Help please - moving to Edinburgh from Aus

[ZBala]

Hi, I’m after some advice re: moving to Edinburgh. I’ve had a look at some of the similar posts but have a few more questions and would love some help!

Context - we’re moving from Sydney for 12-18months for DH’s Fellowship at Western General Hospital, starting mid-late August. I’m a FTM and due in late May/early June and we’ll also be bringing our cat with us. Planning to rent a 2br flat close to work and not buy a car.

Questions:

1. where is a good/nice suburb to live near the Hospital so DH can walk to work? We were thinking Comely Bank or Stockbridge. Any others we should consider?
   
2. is getting by without a car ok? I’m a bit concerned about the rain/freezing temps and very used to driving most places!
   
3. currently budgeting about £1000-1200pcm, is that enough for rent in these areas?
   
4. also generally speaking what sort of monthly budget should we be looking at for a family of 3 with a cat? We do like eating out and would need 2 mobiles and internet. I know that’s quite vague but I’m really not sure where to start getting an idea of the cost of living, esp with heating (I anticipate we’ll be very cold..) We’ll be on a single income (somewhere btw £31-49k pre tax - no idea what that will translate to after tax monthly??)
   
5. when we arrive in August the plan is to rent an AirBnB for 2 weeks whilst we look for a place. Will this be enough time? How competitive is the rental market?
   
6. where can I get in contact with Mums groups? What sort of baby friendly activities are there to do around the Hospital area?
   
7. I’ve heard that you are assigned a GP Practice based on where you live - is this true? How much does it usually cost for a standard appointment?
   
8. has anyone transported pets from Aus to UK? There are a few companies that do pet transport, any recommendations or tips?
   

Sorry for all the Q’s but appreciate any advice! I’ve been to Edinburgh once over New Years and loved it but have no idea what to expect moving there!! Thank you so much in advance :)

[museumum]

You’ll be fine on that salary.
Stockbridge is baby group / yummy mummy central so you won’t be able to move for baby groups.
Although Stockbridge is also v expensive so you may need to look at the edges of the area.
It’s all on-street parking by permit around there and hard to get a space do you’re 100% right to go without a car.
Join the Facebook group “Edinburgh for under fives”

No idea about how GP will work for you. We (uk and eu nationals) pay nothing. You need to go to one that covers your home address, in the city there’ll be 2-3 that do but most folk just use the closest, especially with young kids. The health visitors hand out lists of baby groups too.

[HamishBamish]

Stockbridge or Comley bank are both nice areas and I think you should be able to find something to rent within your budget. Have a look at //www.espc.co.uk

I think you should be fine without a car. You would be within walking distance of Inverleith park and the Botanics and there are lots of young families in the area. There’s a good book callled ‘Edinburgh for the under fives’ which might be worth a look. There are also loads of baby groups in the area.

You register with a GP practice in your area and appts are free on he NHS.

[Buckeyedjim]

To be near the WG and have a cafe/baby group type area without a car then definitely the Stockbridge/Comely bank area. It IS expensive though, with reason. Your potential income is a wide band - with 31 I think you’ll find things right but 40+ would be comfortable. You would register the LO with a health visitor who can support you too and give some advice about groups to join.

[catdil]

www.citylets.co.uk/results.aspx

Never had a car never needed one.
City car club also an option if you do
www.enterprisecarclub.co.uk/gb/en/home.html

[KingLooieCatz]

The cat may significantly cut down your rental options. It did for us when we were looking for short term lets (i.e. under 6 months). The agent told us that the flats where landlords permit pets are typically the bottom of the heap and not really where you want to move your family. I don't know if it would be different for AirBnB or longer term lets. You might get away with sneaking the cat in (we did, but I have never cleaned so thoroughly in all my life as I did when we moved out).

It's not freezing and raining all year and it's often easier to get around on foot or by bus, especially if you are close to the city centre. I sold mine, got a bus card and joined car club.

I second "Edinburgh for under fives" book as you get to know the city. They've just re-launched their website, don't know the url off hand, I'm sure you can find it just as easily as I can!

"Scotland the Best" is good for finding nice places to eat and places to visit in Edinburgh and further afield as well.

[Ellboo]

Edinburgh also has a brilliant bus service so you’ll be fine without a car. Many GP practices are limiting the registrations they take because they are so oversubscribed but there is not much variation between practices and you’ll get in somewhere. You won’t pay a charge per visit.
Edinburgh for Under 5s lists church-run playgroups (most with no religious connections).
It’s a fair point about accommodation being tricky in August - Edinburgh short-term rents go up by about 4x for that month due to demand.

[Pollaidh]

1. is getting by without a car ok? I’m a bit concerned about the rain/freezing temps and very used to driving most places!
   

The Edinburgh bus service is amazing. I've lived in quite a few cities and Edinburgh beats them all by miles. Lothian Buses are the main ones and there's also the tram now, as well as First Buses. The traffic and parking situation on the other hand, is not good.

I think you'd be ok without a car. Bikes useful, but it's a hilly city. A good compromise is to rent one occasionally as I'm sure you'll want to go and investigate the Highlands at some point.

1. when we arrive in August the plan is to rent an AirBnB for 2 weeks whilst we look for a place. Will this be enough time? How competitive is the rental market?
   

August is not a great time to arrive: This is festival season where the entire city goes mad for 4 weeks. Accommodation will be as rare as hen's teeth, and incredibly expensive. Book now.

1. I’ve heard that you are assigned a GP Practice based on where you live - is this true? How much does it usually cost for a standard appointment?
   

Yes, each GP surgery has a catchment area. For EU and UK citizens an appointment is free. I am not sure about your situation.