Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
May 18th 2010, 7:47 pm
#1
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Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
First post here re. Melbourne ... been offered a few jobs and now considering maybe taking one ... house prices look scary,even worse than here in Vancouver ... we will have approx $1.0m-$1.2m budget and don't want to exceed if possible,need 3 beds and want nice suburb near water and max 45 mins commute by bus or train as don't want to drive into town ... 2 kids one in elementary and one moving to high school this year so good schools is a must .... only mulling things over at present and need to know if even worth considering .... any info/experience will be great .... thanks.
May 18th 2010, 8:29 pm
#2
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Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
First post here re. Melbourne ... been offered a few jobs and now considering maybe taking one ... house prices look scary,even worse than here in Vancouver ... we will have approx $1.0m-$1.2m budget and don't want to exceed if possible,need 3 beds and want nice suburb near water and max 45 mins commute by bus or train as don't want to drive into town ... 2 kids one in elementary and one moving to high school this year so good schools is a must .... only mulling things over at present and need to know if even worth considering .... any info/experience will be great .... thanks.
They have trams instead of buses in Melbounre, one of the few cities in the world that still does so.
Last edited by mohogony; May 18th 2010 at 8:53 pm.
May 18th 2010, 9:09 pm
#3
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Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
It is?I currently live in Rome which has lots of trams and before that Moscow which also had trams (as well as trolleybuses which are kind of a bus/tram hybrid). We went on vacation to Antwerp recently - trams there too. Trams also in Prague.
Anyway not sure where you get the idea that few cities in the world still have trams. Most cities in Europe seem to have them at any rate.
I agree about Melbourne. It's not really a 'beach' city and if living near the water is your priority I'd move to another Australian city.
May 18th 2010, 9:15 pm
#4
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Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
l used to live in Melbounre years ago , l think You do need $1.2m these days for a good place in a nice suburb of Melbounre, East Malvern is one nice suburb that comes to mind, l think its under 30 minute commute by train or tram, It has lots of nice parks but its not near the beach. If it was me l wouldn't go after a place near the beach or make living near the beach a priority , l'd just get a place with a swimming pool in the backyard instead. The Beaches close to Melbounre are not all that good, Melbounre has a colder climate then the other OZ cities and when it is warm most of the inner suburban beaches like St Kilda are crowded. But if you want to live next to the beach Brighton may be the best place, the Mornington Peninsular is suposed to be nice and near the beach but may be too far from the city for you.
They have trams instead of buses in Melbounre, one of the few cities in the world that still does so.
They have trams instead of buses in Melbounre, one of the few cities in the world that still does so.
May 18th 2010, 9:35 pm
#5
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Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
Hi there 
We'll be moving to Melbourne too & have visited twice - we're no experts, but feel free to pm me if you'd like to chat
For your budget I think you'd have no problem finding somewhere nice. Someone mentioned Brighton, also Black Rock, Beaumaris & Sandringham suburbs are very nice & near the beach. We unfortunately have nowhere near your budget, so will be heading north..if you were to look around Eltham/Montmorency areas, you would find somewhere spectacular for that money, which may change your mind about the sea view
Best of luck!
We'll be moving to Melbourne too & have visited twice - we're no experts, but feel free to pm me if you'd like to chat
For your budget I think you'd have no problem finding somewhere nice. Someone mentioned Brighton, also Black Rock, Beaumaris & Sandringham suburbs are very nice & near the beach. We unfortunately have nowhere near your budget, so will be heading north..if you were to look around Eltham/Montmorency areas, you would find somewhere spectacular for that money, which may change your mind about the sea view
Best of luck!
May 18th 2010, 9:48 pm
#6
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Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
Have a look at www.realestate.com.au. My FIL lives in brighton and I am not at all sure you would get a house with a sea view for a million bucks in those sort of areas. More a 3 bed cottage
Look I would be happy to be wrong but I know what my FIL was told to market his house for, a lot more than that budget and it has no view. However if from Vancouver you would be well used to scary property prices. Most stuff goes up for auction in inner melb and recently it seems to have gone for very high prices, might slow down now with rate rises.Anyway the above website is useful.
