Where to live neear melbourne
Discussion
Hi guys,
I have been offered a job in Boxhill and would really appreciate any advice about where is good to live for the commute? would like to be within an hours ride of work- and would prefer to be near the sea? looking for good schools and somewhere not too big....tall order for a wish list I guesss but any ideas welcome ?
Thanks all,
Steve
stevedrummie said:
Hi guys,
I have been offered a job in Boxhill and would really appreciate any advice about where is good to live for the commute? would like to be within an hours ride of work- and would prefer to be near the sea? looking for good schools and somewhere not too big....tall order for a wish list I guesss but any ideas welcome ?
Thanks all,
Steve
g'day Steve, I have been offered a job in Boxhill and would really appreciate any advice about where is good to live for the commute? would like to be within an hours ride of work- and would prefer to be near the sea? looking for good schools and somewhere not too big....tall order for a wish list I guesss but any ideas welcome ?
Thanks all,
Steve
Eastlink will get you up to box hill from the Mount Eliza, Mornington Area in about an hour. Will be better from mornington when the new freeway is completed. The problem with eastlink is, (in my opinion), the tolls, will cost you $11 per day but you should have little problem doing the trip in a good bit less than an hour.
Thanks Guys,
Looks like we might have to think again about where we live if we make the move- work will provide a pool car for business use so I was planning on riding my motorbike into work most of the year-hoping to live near the coast but if that not possible will be looking for a good area,school is important as we have a boy age 12. Will be taking a pay cut to make the move but hoping the better lifestyle will make it worth it, any thoughts,observations very welcome?
Cheers all,
Steve
If you're talking motorbike then it opens up loads of options, we're in Cheltenham and it takes me about 40-45mins in the car to get to Box Hill in peak hour when i need to visit one of our customers there, so on a motorbike it'll be 25-30mins tops i would think. We're about 5mins drive from the beach at most in the other direction.
Depending on your budget you could look at Mentone/Cheltenham/Bentleigh/Parkdale/Mordialloc, or if you have more cash to spend then Black Rock/Sandringham/Beaumaris. All of which will give you easy access to Warrigal Rd which will likely be your best main arterial North/South road up towards Box Hill that doesn't involve heading out to Eastlink and paying the toll. All of those suburbs are pretty accessable to the CBD with decent train lines and a couple of mins drive to some very nice beaches within the bay and generally have access to good schools from what i hear. The closer you get to the beach the higher prices get obviously, so really depends on your budget and if you're going to be buying/renting as to how close to the water you can get.
There are also places further out like Aspendale/Edithvale/Carrum etc that are along the beach and quite a bit cheaper which would give you easy access to Springvale Rd to head North/South but are not as accessible to the CBD.
Hope this helps.
Al
Depending on your budget you could look at Mentone/Cheltenham/Bentleigh/Parkdale/Mordialloc, or if you have more cash to spend then Black Rock/Sandringham/Beaumaris. All of which will give you easy access to Warrigal Rd which will likely be your best main arterial North/South road up towards Box Hill that doesn't involve heading out to Eastlink and paying the toll. All of those suburbs are pretty accessable to the CBD with decent train lines and a couple of mins drive to some very nice beaches within the bay and generally have access to good schools from what i hear. The closer you get to the beach the higher prices get obviously, so really depends on your budget and if you're going to be buying/renting as to how close to the water you can get.
There are also places further out like Aspendale/Edithvale/Carrum etc that are along the beach and quite a bit cheaper which would give you easy access to Springvale Rd to head North/South but are not as accessible to the CBD.
Hope this helps.
Al
Hi Steve,
Regarding the South Eastern suburbs, schools are not an issue, lots of decent schools but depends if you are talking about state schools or private schools. Private schools are going to cost you 15 - 20k per year but are excellent. One of my daughters went to a state school for a semester when we arrived, I have to say it was also excellent but they do vary a lot. You need to research the state schools carefully. In my area, (Mornington Peninsula), Frankston High School then maybe Mount Eliza Secondary have good reputations. If you are looking at a private school try Woodleigh, Peninsula school, Padua college or Haleybury. I have no first hand experience of those schools as I have daughters and we sent them to a girls school.
Certainly box hill is a good hour from here unless you take the Eastlink, its a great place to bring up a family though.
