Rental advice

Moving to a new country and or city is a big step and finding good accommodation is an important priority. Having a nice, comfortable place to live makes the transition much easier and more enjoyable.

When looking for a place to live consider three key aspects:

1. Location to work

2. Public transport

3. Who to rent with

1. Location to work
Generally, closer is better as it reduces your commute time. This will flow on to improving your quality of life in your new chosen country of residence.

2. Public transport
Make sure you have direct and reliable access to work with minimal required changes on your commute. The more direct your transport link between home and work, the better your working holiday experience will actually be.

3. Who to rent with
Choose a roommate or live alone? How does your place of residence feel when you are there? These are important questions to consider and will ensure you are comfortable with your decisions.

High density living in places like London, Tokyo or New York generally means a traveller on a working holiday will share with others. Individual privacy usually means more cost. This fact is simply part of the expensive nature of renting in central city locations.

If you decide the live further from the city centre, try and have a direct route in. Just remember to factor journey time and cost. The rental further out may also have more modern facilities and be generally larger, but this is the trade off for living further distance from the city centre.

Workingholidaymaker.com TIP!
You will find there is a direct correlation between rent prices and the cost of transport. When looking at rents you need to include your weekly transportation cost to and from work.

Expenses
Renting or sharing a place comes with expenses. Ensure you investigate all associated costs prior to signing a tenancy agreement – including any up-front fees. Usual expenses include council rates, electricity, gas, telephone, water, agents’ fees and check-in/out-fees.