Civic. It’s a bit pricey though.

Thanks for your comments everyone and the recommendations thus far.

We will both be working in Civic but don’t want to live there so we are heading to the ‘burbs. So a good bus route to /from Civic would be ideal but not essential, more importantly it would be good to rent in a suburb that had a decent set of shops with a bit of energy and variety, established trees and gardens – a good place to go home to. Is this a Belconnen suburb ? Is this a Woden suburb ? Tuggeranong ? Kingston is very nice but we have two cars not sure about parking.

I’m sure I’ll get shot down for this comment, but,

++ for the Northside comment.
At present, getting out of Belconnen is a nightmare. I’ve been unfortunate enough to get stuck in the exiting Belconnen traffic and it’s a nightmare. And yes, I have commuted in bigger cities.

I do love a good thread bout where one should buy a home in Canberra.

Just ignore all advice from the northsiders and you’ll be right.

Kambah

don’t want to buy just yet (things are pricey in Canberra)

Well they aren’t going to get much cheaper any time soon!!

sloppery said :

Check also Swinger Hill next door to Philip.

But be warned, the swinging is complusory. “Keys in the hat” parties are on every Friday. Briong your partner, friends welcome.

Also – read this http://the-riotact.com/?p=20028

if you haven’t already…

http://www.allhomes.com.au

Every suburb has it’s +ives and -ives. Except Richardson.

Prepare for a long drawn out process in finding a place… demand is high supply is low… usual economic principles apply.

http://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/act/rent-residential

Two beds and a courtyard suggests townhouse or courtyard house would be suitable. Most important question is where each will be working. Also whether you want to be near to (or far way from) certain facilities such as supermarkets, restaurants, gyms/swimming pools, schools, churches. Do you have friends in Canberra you want to be near? What are your car parking requirements?

Do you want a new(ish) property or something that’s a little older but closer to the City?

A quick search of http://www.allhomes.com.au shows there are plenty of options under $400 a week for 2 or 3 bedroom houses.

So many opportunities for hilarity…. but go to allhomes.com.au

Holden Caulfield said :

Where will you be working?

Sounds like you can afford to get somewhere close to work, where ever that may be.

Otherwise I recommend putting a houseboat on the lake.

Check out Philip – an underpriced suburb quite close (walking distance) to major shops and bus interchange. Check also Swinger Hill next door to Philip.

ozmackem said :

Charnwood is a nice suburb.
It’s a little under rated by the locals, and therefore it’s rental prices are below average.

Hmmmm….

It depends where you’re working, if you have a car and what sort of lifesyle you would like. Your budget will cover you for some apartments in and around the City or the Kingston area. Both areas you can walk to amenities such as supermarkets, restaurants, bars etc. If you wanted to compromise location for more space you can start looking away from these areas and into the suburbs. Suburbs in Canberra are like anywhere! There are some expensive, some middle range, and ones to avoid! I’d recomend the Southside! (Now waiting for comments from Northsiders!!)

Do you like peaceful bush settings, or inner city hustle and bustle (pub just down the road etc)?

Are you happy to have up to a 15-20 minute commute by car, and/or up to a 30-40 minute commute by public transport? If so that pretty much opens up most of central canberra regardless of where you work.

Where will you be working?

Do you need good public transport access (wrong city for that, but never mind)?

Any other requests?

Charnwood is a nice suburb.
It’s a little under rated by the locals, and therefore it’s rental prices are below average.