May 18th 2010, 10:03 pm
#7
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Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
Have a look at www.realestate.com.au. My FIL lives in brighton and I am not at all sure you would get a house with a sea view for a million bucks in those sort of areas. More a 3 bed cottage Look I would be happy to be wrong but I know what my FIL was told to market his house for, a lot more than that budget and it has no view. However if from Vancouver you would be well used to scary property prices. Most stuff goes up for auction in inner melb and recently it seems to have gone for very high prices, might slow down now with rate rises.
Anyway the above website is useful.
Look I would be happy to be wrong but I know what my FIL was told to market his house for, a lot more than that budget and it has no view. However if from Vancouver you would be well used to scary property prices. Most stuff goes up for auction in inner melb and recently it seems to have gone for very high prices, might slow down now with rate rises.Anyway the above website is useful.
May 18th 2010, 10:05 pm
#8
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Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
Hi there
We'll be moving to Melbourne too & have visited twice - we're no experts, but feel free to pm me if you'd like to chat
For your budget I think you'd have no problem finding somewhere nice. Someone mentioned Brighton, also Black Rock, Beaumaris & Sandringham suburbs are very nice & near the beach. We unfortunately have nowhere near your budget, so will be heading north..if you were to look around Eltham/Montmorency areas, you would find somewhere spectacular for that money, which may change your mind about the sea view
Best of luck!
We'll be moving to Melbourne too & have visited twice - we're no experts, but feel free to pm me if you'd like to chat
For your budget I think you'd have no problem finding somewhere nice. Someone mentioned Brighton, also Black Rock, Beaumaris & Sandringham suburbs are very nice & near the beach. We unfortunately have nowhere near your budget, so will be heading north..if you were to look around Eltham/Montmorency areas, you would find somewhere spectacular for that money, which may change your mind about the sea view
Best of luck!
May 18th 2010, 10:35 pm
#9
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Joined: Feb 2010
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Posts: 1,323
Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
Have a look at www.realestate.com.au. My FIL lives in brighton and I am not at all sure you would get a house with a sea view for a million bucks in those sort of areas. More a 3 bed cottage Look I would be happy to be wrong but I know what my FIL was told to market his house for, a lot more than that budget and it has no view. However if from Vancouver you would be well used to scary property prices. Most stuff goes up for auction in inner melb and recently it seems to have gone for very high prices, might slow down now with rate rises.
Anyway the above website is useful.
Look I would be happy to be wrong but I know what my FIL was told to market his house for, a lot more than that budget and it has no view. However if from Vancouver you would be well used to scary property prices. Most stuff goes up for auction in inner melb and recently it seems to have gone for very high prices, might slow down now with rate rises.Anyway the above website is useful.
. At the end of the line with some nicer pockets but by and large not very nice and around 50-55 minutes train-ride from the city.Hi there
We'll be moving to Melbourne too & have visited twice - we're no experts, but feel free to pm me if you'd like to chat
For your budget I think you'd have no problem finding somewhere nice. Someone mentioned Brighton, also Black Rock, Beaumaris & Sandringham suburbs are very nice & near the beach. We unfortunately have nowhere near your budget, so will be heading north..if you were to look around Eltham/Montmorency areas, you would find somewhere spectacular for that money, which may change your mind about the sea view
Best of luck!
We'll be moving to Melbourne too & have visited twice - we're no experts, but feel free to pm me if you'd like to chat
For your budget I think you'd have no problem finding somewhere nice. Someone mentioned Brighton, also Black Rock, Beaumaris & Sandringham suburbs are very nice & near the beach. We unfortunately have nowhere near your budget, so will be heading north..if you were to look around Eltham/Montmorency areas, you would find somewhere spectacular for that money, which may change your mind about the sea view
Best of luck!
Visage, there are a lot of other areas not so near the beach to consider. As pointed out, beaches in Melbourne are not great if what you're after is surf and ocean. The bay is pretty tame. Saying that Williamstown is a great suburb in the west and nicer imo than Brighton. The western suburbs are getting more popular now and places like Yarraville or Seddon could be worth a look.
Also, it depends whether you want to move into a more established area, or if you don't mind a new estate. A lot of people seem to like Point Cook and other new developments. Not my cup of tea but probably worth looking at if you want something modern and new. We've lived in quite a few different suburbs in the last 7 years so PM me if you want a bit more info on St Kilda (bayside), Camberwell and Hawthorn (south eastern inner and middle), or Montmorency (north east middle).
