The Gold Coast is Australia’s playground, with beautiful beaches to enjoy, a wide variety of theme parks beloved by little and big kids, and stunning national parks. However, it’s fast becoming a beloved destination for Sydney-siders looking to relocate and embrace the relaxed lifestyle and unique opportunities.
As Allied Moving Services is one of Australia’s most trusted interstate removalists, we have decades of experience in helping families and individuals move successfully. Our Sydney interstate removalist team and Gold Coast removalist team work together to ensure that every interstate relocation is as seamless as possible! Using our expertise, we have created this helpful guide with everything you need to know including everyday life in the Gold Coast compared to Sydney and how you can best prepare for the big interstate move.
Life in the Gold Coast
Sun, sand, salt - what’s not to love? The Gold Coast does offer the best of the best when it comes to beaches, but what is everyday living actually like and how does it compare to Sydney?
WORK & CAREER
As remote working has quickly become the norm for many office jobs, more people are choosing to relocate for lifestyle reasons. The Gold Coast is a great option for those wanting to embrace a lifestyle change and continue working in their chosen field through remote working arrangements. There are also a wide variety of thriving industries based within the Gold Coast. You’ll find ample opportunities and exciting career growth in industries, such as hospitality, tourism, construction, film and television, healthcare and education. In the case of moving with a family, the Gold Coast offers both excellent public and private schools, from Kindergarten to University.
HOUSING
When it comes to housing, the Gold Coast is much more affordable than Sydney. The median house price is $945,000 in the Gold Coast, compared to Sydney’s average of approximately $1.46 million. You will also find that renting is much cheaper, with a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre costing around $3,687 a month according to BudgetDirect.
Some of the most desirable (and expensive) suburbs within the Gold Coast include Surfers Paradise, Burleigh Heads, and Broadbeach. If you are looking for something more family (and budget) friendly, we recommend Palm Beach, Labrador, and Currumbin Waters.
TRANSPORTATION
When it comes to getting around the Gold Coast, there are a few different ways. Public transportation is continually expanding, with rail, bus and tram services. The tram system, the G:Link, is best suited for shorter local journeys and travels around 16 different stations. The train system is ideal for commuting to Brisbane, the Northern attractions, the airport and has six stations across the Gold Coast. There are less frequent bus services available in the outer suburbs so it is best used in close proximity to the CBD. Unlike Sydney, driving in the Gold Coast is also a good option. With the new bike infrastructure, cycling is becoming a popular option for getting around.
CLIMATE
The great weather is a significant reason why many Sydneysiders choose to relocate. The abundance of sunshine and subtropical climate means that the Gold Coast experiences considerably warm temperatures year round. In the Summer months, temperatures average from 20 to 28℃, and in the winter 9 to 21℃. The humidity is high during the summer months so expect some short tropical storms to occur frequently during the late afternoons. It’s also important to note that, unlike Sydney, Queensland does not observe daylight savings time.
THE CULTURE & LIFESTYLE
It’s tough to beat the culture, dining and nightlife of Sydney, but don’t discount the Gold Coast. The creative and entertainment scene is on the rise, with new funding helping to shed the former image of being uncultured and sport-centric. The food and dining options are also beginning to diversify, and exciting new restaurants and bars are finding success.
Even as the culture continues to grow, rest assured the Gold Coast is still an adventurer’s playground. There are over 300 sports clubs, numerous stadiums, aquatic centres and golf courses, as well as plenty of different sporting and other activity organisations and facilities. With the beach, a multitude of national parks and other green spaces, you can easily immerse yourself in everything the great outdoors has to offer!
Planning your move
So, now you have a basic idea of what life will be like on the Gold Coast, it’s time to begin planning your relocation from Sydney! There’s more to do than zip up your suitcase and hop on a plane. We break down what you need to plan to ensure that your move is a success!
PACK BELONGINGS AND FURNITURE
There’s no doubt that many people dread packing for a move. The tedious and boring nature of the task means it’s not uncommon for it to be left to the last minute. But, before you start procrastinating, know that getting started on your packing can be a big difference! A good packing job will ensure that your belongings and furniture make it safely from Sydney to your new home on the Gold Coast. Using a professional packing service gives you peace of mind that your precious items are properly packed by the experts with the right materials and boxes. If you’d rather pack your things yourself, we recommend using specialised moving boxes from your moving company.
MOVING A CAR OR VEHICLE
As having a car is highly convenient when living in the Gold Coast, you will likely want to bring your vehicle with you from Sydney. There are two options for transporting your car. The first being driving your vehicle from Sydney to the Gold Coast yourself, which takes over nine hours. Alternatively, you can use a car transportation service. This involves relocation experts ensuring that your vehicle (including cars, trailers, caravans, and motorbikes) is taken care of so you can focus on the rest of your move. After you have been living in Queensland for three months, you will need to apply for a Queensland driving licence and update your vehicle’s registration.
PREPARE YOUR PET
As pets are highly sensitive to change, moving with a pet can be stressful for everyone involved. To prepare your pet for the relocation, take them to the vet for a check-up. Also, check that your pet is microchipped and update their identification information with your new address. As Sydney to the Gold Coast is a considerable distance, we recommend using a pet relocation service. Trusting the professionals can make the experience a whole lot easier and more streamlined, and help to reduce the stress through the move.
CONSIDER STORAGE
When packing for your relocation, you may find it tough to determine what you should bring. Considering putting your items in secure storage is an ideal way to reduce the amount of things you need to move, without sacrificing sentimental or valuable items. You can opt for short term storage to provide you with some much needed flexibility and store your belongings until you are settled in your new home. In the case of needing to store your items for extended periods of time, long term storage will keep your belongings safe in purpose-built storage facilities. Allied can even deliver your stored items directly to your new home when you need them, regardless of where you are relocated!
REMOVALISTS VS DIY
When you are preparing for your interstate relocation to the Gold Coast, you will need to decide if you try to handle the move yourself, or enlist the help of a removalist company. As an interstate move involves many moving parts and logistics to keep track of, it’s not an important decision to make. Usually, the choice will depend on whether it is worthwhile using removalists.
Trusting a removalist company with your relocation has the benefit of being highly convenient and sometimes actually very cost-effective.
With DIY moves, there are a variety of costs involved, such as petrol, packing materials, the time taken to pack and move yourself (including taking time off work), renting a truck or van, and any other incidental expenses. Plus, there could be additional costs required for any items damaged during the move as well as the added risk of injuring yourself while moving. You will also need to organise and plan the move which is stressful and time consuming.
On the other hand, a considerable benefit for using professional movers is their ability to provide multiple moving services, such as secure storage and transit insurance, at a more competitive rate than if you are using numerous service providers - making professional removalist services great value!
A moving company also provides the added advantage of saving you significant time and energy. A team of professional movers will have the right experience, a high level of training and proper equipment to handle your interstate relocation and carefully look after your belongings, not to mention they will be significantly more efficient. This provides you with more time to settle into your new home and enjoy everything that the Gold Coast has to offer!