Point Cook - don't bother
 

Whether you have a sense of humour or not, this is a genuine post. Ages ago we considere Point Cook, Sanctuary Lakes, after visiting there for 5 minutes I would not even advise my mother in law to live there. It might be cheap, but how much would you epect to pay for a house on the snaake infested marshland / fllod plain next to the sewer outlet for Melbourne. It's not in the city or in the country, it's on the spare bit of land which didn't have any houses that was nearest to the city. Hence cheap. It's worth noting that houses prices in Sanctuary Lakes had dropped more than any other suburb from 2004-2005 if my memory serves me right from the article in the paper a few weeks ago.

If this saves 1 person from admiring the lovely houses at PC (point cook (for the slower ones amongst us)) on realstate.com.au then I hope its worth it. I here Williamstown has lovely marine but they don't serve Brown Ale there.

Troll: my arse :cool:

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

One thing that you can get down at sanctuary lakes, is houses that a fair few people reading this site could only dream about getting, but actually afford.
It's also one of the few area's of Melbourne, that actually builds, these very upmarket houses.

By that I mean Island houses, as in on a small Island (sure it may be swampy marshland in some peoples eyes) with windows that span two floors, rooftop terraces, entertainment balconies, home theatre rooms, courtyard gardens, IE: the garden is in the centre of the house surrounded by windows etc etc, indoor massive water features. Very large and luxurious houses in other words. they start at circa 650,000 AUD, and go through to 1.4 mill Sanctuary Lakes is comparatively close to the city as well, with a 20 minute drive to the cbd easily achievable.

It is very affordable housing down there. Sort of place where you would love your house, but maybe not the area.

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

The land at Point Cook and Sanctuary Lakes wasn't residential land because it wasn't zoned residential land. It was zoned industrial (Cheetham Salt Works in the case of SL's) or agricultural (in the case of PC). Cheetham Salt Works were closed and sold off early 90's. A guy flew in from Malaysia, drove there from Tullamarine and bought it on the spot for a 'Florida style' residential development based around a Greg Norman golf course. It is now SL's.

A relative of mine had a couple of farms where the PC residential development is. She died and the farms were sold off and now it is being filled in quickly with houses.

Skeleton Creek is not Melbourne's sewer outlet and the former marshland has been drained and lakes built. Could be why they called it Sanctuary Lakes?Any snakes will move away with urbanisation (must have seen a lot in 5 minutes and you know how to frighten people on BE's).

I suspect SL's price falls might be tied up with post twin towers as fewer wealthy Asian businessmen invest in upmarket property near a golf course. Simple supply and demand is at work here too, new land releases and rapid building at SL's puts a dampener on prices. I suspect in the long term people who buy there will be glad they got it at affordable prices. Similar houses would cost you 7 figures elsewhere.

I'd suggest to anyone that they don't make an instant judgement and look in a bit more depth because the property is good value. SL's and PC are rapidly acquiring primary and secondary schools, shops, medical facilities etc and nearby Hoppers Crossing is getting the biggest shopping centre in Australia.

Oh and the bottle shop in Ferguson St, Williamstown sells Newcastle Brown Ale!

OzTennis :)

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

what can I say....... what you might call coleslaw, I might call vomit.

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

Own brand baked beans are ver affordable but very few people choose to buy them.

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

Why do you think the RAAF got out of the joint ? :p

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

i thank you.

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

So what area would you buy in that most people on here could afford. It's so so easy to knock. eh ? Lets see if we can find a few people to slag of your choice. BTW whats your favourite brand of baked bean :cool:

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

As I've said before we're building over here, to be honest I'm not loving it.

But everyone we meet over here, well lets say their enthusiasm for the area is unlimited, with adjectives such as fantastic, sensational, the usual beautiful.

I just don't get it :confused:

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

On the bright side Fraser, It's probably no different to 90pct of New developments in Melbourne. Its got two very good things going for it though, Affordable luxury housing, (Stonehenge builders group dont build in very many places) and proximity to the City.


Personally speaking I'm not into new areas, but thats a personal choice thing, rather than saying that they are bad.