With $1m, you would easily get a really good 3/4 bedroom house in Montmorency/Eltham with quite a bit of land. You could get a 3 bedroom townhouse or a "renovator's dream" in most inner suburbs and you'll be lucky to get an appartment in Malvern ot Toorak. It really depends on what you like tbh.
Check My School for school ratings (although this website is controversial). Will you send your kids to private school? That could take a few suburbs off your list...
Just because i'm a bit lazy, I'll copy and paste my little blurb from another recent Melbourne thread
We're in Montmorency, between Greensborough and Eltham (if you need to look it up ) and we love it. This area is very wooded, with a bush feel to it. Greensborough is more suburbian, but Montmorency and Eltham feel a bit more country. You can still (just about) get the kind of house you're looking for around here and neighbouring suburbs for around $500k. If prices stabilise or drop, then $500k would certainly get you a 3 bed house. We paid $512k (at Christmas) for a 120sqm 3-bed house on a 680 sqm block with shops and the train station less than a 2 minute-walk away. The CBD is 35-45 minutes by train (express or non-express). We also only have one car and have no need for a second one.
A smaller block than ours would be cheaper. You will always pay a premium for proximity to public transport and schools so prices can vary hugely thoughout the larger suburbs such as Greensborough or Eltham.
For schools, have a look at the myschool website. Around here there are a couple of primary schools that look good and Eltham High School has a really good reputation and results. There are parks and ovals everywhere you look as well! Every one of the suburbs around here seems to have a scouts hall (not sure about guides) and there is a great community spirit.
We have a huge Westfield (Doncaster) less than 15 minutes away and both Eltham and Greensborough have really good shopping centres.
Beach (as in Port Phillip Bay beach) is only about 45 minutes away and the road network is surprisingly good (I was expecting the worst) to get to varied places, as long as you avoid peak times.
I am sure other people will come along and give you other options. Just thought I'd describe our little corner of Victoria
A smaller block than ours would be cheaper. You will always pay a premium for proximity to public transport and schools so prices can vary hugely thoughout the larger suburbs such as Greensborough or Eltham.
For schools, have a look at the myschool website. Around here there are a couple of primary schools that look good and Eltham High School has a really good reputation and results. There are parks and ovals everywhere you look as well! Every one of the suburbs around here seems to have a scouts hall (not sure about guides) and there is a great community spirit.
We have a huge Westfield (Doncaster) less than 15 minutes away and both Eltham and Greensborough have really good shopping centres.
Beach (as in Port Phillip Bay beach) is only about 45 minutes away and the road network is surprisingly good (I was expecting the worst) to get to varied places, as long as you avoid peak times.
I am sure other people will come along and give you other options. Just thought I'd describe our little corner of Victoria
May 18th 2010, 10:37 pm
#10
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Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
OOo what a nice budget to have!
That money will either buy you something small in the innerburbs, a beautiful seafront house down here in Mornington/Mt Martha, 14 Acres and estate on the Peninsula or a huge house with change around the SE suburbs.
You could look at Bayside areas like Mordialloc, Mentone which are within 45 mins of the city but not quite as expensive as Brighton/Hampton etc (yet!).
Otherwise look much further out to Eltham, Diamond Creek which have a real countryside feeling but only an hour on the train to the city. If you go east you could get a huge house in Berwick or house and land around Beaconsfield - again only an hour into the city.
You could also look at Frankston South, there are some lovely houses there and FS is supposed to have a great secondary school (can't help on schools as no kids) and you'd have the sea as well.
Unfortunately the Peninsula is lovely but it is a bit of a pain for commuting - you'd have to drive to Frankston (15-20 mins) and then get the train which is an hour. We love it down here but luckily we don't have to commute everyday.
I guess it depends on what size house you want as that will guide you as to whether you live in something smaller near the city or larger further out.
If you want more info on schools then pop a post on Britvics site as that is dedicated to Victoria.
You can search on Real Estate by areas so that might help.
Just be careful if you do come to choose your suburb wisely, I know lots of people who come and get locked into a suburb because of the kids (school, friends) and then feel they can't move. This normally happens once they've had time to explore a bit so try and explore as much as possible on arrival!
Good Luck!
That money will either buy you something small in the innerburbs, a beautiful seafront house down here in Mornington/Mt Martha, 14 Acres and estate on the Peninsula or a huge house with change around the SE suburbs.
