Moving to Melbourne temporary stay tip: Get some pre-loved wheels!

Moving to Melbourne but not permanently? My #1 transport tip is to get a used car!

With Melbourne public transport being not quite up-to-scratch by international standards (please read my old-but-still-very-valid article “Get Around, Get Around .. I Get Around ..”) and the city being so spread out, having your own car is essential.

But don’t let the fact that you won’t be here permanently stop you from buying your own set of wheels. This hot tip will work just as well whether you are here on a 6-month work contract or a few years as a student.

Go buy an old used car – around at least 8 to 10 years old. When you are ready to leave, give yourself a little bit of time (a month or so will do) and sell your car through the classifieds, Gumtree or Ebay. As an older car, most of the depreciation would already have occurred and with a little bit of smart bargaining, you will find that the loss is minimal.

For example, a friend of mine bought an old 1999 Suzuki Jimny a couple of years back and sold it just recently after finishing her studies. The difference in price? Just around $600!

This works out way better than hiring a car. And it will provide you with heaps more flexibility and (trust me) a lot less headache dealing with Melbourne’s public transport.

Hope you find this tip useful! :)

Moving to Melbourne Australia - A New Beginning ..

Welcome to Melbourne Ahoy! – The ultimate newcomer’s guide to settling down in beautiful Melbourne, Australia.

If you are going to migrate, planning, recently relocated or even just dreaming about moving to Melbourne, then it is an absolutely MUST to visit this Blog frequently!

What can you expect to find here?

Lots of practical tips, real-life shared experiences, step-by-step walkthroughs, etc that will help make your life transition to this lovely city as smooth as possible.

Basically, a ONE-STOP site for all things related to moving to Melbourne. A lot of the tips found here can also be applied to Australia in general. 

Why am I creating this Blog?

To HELP anyone moving to Melbourne have a stress and pain-free experience full of certainty and pleasant memories.

When I was first planning to migrate to Melbourne, I trawled through the library, bookstore and of course the internet in search of a SIMPLE and STRAIGHTFORWARD guide for someone like me.

Most of the material I found was very high level and abstract. Sure it helped to give me a general idea but none of them were really practical that I could apply immediately.

And while there were various sources that I eventually got my information from (e.g. tax website), it was far from a straightforward process and involved hours upon hours of research. And even then, the information was not very to consume.

All these led to a lot of unwelcome uncertainty heaped upon the stress of moving to totally new environment. So hence this blog .. wished I had found a Blog like this when I was moving here all those years ago !! … :)

How do I make full use of this Blog?

To take full advantage of this Blog, please free to comment, ask any questions or simply seek advice about each of my Blog posts. I will commit to monitoring the comments frequently and answering every question to the best of my ability.

Also, any requests for a Blog post on a specific topic is very much welcome too!

Finally, I hope you enjoy reading the posts here and found that the information here has help to make your new life in Melbourne just a little bit better. :)

MELBOURNE AHOY !!!