Decent area to buy/rent melbourne
Discussion
Looking at moving probably this time next year but after some initial info in terms of both renting and buying a house. Would be looking at a 3/4 bed pref 2up/2down house with a normal sized back garden room for 1/2 cars within sensible commuting distance of the main hospitals/commercial districts in melbourne. What should I expect to pay rent wise per month for a house and what should I look at a purchase cost was thinking of around the 500k mark? Can someone let me know some decent area's etc as havent a clue what areas are ok and which ones arent etc?
Any info on mortgages in oz etc also will be helpful in terms of is it easy of recent migrants to get one, min deposits etc?
Also what's car insurance like, and will my no claims count etc?
Final question whats the bug situation like in melbourne? Never saw a thing when we were there last not like sydney where we saw all manner of horrid eight legged things during our time there.
Know its a bit of a broad post any info will be helpful though.
Any info on mortgages in oz etc also will be helpful in terms of is it easy of recent migrants to get one, min deposits etc?
Also what's car insurance like, and will my no claims count etc?
Final question whats the bug situation like in melbourne? Never saw a thing when we were there last not like sydney where we saw all manner of horrid eight legged things during our time there.
Know its a bit of a broad post any info will be helpful though.
well now it depends on what you do for work, and what you expect your income to be, and where you want to live. If you have a family somewhere like st kilda would be out of the question. check out realestate.com.au for properties. expect to pay through the nose for property, i flatly refuse to do it so i rent
Mrs is a deputy sister and I'm a purchasing manager/category manager. No kids (just 2 kitties) but do want a house rather than apartment. Joint income should be in the region of somewhere between 130k (conservative) to 170k maybe a bit higher if I went for a top end job which I dont want to do anyhow.
Was looking at mortgage payment of around 3k a month but wouldn't want to pay that if I rented. If we rent longer term we wont sell the house in the uk.
Oh and I play hockey so if theres an area that has a decent hockey club always a bonus
Had looked on the real estate site but dont know a good area from a bad one etc.
Was looking at mortgage payment of around 3k a month but wouldn't want to pay that if I rented. If we rent longer term we wont sell the house in the uk.
Oh and I play hockey so if theres an area that has a decent hockey club always a bonus
Had looked on the real estate site but dont know a good area from a bad one etc.
if you want a bayside lifestyle then st kilda/elwood area is for you, near the beach, lots of trendy clubs and restaurants. The northern side of town, Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, Carlton, Northcote and Brunswick has more of a bohemian arts culture thing going on.
i think the state hockey centre is in Parkville near the zoo.
anyway it all depends on what sort of lifestyle you like, i live brunswick because its close to work and pubs i like to drink at but i could also quite easily live on the other side of the river cause i do a fair bit of work out that way too
i think the state hockey centre is in Parkville near the zoo.
anyway it all depends on what sort of lifestyle you like, i live brunswick because its close to work and pubs i like to drink at but i could also quite easily live on the other side of the river cause i do a fair bit of work out that way too
Thanks much appreciated. Just getting some ideas now. will depend on where both I and the Mrs end up getting a job I would think but would be nice if we can afford to live near the beach etc. I liked St Kilda when we visited before but TBH as long as we are 20/30 mins from the beach/CBD Id be probably just as happy if we get a nicer house etc by not being right on the beach etc.
Would be nice as well if one or both of us didnt have to drive to get to work.
Think ive got enough info to say that a move is definately possible etc from a financial perspective. Just tidying the house up now to sell while the visa application goes through.:-)
On a completly seperate topic does phillip island racetrack do trackdays as will miss my sprinting and trackdays here so would be nice to still be able to do one once in a while.
Would be nice as well if one or both of us didnt have to drive to get to work.
Think ive got enough info to say that a move is definately possible etc from a financial perspective. Just tidying the house up now to sell while the visa application goes through.:-)
On a completly seperate topic does phillip island racetrack do trackdays as will miss my sprinting and trackdays here so would be nice to still be able to do one once in a while.
garetgax said:
Thanks much appreciated. Just getting some ideas now. will depend on where both I and the Mrs end up getting a job I would think but would be nice if we can afford to live near the beach etc. I liked St Kilda when we visited before but TBH as long as we are 20/30 mins from the beach/CBD Id be probably just as happy if we get a nicer house etc by not being right on the beach etc.