Cheers
Bob
Regarding the South Eastern suburbs, schools are not an issue, lots of decent schools but depends if you are talking about state schools or private schools. Private schools are going to cost you 15 - 20k per year but are excellent. One of my daughters went to a state school for a semester when we arrived, I have to say it was also excellent but they do vary a lot. You need to research the state schools carefully. In my area, (Mornington Peninsula), Frankston High School then maybe Mount Eliza Secondary have good reputations. If you are looking at a private school try Woodleigh, Peninsula school, Padua college or Haleybury. I have no first hand experience of those schools as I have daughters and we sent them to a girls school.
Certainly box hill is a good hour from here unless you take the Eastlink, its a great place to bring up a family though.
Cheers
Bob
Hi Guy's,
Thanks very much both-really helpful info. Would appreciate your thoughts on "affordability"...the job i have been offered will pay around $70K gross and my wife is hoping to obtain a teaching post (primary)
We plan on renting to start but hope to have around $400K to put into house purchase,does this seem enough to enjoy a good lifestyle-very subjective I know and we don't exactly live the high life here in the uK but have decent housing,good holidays etc.
Would welcome your thoughts?
Cheers
Steve+Kate
ps won't be back here for a couple of weeks-Kate and self off to India to ride a Royal Enfield around the Himalaya's -adventure before dementia!
G'day Steve
You will certainly pay a premium for housing to be close to the sea, you are gong to pay $400 - $450 a week for a 3 - 4 bed house in a nice suburb, you will pay a lot more to be beachside. There are pro's and con's to renting the biggest one being the 10% a year price increases that seem to be going on. $400k is about the bottom of the market for a 3 bed house close to the beach in a nice area. If you can get into the 500 - 600k range there is a lot of choice.
If you are both working then I would say that you will be fine. Its not cheap to live in Australia but all in all probably similar to the UK. You will probably find the cost of food a shock as there are no subsidies here. Utilities are a bit cheaper, rates are about the same. Running a car is about the same as the UK. You will probably need to pay private health insurance, (certainly if your wife is working) and remember that sending the lad to highschool will cost you a few thousand a year even for a state school. Cost of books and usually the highschool will have a "contribution" amount that has to be paid.
The pro's for living on the peninsula far outweigh the cons though in my mind. Its still a country area with plenty of open space, great beaches, cycle and walking trails and only an hour to the city by train or car.
Stay safe on that Enfield.
Cheers.
You will certainly pay a premium for housing to be close to the sea, you are gong to pay $400 - $450 a week for a 3 - 4 bed house in a nice suburb, you will pay a lot more to be beachside. There are pro's and con's to renting the biggest one being the 10% a year price increases that seem to be going on. $400k is about the bottom of the market for a 3 bed house close to the beach in a nice area. If you can get into the 500 - 600k range there is a lot of choice.
If you are both working then I would say that you will be fine. Its not cheap to live in Australia but all in all probably similar to the UK. You will probably find the cost of food a shock as there are no subsidies here. Utilities are a bit cheaper, rates are about the same. Running a car is about the same as the UK. You will probably need to pay private health insurance, (certainly if your wife is working) and remember that sending the lad to highschool will cost you a few thousand a year even for a state school. Cost of books and usually the highschool will have a "contribution" amount that has to be paid.
The pro's for living on the peninsula far outweigh the cons though in my mind. Its still a country area with plenty of open space, great beaches, cycle and walking trails and only an hour to the city by train or car.
Stay safe on that Enfield.
Cheers.
There are some fancy places around Boxhill itself. Parents live in Mitcham which is not a bad place. Not near the beach though. Mont Albert, Surrey Hills and North Doncaster are $$$. The hills are not far away for motorcyling!
www.realestate.com.au
http://www.domain.com.au/
Trains to Boxhill are good from the city, run very frequent during the rushhour as Boxhill is one of the major stops before the outlying suburbs. Bad thing is most of the trains go to the city and then back out again. City is the hub. The Trams are the same. Buses are ok if you know where you are going! They connect a lot of the outer suburbs.
