West of Melbourne

Don’t let what you see from the big bridge (Westgate) put you off.

These areas are alive and so convenient to Melbourne – 10 minutes by car from Yarraville shopping centre in Anderson St to Flinders St CBD. Single fronted, double fronted mainly timber period homes from little investments at $600,000 plus in trendy Yarraville through to big waterfront family homes in Williamstown at $2million plus.

Great Places to live in that we have bought recently

Williamstown  (some off market as well)
Seddon
Yarraville

Legend:	Small Homes < $1M Family Homes $800K – $1.75M Large > $2M+ Homes Great Shops

 

Best Places to have coffee and get a feel of life here

1. Anderson St then coffee at Java just off Anderson St Yarraville. Once you have filled up go north over Somerville Road to Seddon – its simply a lovely place to live. Exhausted – its coffee time at the Gravy Train in Gamon St Seddon. Most of these places are at the lower end of the scale price wise eg below a million and they are really nice homes
2. Anywhere along the Strand in Williamstown and take a walk through the streets behind – either side of a million dollars – mostly on the upside of a million that is.

Back To Top

 

 

North of the City of Melbourne

If you want to see the full range of smaller period homes in cosmopolitan and alternative inner Melbourne then you must look at Carlton and Fitzroy (5 mins to city). Want the Mediterranean influence? Then have a look at Brunswick and surrounds. Still want to be north and near the Airport and in a  grander period and new home - think Essendon.

Great Places to live in that we have bought recently

Essendon
Moonee Ponds
Carlton
Fitzroy
Brunswick
Parkville (fair amount off market as well)

Legend:	Small Homes < $1M Family Homes $800K – $1.75M Large > $2M+ Homes Great Shops

Best Places to have coffee and get a feel of life here

1. We love Rathdowne St shops in Carlton – back in time
2. Brunswick St Fitzroy anywhere but try Marios – near corner of Johnston St
3. Take a walk around the Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy
4. For Essendon and Moonee Ponds it’s a bit trickier suggest you go with somebody who knows the areas or give us a ring.

Back To Top

 

North East of Melbourne

We love buying homes in Fairfield, Ivanhoe and Alphington and till 5 years ago we could buy them at very good value.

The world however has woken up to these suburbs that lie along the Yarra river and have beautiful period homes interspersed with some “groovy” townhouse developments. We are often asked is this a couple or a family area – truth is – its both and that is what makes it lovely to live here.

Great Places to live in that we have bought recently

Fairfield
Ivanhoe
Alphington
Clifton Hill

Legend:	Small Homes < $1M Family Homes $800K – $1.75M Large > $2M+ Homes Great Shops

Best Places to have coffee and get a feel of life here

1. Station St Fairfield – near the pedestrian lights are 3 or 4 places. Walk around the streets to the West or left hand side of your directory page.
2. In Upper Heidelberg Road Ivanhoe there is this great coffee shop near the traffic lights on the east side – very classy presentation. Take a car from here and go for a drive south and east to get a feel on the area.

Back To Top

 

Inner East of Melbourne

Collingwood (go magpies), East Melbourne, South Yarra, Prahran and Richmond is a very small area and such a wide range of old and new that its hard to believe all these suburbs lie within a kilometer or so of the MCG – Melbourne Cricket and Football Ground.

It is not uncommon for us to have a few auctions on the weekend and at 12 noon be bidding for an $800,000 compact townhouse in Prahran and at 1pm be putting our hand up for a $3million home in East Melbourne

Great Places to live in that we have bought recently

East Melbourne 
South Yarra  (fair amount off market as well)
Prahran
Richmond

Legend:	Small Homes < $1M Family Homes $800K – $1.75M Large > $2M+ Homes Great Shops

Best Places to have coffee and get a feel of life here

1. There are plenty of places but why not start in the Richmond Hill area – walk through MCG and then north up to the Hilton Hotel and treat yourself to a coffee inside. If you are fit on into the city through the gardens.
2. For Prahran go and have lunch in the Flying Duck – Bendigo St Prahran
3. For South Yarra – Café Cucina round in Chapel St – south from Toorak Road then walk up Toorak Road towards the city.
4. Feeling really fit how about a run around the tan or a visit to the Botanic Gardens finishing with a great lunch at the botanical on Domain Road.

There are also plenty of areas you wouldn’t buy in, in the above suburbs – so don’t judge a book by the cover you first see. This is a great area, but in the right spots.

Back To Top

 

East of Melbourne

Now you are looking at the big blocks, big homes and big prices.

Apart from some Bayside suburbs this covers Melbourne most expensive areas. You have the freeway, leafy green wide streets, an incredible tram network, many diverse religious and non religious private schools; parks and some of Melbourne best shopping strips.

