Hope I can get some answers!
Myself, Hubby and 2 children are just beginning our adventure.
We have appointed an agent and I think we've decided on Melbourne.
My question is - how do we decide which area we would like to live in.?
Schools are very important to us as our children are aged 6yrs and almost 2yrs.
OH is a Carpenter and we want to live where there are plenty of things for the children to do!
first of all how much money are you looking at taking with you? will you be buying or renting. if buying whats the max price you want to pay? where will you be working is it city (cbd) work or building work? child care for your youngest will be a bigger issue than the schools or parks.
Im not being nosey and its all just ball park. but it will just be easier to help you all the best
Geoffrey
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Kind Regards
Geoffrey (32, an aussie!!), Tracy (35), Jake (7), Jessica (2) & Joseph (1)
first of all how much money are you looking at taking with you? will you be buying or renting. if buying whats the max price you want to pay? where will you be working is it city (cbd) work or building work? child care for your youngest will be a bigger issue than the schools or parks.
Im not being nosey and its all just ball park. but it will just be easier to help you all the best
Geoffrey
Hi, Thanks for your reply Geoffrey,
Childcare for the youngest wont be an issue, as I would work Part Time eventually, and work round hubbys hours.
I think we've decided to rent a property to start with for 12+ months before we look to buy.
Not sure where hubby will be working but don't think it will in the city!
On the cash front it depends what we get for our house when it comes to selling hopefully £50k+.
Good decision choosing Melbourne, a few people on here really don’t like it but I think its wonderful and would happily live here forever!
I haven’t been here for that long myself just 15months and don’t really have much information to give you on specific areas but I can tell you a bit about where I live and why I think it would be suitable for you and your family.
Im currently renting in Malvern which is a 15min train ride into the city, 20min tram ride to St Kilda beach. We didn’t plan on renting in Malvern, we thought we’d end up nearer the beach but we came across a lovely brand new apartment for rent and after spending an afternoon in Malvern we decided that we loved it.
Malvern is very much a family suburb, and is very pretty, quiet and from what ive heard has very good schools. It would obviously be worth researching this but I believe it does.
The main road for shops/cafes etc is Glenferrie Road which I LOVE! It has everything you need, supermarkets, shops, cafes, restaurants. There are many beautiful parks in Malvern too. Im sure it’s the same in many suburbs but I just love the feel of the area, I always feel safe and it looks so beautiful in every season. Its also on a few trams routes which is good if you don’t have a car.
I don’t have children myself but I am planning on getting pregnant any time now and I think Malvern will be perfect for when it arrives, I often see Mums with babies and children, in fact the other day I saw a group of mums having some sort of meet up in a café! (again im sure they do this most places but this is just to give you an idea)
The only other thing to add is that Malvern can be quite pricey especially to buy! We currently rent a two bedroom apartment with a courtyard for $575 a week. There are obviously cheaper places but id say for a family house you’d need to allow at least $500 per week in the area. Armadale is also lovely too which is just next to Malvern.
Im sure many other people can give you advice on other areas which will help too.
Once you decide on a few areas try looking at real estate rental website which will give you an idea of how much you can expect to pay for say a 3 bedroom house in Malvern, and also other areas you may consider.
Hi Claire
Congratulations on making the big step forward, you will never look back:)
I think the South East Suburbs are nice, especially Berwick and Mornington etc. There is plenty of work for carpenters down this end and the schools are great.
Try the south-eastern suburbs closer to the city, like Sandringham, Black Rock, Hampton, Beaumaris. There are a lot of parks and sports centres about so plenty of entertainment for the children. All these suburbs are right by the beach. Sandringham is 27 minutes from the city by train, it is at the end of the line so you never have to worry about getting a seat during peak travel times! There are good local state schools but if you want to send your children to private schools than there are also many to choose from - Haileybury, St. Leonards, Xavier College, Brighton Grammar, Firbank Grammar, Mentone Boys, Mentone Girls.
