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Moving to Ballarat

Moving to Ballarat

Old Feb 27th 2018, 7:52 am
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Default Moving to Ballarat

Hi,

We are looking to move to Ballarat in the next 6 months as I have been offered a job with the DHHS. I have a young family aged 3 and 1 so was wondering if you could offer some advice on the best areas to set up home please. My husband doesn’t have a job yet but is looking around the Melbourne area.

Thanks
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Old Feb 27th 2018, 6:44 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Ballarat

Ballarat is just over an hour by train to Melbourne. Lots of people do commute Ballarat to Melbourne every day but it’s fairly elderly rolling stock unless they’ve upgraded in the past couple of years. Ballarat is going to be cheaper to rent in than Melbourne suburbs as a general rule.

The DH grew up in Alfredton and that’s where other family live now it’s been built up with a new estate out along the highway. I quite like the area down towards Buninyong but there’s quite a choice. If he’s going to commute and you’re at Ballarat Base then the inner suburbs might be handier for hospital and station. There are some nice old miners cottages still around.

The weather in Ballarat is often unpredictable - bloody cold in winter, bloody hot in summer. Last time I was there we had one day max 40C followed by max 13C the next day (in January). One year we had sleet on Christmas Day while visiting the m-I-l. So take your thermals and your skimpy stuff.

It always seems to me to be a city of two halves, not necessarily physically (although living around the lake would be premium) but socially. It’s nice enough but a bit odd, hard to say why, exactly. The inlaw relatives seem happy enough to have lived there all their lives. Some of them live just outside on properties rather than in town though so that’s also an option in a small town.

Good luck.
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Old Feb 27th 2018, 11:10 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Ballarat

It's now updated it's rail and is, in fact, faster to get from Ballarat to Southern Cross than some of the outer eastern Suburbs. Plus there are plans to increase the speed of the Journey to less than 50 mins. The other overlooked fact re the Vline trains is they have toilets whereas the suburban trains don't. Another thing about Ballarat is right in the center it's actually reminiscent of inner urban Melbourne and getting more so every year. It also has very cheap housing compared to the benefits that it affords. I personally think Ballarat is the best value in Victoria at present. Especially with the amount of amenity and the vibe of the place.

Ballarat is now top of my list for retirement purposes, basically because it's the closest in feel to where I live now in Melbourne's inner north. Plus it is very easy access to Melbourne and Melbourne Airport etc.

Great choice as far as I'm concerned. Far far better than the outer reaches of Melbournes Eastern Burbs.

Sub 400K for a very very nice house within walking distance of everything and the station, in very nice Victorian era housing surrounds, with plenty of restaurants, shops and nightlife. I can't understand why the place hasn't gone ballistic on house prices over the past two years.

It will.
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Old Mar 6th 2018, 3:53 am
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Default Re: Moving to Ballarat

We moved from Melbourne to the east of Ballarat in 2010, basically to be closer to wife's family, and to be able to afford private school fees. Built a property on land rather than buying a house in town.

Basically, house prices are 50% those of Melbourne, and so are school fees. Everything else is much the same in price.

Commuting to Melbourne is doable. Although it's over an hour, you'll have a seat and can sleep, work or read most of the way there.

Everything in Ballarat is within 15 minutes drive, but if I was buying property I'd avoid all the new developments to the west.

Plenty of good housing within walking distance of the CBD south of Sturt St.

Good luck!
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Old Mar 6th 2018, 11:39 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Ballarat

Ballarat is pretty cheap compared to other cities. I'd say it's a good choice for setting up a home.
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