As an afterthought, the biggest thing against any new area in my opinion, is as most people, with young families move in within a 5-7 year time span. That about 10 years down the track you have a disproportianate amount of teenagers all of the same age. Gangs form, and the areas become real trouble spots. I've not yet seen an area that this hasn't happened in. In about 8-14 years, that area will be ripe for this kind of gang trouble, I wouldn't like to take the risk "long term" of living there, or any other brand new area.

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

Nope, me either! I would have to say, after doing the majority of my life growing up around Melbourne, you wouldnt get me living out that way for quids!

I love the inner Western Suburbs....but around PC & SL.....not a bloody chance! Of course this is juse my opinion and in no way meant to offend those living or planning to live in those areas. :D

Hels

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

I'm offended :p

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

Ohhhh good!! That was my secret plan........ :D

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

Not that well hidden if you ask me :D

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

Didnt ask you tho....... :p :D

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

True :p

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

;) :D

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

Bit late to this one, but I thought that I could add a bit more than the original poster's 5 minutes glance, as we have been renting in Sanctuary Lakes for nearly a year. When it comes to Melbourne's great East/West divide, we don't have any of the bias that we come across in other people, so we just came and had a look for ourselves when we first arrived.

As I am a keen golfer, I will openly admit that Sanctuary Lakes was top of my places to look at living, but Pam had to be happy with the place as well. We have really settled in now and thoroughly enjoy it. The main benefit for Pam has been the onsite security who respond to an alarm going off within minutes (I know, because the smoke alarm is linked to the house alarm and I got a bit carried away cooking one night). For me abviously it has been the 10 minute walk to the golf course, as well as the gym/pool & tennis courts (Fraser enjoys those as well :p ). The shopping centre (which we have heard is being expanded) is only a 20 minute walk/5 minute drive, and we can get to beaches within 10-15 minutes (as this seems to be very important to a lot of people :rolleyes: ). The most common form of wildlife are the rabbits running around the golf course, we certainly haven't seen any snakes so it can't be that infested :confused:

Pam works in the City and commuting from Laverton station has been pretty straight forward. I work from home and have done a reasonable amount of driving around at different times of the day, including the Westgate in rush hour, and honestly haven't found it that bad. I certainly don't think that the Monash/Nepean would be any quicker if we were over the other side.

Come June this year we will be looking to buy a place and will of course be looking to buy here. We are also considering the North East suburbs as it is possible to get some nice places on a good size plot that you can't get with newer places in our price range.

As is always the case, it is different strokes for different folks. If someone can tell me what I am missing out on by being in the Western suburbs then I am all ears. As far as we are concerned, we couldn't get this type of lifestyle this close to the City anywhere else (the only other golf course estate is in the South East and further out). The West of Melbourne is expanding rapidly, which is good from the point of view of increased facilities and infrastructure. If you are considering this area, my suggestion is to ignore the original post and check it out for yourselves.

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

What an interesting and informative post. I am also an unofficial ambassador for Melbourne's west (the better parts), coming from and planning to return to Williamstown. We looked at buying a block or a house and land package at SL'S when it first opened but we subsequently decided to buy a place on the waterfront at Williamstown. However, we do return to SL's each year when we are out and it is interesting to see how it expands and develops from one year to the next. We've also had the odd club sandwich and coffee in the golf clubhouse and the rec club too!

Further to your point about development in the area, the largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere is planned for Hoppers Crossing and one of Victoria's largest marina developments is planned for Wyndham Cove at the mouth of the Werribee River.

I'll take the opportunity to point out how good the west can be (at a fraction of the price on the other side of the WGB) by posting some of my Williamstown photos from another thread:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...9&page=3&pp=15

If you are still at SL's in July we might bump into each other as we are sure to visit then!

OzTennis :)

Re: Point Cook - don't bother
 

Fraser,

I'm over here on a reccie in melbourne.

fancy a beer (my call) and lets get shi* faced ?

i'm on a high, you need to be cheered up,

I think a lot of the guys and gals on BE would agree you need it.

fancy a cold one tomorrow night ?

drop me a PM,