October 26, 2009

photo credit: gierszewski

October 15, 2009

A common topic running from the lips of many of our tenants is that of money – how to get it, where to get it, and just not having enough! Sydney is not the cheapest to visit, but there are – believe it or not – plenty of things to keep you busy and let you see the city for free!

Beaches:

photo credit: Sir Mervs

No brainer here, eh? The beaches are the shining star when it comes to Sydney tourism, and they live up to their expectations. Grab a towel, your thongs, and some sunblock and head over to Bondi or Coogee if you’re looking to do anything from relaxing and lounging to swimming and surfing.

Harbour Bridge:

photo credit: apdk

A nice, long walk across the Harbour Bridge provides for a great view of the Sydney harbour, while also getting you a good chance to exercise. Luna Park is just on the other end, as well, so why not make a day out of it?

Royal Botanic Gardens:

photo credit: SuperFantastic

The Royal Botanic Gardens provide a getaway within the city. The lush green park is a destination for those wanting to have a picnic or a stroll through tropical surroundings next to the harbour. There’s even some interesting wildlife roaming around.

Museums:

photo credit: my big blue gorilla

The Art Gallery of NSW and the National Maritime Museum are two excellent museums you can access for free. Get your fill of art and history by taking a day, or two, out to see what they have to offer.

So Furnished Property tenants, get yourselves out there and see some more of Sydney. There’s no excuses that you don’t have enough money, because these won’t cost you anything

October 6, 2009

Claire is a native Dubliner that has been in Sydney, and Australia for that matter, for just 5 months. Unsure of what she wants to go back to university for in Ireland, this 21 year old thought it was just a good time to experience life down under. I recently set up a time so that I could learn a bit more about her adventures here as a foreigner. It was particularly interesting to hear about her work endeavours because, unlike our last month’s interview, Claire has found it anything but easy to find a job in this bustling city.

“When I was getting desperate for a job, I had an interview at KFC. The guy asked me what kind of visa I had, and I said it was a working holiday. He immediately said, ‘No, sorry. We don’t take backpackers.’ It was shocking. I’m not a backpacker. I want to work. I live in Sydney.”

Many jobs around Sydney are currently looking for residents of Australia instead of those that can only be hired on a temporary basis.

When talking to Claire about this hot issue for those on working holidays, she responded, “Residents could just as well leave in 2 months whereas another working holiday person could still work for up to 6 months.”

Claire’s frustrations on the matter are not unwarranted. It took her a long 3 months, numerous applications, and 4 previous interviews before finally getting a job at Wicked Campers. The funny part of this story is that getting that job involved no flaming hoops whatsoever.

“I applied to an ad on Gumtree, and a week later she called me and asked when I could come in. It was really laid back.”

Knowing a little bit about Wicked Campers already, I just had to ask her about the infamous Naked Special they offer customers. Claire laughed and explained, “A couple of people have come in naked that I’ve seen. We have to take a picture of it, too. This woman came in naked and was like “hi” – I was a bit shocked. Last week a couple of guys came in and one asked, ‘If I come in naked, I get a day off, right?’ He went outside and took his clothes off and came back in.”

“It’s a really good job, really. It’s really laid back and friendly.”

Even though Claire really enjoys her job with Wicked Campers, she does work 6 full days every week. She knows it’s not optimal, but compared to other people, she’s doing pretty good.

“I don’t get much time off, but if I had more, I’d love to go to Coogee Beach.”

“If I never had to work, I’d be out in the sun all the time – at the beach or in the park. I love it. The weather is so nice.”

As for jobs in general, I would say Claire has been quite lucky in her life. She has never had to flip burgers or dress up in a funny costume for children and low pay. When asking if she has ever had a horrible job, she replied without hesitation, “Not really. I’ve only worked at three places.”

After a bit more thought, she then added, “…but I guess when I worked at the bookies (a betting place), it was bad. A lot of long hours… Got a lot of drunken people in there. The all day shifts – you have no life. You work, sleep, and work.”

