smudge1

Hi. My son is looking at moving to Melbourne with his job. He's been looking at Sanctuary Lakes as the houses there would appear to be reasonably priced for what they offer. Can any one please offer any opinions/views on living there? Also, many of the ads we read say that there are resort facilities such as gym, golf etc. Are all houses in that area part of a resort or can you buy full freehold houses in that area? Thanks in advance for your help.

GarryP

I'm biased, but I like it. Houses aren't as crammed together and 'ticky tacky' as most locations, with the golf course and lake breaking up the space.

They may claim 'resort living', but what that practically means is there is a central gym you can use, and the security and landscaping are dealt with (paid for out of a substantial yearly fee). Provided you are on the system, the fire and burglar alarms connect back to base, so someone acts if they go off. Plus they patrol. In addition some areas are gated. All the houses are privately owned IIRC.

Points to bear in mind - there is one way in and out, and if you are on the far side its a long way round to get out. And the connection to the freeway and city is a dog and can make commutes overly long (have a play with google maps traffic). They just put in a third junction though, so it may get better.

smudge1

Thanks GarryP...sounds good..apart from the commute maybe .. he is used to Auckland traffic so it is probably something he could get used to. With regards to the yearly fee..do all households have to pay this? And are there any covenants restricting what you can and can't do to your property do you know? Thanks again.

Jilliebee

You can find all information regarding the building codes and the various fees payable here: Sanctuary Lakes Resort

smudge1

Thanks so much Jilliebee :-)

OzTennis

Yes, I concur with all GP has said. My brother and his wife have lived at Sanctuary Lakes (South Boulevard, a fair way from the entrance) for a few years now and they've just extended their lease for another year. They chose to rent so they can retain their capital and 'save it for a rainy day' as they are both recently retired. The company they rent from has exclusively Chinese investor owners and I think people would be amazed how many properties at SL's (Melbourne and the rest of Australia) are Chinese owned and rented out. (I think my brother said they have over 200 properties on their books in SL's and Point Cook).

My brother is a keen golfer and tennis player so gets use of the excellent facilities as a tenant - as well as the phone/internet system, security etc mentioned.

There's a very good shopping centre at SL's (outside the resort) and not very far away at Point Cook.

Getting out of Point Cook Road and onto the freeway can be a big issue at certain times of the day but as mentioned a 3rd entry/exit point my help.

I'd say you get a lot of house for your money at SL's - i.e. if you could pick up the houses and relocate them on the other side of the WGB you could add hundreds of thousands to their price.

I can't have been paying attention GP as I didn't know you lived at SL's (or nearby and knew about it)?

smudge1

Many thanks OzTennis, all really useful information. My son will definitely be looking into the area and may well look at renting initially to see how it fits in with his work/lifestyle. Thanks again all for the input.