I'm not sure about most Aussies going for the Brunswick diy vs the Point Cook brand new home. Rather I think it is an age thing. The average age of householders in Point Cook is 28 (my friend who has a real estate agency there tells me). Suburbs such as this are predominantly for younger people with children, first home buyers and newly arrived settlers. Maybe later on in life when the kids are grown up and have left school and flown the nest these people might look to live closer in and this type of buyer, yuppies etc is driving the higher prices in the likes of Williamstown, Yarraville and Footscray in the west; Collingwood/Fitzroy/Brunswick/Carlton/North Melbourne/Northcote etc on the edge of the city and this has rippling effects in surrounding suburbs.

Agreed that the infrastructure lags behind the housing development in the new build areas but the Point Cook/Sanctuary Lakes area for example is getting lots of new shops and schools as we speak and the new station at Williams Landing has been mentioned. The main problem is 'getting out' at peak times because there is one main road out and one or two others but if you choose where you live in relation to exits you can reduce the time.

There is also a lot of predjudice amongst a certain proportion of the population re Hendley, Porter Davis and Metricon homes being shoddily built, especially in specific locations out West... I think Truganina was one. From rogue contractors taking truly shocking shortcuts.

Lets put it this way, I've been warned off of them by every tradie I know.

At least the "Shacks" have been standing for over 100 years and dont shift and crack walls and foundations and have windows fall out.

[QUOTE=GarryP;10635612]I think most UK people would look at the 'characterful' melbourne houses and think "what a shack, it hasn't been seriously touched since it was built, and it's in the middle of a nothing neighbourhood. They want HOW much?"

I don't think they hold any attraction for the typical Brit - our 50 year old houses are better than their 50 years old houses, and if you really want antiques you can go to a few hundred years with ease.



I thought that when i first arrived. Now 6 years on, I would kill for a shack in a decent suburb with decent services. I think your thinking changes with time once your here and can see past certain things.

I have the misfortune to live (temporarily) one junction closer to the city than Point Cook. The road infrastructure is awful- one road in and out and it cannot cope. The newer estates like Saltwater NEED a ferry to reduce the demand on Point Cook Road.

And all the parking spaces to Laverton station are gone by 7.30am (except over summer hols).
The new train station at Williams Landing- due to open on 21/4/13- might ease the pressure but I would be opting for something with better transport. Interestingly we have noticed the young Indian families seem to be flocking to Point Cook for the big house/not much money rationale I guess.

Anyway to the OP- try some of the Northern or Western established burbs for a better choice and commute.

Just got to show you my shack,mate.
Before and after.It's took it's toll but been worth it.

I still have to short the front yard out.

We've lived in both new and old areas in our time in Melbourne, and I'll take the more established suburbs over new builds any day. The advantage of the new suburbs is you do get more for your money, but it is at the expense of facilities, transport links, etc. where we live now (Mt Waverley) there is a good mix of old and new properties - many of the 60s and 50s cream brick houses are being re-developed into new houses/dual occupancy. I love it - we have a great local shopping centre, we're close to main freeway links and its only 30 minutes on the train to the CBD (plus 5-6 minutes on the bus, or a 15 minute walk) which I am quite happy with.

The downside is that even this far out you will still have to pay a minimum of $700k for a house. Land values here are ridiculous - older run down ex-rental properties are selling for close to $1 million just for land value. We're renting and unlikely to be able to afford to buy without a Lotto win. You can go a little bit further out from here though to Forest Hill, Box Hill or Clayton and get something a bit more reasonable with a still reasonable commute to the city.

The new build suburbs give me the heebie jeebies but if I had to live in one I'd rather live in one close to the city (so the West) than 50k's out on the Eastern side.

You could get something for your budget in a zone 1 Western suburb, OP. Melbournians love to bag the West, but more and more of them are wising up. We bought out West and got a huge amount of stick from everyone we knew. Then a couple we know bought a beautiful Footscray house. Then another couple (who had really taken the mick) bought in bloody Werribee of all places! Footscray to the city is such an easy commute and you have the option of numerous trains as well as at least three bus lines. We sold up and moved back to the city but that had nothing to do with the West and everything to do with wanting to live in the city - we'd have moved back regardless.

Almost exactly the same as my "Shack" with a few differences.... We had to get rid of the Chminey to build an extension God that was bloody hard work, it's amazing how many bricks are in a Chimney. The other major task was after the restumping started finding out that we had to excavate the floor as it was too close to the beams.... or whatever they're called. Both those tasks involved heaps of material out of windows one bucket at a time. Took bloody ages.... and was really hard work. Cant believe now we actually managed to live here all the way through it for over 12 months.... with a kitchen toilet and shower on my back verandah and open to the elements through winter.