Before leaving, I asked Claire if she had any advice for Furnished Property tenants still looking for jobs in Sydney.

“Try Gumtree. Before, I was looking on Seek and other job sites. The job sites are more awkward. A lot of jobs are commission-based and say you can make lots of money, but it’s basically impossible to make money. Gumtree is more down to earth.”

Claire is planning on sticking around Sydney for a while to work and save more money. She hopes to make it to Melbourne and Brisbane, and possibly stay in Australia for a 2nd year. Thanks, again, Claire for meeting with me, and I hope you enjoyed your dinner voucher for Wagamama’s!

October 5, 2009

photo credit: glennharper

September 23, 2009

We all know that backpacker accommodation in Sydney is an awesome way to find a temporary home on a short trip to Sydney. But, when you’re coming to Sydney for studying, a working holiday, or an extended visit, is Furnished Property’s short-term accommodation in Sydney a better option?

photo credit: xmacex

We certainly like to think so, and to prove our point, we have decided to put together this post on why our short-term accommodation options are so much better than backpacker accommodation in Sydney.

Costs Less – The amount of money you spend per week on a small, hostel bed in a crowded dorm room downtown Sydney can end up costing you more than you think. It can even cost you more money than some of our great, spacious and fully furnished rooms!

More Privacy – In a guest house, or shared house, with Furnished Property, you have the option to share with one or two other people, or get a room by yourself! Did you need a little more privacy than that 10 bed dorm in downtown Sydney? Or, were you looking for more sleep without others constantly disrupting it? If so, our short-term accommodation in Sydney will be just what you need!

Fewer People – Along with having fewer people in your sleeping area, our short-term accommodation options around Sydney can get you more space in the kitchens, bathrooms and common areas! Don’t you hate when you want to cook dinner, but you either have to dance around people, or wait for them to just finish their own meals?

Not only that, but while in backpacker accommodation around Sydney you may have to deal with people partying any night of the week. Now, we’re definitely not saying that there won’t be parties in our shared accommodation options, but you will find that you will be surrounded by more like-minded individuals. Most of our tenants are those here on working holiday and student visas, so if you’re needing a place to study or get a good night’s before work, then we will have a place that suits you!

How short is our short term accommodation in Sydney?

Glad you asked! The shortest stay is only a 1 month commitment in one of our shared houses / guest houses. If you are looking for residential options, the minimum stay is only 3 months! Besides this, all accommodation is fully furnished and ready to go. Just give us a call and we’ll help you get sorted.

What are your thoughts, Furnished Property tenants? Do you think our short term accommodation options are better than backpacker accommodation in Sydney, or not?

September 21, 2009

photo credit: Sweet One

September 16, 2009

It’s 6am.

Just at 5:59, you were fast asleep in your cosy little bed, dreaming wonderful dreams without the slightest bit of stress or drama to worry your head. Now, however, its 6am and you’re woken up by the sound of a screaming alarm clock, but it’s not yours… it’s your roommate’s!

photo credit: stuartpilbrow

Oh, the joys of living in the same room as someone else. Sure, you get to share the rent, but that cost could come with a lot of other drama that will leave you screaming, “I need a Single Room in Sydney!” Thankfully, you’ve come to the right place because Furnished Property understands that having a single room in Sydney is better than sharing for many reasons, and here’s why:

Privacy! Privacy can cost quite a bit in some cities. Having a single room in Sydney can allow you to do what you want, and when you want it, without annoying your roommate.

You can decorate the walls the way you want, get up as late or as early as you want, listen to whatever music you want, wear as much or as little clothing as you want, and smell as bad or as good as you want.

Yep, you can clean as little or as often as you want, talk on the phone as loudly or softly as you want, and let’s face it – bring whoever or whatever back home with you.

With a single room in Sydney, you can have the privacy to be as calm or wild as you want (BUT within reason if you want to get the bond back) – without disturbing the life of a roommate.

