lynetteh

Hi there

This is another 'where to live in Melbourne' request - apologies!
Unlike other posters I dont care about living near the sea and was wondering if this would deliver more affordable solutions. (In case you think I am crazy I have lived near the sea in South Africa my whole life and am done with sand and wind )

We are a family of three: Hubby IT database specialist so guessing will need to work in the city center and I am stay at home mom (for now) of very active 1 year old boy. We hope to be in Melbourne by mid 2010, DIAC willing!

Can you help us with two suggestions:

1) Where we can rent for first 2 years
During this time our goal is to enjoy the city and also save for house deposit so requirements are:
- up to 20 minute commute from CBD
- 3 bed apartment, or townhouse
- parks and playgrounds for little one to run off steam - assuming we have no garden
- at least a few village type shops, and a cafe and restaurant or two that we can walk to
- not too expensive so we can save

2) Where we can buy after 2 years
- up to 45 minute commute from CBD
- good schools
- 3 bed house with decent garden for under $500 000 (todays prices)

Again we do not need to be near the sea, but access to park and bush would be great.

Thanks for your suggestions
Lynette

Petals

It really depends on what salary your husband will be receiving whether saving and living near the city is an option. If you were both working then fine.

20 minutes from the city is hard unless you are going to be living in the CBD, Southbank, East Melbourne, North Melbourne, West Melbourne areas in the immediate vicinity to the CBD. South Yarra, Richmond, Ascotvale would be the next suburbs to look at. South Melboune, Port Melbourne.

3 bed apartment or townhouse will come very expensive. One bedroom apartments are the easiest to come by, then two and three. My friend just sold her three bed apartment in the CBD for well over a million dollars. So rental would be pretty pricey for that size apartment.

Under $500 45 minutes from the city will probably get you an apartment, not a very big one.

A lot of Brits are now moving over to Point Cook, Sanctuary Lakes area because they can get nice housing with a shorter commute to the city. Others move out a long way to areas like Berwick, Mornington, Frankston. for areas not near the beach then there is Ferntree Gully, Eltham, Mitcham, Greensborough, Macleod, Bundoora and many more but a commute from the city.

Have a look at realestate.com.au for property and rentals and that will give you an idea of what is available.

Also look up the http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/ site it gives all the transport options and the train lines, you can then follow the suburbs out on the train lines and have a look at what is around there.

Where I live is on the Mornington Peninsula and about an hours drive from the city depending on traffic and decent houses rent for $300 plus a week so that gives you some idea that the nearer to the city the more expensive the rentals are.

Melbourne is a huge area and we live over hundred kilometres from the airport so that gives you an idea, its large and sprawling and will have a population of four million this year. Because the house and block is paramount with Australians the city spreads and makes commuting long depending on where you work of course.

GarryP

As a starting point for the first one, here is an extract from my database for those suburbs less than 20mins by car from CBD, together with rough rental costs per week for 3 bed house. If its cheap, there's usually a reason, if its expensive, its snob value or very close in. Please excuse the formatting, this started out as nicely formatted and laid out - but this comment editor is ****

Suburb Cost Time
BROOKLYN $240 20 mins
LAVERTON NORTH $300 20 mins
KEILOR PARK $302 20 mins
ALTONA NORTH $313 17 mins
NIDDRIE $315 20 mins
GLENROY $324 20 mins
OAK PARK $333 17 mins
STRATHMORE $340 17 mins
WEST FOOTSCRAY $348 20 mins
PASCOE VALE $349 19 mins
FLEMINGTON $350 11 mins
FOOTSCRAY WEST $356 20 mins
ESSENDON $379 18 mins
FOOTSCRAY $383 14 mins
CHADSTONE $385 20 mins
COBURG $388 17 mins
KINGSVILLE $389 16 mins
ESSENDON NORTH $394 19 mins
SPOTSWOOD $395 15 mins
YARRAVILLE $410 15 mins
NEWPORT $412 17 mins
PASCOE VALE S $413 17 mins
TRAVANCORE $450 13 mins
ALPHINGTON $450 17 mins
MOONEE PONDS $450 17 mins
THORNBURY $452 19 mins
SEDDON $453 18 mins
ASHWOOD $455 20 mins
ASHBURTON $460 17 mins
BRUNSWICK WEST $461 16 mins
ASCOT VALE $479 15 mins
FAIRFIELD $480 19 mins
SOUTH KINGSVILLE $484 18 mins
NORTHCOTE $491 17 mins
KENSINGTON $492 11 mins
KOOYONG $495 14 mins
WEST MELBOURNE $498 4 mins
BRUNSWICK $513 12 mins
KEW EAST $515 20 mins
CAMBERWELL $522 20 mins
GLEN IRIS $525 14 mins
CLIFTON HILL $525 13 mins
COLLINGWOOD $550 8 mins
BRUNSWICK EAST $562 12 mins
ABBOTSFORD $563 12 mins
NORTH MELBOURNE $575 5 mins
RIPPONLEA $575 15 mins
KEW $580 17 mins
MALVERN EAST $585 18 mins
ELWOOD $595 17 mins
SOUTH MELBOURNE $613 7 mins
ST KILDA EAST $613 14 mins
ELSTERNWICK $613 18 mins
CAULFIELD EAST $625 20 mins
ARMADALE $629 17 mins
CARLTON NORTH $633 9 mins
RICHMOND $643 8 mins
BALACLAVA $645 17 mins
ST KILDA WEST $650 12 mins
ST KILDA $650 14 mins
CAULFIELD $653 20 mins
ALBERT PARK $661 10 mins
CARLTON $665 6 mins
WINDSOR $669 13 mins
HAWTHORN $670 12 mins
HAWTHORN EAST $680 17 mins
FITZROY NORTH $684 12 mins
DOCKLANDS $692 5 mins
PORT MELBOURNE $694 10 mins
CAULFIELD NORTH $707 17 mins
PRAHRAN $731 12 mins
FITZROY $775 7 mins
PARKVILLE $782 8 mins
SOUTH YARRA $837 9 mins
MALVERN $857 18 mins
MIDDLE PARK $967 11 mins
SOUTHBANK $1,113 4 mins
TOORAK $1,163 13 mins
EAST MELBOURNE $1,660 7 mins
MELBOURNE $1,888 1 mins

hereshoping

Renting for 2 years- I can highly recommend Yarraville. Lots of parks, pretty cheap and lovely village feel with cafes and restaurants.