markry Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Hi - My family and I will be arriving in Berwick in November. As the rental market is apparently quite tight at the moment we can't decide whether to forgo renting for a year and just buy a place instead - especially with the grants and bonuses for first time buyers about at the moment. Does anyone have any thoughts? Also what is the feeling about the property market in melbourne at the moment - its hard to get a feel for it from over here (there are loads of contradictory reports on the web) and we'd hate to buy somewhere if prices are going to drop a lot. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Count Zero Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Hi - My family and I will be arriving in Berwick in November. As the rental market is apparently quite tight at the moment we can't decide whether to forgo renting for a year and just buy a place instead - especially with the grants and bonuses for first time buyers about at the moment. Does anyone have any thoughts? Also what is the feeling about the property market in melbourne at the moment - its hard to get a feel for it from over here (there are loads of contradictory reports on the web) and we'd hate to buy somewhere if prices are going to drop a lot.Thanks! I've been keeping an eye on the Australian house market myself and know a few well clued up people there. I think Australia is a bit behind the curve and will experience some of the drops the US and UK have. Remember the wage to house price ratio in Australia is worse than the US and UK so I cant see it being the only country in the world that escapes a correction. The banks over there have been too loose and are bound to tighten up like all the others in the world which will impact housing. Rent and wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Hi Personally, I feel you really need to live in a suburb for 6 months to get a feel for it. Although some people prefer to buy as soon as they can and not waste money renting. Property around us is going up in price. I think it depends on the suburb you are buying in and how long you intend on staying there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lelloem Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Hi there, We also moved to Berwick in March 08 as we have family living in the neighbourhood. The properties are nice, the prices arent.. In Berwick you have the choice of 4 wine bars. Supermarkets you have Coles and safeway. Just a tip Safeway is alot cheaper and we personally found it better value for money in the bottle shop next door. OH enjoyed regular trips there for the john smiths as its the only place we could find that sold it. If you are looking for shopping shops your nearest is in Narre Warren South it is similar to an out of town shopping centre packed with food courts, fashion boutiques, gadget shops and even a 6 screen cimema. on average 20mins from Berwick at the most.You need to decide what you are moving to Australia for. Berwick is a quite suburb with not a great deal for the kids if that is an issue. It is also swimming with english folks, great if you are moving to Oz for the weather alone but not necessarily great for the ozzy way of living. I would suggest renting in the area before buying as you may do the same as us and move (we ended up moving interstate to a small town in QLD where we are 2 of the 10 english in the Suburb. Its truly the Ozzy lifestyle unlike Berwick in my opinion is an english colony in the sun. We wouldnt change it for the world ). It is easier to get out of a lease agreement than try and sell up if the area isnt for you. Good luck peeps, if you want info on the area let me know Lelloem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest treesea Posted November 22, 2008 Share Posted November 22, 2008 Berwick is a long way from the CBD, around 42 km or so, and very "outskirts suburbia" imho. There are lots of places closer to Melbourne with heaps more character than Berwick. I think it would be a good idea to rent first, not just to try out the suburb, but also, in case you get work in the CBD, to see if you can put up with the commute. Standing on the Flinders St platform (main railway station in the city) at 6pm at night waiting for a train that could take an hour to get you home, in the middle of winter, freezing.... for sure that wouldn't appeal to me. Sure, nice houses, newish builds, but kind of soulless compared to other parts of Melbourne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lelloem Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Yup i totally agree, i was working in Dandenong, which ment early mornings for the commute.. granted it was only 13 mins on the train but the busses wouldnt get me there in time so i was sat at berwick station for 30 mins in the freezing cold....brrrr not good!! also, Some busses and routes stop in berwick approx 7:30pm hope you dont mind paying for the cabs or walking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Also the newer the area the more strain on resources such as schools they tend to be larger than in older more established areas. Broadband is a problem in some areas of Berwick, people have moved there and then found they cannot get ADSL. You need to check that you can get the services before moving to any new area. Now that the telcos are privatised Telstra no longer puts the cables into the new subdivisions for these services and you may find you have to rely on wireless which can be more expensive. I agree with the OP that the new estates are acres of souless land, lovely houses but no atmosphere lacking in trees as most blocks have no room for them. Years ago Berwick was alovely place but it so over developed now its spoilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Yup i totally agree, i was working in Dandenong, which ment early mornings for the commute.. granted it was only 13 mins on the train but the busses wouldnt get me there in time so i was sat at berwick station for 30 mins in the freezing cold....brrrr not good!! also, Some busses and routes stop in berwick approx 7:30pm hope you dont mind paying for the cabs or walking Surely it would have been easier to drive, mind you I suppose you may not have had a car. Most places in Oz need a car to get around. The last train to Berwick is at 1.58am and then they start again at 5.03am. I would say 95% of our clients fall in love with Berwick, I think it is because you have the older part and then the new estates so there is something for everyone including million dollar acreage property. Also the property prices are a lot cheaper than closer to the city and you get a lot more for your money. I have to agree that Berwick is becoming so popular that they are struggling to keep up with the housing demand and more and more new estates are popping up all over. Berwick has some of the best schools around both government and private. Here is some info that has details of schools in the area Moving to Melbourne - Information on the suburb of Berwick including schools, rental property and property for sale You have two coasts within half an hours drive Port Philip and Westernport and Sherbrooke National Park also 30 minutes away. A lot of locals head for Cardinia Reservoir 10 minutes away, a superb picnic area where you will find wild kangaroos coming to join in your bbq's or picnics, this is also where the next BRITVIC meet will be held on the 13th December Parks Victoria: Cardinia Reservoir Park page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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