Finding a Single Room in Sydney

Don’t worry! Even though finding a single room in Sydney is difficult, you’ve come to the right spot! The Furnished Property Group has a number of fantastic, and fully furnished, single rooms in Sydney, ready for you to rent right now!

Choose from studios, one bedrooms, or single rooms in shared accommodation (guesthouses). Just give us a call, and we’ll put you in a single room in Sydney, ASAP!

September 3, 2009

When Ashley (23, left) and Michael (25, right) decided back in London to come to Australia, they gave each other two months. They quickly made some money goals, got their visas, packed their bags and never looked back. Now, being six months into a one year stay, I got the opportunity to speak with these two fun-loving guys at their studio in Redfern and get their views on everything from Australian culture to travelling in the developing world.

Why did you decide to leave London and come to Australia?

A – “I wanted to do it for a long time. Aussies do the opposite and come to England to work, and I loved the carefree attitude they all seemed to have.”
M – “I also wanted to do it for a long time.”

Do you wish now you had given yourselves longer than 2 months to prepare?

Both – “No, not really.”
M – Since it was so rushed, we didn’t have any expectations, so there have been no disappointments.”

Were you nervous?

Both – “Yes.”
M – “I was nervous just it being us and being away from all our friends and family. One year is a long time.”
A – “I was a bit more sheltered. I still lived at home, so coming here was a big step.”

What do you do here?

M – “I work at Hurricane’s in Darling Harbour as a waiter. It is more than enough work for me. I easily work 5 days a week, and the money is pretty good.”
A – “I work as a stylist at Noddy’s on King in Newtown.”

*You might be surprised to know that not only do both Michael and Ashley have great jobs, they both got said jobs on the very first day they went looking! Yes, they are quite lucky.

What has been the most surprising, shocking or funny aspect – culturally – about moving to Australia?

M – I don’t understand how people walk around barefoot everywhere.”
A – “Yeah. When I see someone walking down the street barefoot, I have to wonder, ‘Are they homeless?’”
M – “The slang.. tipping is bad.”
A – “Tipping is poor at the salon, too.”

What has been your favourite part of Sydney, or favourite part of living in Sydney?

M – “My favourite area in Sydney is definitely Surry Hills. I think it’s a very nice area, central, full of bars and shops, close to Oxford St, Newtown.”
A – “I like the weather. I like the sunny mornings because we’re limited with sunshine in London. So, every day is a treat for me.”

Ashley and Michael with housemate in Kitchen.

Why did you choose to live in one of Furnished Property’s residences?

M – “A couple of our friends in the hostel were moving out with Furnished Property, and they told us about them. We didn’t want to live in a hostel anymore. It’s so easy when you’re a traveller because their places are fully furnished.”

What has been the best part of living in a Furnished Property?

A – “You know where you stand. We had friends go on Gumtree to find a place and a few weeks or months into it, they got evicted. They had no contracts.”
M – “They [Furnished Property] have been really helpful. I don’t even know how many times they drove us around to look at places. When our last contract ran out, we went to Thailand for two weeks and got a new place immediately when we got back.”

Do you plan on travelling around Australia?

M – “We plan to leave in November and travel north to the Gold Coast, Cairns.”
A – “We want to get out of the city.”

Have you ever travelled to Third World countries?

Both – “Thailand?”

Do you want to?

A – “I like luxury. As shallow as it sounds, I don’t really want to slum it.”
M – “Kind of the same.”
A – “Well, maybe Peru.”
M – “Africa just for a safari.”

Would you consider yourselves backpackers?

M – “We’re not backpackers. It was a bit hard to start off.”
A – “Yeah, we’re learning to… slum it.” [laughs]

Do you think you’ll want to extend your visa for another year?

M – “It’s hard to say right now…”
A – “It’s been a great trip, but I think we’ll be ready to go home.”
M – “There are other places we want to see… New Zealand… I want to go to Canada. He wants to go to America.”
A – “It’s made us feel appreciative for what we have back home. It’s so isolated here.”

I would just like to thank Michael and Ashley for taking the time to share their experiences with us. We wish you luck on your future travels whenever and wherever they may happen!

