Accommodation

On Arrival | Property Market | Rental Market | Finding Accommodation | Visitors

There are many levels of accommodation available in Adelaide, depending on your needs and budget. As with most cities, accommodation close to the city centre is the most expensive and generally decreases in price towards the outer suburbs. Once you have found a home to buy or rent, the most important thing you can do is carefully read any contractual agreements before signing, and ask questions if you are not clear on the meaning of any terms or conditions. Contact the Office of Business & Consumer Affairs for advice on your rights when buying or renting property.

On Arrival

When you first arrive in Australia, you may need to live in temporary accomodation while seeking a place to buy or rent. Independent skilled migrants wishing to settle permanently in South Australia are able to access 12 weeks of subsidised housing, but strict application guidelines apply. See the Immigration SA web site for more information.

Alternatively you may wish to seek your own temporary accommodation - the SA Tourism Accommodation Search is a good place to start.

Property Market

Adelaide property is renowned for high capital growth but at prices considerably lower than equivalent housing in Sydney and Melbourne. In June 2006, the median house price in Adelaide was AU$321,000 - compared with AU$523,000 in Sydney and AU$352,000 in Melbourne - and the second lowest median house price of all Australian capital cities (Source: REIS).

Buying a home in Adelaide has also been made easier due to the Commonwealth Government's First Home Owners Grant and the South Australian Government's HomeStart Finance scheme. There are also Stamp Duty concessions depending on the cost of the property you are buying.

If you are considering buying a home when you arrive in Australia, there may be restrictions that apply. Temporary residents must gain permission from the Foreign Investment Review Board to buy real estate in Australia. See the Department of Immigration & Citizenship web site for more information.

For more information on housing values, see the section on Affordable Housing on the Adelaide: Make the Move web site.

For tips on buying, building or selling a house in Adelaide, see the Office of Business & Consumer Affairs web site.

Rental Market

While rental prices are relatively cheap in Adelaide, vacancy rates are also low. In June 2006, the average price of renting a three bedroom house was $241, and a two-bedroom unit cost $191 (Source: REISA). Before renting a property you should read the tenancies information on the Office of Business & Consumer Affairs web site.

• hints for renters (Real Estate Institute of SA)
• tenant tips (propertyrental.com.au)

Finding Accommodation

There are many resources for finding accommodation including real estate and accommodation sections in the Saturday edition of Adelaide's newspaper The Advertiser, and web sites such as realestate.com.au and domain.com.au. You can also use the Yellow Pages telephone directory to find the contact details of various real estate agents in the area you want to live.

Visitors

Family or friends may also wish to visit you in Adelaide, but if your home is too small to accommodate them, they will need to find an alternative place to stay. The SA Tourism Accommodation Search is a good resource for temporary accommodation, such as hotel rooms and self-contained apartments. You can also use this search engine to find accommodation in tourist areas that you might want to visit on weekends or during your holiday leave.

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