Cost of Living (How Much You Would Need to Earn) in Running a House in Regional South Australia?

Hi everyone

Was wondering what are normal expenses of running a house in reigonal south australia and how much each expense is on top of normal everyday expenses wether you live with people or run a house.

Wether you live with someone or run a house there is always the following expenses no matter what

Car rego
Car insurance
Car repairs/maintenance
Ambulance
Raa
Board
A bit of spending
Savings (varies with income)
Phone credit
Internet
Pet food (if owning pets)
Vet bills (if owning pets)

What are extra expenses on top of the above when running a house, would below sound right

Rent or mortgage (instead of board)
Land line (if internet is on a landline)
Power bill
Water bill
Food
Council rates if owning
Contents insurance
House insurance if owning
Water rates

What other expenses can yous think of and how much a fortnight would you need to earn to be able to run a house in reigonal south australia roughly and be able to have a life and to be able to buy.

These days renting is nearly as expensive as it is ti buy plus youre limited to what you can have or do without asking owners permission and you dont know how long you are there for and keeping in mind that with buying the place is yours and you dont have to possibly relocate at anytime.

Am mostly happy living with current people at moment, just planning ahead while there is still plenty of time as eventually will look at doing that and itll probably take 5-10 years to come up with something.

At moment the shed is main problem but will need to think about house as council wont let you put a shed on a vacant block without submitting plans to build house and dont want to rent and pay as much to rent and be limited.

Sometimes just need more room to have things and realising that it may be only way.

A uncle was 40 or more when he bought his and expecting to be atleast same age he was or older being single

Thanks

Comments

  • +22

    yous

    I'll give you a tip for free, this isn't a word.

    Edit - oops, didn't realise it was the guy that just posts incoherent rubbish all the time. Carry on.

    • +19

      it was the guy that just posts incoherent rubbish all the time

      We've got more than one of those.

      • +4

        Not only men. Lest we forget Pam2000

        • +10

          She's still around as screensaver?

          • @kerfuffle: Nope. She is known as superspreader now.

    • +2

      Should be published as a small novel.

      • +1

        The life and musings of car10001

        • +5

          cart10001's latest novella is a bildungsroman of sorts. Here the lad speculates on with a fearsome wit, the price of a decent SA regional property, shed options, his lack of ambition (hoping to live to 40 as a singleton). As he contemplates life with a hayseed in his mouth, you can't stop from wondering what fresh mental illness this could breed…

    • +11

      It's spelt youse.

    • +2

      “everyday expenses wether you live with “
      And the spelling of wether…but I do suppose wethers live in the country.

    • +2

      Classic from Carl
      https://youtu.be/yrMpKaEd__M

    • I will give you a tip

      Cost of living is much the same everywhere unless you live on a farm and produce all your own food.
      But in regional areas travel becomes a big expense as its so far to travel anywhere.
      Also cost of services such as car mechanics and other trades is much higher!
      People think regional living is cheap but its not really.

      Just work on current expenses as a guide
      Its more lifestyle than location

      • It is when you factor in the price of a house/land. My neighbours house in Seaford Meadows just sold for $662K, you'd be hard pressed to find a house/land for that much in many of the regional areas.

        Having said that I recall a fairly recent article where a house went for over a mil in frickin' Mount Gambier (just about halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne for those who don't know).

        • Hard pressed to find one that expensive or that cheap?

          I live in a small regional town (less than 10k people) and houses are sky rocketing. A 4 bedroom house on a 1000sqm block is 500k+ depending on how nice it is.

          A new 5 bedroom house regardless of land size is 600k+ minimum.

      • Cost of living in a regional city is very low. I have access to everything I need. Living in a rural location would be a pain because you'd have to drive in to town to buy groceries and to do any activities.

        Major cities have much higher cost of living but this is probably offset by higher wages in a lot of jobs where a particular skillset is highly sought after.

        • The main thing that changes is the rent or the cost to buy.
          Mostly everything else is the same - groceries at least.
          Services may cost more due to lack of availability.
          Fuel cost depends on location but generally more due to cost of transport

          So once you take out rent or purchase cost its debatable if its more or less.

          But the way property prices are going with regional locations on fire, even that cost is going up quickly.

  • +2

    Budget for "1…billion, gagillion, fafillion, shabolubalu million illion yillion … yen."

  • -4

    well how much would you need to earn a fortnight minimum, someone must know

    • +10

      $5000

      Have you realised that your question is basically asking how long a piece of string is? For example, car insurance is dependent on many factors. Food also has many variables as well.

    • +3

      tree fiddy

  • +13

    It never ceases to amaze me with some of the infantile posts we see on OZB
    How do people like OP manage to survive if they cannot work out for themselves the very simple basics of life?
    Based on OP post the future of mankind is really in trouble

    • +3

      These are my thoughts when someone replies ‘bikies’…

      • -1

        bikies.

  • +7

    This comment from @scrimshaw re: OP’s last post says it all.

    ITT: We discover that OP has no respect for the OzBargain community.

    • From someone who reads threads but rarely replies I've observed there is a core section of the OzB community that has no respect for the people who post on the forums.