If you would like to be a featured tenant in next month’s newsletter, get in touch by using the contact form on this blog.

August 31, 2009

photo credit: Alex U

August 20, 2009

photo credit: JonDissed

Looking for something to do – an activity that can be shared with friends in a comfortable setting and possibly results in a prize? If so, then Trivia Nights at your local pub are the way to go when you are in and around the Sydney area. Trivia nights have become quite popular down under, so I’m sure if you take a minute to walk to your nearest pub, they will most likely offer a trivia night on some day of the week. It’s hours of evening entertainment that’s perfect for when you don’t want to have a late night out.

What is pub trivia?
Well, if you don’t know this, maybe you shouldn’t… uh… go to trivia? No, but seriously, it is basically like the name suggests – a trivia competition held in a pub. Usually trivia goers will work in a team to answer some of the mind-boggling questions the quizmaster throws at them, which they will then write on a designated score sheet to hand in at the end of the night for checking. There might be various rounds on different topics, such as sports, celebrities, music and more, fully testing a team’s knowledge on a broad scale.

Why is pub trivia fun?
Pub trivia is so much fun because it takes place in the company of friends in a laid-back pub environment. In addition, it is usually free to join in, but you’re at a pub already so why not relax and have a beer or two in the process? And, if you are the team that happens to know more random and worthless facts than the others, then you just might get yourselves a nice prize, such as cash or vouchers for the bar!

Where can I find pub trivia near me?
Like I said before, pub trivia can be found at numerous pubs around Sydney, and if you are too lazy to take my advice and just walk to the nearest pub to check, then this list might help. Even though the pubs on this list are not all in the central city area near TFPG properties, we still think it is worth mentioning the other suburbs in case you have friends in those areas. If you know of other trivia nights not mentioned, please leave a comment and we will add those to our list!

MONDAYS
Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills 7:30 PM
Crocodile Farm Hotel, Ashfield 7:00 PM
Toxteth Hotel, Glebe 8:00 PM

TUESDAYS
Alfred Hotel, Camperdown 8:00 PM
Bar Cleveland, Surry Hills 7:30 PM
Berowra Village Tavern, Berowra 7:30 PM
Coopers Hotel, Newtown 7:15PM
Fringe Bar, Paddington 7:00 PM
North Bondi RSL, Nth Bondi 7:30 PM
Rag & Famish, North Sydney 7:30 PM

WEDNESDAYS
Bridgeview Hotel, Willoughby 7:30 PM
Castle Hill RSL Club, Castle Hill 8:00 PM
Club Swans, Kings Cross 7:30 PM
Forresters Hotel, Surry Hills 7:30 PM
Freeway Hotel, Artarmon 7:30 PM
Greengate Hotel, Killara 7:00 PM
Marly Bar, Newtown 7:30 PM
Point Hotel, Pyrmont 7:30 PM
Red Cow Inn, Penrith 7:30 PM
Tailors on Central, Surry Hills 7:00 PM
Union Hotel, Newtown 7:30 PM

THURSDAYS
Gladstone Park Hotel, Leichhardt 7:30 PM
Grosvenor Hotel, Waterloo 7:30 PM
Kelly’s on King, Newtown 8:00 PM
Kurrajong Hotel, Erskineville 7:00 PM
Roseville Memorial Club, Roseville 7:30 PM
Zanzibar, Newtown 7:30 PM

*This list is just a starting point. We suggest you phone ahead to double check that no schedule changes have been made.

How do I join?
Joining is as easy as finding a few willing friends and heading down to the pub. After you arrive, make sure to grab the designated scoring sheets, a table and, most importantly, a few cold ones to go around (thinking juice, right?). And that’s all it takes!

So, if you need something to entertain yourself and don’t want to sit quietly at the movie theater or spend tons of money, then pub trivia nights around Sydney are an excellent option. But, do us all a favour and leave your mobiles off and cheat sheets at home because no one likes a cheater!

Take our Poll: Do you take part in Pub Trivia around Sydney?