You may want a place of your own in Sydney well before you are ready to leave life overseas. Somewhere to spend a longer summer, see parents more easily or give the children a familiar base.
There is a real appeal in arriving with your own keys and knowing where everything belongs. The buying brief needs to account for the months between those visits too.
Give the property one main job
A home for regular visits, a rental investment and a future permanent residence can lead to different choices. Decide which purpose comes first.
If you want to arrive at short notice, availability matters. If the property needs rental income to support the budget, discuss the proposed letting arrangements and your intended visits with a property manager and lawyer before buying. Do not assume you can recover access whenever travel plans change.
If it is mainly a future family home, ask how certain that future is. A property selected for children who may eventually attend school in Sydney is a different commitment from a smaller base you will use several times next year.
Plan a visit from arrival to departure
Picture landing after a long flight. How do you collect the car, get inside and make the first evening easy? Is there secure storage for the belongings you leave behind? Can guests stay without you having to manage a complicated handover?
Then picture leaving again. Who checks the property, responds to a leak or organises a repair? What needs attention in the garden? Who can let a tradesperson in during Sydney business hours?
These questions can change which home feels manageable. An apartment may reduce some exterior upkeep, but the building still needs scrutiny. A house may offer more independence while requiring a more involved local maintenance arrangement.
Work out the cost of having it available
Prepare an annual budget for the way you actually intend to use the home. Include finance costs where relevant, rates, strata levies if applicable, insurance, utilities, cleaning and maintenance. Ask your accountant which taxes and other obligations apply to your circumstances.
Compare that commitment with the accommodation you would otherwise use. Owning may deliver continuity and personal value that temporary accommodation cannot. Put a deliberate value on that benefit rather than relying on assumed rental income or future price growth to make the decision work.
Discuss your expected absences with the insurer before choosing cover. AAMI's guidance explains that extended periods without anyone living in the home can affect insurance; definitions and conditions vary by policy.
Buy for the life you will actually use it for
Leave space in the brief for a different eventual return. The home you want for occasional visits may not be the home you would choose after a permanent move.
That does not make it the wrong purchase. It means being clear about its purpose today, the cost of keeping it and the choices you would have if your plans change.
If you want a Sydney base while continuing to live abroad, call us about how often you expect to visit and who will use the property. We can build the local search around that pattern.
Frequently asked questions
Should we buy enough space for every relative who might visit?
Start with the people who will regularly stay and the length of their visits. Extra rooms have an ongoing cost, even when they are used only occasionally.
Is a newer apartment automatically easier to leave empty?
No. Review the particular building, access arrangements, defects, ongoing costs and the care the apartment needs during your absence. Newness alone does not settle those questions.