      The posts on this thread alone are a perfect example of people who just jump on the OP and post semi-abusive or passive aggressive replies. Whether you think the post is dumb or not doesn't give anyone the right to do that yet I see it all the time.

      Personally I've been banned from posting by one of the mods here for 24 hours for doing just that yet whenever I jump into one of the highlighted threads comments abusing the OP are a large majority of what I see.

      • From someone who reads threads

        Posting on behalf of someone else?

        Do they have any relevant advice for the OP?

        • -1

          Nope, not posting on behalf of anyone else at all.

          I certainly could provide some useful advice for the OP and may do so at some point. Right now I'm about to start work for the day.

      • +2

        The problem is that the OP has given too many variables for the community to give a cohesive answer (not for the first time) and doesn't answer the questions asked by the community. In my example, I asked the OP of their age, what car they drove, their dietary requirements and so forth (as they're all factors that contribute to the cost of living), and they didn't bother responding, instead just demanding answers.

        No one can answer OP's questions because there are far too many variables to give an informative reply. Perhaps had the OP given more information about themselves or gave an indication that they did some research, they would receive less abusive and passive-aggressive responses.

  • +1

    know what basic bills are just wanted to know what other people are roughly paying for the extra expenses when running house so am able to add them on and work it out, someone must know

    • +13

      We actually have no idea - none of us. Sorry

    • +1

      You must know your existing bills, but no one here has any idea what they are and as such everyone's vary and regional in OZ states can vary to buggery. Why did you not put your existing bills or a total in the post?

      Also looks like you did not learn from previous post responses that asking for allot of info without supplying very much or doing your research will NOT get you very far.

  • -3

    how do you find out from others what theyre paying so you can get a idea

    • +6

      Have you heard of variable factors? It all depends on your age, what you do, how much land you have, etc.

      Seriously, how old are you? What do you do for work? What car do you drive? If you can even drive, that is. How many times do you shower a day and for how long? Do you have a TV? Do you eat six meals a day or do you eat one?

      See how no one can answer your questions because there's so many variables?

    • +3

      how do you find out from others what theyre paying so you can get a idea

      TL;DR

      No one is going to read through your long post with its pointless questions OP.

      Try working it out for yourself, it's part of growing up.

    • So what are you paying?

    • In regional NSW:
      rent can be $100 to $1000 per week.
      food can be from $5 to $200 per week

      If you live on a farm and grow your own veges and meat then you spend bugger all, but if you live in a regional area like Tibooburra and in town then the cost will be very high.
      If you like in say Port then the rent will be $1000 for a place overlooking the beach, but if you live in say Nimben in a hippy house then it will be cheap.

      • How can it be $5 a week?

        • +1

          Instant noodle life.

        • +1

          How can it not be.

        • +5

          $5 worth of ice - no food all week

          Plenty of ice in regional SA

    • There’s this thing called Google. You’re apparently the only person who has never heard of it.

  • Travel Expenses (petrol) - there aren't as many public transport options living in rural/regional areas

    Also, there tend not to be as many job opportunities unless you plan on moving closer to a regional centre, but then you will run into similar problems of house prices etc. .

    Maybe ask when you have the means to move because the situation will probably change in 10+ years.

  • +11

    I live in rural SA.

    Rent and house prices are certainly cheaper than metro so expect a saving there.
    Groceries are typically dearer due to smaller supermarkets.
    Fuel costs are a bigger factor. Lots of reasons to have to go back to Adelaide.

    We also run a large freezer to stock up when we are near a bigger (cheaper) supermarket. Adds a little to the electric bill.

    Also factor in heating costs. Rural often means wood heaters or bottled gas. Both can be quite expensive unless you have a property (or friend) and can source your own wood.

    Insurance is generally cheaper than metro. Rego is also cheaper in the country.

    Another BIG cost for some parents is education. A number send their kids to Adelaide to boarding schools. Costs can be upwards of $40k per year per child. If you’ve got a great local primary/high or area school, appreciate it and don’t take it for granted.

  • Where in SA? Some parts are as expensive if not more so than parts of metropolitan Adelaide. Port Lincoln and Mount Gambier are up there.

    Obviously not the same as living in Pt Pirie where an unhealthy dose of lead comes free. Can barely give houses away.

    Do your research when you figure out precisely where you want to go.

    • +1

      This is Op's research and has done this type of research on other subjects w.r.t. posting via OZ bargain.

    • Pt Pirie aka shittest town in Australia

      • Nuffin rong with Pirie mate

  • +2

    Just allow an extra 12%, if this is not enough allow extra. If too much, reduce it.

    Otherwise ask your uncle.

  • Do you want the answer daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly or annually?

    • Hourly, duh

  • +3

    Hi OP, if you are looking at moving to regional SA in 5-10 years, any information relating to cost of living expenses you get now will be outdated by the time you decide to move.

  • +2

    just planning ahead while there is still plenty of time as eventually will look at doing that and itll probably take 5-10 years to come up with something.

    5-10 years

    (Profanity) kidding me?

  • Whatever answer you get now is going to be drastically different in the future.

    Interest rates are going to go up, inflation will continue to increase.

