Sydney - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Housing is found by the consulate and varies depending on availability and closeness to the US consulate. The real estate market in Sydney is hyper-competitive and expensive. The consulate does a good job of identifying homes and apartments that meet requirements and are well-equipped with modern amenities. Housing in Sydney is surprisingly old and/or not well built, considering it's a modern metropolis in a wealthy country. Mold, pests and run-down fixtures or appliances are fairly common place. And handymen (AKA 'tradies') charge the consulate an arm and a leg to even assess a problem, let alone fix it. - May 2023
Housing is provided by my employer, as a stand-alone house or apartment in regular Sydney neighborhoods. Housing is quite expensive to be close to the Consulate, and it's about the same size as what we could afford in the DC area. Storage space is generally very limited, and not all houses have garages; many have carports. Yards are smaller due to city living, but parks are plentiful. Pets are generally allowed by landlord. - Dec 2020
Sydney doesn't have a fixed housing pool, though Management tries to hold on to housing that we already have, as well as family size/position grade work out. Given who is leaving or arriving at post at any given time, you may be able to express some opinions on housing, or you may already have a housing assignment ready for you. - May 2018
No USG owned housing so it all depends where you end up. Commute times vary - if you live on the North Shore, you have to contend with the bridge traffic and occasional shut downs due to accidents. In the Eastern suburbs, it's the tunnels. Overall, for a city this large, we can't complain. I use buses and couldn't be happier (well I could be if it was cheaper). - Mar 2015
Apartments, single houses - communte 15-30 minutes. - Nov 2014
Housing opportunities with short-term leases are spread across the city. Usually families live in the northern (north of the harbour) or eastern suburbs. Single and couples live near North Sydney or in the central business district (CBD). Commute time from CBD apartments is 10 to 20 minutes walkling. North Sydney is 30 to 40 minutes by bus or train. Outer suburbs ... not sure. Where you live will dictate to a large extent the character of your tour. Choose wisely! - Sep 2012
Great housing, easy commutes on public transport (usually 35 minutes or less door-to-door). - Jun 2010