Would be nice as well if one or both of us didnt have to drive to get to work.
Think ive got enough info to say that a move is definately possible etc from a financial perspective. Just tidying the house up now to sell while the visa application goes through.:-)
On a completly seperate topic does phillip island racetrack do trackdays as will miss my sprinting and trackdays here so would be nice to still be able to do one once in a while.
I think it depends where you end up working really, most of the big Hospitals are in the city but there are 4 or 5 big satellite ones too. Box Hill, Austin, Monash Medical centre and a couple out west too. Public transport is not too bad except at peak times! although everything tends to go the city like a bicyle wheel. Would be nice as well if one or both of us didnt have to drive to get to work.
Think ive got enough info to say that a move is definately possible etc from a financial perspective. Just tidying the house up now to sell while the visa application goes through.:-)
On a completly seperate topic does phillip island racetrack do trackdays as will miss my sprinting and trackdays here so would be nice to still be able to do one once in a while.
Track days, I only know of PIARC for Phillip Island. www.piarc.com.au
There is Sandown as well. http://www.sandown.net.au/motoring/lccds
Pretty sure you might have to have a CAMS license for some of these. www.cams.com.au
cheers guys all good info. Michelle my wife is a trauma/orthopaedic nurse so any recommendations on a decent hospital(s) etc would be great. TBH I think compared to her working environment right now even a bad Oz hospital will prob be better than here. The staff/patient ratio's alone will help as well.
Im an indirect purchasing/category manager so any steers on that front that anyone may have would also be great.
Looked at house prices/rentals elwood way and I think realistically that may be out from a cost perspective. I dont mind living 30 mins outside of melbourne centre. And on the house front would prefer a 2 storey new build type house etc if poss so if there are area's that have more of those and have decent links into melbourne thats what I think we'd be looking at etc.
Thanks for the info on the licence etc they any harder than the ards MSA B licence?
Im an indirect purchasing/category manager so any steers on that front that anyone may have would also be great.
Looked at house prices/rentals elwood way and I think realistically that may be out from a cost perspective. I dont mind living 30 mins outside of melbourne centre. And on the house front would prefer a 2 storey new build type house etc if poss so if there are area's that have more of those and have decent links into melbourne thats what I think we'd be looking at etc.
Thanks for the info on the licence etc they any harder than the ards MSA B licence?
Unfortunately on the buying side of things $500k doesn't get you much in Melbourne any more. Anywhere inner and you can probably still get a reasonable 2br apartment for that sort of money, but for houses in any of the inner burbs you are more looking at a $750k+ start for a small 2br house with 1 car space and a very small garden in South Melbourne/Richmond/etc.
You get more space etc if you go further out, but again if you want to be near the beach any of the suburbs like Brigton, Hampton, Beaumaris, etc will be up around the $900k-1Mil starting point for something of reasonable size 3/4br with 1/2 car spaces, garden etc.
They do get cheaper if you go inland and are still 5-10 mins drive from the beach but alas $500k is still a very low budget until you get to the outer reaches, the cost of houses here generally being quite shocking compared to the UK - not had any price crash and growth has still been carrying on up at a considerable pace etc.
You get more space etc if you go further out, but again if you want to be near the beach any of the suburbs like Brigton, Hampton, Beaumaris, etc will be up around the $900k-1Mil starting point for something of reasonable size 3/4br with 1/2 car spaces, garden etc.
They do get cheaper if you go inland and are still 5-10 mins drive from the beach but alas $500k is still a very low budget until you get to the outer reaches, the cost of houses here generally being quite shocking compared to the UK - not had any price crash and growth has still been carrying on up at a considerable pace etc.
thanks thats v helpful. How far out will we need to be to get a 4 bed prob new build? Im assuming none of the hospitals are right in the centre and Id assume the same for most of the industry etc too (although as I work in indirect purchasing may end up with a job in the cbd but its unlikely) so is a half hour commute unrealisitic?
Reasonably far alas, options would likely be Point Cook or surrounds over to the west where I think you'll still be able to get a good sized 4br new build on a reasonable block for the $500k ballpark. Commute will be mostly freeway and likely take about 45-50mins unless there is an accident on the West Gate bridge in which case it gets a bit nasty. There's not much in the way of public transport out that way currently and any plans for it are still a way off.
Out to the east there are new estates going up around the Eastlink tollway between Melbourne and Dandenong that might be around that sort of money and will be a similar drive to the city but more accesible for decent train lines. You'll also have a good selection of 4br existing 60s-70s houses on decent sized blocks around the Dandenong/Keysborough etc area for that sort of budget too.
Or you could look around Frankston which is on the bay south east of Melbourne and a lot cheaper, bit of a drive to the city but Frankston itself is quite a sizeable place and has a reasonable train service, big hospital there, etc etc etc.
There's probably a lot of areas out to the North that will be within budget too but i'm not as familiar with those areas.
If I personally was looking at that sort of price point and size I'd be trying to find something between Melbourne and Frankston but not necesarily new build. Edithvale/Patterson Lakes/Aspendale/Carrum etc as they are all nice enough areas with a selection of cafes etc, have the train line running nearby, good access to major roads and are as close to the beach as you'll get for that sort of $ even if they're a bit of a drive to the city, prob about 45mins to an hour.
Domain.com.au is good for seeing what is out there, can feed in all the important factors like bedrooms, budget etc and then do a search on an area and the surrounding areas too.
Cheers,
Al
Out to the east there are new estates going up around the Eastlink tollway between Melbourne and Dandenong that might be around that sort of money and will be a similar drive to the city but more accesible for decent train lines. You'll also have a good selection of 4br existing 60s-70s houses on decent sized blocks around the Dandenong/Keysborough etc area for that sort of budget too.
Or you could look around Frankston which is on the bay south east of Melbourne and a lot cheaper, bit of a drive to the city but Frankston itself is quite a sizeable place and has a reasonable train service, big hospital there, etc etc etc.
There's probably a lot of areas out to the North that will be within budget too but i'm not as familiar with those areas.
If I personally was looking at that sort of price point and size I'd be trying to find something between Melbourne and Frankston but not necesarily new build. Edithvale/Patterson Lakes/Aspendale/Carrum etc as they are all nice enough areas with a selection of cafes etc, have the train line running nearby, good access to major roads and are as close to the beach as you'll get for that sort of $ even if they're a bit of a drive to the city, prob about 45mins to an hour.
Domain.com.au is good for seeing what is out there, can feed in all the important factors like bedrooms, budget etc and then do a search on an area and the surrounding areas too.
Cheers,
Al
Thats great info as had looked at both point cook and frankston but didnt know if they were decent areas or not and the relative commute times etc. Only reason for new vuild preference is Id like a 2 storey house if poss. Could go down to a 3 bed but tbh would pref a bigger house a bit further out etc. I think in the end it will depend a bit on where michelle ends up being offered a job and to a certain extent my job. I dont know much about melbournes industry and as such where I might end up working. Id assume its unlikely Id end up working in the cbd anyhow but as I dont know how oz works versus the uk cant be certain on this. Ive always ended up on the outskirts on industrial estates up till now so wouldnt think itll be any different.
Frankston direction definately sounds like the most sensible bet from the info you've given me though.
Think we will be renting for a bit initially anyhow, have seen a few nice houses in carrum downs that should be in our budget for renting which at least gives me a good indication on things etc. So just got to sort michelles oz nursing registration,find a decent migration agent and get the whole ball rolling now.
Frankston direction definately sounds like the most sensible bet from the info you've given me though.
Think we will be renting for a bit initially anyhow, have seen a few nice houses in carrum downs that should be in our budget for renting which at least gives me a good indication on things etc. So just got to sort michelles oz nursing registration,find a decent migration agent and get the whole ball rolling now.
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