This is Establishment Melbourne having some of Melbourne’s earliest developments (mid to late 1800’s). However it is also New Melbourne because many of its larger blocks have been turned into multi million dollar townhouses and low rise apartment set ups. There are many jokes about lawyers (almost as many as about buying and selling agents) however in these areas they have done a good job keeping many developments in line with the surrounding neighbourhood character.  

The East is a lovely place to be and there are also many smaller quaint period homes – they are not cheap – nothing is – but they have stood the test of time. These Victorian and Edwardian cottages are great first homes for the children, “almost last homes” for downsizers and we often recommend these as solid to investors.

Bit of Trivia - even though our first office was in Brighton we have bought more $2M+ homes in this area than Bayside.

Great Places to live in that we have bought recently

Kew  (fair amount off market as well)
Hawthorn  (fair amount off market as well)
Balwyn
Canterbury  (fair amount off market as well)
Surrey Hills 
Toorak  (fair amount off market as well)
Armadale  (fair amount off market as well)
Malvern  (fair amount off market as well)
Malvern East  (fair amount off market as well)
Glen Iris

Legend:	Small Homes < $1M Family Homes $800K – $1.75M Large > $2M+ Homes Great Shops

Best Places to have coffee and get a feel of life here

1. Drive around the Sackville St area (bigger money) Kew – Elgin St area (smaller money) Hawthorn and have a coffee at Osso’s at 80 Burwood rd Hawthorn.
2. Then go up Power St for a drive around Linda, Chrystobel, Kinkora Roads for (bigger money) Hawthorn and get some chocolates from Haig’s – 715 Glenferrie Road – big shopping strip.
3. For Canterbury go to Maling Road (really lovely shopping strip that takes you back in time) and Browns has the best coffee, although a couple of doors up is another great chocolate shop serving coffee. Maling Road to the North is one lot of Canterbury.
   Another part to get a feel of Canterbury is the go towards the CBD along Canterbury Road from Balwyn Road and drive north up and down roads between Canterbury and Mont Albert. You need to have multiple millions to be buying anything in these areas.
4. Surrey Hills at its best is away from the CBD along Canterbury Road until you get to Union Road. Turn left at Union, (coffee at the purple cookbook shop on the left first) over the railway line and then take any street for the next ten streets on the left. These are great streets in Surrey Hills.
5. Toorak – let us show you but if you want a quiet lunch – try The Rose Gallery – Rose St Armadale – just off Beatty Ave – Hawksburn Railway Station – its quirky.
6. Malvern, Armadale – If you must be seen and we must then Oska Whytes (best sandwiches) on High St (nth side) couple of doors up from Kooyong Rd corner. Malvern and Armadale and what it is; can been seen by driving north, south, east and west for about a kilometer from here. You need to have a few million to a lot to buy in this area – even the single fronted cottages are well over a million.
7. Malvern East – Central Park – Wattletree and Burke Road corner is the lead into the Gasgoine Estate – take a footy and have a kick in the park and then drive around area surrounded by Wattletree, Tooronga, Waverley, Darling, Malvern Roads. We like having a bruschetta and coffee at Neills in Burke Road next to Central Park

Back To Top

 

South East of Melbourne

These are real family suburbs with areas such as Caulfield and Elsternwick having strong Jewish influence and Bentleigh, Ormond and McKinnon being regarded almost as cheerleaders for preservation of Calfornian Bungalows (style of house).

Good sized blocks, good schools (public Mckinnon Secondary College as well as many private such as Caulfield Grammar). Being slightly cheaper than neighouring Brighton and Malvern has seen strong demand for family homes resulting in major infrastructure improvements to such an extent that house demand now regularly (each weekend) sees houses over a $1million in all these suburbs.

A quick comment on Carnegie and Murrumbeena – if you can’t afford Malvern then buy in these suburbs and be patient and enjoy the shopping and other amenities that are already there because these suburbs are fast becoming like Malvern East, Glen Iris.

Great Places to live in that we have bought recently

Caulfield
Elsternwick
St Kilda East and Balaclava
Ormond
Bentleigh
McKinnon
Carnegie
Murrumbeena

Legend:	Small Homes < $1M Family Homes $800K – $1.75M Large > $2M+ Homes Great Shops

Best Places to have coffee and get a feel of life here

1. If you are a bit quirky like a lot of us then try Balaclava shopping strip either side of the railway bridge on Carlisle St. Too many great little bistros to name but the “Whole in the Wall” coffee shop one back on the corner of Nelson and Balaclava serves great coffee. Lots of single fronted workers cottages either side of Carlisle St. Lower end budgets.
2. Elsternwick and Caulfield is best checked out via a long walk along Glenhuntly Road perhaps starting at the Classic cinema near the railway and working your way east for as much as a couple of kilometers.
3. Go East far enough and you will run into Carnegie and Murrumbeena. We think the Koornang Roads shops have not quite caught up with the sophistication of the area – but here you can find good 600-800sq m blocks with some quality homes built in the 30’s and 40’s. Sure many under a million need work but if you do it well then you will join the many homes over a million.
4. Bentleigh, Ormond and McKinnon is best understood by coffee at quite a few places in Centre Road and then drive up and down the streets running of Centre Road between say the railway line and Nepean Highway.