You could look at Bayside areas like Mordialloc, Mentone which are within 45 mins of the city but not quite as expensive as Brighton/Hampton etc (yet!).
Otherwise look much further out to Eltham, Diamond Creek which have a real countryside feeling but only an hour on the train to the city. If you go east you could get a huge house in Berwick or house and land around Beaconsfield - again only an hour into the city.
You could also look at Frankston South, there are some lovely houses there and FS is supposed to have a great secondary school (can't help on schools as no kids) and you'd have the sea as well.
Unfortunately the Peninsula is lovely but it is a bit of a pain for commuting - you'd have to drive to Frankston (15-20 mins) and then get the train which is an hour. We love it down here but luckily we don't have to commute everyday.
I guess it depends on what size house you want as that will guide you as to whether you live in something smaller near the city or larger further out.
If you want more info on schools then pop a post on Britvics site as that is dedicated to Victoria.
You can search on Real Estate by areas so that might help.
Just be careful if you do come to choose your suburb wisely, I know lots of people who come and get locked into a suburb because of the kids (school, friends) and then feel they can't move. This normally happens once they've had time to explore a bit so try and explore as much as possible on arrival!
Good Luck!
May 18th 2010, 10:55 pm
#11
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Thread Starter
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 33
Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
OOo what a nice budget to have!
That money will either buy you something small in the innerburbs, a beautiful seafront house down here in Mornington/Mt Martha, 14 Acres and estate on the Peninsula or a huge house with change around the SE suburbs.
You could look at Bayside areas like Mordialloc, Mentone which are within 45 mins of the city but not quite as expensive as Brighton/Hampton etc (yet!).
Otherwise look much further out to Eltham, Diamond Creek which have a real countryside feeling but only an hour on the train to the city. If you go east you could get a huge house in Berwick or house and land around Beaconsfield - again only an hour into the city.
You could also look at Frankston South, there are some lovely houses there and FS is supposed to have a great secondary school (can't help on schools as no kids) and you'd have the sea as well.
Unfortunately the Peninsula is lovely but it is a bit of a pain for commuting - you'd have to drive to Frankston (15-20 mins) and then get the train which is an hour. We love it down here but luckily we don't have to commute everyday.
I guess it depends on what size house you want as that will guide you as to whether you live in something smaller near the city or larger further out.
If you want more info on schools then pop a post on Britvics site as that is dedicated to Victoria.
You can search on Real Estate by areas so that might help.
Just be careful if you do come to choose your suburb wisely, I know lots of people who come and get locked into a suburb because of the kids (school, friends) and then feel they can't move. This normally happens once they've had time to explore a bit so try and explore as much as possible on arrival!
Good Luck!
That money will either buy you something small in the innerburbs, a beautiful seafront house down here in Mornington/Mt Martha, 14 Acres and estate on the Peninsula or a huge house with change around the SE suburbs.
You could look at Bayside areas like Mordialloc, Mentone which are within 45 mins of the city but not quite as expensive as Brighton/Hampton etc (yet!).
Otherwise look much further out to Eltham, Diamond Creek which have a real countryside feeling but only an hour on the train to the city. If you go east you could get a huge house in Berwick or house and land around Beaconsfield - again only an hour into the city.
You could also look at Frankston South, there are some lovely houses there and FS is supposed to have a great secondary school (can't help on schools as no kids) and you'd have the sea as well.
Unfortunately the Peninsula is lovely but it is a bit of a pain for commuting - you'd have to drive to Frankston (15-20 mins) and then get the train which is an hour. We love it down here but luckily we don't have to commute everyday.
I guess it depends on what size house you want as that will guide you as to whether you live in something smaller near the city or larger further out.
If you want more info on schools then pop a post on Britvics site as that is dedicated to Victoria.
You can search on Real Estate by areas so that might help.
Just be careful if you do come to choose your suburb wisely, I know lots of people who come and get locked into a suburb because of the kids (school, friends) and then feel they can't move. This normally happens once they've had time to explore a bit so try and explore as much as possible on arrival!
Good Luck!
May 19th 2010, 3:41 am
#12
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Posts: 1,855
Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
It is?I currently live in Rome which has lots of trams and before that Moscow which also had trams (as well as trolleybuses which are kind of a bus/tram hybrid). We went on vacation to Antwerp recently - trams there too. Trams also in Prague.
