Which company should you use?
Some companies while they look great on the surface are not quite what they appear.
Selecting the right homestay company is a crucial decision when planning your trip. Should you opt for the most popular one? Should you choose the largest company? What do the reviews say? In the following paragraphs, we have addressed these and other queries that we hope will assist you in making an informed decision.
"When you first begin your search for homestay companies, the most common approach is to start with the largest and most heavily advertised one. Although there is nothing wrong with this, we have noticed a few factors worth considering and have mentioned these below.
It is often observed that larger companies charge higher prices. This is because advertising is an expensive activity, and these companies tend to spend a lot of money on it. Unfortunately, this means that they may have less money to invest in other areas like classroom time and teachers.
If you're planning to use a homestay company, it's important to ask them for a sample timetable of the school you'll be attending. This will help ensure that you spend as much time as possible in the classroom, ideally from 8:30 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. Some companies may only offer half-day programs, which means you'll only get about 20 hours of classroom time per week, compared to the average of 40 hours for full-time study. From our experience, students who only study part-time do not improve as quickly as those who study full-time. While some companies may argue that part-time hours give you more time for activities and travel, keep in mind that Perth has great weather almost all year round and plenty of activities to enjoy on weekends, so you will have more than enough time to explore this amazing city/state on your days off.
It's also worth noting that working from home is a common practice in Australia. If a member of your host family works from home, they may prefer to have the house to themselves during working hours. This could make you feel uncomfortable and unwelcome if you have half-day school schedules and need to stay at home longer. (The article continues down below ↓↓↓)
Below are some affilate linked products that we think would help you with you journey.
When you purchase a product through an affilate link there is no extra charge to you, however we receive a small commission to help keep this site running.
Small Packing Travel Organizer Set
4-Piece Set
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Generic 4-Pack
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Samsonite Luggage Strap Integrated TSA Combilock
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Knee High Support
Unisex
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Expandable Packing Organizers
Set of 4
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RFID Wallet,
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7 Colours Available
It is also important to consider how much your host family will be paid each week. On average, your host company should pay your host family a minimum of $320 per week (as of 2024). This amount will give your host family some extra money to take you out and treat you to occasional meals or activities. However, we have observed that some of the larger and more popular companies pay as low as $230-$240 per week, which is barely enough to survive in today's cost of living crisis.
We highly recommend that you read numerous reviews before finalizing your decision. Conduct your own research and gather information about the positive and negative aspects of the hosting company you are interested in. You should also consider contacting former students to inquire about their genuine opinions.
If you have any further questions or would like to chat about homestay, you can contact us via email or book a telephone consultation on our Consultation Services page.
Best of luck with your Homestay journey.