A think the term you're looking for is probably 'highset'...not townhouse.

I've never heard Highset, but know what a town house is...its like a double story only taller and often linked.....

High-set homes

Maybe I'm getting confused with Qld...'double storey' then.

Ahhh I forgot your QLD link and when Matt posted that link I was really confused

I lived in Altona Meadows for about 12 years.I wouldn't say it's up and coming.It's as up as far as it can go.It' isn't a new estate.
I wouldn't call Sanctuary Lakes a new estate either.
I've worked on about 15 to 20 houses in there over the years.
The first in 1996,there were about 5 houses in there and the rest was salt marsh.60 grand for a block.At the time it had a completion time scale of 15 years.They more or less achieved it.I tend to agree with your soul-less comment but as you say "each to their own"

Hi there. I see your in williamstown....my husband has been looking there, but feels the commute to city could be quite a trek. How do you like it there? And find the travel?

Hi.We love it here.
If you're in a position to buy here I would recommend that you do.
It has a great community along with Newport.Some people give Newport a bad rap but I'm telling you the community I know there are brill.Like anything else you have to know the right spots.
Nearly forgot.5 minutes and your on the bridge then into the city.Can't really say how long it will take you to get to work as I have no idea where your working.
Best of luck

Lovely. Will add to my list of research. Thanks for the help

Consider when its 42 degrees how hot the bedrooms will be. Hence the popularity of the single story in OZ, till the tiny land came along then suddenly the need to build up.

Seriously, when its hot and melb summers can be VV hot some days, the top of the house obviously gets very hot, especially if your looking at the Mcmansion (fur coat no knickers kind of house ) built cheap like a paper box really. Those display home usually impress the english new arrival but really not the best design in the oz climate at all.

I have to concur with Jad on this one Houses with out eves and you're just asking for trouble, power bills to cool it are terrible, even with sun awnings!

We live upstairs in ours and even today (i think its about 23) its sweltering up here, downstairs (the bedrooms) is lovely and cool

But have to admit, when you arrive the show homes are mighty impressive

That said, even in a bungalow, when renting a property should we look for houses with Air con ?

I personally wouldn't put air-con as a high priority for a house in Melbourne. Out of 6 houses we've lived in here (well, 3 units/flats and 3 houses), only one had air-con and it was the ubiquitous townhouse, north-facing with no insulation, brick veneer and a brick hothouse of a courtyard Needless to say the air-con was a godsend for that one, but it was never needed for the others. Melbourne gets hot days, but they are never in a very long stretch so you might have to suffer for 2 or 3 days and then it cools down again.

Last summer was the exception with long stretches of hot humid days, but I reckon it was just them up in FNQld sending us their weather to annoy us

I would take central/ducted heating over air-con any day when choosing a house in Melbourne.

Bedroom only, and you won't need it much. I don't remember a single uncomfortable night this past summer.

Elice is right, think about heating first...my place is starting to enter it's f-freezing stage now!

We've had the heating on in the morning and the evening for about a week now! It was 15°C in the house in the morning the other day!