Back To Top

 

Inner Bayside Melbourne

For a completely unbiased view on living by Port Phillip Bay don’t read this because we love it here and we have the “blinkers” on when it comes to how good life is.

6 months of the year swimming (longer if you are an iceberger). Rail transport that is safe and regular and an abundance of quirky restaurants, shopping strips and interesting places. Brighton is 20 minutes to the city and Bayside has plenty of great public and private junior and secondary schools.

Great Places to live in that we have bought recently

Port Melbourne
Albert Park and South Melbourne
Middle Park
St Kilda
Elwood
Brighton (fair amount off market as well)
Hampton
Sandringham

Legend:	Small Homes < $1M Family Homes $800K – $1.75M Large > $2M+ Homes Great Shops

Best Places to have coffee and get a feel of life here

1. Port Melbourne - Café Zest – interesting breakky and lunch menus. 55 Beach St Port Melbourne. Watch the Ferries come in. Get a feeling for the High Rise and then compare to Docklands – at this stage we think Port Melbourne has more going for it. Traditionally a lot cheaper than neighbouring Albert Park - no longer the case.
2. Albert Park – Go to Bridport St – south side on the weekend is packed with the go set. However the highlights are Andrews Hamburgers (round the corner from the Hocking Stuart office) and Jocks Ice Cream – go the Turkish delight – which is on Victoria Avenue (an extension of Bridport St running down towards the sea)
3. Middle Park – Go to Armstrong St food store and take a good walk in all directions – everything any good is over a million and most home are period. We have bought a lot of home over the years in Middle and Albert Park.
4. Going South along the Bay try Fitzroy St and Acland Streets St. Kilda – if you don’t like it here forget these suburbs and also Elwood but hey what is wrong with you. Only joking – these suburbs are “alternative”.
   
   Actually all these above suburbs are more orientated towards younger couple and probably no kids. But they are great places to spend your 20 and 30’s in or as we are increasingly finding your later years after the children have left home
   
5. Brighton – One of Melbourne’s Jewels. Pricey – yep but that is because there are lot of people wanting to get in and only a few wanting to leave. Try Pod or Italy on the Bay in Bay St for great coffee or even a quick meal at Vivace – all near the railway line. Something a bit more upmarket then Church St and you have some classy alternatives at either end. Down the beach end anybody who is anybody has to be seen latteing at the Pantry or for a great formal atmosphere try Vera’s near the railway line (but you will have to book for dinner)
   Finally next to Brighton Beach Railway Station is our favourite comfort food coffee shop – BLOSSOM and VINE on South Road.
6. Hampton and Sandringham – Brown Cow at the southern end of the Hampton Street Shops and Limoncello in the middle of the Sandringham shops serve the best coffee in these areas

Back To Top

 

Southern Bayside Melbourne

Can't afford the big money of Brighton or inner Bayside then you really have to look at these areas.

Cycle "nuts" will love Beach Road and we often take our families fishing on the little putt putt boats out from Mordialloc pier. Black Rock is home of the best golf courses in Melbourne - make that Australia - actually the world. Beaumaris has a few transport issues but has really come on in recent times

Great Places to live in that we have bought recently

Black Rock
Beaumaris
Mentone
Parkdale
Mordialloc

Legend:	Small Homes < $1M Family Homes $800K – $1.75M Large > $2M+ Homes Great Shops

Best Places to have coffee and get a feel of life here

1. Black Rock - Balcombe Road shopping strips
2. Beaumaris – The Concourse Shopping Strips
3. Mentone – A lot of really good cheaper units around Mentone
4. Parkdale and Mordialloc – We really like lunch at Windows on the Bay. Take the kids out on one of the putt putt boats or walk along Mordialloc pier

Back To Top

 

Melbourne Peninsulas

Great Places to live in that we have bought recently

Sorrento (fair amount off market as well)
Portsea (fair amount off market as well)
Torquay
Queenscliff

Legend:	Small Homes < $1M Family Homes $800K – $1.75M Large > $2M+ Homes Great Shops

Best way to get a feel about all these places is to take a trip from Melbourne – about an 1 to 1.5 hours down to Sorrento and then onto Portsea. Back to Sorrento and take the car ferry (runs hourly) across to Queenscliff and then the fast improving Torquay. Make it a full day trip.