Here's my gaffe, now finished... the wife has really fixed up the Garden so it's all Green and lovely out there now.

If I were feeling very generous and wanted a quick cash clean sale.... 795.000K

Looks like they could actually go up.... I've lost about 60K on the reno... as it would have been worth about 630K untouched. Quite big land for Coburg... 495 square meters. At least I get to stay here.... and I'm gambling on the prices going up.... I think they will now.

I actually worked out this week how to turn it into two flats fairly cheaply... just needs a Bedroom turned into a Kitchen then it would be a Fully seperated two bedder and a 1 bedder with plenty of living room in both flats and 2 bathrooms..... So I may be able stay here in retirement after all.

Another picture... from the side way. I had 70 tons of Earthworks removed from our back yard to make it level and drain properly.... I knew I had to do something about the drainage, but not to the extent we had to go. Lived with pure mud for about 4 months.... during that wet period in Melbourne earlier this season.... That was very difficult as well as we were so close to finishing. The Bamboo which is clumping will definitely obscure the flats and from the point of view of standing anywhere in my Garden once it's mature in about 3 years...you wont know where you are due to all the greenery.















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Thank you for all the comments - it certainly gives us lots to think about.

We have always bought new houses and I would like to do this again - but it does have to be in the 'right' area without a long commute to the CBD but with good schools and amenities.

You dont have to build in a new estate. You can get the new builds done on existing plots (ie knock down old house and rebuild).

Unlike European homes built to last centuries alot of 1960's and forward homes in Australia have a limited useful life. Often works out much more economical than doing a restoration.

I think this is the second time i have proposed to you

I'm Williamstown born and bred but moved to Scotland a long time ago (Scottish wife) but we return to W'town each year to visit family and we have a property there. When I was growing up you wouldn't consider by choice some of the suburbs even closer to the city on the W'town line - Newport, Spotswood, Yarraville, Seddon and Footscray. In the 80's and 90's Footscray went decidedly downhill (won't dwell on the reasons but there still there today although not as problematical).

At the same time Williamstown had a boom as people wanted bayside living close to the city (and better views than out the other side). A huge new area (The Range, formerly a Rifle Range) opened up and new housing built and prices went through the roof. This in turn had a rippling effect on surrounding suburbs which changed in terms of demographics. People with money moved in and renovated old houses. Newport and Yarraville became very popular.

Today the rippling effect has extended from Yarraville in the Seddon/Footscray direction to the north and Spotswood to the south. Yarraville is now quite expensive but there are still plenty of 'workers cottages' available for renovation. Footscray is seriously worth considering as well.

ukecadet, whereabouts are you in Williamstown (if I didn't ask years ago when I frequented the forum more often)? We're lucky to have a townhouse on The Strand and my parents had a place next door but they have both passed on and we recently sold their house.

OP, have a look at Newport, Yarraville, Spotswood and Footscray to see if anything appeals. Trains very frequently run and < 20 mins to city from the furthest away. Avoid Westgate Bridge in peak times, always go Footscray Rd or Dynon Rd and well under half hour by car always even from Williamstown.

You won't get much for the budget in Williamstown itself but have a look, enter postcode 3016 and leave surrounding suburbs ticked.

When I first arrived in 1980 Yarraville and Spotswood were two of the cheapest suburbs in central Melbourne. Glenroy was seen as a better option back then.... I kid you not..... I remember talking to the Local Estate Agents John Konteks.... and they suggested Yarraville as I couldnt afford around Pascoe Vale/Glenroy.

Have to agree, my brother has bought in Sanctuary Lakes,and commuting across West Gate Bridge is a nightmare. There are some lovely homes in Point Cook and S.Lakes,but not for me.

Yes, Footscray still has some problems for sure, and there are parts of it I wouldn't want to live in. Other parts are nice, and gentrifying very quickly. I regret walking away from a house in West Footscray but we just weren't sure at the time we bought.

I think the problem for a lot of born and bred Melbournians is that they haven't been to the West for a good 10/15 years and thus are still going on what was true when they last visited. If someone's only experience of the West is driving along Ballarat Road to get out of the city I can see what they don't like but I always found it bizarre when people dismissed such a HUGE area based on old prejudices. There are (many, if not most) parts of Richmond I wouldn't want to live in but that's considered v desirable by a lot of the people I know who hated the West. They would have (rightly) laughed at me if I'd dismissed the 'East' based solely on Richmond!