Anyway not sure where you get the idea that few cities in the world still have trams. Most cities in Europe seem to have them at any rate.
I agree about Melbourne. It's not really a 'beach' city and if living near the water is your priority I'd move to another Australian city.
May 19th 2010, 3:44 am
#13
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Posts: 1,855
Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
OOo what a nice budget to have!
That money will either buy you something small in the innerburbs, a beautiful seafront house down here in Mornington/Mt Martha, 14 Acres and estate on the Peninsula or a huge house with change around the SE suburbs.
You could look at Bayside areas like Mordialloc, Mentone which are within 45 mins of the city but not quite as expensive as Brighton/Hampton etc (yet!).
Otherwise look much further out to Eltham, Diamond Creek which have a real countryside feeling but only an hour on the train to the city. If you go east you could get a huge house in Berwick or house and land around Beaconsfield - again only an hour into the city.
You could also look at Frankston South, there are some lovely houses there and FS is supposed to have a great secondary school (can't help on schools as no kids) and you'd have the sea as well.
Unfortunately the Peninsula is lovely but it is a bit of a pain for commuting - you'd have to drive to Frankston (15-20 mins) and then get the train which is an hour. We love it down here but luckily we don't have to commute everyday.
I guess it depends on what size house you want as that will guide you as to whether you live in something smaller near the city or larger further out.
If you want more info on schools then pop a post on Britvics site as that is dedicated to Victoria.
You can search on Real Estate by areas so that might help.
Just be careful if you do come to choose your suburb wisely, I know lots of people who come and get locked into a suburb because of the kids (school, friends) and then feel they can't move. This normally happens once they've had time to explore a bit so try and explore as much as possible on arrival!
Good Luck!
That money will either buy you something small in the innerburbs, a beautiful seafront house down here in Mornington/Mt Martha, 14 Acres and estate on the Peninsula or a huge house with change around the SE suburbs.
You could look at Bayside areas like Mordialloc, Mentone which are within 45 mins of the city but not quite as expensive as Brighton/Hampton etc (yet!).
Otherwise look much further out to Eltham, Diamond Creek which have a real countryside feeling but only an hour on the train to the city. If you go east you could get a huge house in Berwick or house and land around Beaconsfield - again only an hour into the city.
You could also look at Frankston South, there are some lovely houses there and FS is supposed to have a great secondary school (can't help on schools as no kids) and you'd have the sea as well.
Unfortunately the Peninsula is lovely but it is a bit of a pain for commuting - you'd have to drive to Frankston (15-20 mins) and then get the train which is an hour. We love it down here but luckily we don't have to commute everyday.
I guess it depends on what size house you want as that will guide you as to whether you live in something smaller near the city or larger further out.
If you want more info on schools then pop a post on Britvics site as that is dedicated to Victoria.
You can search on Real Estate by areas so that might help.
Just be careful if you do come to choose your suburb wisely, I know lots of people who come and get locked into a suburb because of the kids (school, friends) and then feel they can't move. This normally happens once they've had time to explore a bit so try and explore as much as possible on arrival!
Good Luck!
Last edited by mohogony; May 19th 2010 at 4:00 am.
May 19th 2010, 8:46 am
#14
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Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne, by the beach, living the dream.
Posts: 7,704
Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
To the OP - we live in Mordialloc, 45 min drive to the city, about the same on the train. 1.2 mill here will buy you a nice house within walking distance of the sea, probably not a sea view unless you settle for an apartment. It's a lovely suburb and we like it very much.
Buzzy
May 19th 2010, 10:00 am
#15
Has left the building
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,079
Re: Melbourne ..... any thoughts.
You can use the map to draw down into specific areas but here are a few to get you started:
Toorak
Armadale
Malvern
Malvern East
Camberwell
Hawthorn
Caulfield North & South
Bentleigh
McKinnon
Train from most of these is about 15 mins direct service
Tram is about 30 mins
Car travel depends on route and time of travel ie 10 mins to 40 mins
There is also a city link (toll motorway link) but currently road works reduce its benefit slightly.
think your budget is more going to get you something in Glen Waverley or McKinnon for public schooling.
Mordy as BB suggests is definitely an option for you to consider.