We have bought many fantastic holiday homes in these areas – and most have had a view. However please note holiday homes can provide great happiness but they can also be financial disasters. The market in these areas is flat for a lot longer than the Melbourne markets and while the agents will tell you of all the “whopper”sales they won’t tell you about the hundreds that don’t sell.

By all means buy the lifestyle but lets buy it smart.

We are happy to send you a detailed email that outlines what you need to look for in a great holiday home and how you should negotiate and buy in a “flukey” price market.

Back To Top

Melbourne FAQs

Your question: I would like to live by the bay in a period home and I have around $1Million?

For couples looking for single fronted 3 bedroom period homes we suggest suburbs close to the city such as Albert Park, St Kilda or Elwood. Single fronted period homes that are reasonably well renovated have been consistent performers in the capital growth and rental stakes. On the other side of the bay Williamstown has a large number of period homes and is a great lifestyle choice for those wanting to close to the city but without the hussle and bustle.

If your budget is not as strong then think of Yarraville and Seddon – a bit edgy but as an investment these suburbs have been the stand out performers over the last 25 years according to valuer general data. If you needed more space eg a double fronted then Beaumaris through Parkdale and Mordialloc has some great homes; however its further traveling time to the city.

Your question: I need a big home and have about $4Million to spend?

You have a few choices here – you can go the leafy green, freeway access Eastern suburbs choice including Malvern, Kew, Hawthorn and Canterbury or you can go the Bayside option of Brighton or Hampton, Sandringham. Both have great access to schools, are long term solid capital growth performers and a wide range of housing options.

At $4Million your type of home will be determined by your land size requirements or vice versa. If you need a tennis court in a good position then you may have to compromise on the house a bit. However if you are a house person and only need around 800 sqm or 8000 sq ft then you have more options. Your street can be a premium and you can demand the right light orientation.

Your question: I like new?

So do we, but there is new great now and forever and there is new great for this year, OK for next year and dated and overpriced in 5 years.

We need to keep you advised as to the additional risks you may or may not be taking. Apartments, Townhouses and even some houses that are new can be very attractive on first glance however we need consider land content, style dating, room sizes and so on. Our job is to make sure you fully understand how much of your decision is financial and how much is lifestyle. Higher priced inner city apartments have had a poor history in recent times, however those along the waterfront at Port Melbourne are experiencing good growth as supply is dropping and demand increasing.

Inner city pads from Prahran to Richmond to Carlton to Fitzroy to Elwood have really come on in recent times as the returns are now there for the higher end developers and renovators BUT (and please we are not negative just cautious) land content is important. And its not just small houses where land is important - if you buy new in Toorak at $3-4 million but your land content is well below the suburb average then is that as good a financial move as buying older in Toorak on an average sized block?

For newer developments further out from the CBD eg Sorrento, Portsea, Queenscliff we are often engaged. Some of the designs and views are stunning however again we need to see geographical features like views, position to township, quality blocks, name streets that will support a resale at a later date should our client tire of their home away from home.

Your question: Buy me a classic house please?

We love these jobs – nothing beats looking through homes on and off market that have great entrances, contemplative gardens, grand rooms, cellars, multiple garages, kitchens to die for, master bedrooms that you can relax in and so on.

The keys suburbs for these are the older ones: Canterbury, Hawthorn, Kooyong, Toorak, Brighton, Malvern. Sometimes these great homes are on the busier roads (they weren’t busy when they built them 120 years ago) and with freeway noise, possible developments on neighbouring big blocks you still need to do proper due diligence before you jump in and pay a big price. Pricing is critical at this level.

Your question: Buy me a family home?

If you are from an Asian country, never having lived here before then we probably wouldn’t be showing you Californian Bungalows in Ormond, Bentleigh or McKinnon. We would be going for suburbs like Balwyn, Surrey Hills where the homes are more 1960’s onwards. However we would show you these suburbs if you said you liked Californian Bungalows.

Of course if you had a million dollars and wanted a period home then the above suburbs would be a great place to start. McKinnon secondary school, Centre Road shops, great capital growth over a long period of time.

If you would like to live in a Jewish community then Caulfield would be where we may start and specifically we could show you the differences between North and South Caulfield and the neighbouring suburb of Elsternwick.

Need more space Glen Iris, Northcote, Fairfield, Mont Albert are all places we have bought substantial family homes in as well in recent times.

Your question: Where should I buy my first home?

More and more parents are engaging us to find homes for their children. The first thing we point out is the first and second house decision is so critical as for many people it determines where and how you will live for the rest of your life. In almost all occasions we encourage buying a poorer house closer into the CBD than a “McMansion” in the outer suburbs. Lets talk.

Back To Top