It is totally a kill or be killed or rather be the first to get your application in and first to deposit or forget about winning your dream apartment. A relocation specialist does help as I have found out. Someone else to please your case is always good!
Okay, my peeps, here are today's definitions:
Furnished: exactly that--everything down to the plates, utensils, linens, appliances, etc.
Partially Furnished: cooktop, dishwasher, that's about it (no other appliances)
Unfurnished: exactly that--no appliances, no furniture, shell of your place basically
Open Inspection: house/apt open for public viewing. Typically in a 15 min increment (e.g. 5:00p-5:15p). Saturday is a big day for open inspections. In some areas you will be in a pack of people moving between properties.
Common:
- no fridge, washer or dryer
- heating and/or air conditioning (may have one but not the other, etc.)
- internal laundry means just that (inside the unit/house are hook ups, not shared laundry or outside)
Rules:
- Applications must be turned in for agent to review/submit to property owner for their review and acceptance.
- First person to deposit (1 week's rent) stops agent from accepting any other deposits.
- They can continue to collect applications so deposit does not insure your winning the place.
- If approved, have 7 day cooling off period to accept. If decide not the place you want and you have made a deposit, you loose that many day's proration of the deposit (i.e. if in two days you say no, loose 2/7ths of deposit).
- Not uncommon to place applications on multiple properties.
- Relocation specialist gives a slight edge over the common renter (if renting here find yourself one and pay for it. Worth their weight in gold.)
Day One:
Properties viewed: 8
Applications submitted: 2
Applications won: 1-2 (will explain)
Bad agents: 2
Distracting news story headline: 40% of Australian women above a bra size DD!! An average 12
year old would be in a size C or D cup! Wouldn't even have dreamed of that at that age! Apparently
not now either. Ha!
1st application: Balmain (Tremont on steroids), furnished victorian near the Dawn Fraser (1950s olympian) Swimming Pool.
Met a great Irish couple (we exchanged numbers--new friends!) who were also looking at the place.
Both racing to fill out and turn in application to the agent. Typically, deposit must be submitted through electronic bank transfer. Lost this property because somehow the couple convinced the realty company to accept a credit card over the phone without even seeing the application from the agent on the property. Unheard of apparently! Must have paid some extra dollars!
Bad agent #1: above agent called back the next morning to say that even though the day before said that the Irish couple won the place, the agent presented my application to the owner and since I could move in ASAP and would like a second year option (Irish only here for one year with Citigroup), the owner was willing to rent to me. Totally bad form!
2nd application: Kirribilli (reminds me of Gold Coast of Chicago, representative to the Queen resides here as does the Prime Minister), furnished modern apartment in security building with views of the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Beautiful!
Viewing property with young lady who is viewing for 2nd time. Both of us standing in apartment filling out application to give to the agent, while my relocation specialist is on the phone coordinating the bank transfer for the deposit. Literally racing to complete this! Total adrenaline pumping.
Received call about three hours later, apartment won!
Bad agent #2: not the above mentioned property but the agent who lost the keys to a viewing inside her own office!
Day Two:
Desire to see a second property in Balmain so agreed worth the time to view a couple others.
Properties viewed: 3
Applications submitted: 1
Open inspection: 3 (each property had 10-15 people looking at same time)
1st application: Balmain--unfurnished terrace house with two bedrooms and great rear patio.
Oh-forgot to mention that Friday night my relo pal had me fill out the applications for all of the properties we were viewing on Saturday so that if should like any, we were finished and could immediately hand to agent to try to get first one in.
Rules a little different on Saturday--open inspections do not take deposits, they collect all the applications and will review the next Monday. You want to be one of the first, if not the first, one in, and need to make an impression on the agent. Obviously being American & a property owner in the States makes me stand out a bit here. DO NOT GIVE THE APPLICATION TO THE AGENT ON PREMISE. We race to the office which is down the street to submit. Application submitted. Now the waiting game...
Oh-forgot to mention that Friday night my relo pal had me fill out the applications for all of the properties we were viewing on Saturday so that if should like any, we were finished and could immediately hand to agent to try to get first one in.
Rules a little different on Saturday--open inspections do not take deposits, they collect all the applications and will review the next Monday. You want to be one of the first, if not the first, one in, and need to make an impression on the agent. Obviously being American & a property owner in the States makes me stand out a bit here. DO NOT GIVE THE APPLICATION TO THE AGENT ON PREMISE. We race to the office which is down the street to submit. Application submitted. Now the waiting game...
BTW--my relo pal's husband is driving us so that we can literally jump out of the car, view the property and race to the next one.
Sunday, no word. Monday morning, no word. Called the relo pal and she had left message for the agent. 2p call from the relo pal that YEAH! we won the Balmain property and she had called the agent from Kirrabilli to let know that I had "a lead on another apartment from someone in my office". They also have to keep up appearances to keep in the good graces of the realty agents. 
Here are the pictures of the new place. There is a second bedroom for those of you willing to make the trek. Available to move in May 3rd. I'll update with the address, etc. once lease is finalized.
As a side note, this house is just within a 10 min walk from the wharf where I will catch the ferry into the office. You WILL be able to see the fireworks from there. We may just have to grab some blankets and camp out a little earlier than we would if were watching from the living room in Kirribilli. Home sweet home away from home!
(Photo credit: Domain.com.au)
