Housing is undoubtedly the most challenging aspect of relocating to Australia. For someone who’s navigated the bustling property scene in Mumbai, the drama of house hunting isn’t new. In Australia, there’s a structured system for everything, including finding a home. You start by visiting the main property listing websites, Domain.com and realestate.com, which are the go-to sources for house hunting here.
On these platforms, you can find homes suited to every budget, but photographs can be deceiving. A pro tip: if a listing doesn’t show comprehensive images, it’s likely there’s an issue they’re not disclosing. For instance, an ad might feature only interior shots while omitting the exterior, hinting at a story untold.
Once you’ve found a potential home and decide to view it, arranging an inspection can be tricky. Inspection times are often inconvenient, and with a mere 10 minutes to evaluate the property, the pressure is on to decide whether to apply for the house.
And yes, you apply for a home in Australia. The application process involves submitting bank statements and various other documents, making it feel akin to playing Russian roulette.
After that initial application, you brace yourself for stiff competition, often applying for 25 other properties, as there’s likely a queue of applicants who are, on paper, more qualified than you. In our case, being new to the country meant we had barely any financial history to demonstrate stability and no jobs yet. Our saving grace was my brother-in-law, an angel in disguise, who had already been through the grind and understood the tribulations any immigrant faces.
We viewed about ten houses and applied for nearly eight. Incredibly, we secured the house that only I had seen, much to our astonishment.
The house came as a shock to my wife; it was a modest granny flat situated directly opposite the university I am going to, which saved on parking and time. With a bus stop right outside, it was convenient for dropping our son at the school bus. However, the house lacked a garage and storage space, having only two rooms with the living area and kitchen essentially merged into one. Despite the seeming limitations, we somehow managed to fit all our belongings into this small space.
In the end, we’ve settled into a beautiful home. It may not have been our first choice, but it has become the perfect start to our new life here. My wife came around to agree that it was indeed the ideal home for us, and that, I consider a true victory.