Advice on cheap(ish) housing in Sydney?

[FenceFurniture]

By the way a 15 - 20 minute walk wont be much fun in summer.

A very good point indeed Ian, particularly for someone from Nova Scotia, coming to the west of Sydney.

Re crime: I had a look at this site. It's quite interesting, you can actually select the type of crime you want to avoid.

[Pac man]

Theres a bus from Blacktown / Sevo to Powers Rd
Guess it depends on which end of the road you need to be at

[ian]

Thank you for the links! I've bookmarked them all so I can watch over the next month.

I'll definitely look around Seven Hills, but I think eventually we'll want to migrate out blue mountains way. I've done the hour (either way) commute for so long i'm used to it and to get out of the city would be a relief. I like quiet/rural over city/bustle, but as always, depends on finances.

Work is about a 15 minute walk from Seven Hills train stop along Power road.

an hour commute in Sydney (if you're counting door to door) might be close to the norm for many Sydney workers. Just to get to soccer last Saturday took around 50 minutes and that was with almost no traffic

One other quirk of the Sydney Rental market.
many -- almost all ? -- rental properties are owned by mum and dad or DINK investors who are primarily in the game for the tax deduction you get through negatively gearing the property.
Hopefully you will find somewhere you can rent long term, but you should be prepared to move every 6 to 12 months as the place you are renting is sold to realise the capital gain (which in Australia is concessionally taxed).

[Skew's_Girl]

My Link folder is growing! Yay!

Yeah, my hour commuting was on the bus/train.
I can drive. I just recognize that I'm not the best city driver, so I take myself off the road.
Good for the environment too. Mostly I haven't been able to afford a car, but from the look I might have to find a way. Oh yeah, and learn to drive on the left

You guys are right though, walking in the summer isn't really an option. I have your winter to adapt, but it'll still be unwise to think walking distances is a mode of transport; especially where i've never felt your prolongued high temperatures and UV before.

a lot to think about.

[Waldo]

Winter in Sydney, that can be torturous - no permafrost, grizzlys hiding behind pine trees to snap your head off, no snow, no crazy-foaming-at-the-mouth Canuks with chainsaws filming a horror movie.

Worst thing about it is the traffic. But weigh it all up and you'll be right.

And sawdust isn't a hard thing to have around, but a wife who doesn't mind the sawdaust past her armpits - well she must be a rare one.

Congratulations kids.

[Sawdust Maker]

Congrats to both of yous

I can't help with that area except a friend has a unit down that way and would scoff at it being a high crime area.

Re walking in the Aussie summer heat I'd suggest that the aircon on most govt buses is a bit suss at the best of times ...

Congrats again and an early welcom to Sydney.

[Christos]

Congratulations on your wedding.

[springwater]

Congratulations Skewy's, this suggestion is a bit different I know but I've known it to be done albeit in Victoria and with so much water around good old Sydney there may be a chance of living on a moored boat, like in boat minding, especially with winter approaching, at least until you get your feet on the ground