  • +1

    Evo lution Wilco88~car10001

  • +2

    Youse will pay similar rent to being somewhere in the city unless you are 30 minutes from a supermarket - meaning it seems that average rentals even in small cities for a nice house is $350 plus per week (Mt Gambier for a crap house is $300), you can find a place in a city for not much more at 30 minutes away from where ever you work.

    Your other costs will be the same if not higher than living in the city, especially electricity if you come from Vic (we have this experience). NBN is more likely to be a hassle, speeds or outages etc, ours works fine most of the time. Groceries will be more expensive as the cheap shops often don't go to the small locations.

    Where you might save is not going out as often as there is not the same options as the city, you may also enjoy the quiet - we do, we have an amazing home in coastal SA but it is unlikely to be any cheaper except for your optionals.

    Regional SA is a lifestyle choice hardly a cost choice unless you want to be away from everything.

  • +1

    do you not proof-read your post before submitting on a public forum?

  • +1

    I work for a bank so we are always look at living expenses…a good base line is using the Household Expenditure Measure (HEM) but this is only a guide because it adjusts based on number of people in the home and also generally the more you earn, the more you spend.

    For a single person with basic expenses and minimal discretionary spending you should expect to have $1300-$1500 per month living expenses plus rent/mortgage payments plus any other payments to credit facilities. This is for basics and does not include luxuries such as health insurance, life insurance & holidays.

    yes, I know, most people (especially this cohort) will probably feel they spend less than the HEM which is possible but unlikely (when you actually go through your statements you may be surprised how much you are spending on eneloops).

    I suggest searching for a living expenses/budget calculator that itemises your expenses to see what you are likely to spend.

  • +1

    spend everything possible on credit card for 12 months. download credit card file into spreadsheet. Categorise every item. If you're earning more than you're spending…smile, if not have a good hard look at the list to work out what you didn't really need.

  • +2

    Can we bookmark this so that everyone can see what the definition of a shitpost is?

  • +1

    Rule of thumb is double your rent. So if you pay 500 per week on rent you'll find you'll need about 500 per week to cover all your other costs. That's roughly how long a piece of string is. Like holidays, double your transport, spend 500 going somewhere, spend 500 on costs. Some do it in 1 weekend, some in 2 weeks. But all things depend on many factors, but rule of thumb is a good indication for rich and for poor. Rich people spend more on rent and drive better cars and eat better food , ….

  • +1

    May I recommend the below? I suggested this to a very young colleague of mine and he mentioned that he found it helpful. If you use the budget planner, it will provide a comprehensive list of things you need to consider.

    https://moneysmart.gov.au/budgeting

  • Hello, where do you live now, how much fo you spend per month now? How much do you make now?

    If you think of it that way you could get a lot more help.

    User Shrek4 is probably the only one living in rural SA and has given you a lot to think about.

    Depending where you are think about bushfires (protection, evacuation), lack of rain to fill rain water tanks. My friends live near Lucindale and they are big issues they have been dealing with recently.

  • What are you running away from…. nothing… you are simply transferring all your crap with you.

    You pack two bags….. and leave the other one at home.

    Stop making silly lists.

  • what is your definition of regional?

  • +2

    I have a sneaky suspicion OP is about 12 years old

    • +2

      I remember when I was a kid and had no concept of how much a house cost. I would hear people abbreviate house prices (i.e. 190 as opposed to 190,000) and literally thought houses cost $190.

  • I looked at my expenses a few years ago and spent ~$20,000 for the year. This is in regional Victoria so the price of rent may be similar. No idea how the price of utilities would compare, but I assume most other costs would be similar (i.e. food, petrol, phone bill etc.). I only paid my share of the rent which was only $100 a week ($5,200) over the year. Rent is around $400 where I am which would make my living expenses ~$35,000 if I were to rent out a place on my own… I think mortgage repayments are quite similar to rent but there are also additional expenses as you've outlined. plus the fact that you need a 20% deposit…

  • youre limited to what you can have or do without asking owners permission and you dont know how long you are there for and keeping in mind that with buying the place is yours and you dont have to possibly relocate at anytime.

    You know one of the great things about renting is the freedom to get up and leave at any time. A mortgage is a liability and can prevent you from making certain decisions.

  • $80,000 PA

    I brought a house 3 years ago on 60k but prices have soared since then. I'm south around Marion

    • +2

      Around Marion is regional?

      • I'd say for a decent house you're still gona be spending 400k. I'd want to be on 80k to save up a good deposit, and maintain a high quality of life.

  • Having lived in regional I think you need to take into account services will be more expensive, from mechanics to dentists to council rates and even power and water if you live on the grid.

    Travel cost alot more due to distance and you'll also want to have a good reliable car. Home maintenence will normally also cost more time and money, used to take over 3hrs to mow our block on a ride on mower.

  • Wether you live with someone or run a house there is always the following expenses no matter what

    Ambulance

    Wait, what? lol

    • In SA an ambulance is over $1000 in an emergency.

      So I assume (but am unsure because gibberish is not native to me) the OP means ambulance insurance.(About $92pa for the OP).

      • Why would anyone insure that though. Unless OP has serious health issues I guess…

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