the big nowhere

now looked into adelaide allot after job offer has come through....was keen on the coast,but a friend has suggested we look at the hills area's as some have fantastic views and some land....can anyone with experience recommend any area's in particular.....would want to be 30-40 mins from adelaide city centre and not too remote as we have 2 kids....we currently live in a smallish community and allot of people know each other,guess we are looking for the same lifestyle....cheers.

mr mover

Try a search for MT Barker........sounds like what your looking for........or try here.
http://www.adelaidebound.com/ ..........mm

Pinkie

Hey there

We're just outside Blackwood which is only 20 mins from the city but feels like another world. It's lovely and green here too and from the top of our street (or from our next door neighbours front door!) you can see the ocean at Seacliff. It's very pretty and we get some amazing sunsets over that view. We have great neighbours too and the village is very friendly. Sure there are other places up here that are just as nice but we really like it and you get the 'hills lifestyle' nearer to the city.

Wave the Sails

I thought Hahndorf was very pretty, but perhaps too 'touristy?'

Reading fan

We loved living in Stirling only 20 mins and parked in Myers car park. Easy to walk into village and lovely parks. Also know families in Mt Barker had alot of infrastructure over past few years - new cinema etc. Good luck

Pinkie

Stirling is amazing, we wanted to buy there when we first came but the prices are bonkers. We looked at a town house (one of only a few they've been allowed to build up there) and it was $550,00, no garden and the 'entertaining area' was basically a balcony at the front of the house which was split from next door's area with a railing. Not very private, not for that kind of money, especially given that the walls between the townhouses were thin anyway. To get to the back patio which was the only real private area outside, you had to go through the main bedroom too. Weird!

Crafers is lovely, and I believe the prices are a little bit more realistic still there? If you get a good spot there you could walk to Stirling I guess.

Reading fan

Crafers is lovely and a great primary school as well. My mum called her house Crafers (in France) because she loved it so much. I remember those townhouses built on a old petrol station. Stirling have a lovely Christmas Carnival followed by fireworks (subject to firebans) on the cricket pavillion - a really lovely community feeling.

Pinkie

The year before we came here we went to Edinburgh for New Years Eve and they cancelled the fireworks because of the freezing temperatures, the driving rain and gale force winds. This last New Years Eve, there was talk of them being cancelled because of the fire risk!! How things change

Nikki.P

Mount Barker is lovely and constantly growing (as the fastest growing suburb in Australia) Nairne is nice and where we decided on purely because its a few minutes out of Mount Barker but the house prices are about a $100,000 less. Littlehampton is nice as well but again is pricier than Nairne. All 3 are 30-40 minutes to CBD as there are only a few minutes between each of the 3 suburbs. Strathalbyn is also lovely and also takes about 40 minutes to CBD. I'm sure you'll love the hills.

Nikki

Hills Boy

We live in a small village in the Adelaide Hills and have been here since last November. We're just under 40kms from Adelaide CBD; probably 15kms from Mt Barker and about 12kms from the Hahndorf Freeway exit. I commute by bus into the city for work and the journey takes just over an hour (busy period obviously). If we drive in at the weekend it takes around 40 mins. There are plenty of villages in the Hills to chose from depending on your budget, how close you want to be to the city and the sort of property you are after (regular house, few acres, few 10s of acres). Feel free to PM me if you have specific queries.

cbeeb

Strathalbyn is also lovely but is maybe slightly longer than 40 mins as i s willunga

the big nowhere

hi,thanks for that.....i've been advised i need to have posted at least 3 times to use the PM system...we have 2 kids under 10,want a spacious house approx 250m2 with some privacy and a couple of acres if poss....want commmunity where everyone gets to know each other....good school both elementary and high school....views from house if possible,local shops/coffee/cafes if poss...competitive swim & rugby for kids....don't mind 40 mins to cbd by car........any idea's would be great...we are slightly torn as now have job offers in adelaide,brisbane & sydney....but for some reason adelaide appeals.........cheers.

Em76

We have bought a plot of land and are building in Mount Barker at the mo. Most of the plots for sale at the moment are max 1200 square metres - maybe not big enough for you BUT imo Mount Barker is great - handy for the city, but a town in it's own right. PM me if you want any more details.

Gjn200

Jeez another Nairnite!

Hills Boy

Based on what you've said you could easily find what you're after in the Hills, although there's lots of sport stuff going on (most places have 'Ovals' and they are pretty well used with (Australian) footy going on regularly), not sure about the rugby up here though, but stand to be corrected.

But you will also be able to get what you're after in either Sydney or Brisbane too. And it will simply come down to this:

What you can afford vs 'acceptable' travel time to work

If you give us an idea of your budget (PM me if you don't want to put it on here - you should have enough posts by now) I'll give you some suggestions based on what you've indicated (don't forget stamp duty and other purchase costs). I can cover all bases, based on personal knowledge, bar the schools (though this will come down to how far you're willing for your kids to travel - it's not uncommon for kids from here to go into the city to school) and the rugby bit.

You also need to give me an idea of how far your willing to drive from your house to the shops/cafe/etc. - I can't think of many (any) places here where houses/plots of that size are within a reasonable walk of the amenities you're after. In most cases could be a short drive (5-10 mins), though. Also, are you after a bit of a doer upper or ready to move in with nowt to do to it. I saw a few nice big houses when we were housing hunting, but many were in need of some serious TLC (and cash) to bring them up to date and liveable for anyone this side of 55.

Mr Mover suggested Mt Barker. Here's a few as a starter:

Probably overkill at 54 acres but has views. Anyone for Tennis?

Something a little closer to your acreage requirement. It's a fairish walk into the centre of Mt Barker, and don't be fooled by the proximity to the train station (no passenger service, not even sure if it's in use at all)

Can't find anything currently on Real Estate in Mt Barker at the two acre mark. There are a few houses on large blocks (3000 sqm +) like this one (though under contract). A block of that size is not uncommon, but most (in that estate) will probably be smaller and it's a short drive into Mt Barker.