Can't help much as I live in the Wild west!!
www.realestate.com.au
http://www.domain.com.au/
Trains to Boxhill are good from the city, run very frequent during the rushhour as Boxhill is one of the major stops before the outlying suburbs. Bad thing is most of the trains go to the city and then back out again. City is the hub. The Trams are the same. Buses are ok if you know where you are going! They connect a lot of the outer suburbs.
Can't help much as I live in the Wild west!!
im in the Oakleigh area which is about halfway between the beach and box hill on the previously mentioned Warrigal Rd. its got easy access to the freeways and the train station is a "premium- zone 1" meaning that you only need the one fare, as opposed to the "zone 1 + 2" which is more expensive. being a premimum station the express trains also stop there. its also close to lots of good shoping and schools.
dont have kids yet so cant comment on that side of things, other than to say the "my schools" web site that the government runns might be worth a look.
ryan
dont have kids yet so cant comment on that side of things, other than to say the "my schools" web site that the government runns might be worth a look.
ryan
ezakimak said:
im in the Oakleigh area which is about halfway between the beach and box hill on the previously mentioned Warrigal Rd. its got easy access to the freeways and the train station is a "premium- zone 1" meaning that you only need the one fare, as opposed to the "zone 1 + 2" which is more expensive. being a premimum station the express trains also stop there. its also close to lots of good shoping and schools.
dont have kids yet so cant comment on that side of things, other than to say the "my schools" web site that the government runns might be worth a look.
ryan
Same, I have lived in Oakleigh for nearly 12 years now and its probably perfect for being central to the CBD and the beach and outlying areas. My commute to just outside of the city to Toorak takes me 20-30 minutes. House prices have gone crazy though round here in the last few years, but I couldn't imagine living in one of those new developments like Caroline Springs..dont have kids yet so cant comment on that side of things, other than to say the "my schools" web site that the government runns might be worth a look.
ryan
Get your wife to check the teaching thing before you come.
My wife did her degree in Queensland, and was teaching in the UK for 5 years before we moved to Melbourne.
She had to provide proof of qualification (not the same state you see, so causes all sorts of grief) and signed statements of service from the schools she'd taught at in the UK so she could prove her length of service.
Worth checking it all out before you move, because if you come without something Vic Ed want it could be difficult.
Also, be prepared to pay for everything like:
a visit to the doctors
private health insurance (about $200 to $300 per month as far as I can tell)
Ambulance membership (yes, really. If you aren't a member a trip costs thousands of dollars)
Car rego (around $600 per year)
all sorts of other stuff you wouldn't even think of.
Having said that, it is much much better than the UK (except for the halfwit tailgaters that is).
My wife did her degree in Queensland, and was teaching in the UK for 5 years before we moved to Melbourne.
She had to provide proof of qualification (not the same state you see, so causes all sorts of grief) and signed statements of service from the schools she'd taught at in the UK so she could prove her length of service.
Worth checking it all out before you move, because if you come without something Vic Ed want it could be difficult.
Also, be prepared to pay for everything like:
a visit to the doctors
private health insurance (about $200 to $300 per month as far as I can tell)
Ambulance membership (yes, really. If you aren't a member a trip costs thousands of dollars)
Car rego (around $600 per year)
all sorts of other stuff you wouldn't even think of.
Having said that, it is much much better than the UK (except for the halfwit tailgaters that is).
SkinnyBoy said:
ezakimak said:
im in the Oakleigh area which is about halfway between the beach and box hill on the previously mentioned Warrigal Rd. its got easy access to the freeways and the train station is a "premium- zone 1" meaning that you only need the one fare, as opposed to the "zone 1 + 2" which is more expensive. being a premimum station the express trains also stop there. its also close to lots of good shoping and schools.
dont have kids yet so cant comment on that side of things, other than to say the "my schools" web site that the government runns might be worth a look.
ryan
Same, I have lived in Oakleigh for nearly 12 years now and its probably perfect for being central to the CBD and the beach and outlying areas. My commute to just outside of the city to Toorak takes me 20-30 minutes. House prices have gone crazy though round here in the last few years, but I couldn't imagine living in one of those new developments like Caroline Springs..dont have kids yet so cant comment on that side of things, other than to say the "my schools" web site that the government runns might be worth a look.
ryan
Will Wave next time i see ya.
Gassing Station | Australia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff