Melbourne South East safe and affordable family suburb?

LHaani on 19/12/2016 - 11:58

We are a small family with young kids trying to buy our ever first home (budget is 450K and we may can stretch it a little). I m looking for help about finding a suitable suburb in South East which is affordable and safe as well. My hubby works in CBD and probably he will use public transport for travelling.

We have been told to avoid Dandenong and Noble Park becasue they are a little rough and unsafe.

Can you please advice about other suburbs in South East like Hallam, Doveton, Narre Warren, Narre Warren South, Cranbourne, Cranbourne South. Our guess is Belgrave and Officer would be good but just more travel to CBD.

We are new to Victoria, kindly guide which suburbs we should focus and which to avoid ?

In general we are looking affordability, safety, family friendly and distance to CBD and public transport.

Thanks for helping a mum and her family in making a right choise :)

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Looking4Bargians on 19/12/2016 - 11:59
    -1

    Berwick/Clyde or Narre Warren still alright. Avoid all other areas.

    • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 12:11
      +1

      thank you ozyboy, do you mean Narre Warren South or Narre Warren ? Any thoughts about Hallam and Doveton ?

      • Looking4Bargians on 19/12/2016 - 12:16
        +1

        Avoid Hallam & Doveton please. NW North better than South but expensive.

        • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 12:26

          Thank you again ozyboy, Is Hallam rough and unsafe ? Sorry I m not well aware of division but is Narre Warren (not South or North) ok or it should be avoided as well ?

        • Looking4Bargians on 19/12/2016 - 14:13

          @Haani: Better to Avoid.

      • madreece on 19/12/2016 - 12:17

        Doveton is a big no.

    • jzx100 on 20/12/2016 - 20:09
      +1

      Clyde & Narre are where most of the dero bogan's live or cashed up bogans. High on drugs and alcohol, funny thing is Clyde is this areas biggest crime area lol. Beating Doveton and Hallam!

    • diddy50 on 20/12/2016 - 21:45

      Ummm Clyde has one of the highest rates of home burglaries in Vic.

      http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/news/melbourne-suburbs-ca…

      • Looking4Bargians on 21/12/2016 - 09:43
        +4

        because new houses are getting build pretty quick up there which attract Burglars

    • Finde on 20/12/2016 - 23:20
      +7

      As a police officer that works in Casey, Berwick is okay but avoid all other areas of Casey.

      • dragonxx on 21/12/2016 - 16:46
        +1

        I just recently bought a house in Hampton Park - in border with Hallam, 3 mins from Hallam station. If it is true, your comment scares me a bit!!!

        • Haani on 05/01/2017 - 14:22

          tuanmh, how you have found Hampton Park ? Its understandable in every area there are different pockets. Please share your views. Thanks

        • dragonxx on 08/01/2017 - 18:27
          +1

          @Haani: I found it nice and quiet, heaps better than Doveton. Stay away from Doveton, too many public housing there, you feel it when drive through. If you consider Hampton Park, try to buy near border of Hallam or the opposite towards Cranbourne line. That would give you option to train. For example, Hallam station is literally 2-3 mins from my house, and only 5 mins from freeway. It's about 35 mins from CBD and 55 mins to Flinder st from Hallam station. Using freeway in busy hour is the worst though. They're upgrading the freeway so I believe it will be better.

  • madreece on 19/12/2016 - 12:18

    Ozyboy is right on the money.I think you are going to be pushed with your budget.
    The newer estates around Cranbourne are okay.

    • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 12:28

      madreece thanks, are there some areas of Cranburne to avoid as well, if correct it also have Cranburne, Cranburne North and South.

      • ms_caz on 21/12/2016 - 21:29
        +1

        Cranbourne North is either new estates (quite a decent area) or old 70s estates. Anything on the East side of Narre Cranny road is fine - the Avenues, Tulliallen, Berwick waters etc The area around Merinda Park station is not okay.

        Cranbourne South includes Settlers Run and Botanic Ridge estates and various other large lifestyle blocks. Perfectly fine. Also living on the urban fringe - Devon Meadows, Pearcedale, Junction Village.

        Cranbourne East - quite a number of new estates in and around the Hunt Club (getting abit tatty now) and over through to Selandra Rise etc, also south east?Clyde North - Pasadena etc.

        We sold a three bedroom two bathroom property on a large block (600 sqm) for $370K 12 months ago in Cranbourne West. Much of Cranbourne West is fairly poor, as is Central Cranbourne itself. I wouldn't live there myself BUT the house was good and solid and quite spacious. Most of the neighbours were long term tenants/residents. Some parts of Cranny West are more run down than others. There are also new estates going in around the outer edge of Cranbourne West and you will probably find that there are decent properties in there too.

        If there is a high rate of burglary it would definitely be a factor due to the very high rate of building in this area. We just built in Cranbourne North - the builder would not install our appliances including hot water, stove, oven, rangehood etc until the tenants had moved in. This is not "domestic burglary" but opportunistic burgs from building sites for building materials, fittings etc.

        • Haani on 05/01/2017 - 14:31

          thanks ms_caz, much in depth and helpful.

    • Looking4Bargians on 22/12/2016 - 11:21

      still i got 2 negs… common guys.. use your sense.

  • Piranha2004 on 19/12/2016 - 12:20

    Hampton Park through to Cranbourne are fine. Should get you a nice 3/4 bedroom for 450k.

    EDIT: If you are likley to work in the CBD then Crabourne would be a better choice as the train is close by.

    • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 12:33

      Thanks Piranha2004. Sorry for my poor understanding of area I m asking same to everyone. Cranburne means Cranburne or its north / south / east extensions ? Any thoughts about public schools in this area ? Thanks

      • ms_caz on 21/12/2016 - 21:44
        +1

        drop me a message if you want to ask about schools in Cranbourne.

        • Haani on 05/01/2017 - 14:35

          ms_caz, please guide about schools, I come to know about Courtenay Garden School but also got negative feedback for it. Some one said teachers are raciest but not sure, please guide.

        • ms_caz on 05/01/2017 - 14:44

          @Haani: Courtenay Gardens PS has an excellent reputation. Very good results for NAPLANs, and great Learning Technologies resources. They have done a lot of work on literacy and numeracy, and a lot of work on being an inclusive and safe school. I can't imagine that the teaching staff would be racist!

          You might also consider Carlisle Park PS which is not too far from Courtenay Gardens (it is in the Springhill area of Cranbourne North). It is a much newer school than Courtenay Gardens (although CG has had new facilities recently). Carlisle Park is a public/private partnership in terms of the ownership of the facilities, meaning it is partly government owned and partly privately owned - so facilities are very new, up to date and creatively designed. I think it is a smaller school.

          If you are thinking of moving over towards the new estates in Cranbourne North, Tulliallen PS opens for 2017 - brand new build. It looks as though its facilities are fantastic!

    • jzx100 on 20/12/2016 - 20:11

      Hampton Park is scummy…akin to Doveton.

      • dragonxx on 21/12/2016 - 17:21

        I wouldn't say so - If you drive through Doveton - you'd see small old style houses, plus abandon cars - but Hampton Park is quite different - new houses, next to Hallam (industrial sites) and Cranbourne. I believe they're totally different and Hampton Park is step away from Doveton.

        • jzx100 on 23/12/2016 - 17:02

          I agree the houses in HP are much much better but the people of both areas are quite similar.

  • mel-melb on 19/12/2016 - 12:28
    +1

    Cranbourne East - Livingston estate is great, close to pool, library, Casey Fields..etc http://livingstoncranbourne.com.au/
    Clyde North - look at Selandra Boulevard area - this estate has won awards and has new school opening next year, and new kinder, small shopping complex
    Endeavour Hills - older area with most homes 30 years+ yet close to city/freeway however for 450k you won't get much
    Lynbrook - has it's own train station (opened in the last few years) and easier to travel to CBD compared to Cranbourne East and Clyde North
    Also, join facebook group 'City of Casey mums and dads' if you need more advice!
    We built in Cranbourne East 2 years ago (previously lived in Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren) and have no regrets (Thankfully we don't work in CBD though). Great for young families.

    • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 12:32

      Thanks mel-melb very helpful. How about Cranburne or Cranburne North or South, not asking about states.

      • mel-melb on 19/12/2016 - 12:36
        +2

        Cranbourne South too rural (not really suitable for families), Cranbourne North I would recommend and has some good schools (look at Alkira for secondary), and the Avenue estate area in Cranbourne North is nice, also area around Carlisle Park/Springhill drive is nice and most likely within budget. Cranbourne itself - avoid!

  • sammyla on 19/12/2016 - 12:54
    +15

    lol you have been told to avoid Dandenong and Noble Park but not Doveton? Doveton has a high concentrate of Junkies and social housing and is worse than both Dandenong and Noble Park. Berwick, Narrewarren are still ok but you would have to spend more than 450k to get in. honestly don't ever go to Dandenong, it has become an overcrowded slum, you will pull your hair out while driving as increasing number of people drive erratically or don't obey road rules. people dumping rubbish on nature strip when they move out has become a normal sight in Dandenong and some areas of noble park.

    Noble park is not that bad really, not as congested as Dandenong but Coles is tiny there and and you experience congestion near the railway station, i go to Waverley Gardens shopping centre to shop, its so peaceful there haha .it can be unsafe to walk alone at night in some areas. Noble park north is a bit better but again being closer to Mulgrave it is expensive.

    i live in Noble Park its not as bad as they make out, there are rough pockets everywhere, thats what you get with increased population, petty crimes and burglaries happen everywhere but you should look for a suburb that does not compromise your quality of life. wherever you go you will experience traffic jams and overcrowding.

    population growth is nice isn't it. :), its slowly telling us that the quality of life is decreasing by the day. haha

    • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 13:02

      Thanks sammyle, any thought about Hallam ? I m not getting why some people has disliked it, any thoughts please ?

      • sammyla on 19/12/2016 - 13:32
        +1

        Well i guess there isn't much there and its a small suburb, you don't have a shopping complex close enough so have to go to Fountain Gate in Narre, also no good schools either in Hallam or Hampton Park, Hampton Park Secondary is a very bad school. Good if you can get a place near Freeway entrance but i don't think your budget is enough might be a tad more expensive and not really sure how safe the area is. Prices have been flat in Hallam for years haha. People just dont seem to like Hallam or HP, i guess they are last resort suburbs if you want capital gains on your house. but one thing for sure when other suburbs are at capacity with too many people, you will eventually have to move there. :)

        • jzx100 on 20/12/2016 - 20:18

          Prices have been flat? Interesting comment when houses listed houses sell fairly quickly and houses selling for $500+. They have a small row of shops that have a Coles, post office, barber, fast food etc… Freeway and train station near by. I went to a auction near Frawley rd for a very very large block of land….. auction ended at $2.5mill, obliviously they will build town houses on them. As for safety, last I heard, these crime gangs tend to target 'higer' ares lol.

        • sparkles on 20/12/2016 - 23:31
          -1

          No one wants to live in Hallam because it is basically like one enormous industrial estate.

        • Haani on 05/01/2017 - 14:41

          jzx100, are you recommending Hallam ?

      • flipsahoy on 19/12/2016 - 15:53
        +1

        I lived in Hallam about five years back and it was fine. Maybe it's changed now from some of the comments though. I was right next to the freeway entrance though as sammy mentioned so it was really handy to everything. It's next door to Doveton though so maybe that's why it's not so great these days?

        • cassidy02 on 20/12/2016 - 08:30
          +1

          I've been to Hallam once (this year), and my best way for describing it was a suburb that had just given up. The supermarket we went to was beyond run down, smelt like pee - my husband didn't want me more than a few metres away from him at any time because of how dodgy the people in there were. It's a shame that the council doesn't step in and clean up.

        • jzx100 on 20/12/2016 - 20:19
          +3

          Doveton has improved and this is represented by the increase in the property prices….. junkies do die eventually lol

        • jzx100 on 20/12/2016 - 20:23
          +2

          @cassidy02:

          Weirdest comment, how has this suburb given up? There are new factories & houses being built. Existing houses with very large land being sold for close to a Mil. The best part of this suburb is that there are many retirement villages being built which provide well behaved residents. I cant fathom a 65+ year old doing house burgs or going around hot wiring cars lol.

          BTW which supermarket did you visit?

        • cassidy02 on 22/12/2016 - 10:55
          +1

          @jzx100: I see, maybe we were in a dodgy area then? It was the Woolies near the burger place with the Hulk on it.

        • jzx100 on 23/12/2016 - 17:11
          +1

          @cassidy02:

          By the sounds of it you weren't even in the area LOL. The burger joint with the Hulk on it is in the heart of Hampton park!!! So you haven't been to Hallam this year afterall :P

          See how easy it is to discredit an area just based on someones assumptions, all areas are good in a way, it's up to the people of the area to present the true values of of their area. I get along and am close with my neighbors (for a drink, yarn & watching sports together) it's something that has died out in this country over the years. Best part is we all look out for each other, even those that are in the next street/ court down. To me, that is priceless.

          The shopping centre in Hampton Park is in need of an upgrade, I agree with that.

        • cassidy02 on 09/01/2017 - 08:33
          +1

          @jzx100:

          My bad!

          Hallam does come as listed as the worst suburb in Melb to go, I'm sure I read an article on it. Definitely agree to take all perspectives in to account though. Some ppl automatically judge 'Crime-Bourne' as dodgy, but I actually liked living there, save for the crappy train line.

    • centrelink on 21/12/2016 - 00:16
      +3

      I live in Dandenong north just close to the east link and I find it ok and the neighbourhood quite clean and all along outlook drive. Though for some reason the moment I drive past that bridge towards Dandenong it instantly becomes a slum.

      Kinda reminds me of the Simpsons where Bart was following the itchy and scratchy parade into another area after the train tracks lol. But yeah I do hear hooks at night from the distance, but overall I would say the silver leaf district is alright compared to the other ones.

      • Dr Techno on 21/12/2016 - 14:45
        +1

        Yes Outlook drive within the prestigious rosewood downs estate (as the REA puts it). Thats a nice pocket to live in especially closer to the park. Some nice quality owner built houses there. For Dandy Nth I think it's important to pick a location that doesn't have much thru traffic to cut down on less desirables roaming thru looking for opportunities.

        Yeah it does deteriorate past the bridge. I guess cheaper houses, more units, the closer you get towards Dandy the more coloured ppl I see roaming the streets in the evenings.

  • dasher86 on 19/12/2016 - 13:14
    +10

    Go West.
    You'll get more bang for your buck and probably better travel times to the CBD…

    • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 13:54

      Thanks dasher86, you are right but just becasue we have friends in South East, that is why many times we travel there on week ends :)

      Thanks for suggestions, other wise I wold be doing that.

      • no not me on 20/12/2016 - 18:25
        +22

        If you're working in the CBD I'd prioritise moving closer to work than moving closer to friends. Especially if your line of employment may land you full time work/you're aiming to work in the CBD at some point. Saving time on weekends to visit friends is great and all but saving time travelling to to and from work five days a week is important.

      • sushirais on 21/12/2016 - 03:49
        +1

        For friend's sakes, I wouldn't bother. The trek to the CBD from Cranbourne is horrific. You'll regret it after a month. Look at Tarneit and surrounds. Better area, more family friendly and only 30 minutes to the City, as compared to 1.20++hrs form Cranbourne. However public transport would be lacking I'm assuming. You'll get more bang for your buck in the North/West.

        • sushirais on 21/12/2016 - 18:45
          +1

          @Baysew:

          Lol nothing happened..it was probs just a car meet. Seriously everyone's reaction on this thread, you'd think Melbourne's suburbs was Brazil.

          And ACTUAL brawls which I have witnessed occur at Fountain Gate malls. So SEast isn't the safest as well. But for the most part, Melbourne is incredibly safe

        • megasaur on 22/12/2016 - 00:46
          +1

          It takes more than 30 mins to get from Tarneit to the city, around 45-50mins from the station to Flinders. Driving from west side into the city in peak hour also has horrendous traffic if you are taking the freeway, not sure about alternate routes.

          OP if public transport is important to you, you can check PTV journey planner for travel times

        • Powershopz on 22/12/2016 - 01:35
          +1

          @megasaur:

          Living near a station is a must. The peak our traffic is a disaster. I know 3 people at work that live out that way and their average commute is ~1 hour and 10 mins every day, each way.

        • abovethelimit on 22/12/2016 - 13:46
          +1

          I have a cop mate in the Dandenong Regional HQ who told me that crimes in Dandy and nearby areas are low as they have beefed up security and Apex on watch, so the crims from those gangs avoid those areas and head out to north and west to commit the crimes where they're least likely to be caught. He did say that no burbs are safe in Melb anymore not until these teen vigilantes are behind bars or harder penalties has been enforced!!

        • sushirais on 22/12/2016 - 16:51
          +2

          @abovethelimit:

          Melbourne's still incredibly safe. Y'all some new type of white privilege.

        • sushirais on 22/12/2016 - 16:52
          +1

          @abovethelimit:

          Also coming from a so called "APEX" school/neighbourhood, it's nothing but a huge joke with teens in the community.

    • Dr Techno on 20/12/2016 - 16:52

      True but higher crime average in the west and lacking infrastructure.

      • no not me on 20/12/2016 - 18:20
        +4

        I feel as though crime is worse around Dandenong/Cranbourne compared to a lot of the west. Footscray and Sunshine are probably the bigger issues in the west, unless you're going very far out, some parts of Werribee/Point Cook can be bad. You can still get a house in somewhere like Altona in a pretty good neighbourhood at a decent price. I'd take this option over Cranbourne/Dandenong any day of the year.

        Forgot Broad Meadows, if you avoid that, you'd be wise.

        • Dr Techno on 20/12/2016 - 21:58
          +1

          I think its just the latest media coverage about Apex etc that give a more worse feeling about Dandenong these days.. listening to media it seems youth like to travel between Dandenong and Werribee while stopping at Williams landing to do home invasions.. (joke) still our crime in general is probably nothing compared to some other places around the world.

        • centrelink on 21/12/2016 - 00:19
          +2

          @darkage:

          Though I do recall some Japanese tourist were quite shocked to hear about our crime rates as they believe Japan is like 100 times safer than Australia. So safe they brag they could wander the streets at night and not feel threatened.

        • Dr Techno on 21/12/2016 - 14:52
          +2

          @centrelink: A bit like how I visited Vancouver, Canada. I didn't think much about it until I kept on hearing about Mexican Drug gangs having shoot outs in the street on the news there. Actually felt safer at night in China (in a Tier 1 city) by myself, since theres so many ppl around even at night but then again probably more bad things happening in China but its not reported in the media. End of the day comes down to ones perspective I guess.

        • dtrinh on 21/12/2016 - 15:26
          +2

          @centrelink: yes, this is true. 3am in middle of Tokyo, not problem at all!

  • Mrlai2 on 19/12/2016 - 13:16
    +1

    Langwarrin. Very low crime, many great schools, station/beach less than 10 minutes, strong community feel and affordable.

    • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 13:53

      Thank you Mrlai2, it looks a good choice but to tell you the truth I never been to Frankstan. I may be wrong but what I heard from people was it is a more Anglo Saxon area where usually migrants are not welcomed. Any thoughts around that please.

      • Mrlai2 on 19/12/2016 - 15:13
        +1

        It is largely rumour mill I would assume. My girlfriend and family are migrants who settled in Frankston and have never experienced any issues in well over 15 years. I would advise you drive down and have a look for yourself.

        • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 15:21

          Thanks

        • garffi on 19/12/2016 - 23:02
          +2

          @Haani: Not sure if it helps, but I used to work in Langwarrin and the locals there generally are very nice.

    • JIMB0 on 20/12/2016 - 10:37

      Won't find much if anything for $450k around Langwarrin or Frankston area.

    • myfuturej on 09/01/2017 - 14:26
      +1

      I think Langwarrin is a good choice. I'm a migrant myself, and looks like one, but worked in one of the schools in Langwarrin. I didn't feel discriminated at all.

  • giggs11 on 19/12/2016 - 13:54
    +1

    Was living in Keysborough earlier and thought that is well off your budget now, would still recommend Endeavour Hills where we live now. Mostly older houses (you could still snag one for just over 500K) and big land parcels, lots of schools around and next to Rowville so should see prices appreciate further in time. Safe and decent shopping complex with Woolies/Coles etc.
    Straight access to the Monash and city. Only downside is that the nearest train station is about 10-12 minutes drive away.

    • Haani on 19/12/2016 - 13:57

      thank giggs11, you are absolutely right. I m a big fan of EH but was not considering it for same reasons you have mentioned (train station and budget). Any thoughts about Hallam ? I was considering it since it is next to EH. Anythoughts or experience of living in Hallam, please share ?

      • giggs11 on 19/12/2016 - 14:06
        +1

        I would say paying the premium for EH is well worth it, I dont rate Hallam to be honest- though the houses are newer. This is just based on my opinion though, I havent actually lived there. why not rent and try before buying, EH rent is reasonable. Train station- even if you live in NP/Keysborough, train drive is still 5 minutes, so you dont add too much time. Plus you can choose between Noble Park, yarraman and dandenong stations if variety is your thing :)

        Stay off Doveton/Eumemerring/Dandenong for reasons others have mentioned. Dandenong North is also very good but again price is probably similar to EH.

        • Dr Techno on 20/12/2016 - 15:32
          +2

          EH is isolated, slower appreciation compared to other areas but it does have some nice wide open streets and I believe you pay more depending on the view you get in some cases. When I was house hunting in my sports car, local kids about 10 years old were signalling me to do burn outs. Alot of arabic speaking famalies there as well. Keysborough would be more convenient… but I guess it comes down to timing (what houses are available vs competition) and what your money can buy. Some pockets of Dandenong North are nice but only north of Brady Rd (away from Apex roots ha). Realistically $450k would mean Cranbourne outwards.

        • jzx100 on 20/12/2016 - 20:29

          I've always had a soft spot for hills however the homes are old and some run down. Will need to spend some $ on them in the long run. No local train station doesn't help, one thisn I did notice is that surrounding suburbs have had great property price increases while hills has missed out on the high prices.

        • Dr Techno on 20/12/2016 - 22:12

          @jzx100: In theory I like the Hills too, its like the underdog suburb that has alot of potential. On Real Estate forums they keep on mentioning suburb is too isolated, doesn't have a soul and too close to suburbs with lower socioeconomic status. I guess isolation (lack of community vibe) is the key factor prices. I think these days buying a run down home isn't so much a big deal, as long as its livable. Land size is a big consideration, especially when everyone is knocking down for town houses. I actually love 80's designed houses and the wide spaced lots. thats one reason why i didn't consider new estates. anyways with the way houses are built these days to price, I doubt they will last longer than much older houses.

  • foolsgold on 19/12/2016 - 14:00
    +5

    Before you buy anything, maybe rent in one of these areas, especially if your commute to the city is important.
    Once you past Dandenong you are on a spurr line to Cranbourne with trains at half the frequency. Travelling odd hours will get you stuck transferring at Dandenong.

    Belgrave is another one with a very long commute time by Train but it is a lot more cleaner area by far. very different to any of the other suburbs, much more country bushy feel.

    I would suggest that you try commuting at 7.30-8.30am to the city by car from one of these suburbs just too see how car reliant and congested the roads are. You may get more house for your money but you definitely pay in lack of infrastructure, and commuting times to just about everywhere other than to the local shops

    • godofpizza on 19/12/2016 - 14:27

      traveling to the city from berwick or NW is going to take a while. have even with the recent upgrades @ berwick station you would have trouble find a car spot after 7am not sure what NW spaces are like but it quite congested during peak hours.

      • Dr Techno on 20/12/2016 - 22:38

        yep would take minimum 1.5 hours one way. I think these days its more about the question, have I moved far out enough to get a spare seat on the train to the city.

  • Gronk on 19/12/2016 - 15:26
    +2

    You'd probably find something nice in Rowville for that sort of coin, but it's a bit of a public transport black-hole.

    • Dr Techno on 20/12/2016 - 15:35

      Would have to buy an appartment for $450k. Units are over $450k now. Old basic houses selling for $630k upwards now. Townhouses would be more expensive. It's only a transport black hole if your far away from Stud Rd. I live 10 mins walk from Stud rd, and catch the express bus which is every 15 mins.

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 19/12/2016 - 16:01
    +1

    450k isn't going to get you far once you add in stamp duty - even in the western and northern suburbs you wont get much

    • serpserpserp on 20/12/2016 - 16:43

      The Northern suburbs would be a way better choice than a lot of the places you have been talking about here. But you won't get into the Northern suburbs as cheaply as those suburbs out East, SE.

      Plus OP wants to live near friends out there.

  • cassidy02 on 20/12/2016 - 08:26
    +1

    Sorry if I'm repeating any sentiments above. For your budget, you're going to have to come out as far as you've listed, if not further. We're in Berwick, it's quite nice but you might struggle to find something price wise, but that depends on what type of house you're looking at. There's heaps in Cranbourne/Clyde, and we've lived there before. What pushed me away from that area is that the train line from Cranbourne to Dandenong is notorious for faults, I just couldn't do it again (I work in the city).

    Doveton, Hallam, Noble Park, Dandenong are no-no's. Dandenong North is on the cusp of Mulgrave, I'd buy there, Mulgrave is where I feel at home. Mulgrave itself will be out of your price range.

    I can't offer any advice on schools sorry but am happy to offer any other thoughts to your questions; we went through this with buying our first house this year. Good luck.

    • Haani on 20/12/2016 - 08:36

      Thanks cassidy02, much appreciated. Any thoughts about Officer and its public transport ? Thanks

    • sammyla on 20/12/2016 - 10:52

      hmm i don't think Noble Park is that bad i live there( i do have a back to base alarm though lol), Noble park north is good especially where it borders Mulgrave? Good suburbs don't necessarily mean a low crime rate or less burglaries, people have to just take precautions. Apex Gang wreaks havoc in affluent suburbs and have heard of plenty of home invasions happening in affluent suburbs. i once heard a man got beaten at Berwick railway station and got his laptop stolen. so it can happen anywhere.

      As long as you don't drive around in a AMG youll be fine i guess hahaha.

      • Dr Techno on 20/12/2016 - 15:38

        +1 Noble Park North is okay. Best closer to Mulgrave and to West of Jacksons rd. Price should be low $500's by now. (I Went to school in the area) It gets worse as you move down closer to Noble park.

  • Paraya on 20/12/2016 - 11:59

    Knox Area is fine get in to a court, not avenue street or road

    • akashra on 20/12/2016 - 16:23
      +3

      Knox for 450k. Good one.

      3br House on Bourke Rd, Ferntree Gully sold for $730k, and another 3br house on an adjoining court sold for $760k in the last 3 weeks. Both these houses sold for ~$32k in 1979/1981.

      • Dr Techno on 20/12/2016 - 22:29
        +1

        I think $590k might be doable in Ferntree Gully, but would have to be older, non-reno'd place, on perhaps a strange sized block of land that doesn't suit development.

        My parents purchased in Mulgrave in 1976 for $42k.. they should have purchased in Glen Waverley in the school zone.. damn!

  • lainey13 on 20/12/2016 - 12:14
    +5

    I always considered the Belgrave/Lilydale line to be a step above the Dandenong lines but I didn't have to travel past the split (Ringwood). But in the 4 years I lived on it it was MUCH more reliable, cleaner, safer, less crowded than the Dandening/Frankston.

    • serpserpserp on 20/12/2016 - 16:48
      +1

      This is true. I've lived on all the Eastern lines and Dandenong/Frankston are a bit crappier to live on.

  • whooah1979 on 20/12/2016 - 15:45

    How much rent would one expect to pay for a 2/3 bedroom brick house in those safe burbs?.

  • stirlo on 20/12/2016 - 16:33
    +8

    If commuting to the CBD you're crazy to not consider the north or west. Especially with your budget

    • zealmax on 20/12/2016 - 16:41
      +2

      Good old Broadmeadows. Really cleaned up over the years.

      • serpserpserp on 20/12/2016 - 16:47
        +1

        It is better these days, I wouldn't want to live there though.

        Maybe somewhere like Reservoir/Fawkner/Mill Park you could find a place cheap.

        • zealmax on 20/12/2016 - 16:52

          Yeah, few more years maybe. There are big plans for Broadie, it is one of the 5 central activity centres chosen by the state government. It is a very convenient location.

        • Haani on 20/12/2016 - 18:24
          +1

          Fawkner is already out of reach, Mill Park and Reservoir may be. We have lived in these areas.

        • Powershopz on 21/12/2016 - 14:27

          Fawkner has gone up quite a bit over the past 2 years. There are still some good bargains around though. If you know the ares and can find a place within 1.5km from the train station Fawkner and Glenroy are great buys.

        • Zarcady on 21/12/2016 - 16:41
          +1

          @Powershopz: Glenroy is around $600k ish now.

          Broadmeadows is right around your budget of $450k and will get you a land size of approx 600-650 sqm. The broadmeadows shopping district is seriously underrated, as it has HN, cinema, bunnings, JB, and most other amenities. There is a huge amount of townhouses being built at the moment and once it gets cleaned up abit, I reckon the prices will reflect the changes.

        • serpserpserp on 21/12/2016 - 22:10

          @Zarcady:

          Huge amount of townhouses being built in the North in general. Take a drive down the main streets of Pascoe Vale and Corburg/Coburg North and it is just on another level. Sussex Street for instance seems to have 3 to 6 townhouses on 700m-ish blocks going up everywhere running from Boundary to Bell St.

        • Powershopz on 22/12/2016 - 01:45

          @serpserpserp:

          Because it's a good area to live in and is less than 20 mins from the city. ~35-45 mins in peak hour traffic. The townhouse market is booming because it's very profitable. e.g. 1500m2 purchased for 1.5M yields 6-8 townhouses worth ~4-5M.

          Take Glenroy for example.

          The market is over saturated with them and real estate agents are trying to get as much money as they can for them but they're struggling. So many are sold at private sale with a lot of auctions being passed in. There are plenty of good bargains to be had you've just got to be patient and know the area and wait for the right one to come along. I wouldn't buy now but wait until April-August next year in the low period for some good bargains to pop up.

          There have been a few good buys e.g. 5-10 year old 3bdr townhouse on 200-250m2 going for 450-500K. If you're looking to buy new you'll need $550-650K.

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