Moving Back to Australia: Where to Stay While You Settle In
Coming home after years away is its own kind of move. The city has changed, the rental market has moved on and the family needs somewhere to land. This guide covers where to stay while you settle back in.
Coming home is still a move
Australians returning after a posting or a few years overseas often expect coming home to be the easy part. In practice it is a relocation like any other: a container still at sea, schools to choose, a home to find and a city that has moved on since you left. The first few months set the tone for everything that follows.
Why the first home back is rarely the last
Most returning families do not buy or rent their long-term home straight away, and for good reason. It pays to spend time in a suburb before committing to it, to see the school run at eight in the morning and the commute at six at night. A furnished base for the first months gives you that time without pressure.
What to look for in a place to land
- A furnished home, not a hotel. Your belongings may take weeks or months to arrive. A fully furnished residence, with a proper kitchen, separate bedrooms and room to work, means normal life starts on the first evening.
- The right neighbourhood to try. Stay in or near the suburb you are considering, so you can test it before you commit.
- Flexibility. Container dates, school terms and settlements rarely line up. A stay that can extend is worth a great deal.
- One point of contact. After a long-haul move, one team who looks after the details is a relief.
Sydney or Melbourne
In Sydney, returning families often look at the inner west and the harbour suburbs for their mix of schools, water and access to the city. Our page on temporary accommodation in Sydney sets out where our residences are.
In Melbourne, the inner south-east and bayside suburbs are a common first choice for families. Our page on temporary accommodation in Melbourne does the same for Melbourne.
If your employer is bringing you home
If you are returning for a role, your employer's mobility team may arrange your first home. Our relocation page explains how that works with Westprecinct.
Settling the practicalities
The households who settle fastest do three things early: they choose one or two suburbs to try, they line up their first home before they fly, and they keep the first stay flexible so it can stretch to fit the container, the school term and the home search.
Coming home should feel like coming home. The first residence back is where that starts.