Tina G Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Hi We are currently relocating from Melbourne to Canberra and looking to buy a house. I spend a few days a week in Canberra and have been visiting houses in the evenings. So far I've visited properties in Palmerston, Nicholls and Flynn. I found Palmerston and Nicholls very nice but you don't get so much for your money compared to the Belconnen suburbs and I wasn't sure if the road infrastructure is going to keep up with the amount of development. I am going to be visiting properties around Belconnen this week including Melba, Spence and Fraser. We don't have any children but we want to take into consideration child care and schools for later in life, hoping to buy a nice size house with a good garden, lots of walking tracks, and hopefully a few shops or even a restaurant or two within walking distance. Would love to hear your views or suggestions Tina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckleface Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 If I was going to live in one of the three suburbs you mentioned I would choose Spence first, Melba second and Fraser last. As well as looking at the houses I would spend some time walking around the streets near the houses you are considering, talk to the neighbours and ask them about the best and worst aspects of the suburb, street etc Good luck - hope you find exactly what you are looking for at the right price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurls Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 I'm not sure you'll find a few good restaurants within walking distance, that might be a little optimistic. Perhaps some takeaways at the local shops. I lived in Spence for a few months and it was OK but not a lot there and mostly we drove if we wanted anything as not much within walking distance really. There'll be good parts and bad parts in each suburb, I'd check out the neighbours and see how run down their properties look etc. I prefer the suburbs that are closer to Belconnen myself but that's personal preference more than anything. Spence doesn't have a primary anymore, they feed into Mount Rogers Primary which is at Melba. All these areas feed into Melba Copland Secondary School and College. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 My ranking would probably be Spence, Fraser, Melba but there isnt that much going on in any of them really. If schools are an issue then I'd perhaps put Fraser first and Spence second. My preferences would be Hawker, Weetangera, Aranda, possibly Cook (although it no longer has a PS) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine please Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Hi hun We moved into Aranda last Friday (we eventually made it :-)) seems nice so far and you can if your feeling energetic walk to the Jamieson Centre which has a few Cafes, Hairdresser, Coles and Aldi. There is also the Southern Cross club which we joined (no idea what it stands for but we stumbled upon it) the food is nice and reasonable and the drinks seem subsidised. We have this house for 2 months before moving onto to unfurnished. We too are looking at staying in a Belconnen suburb. Good luck with your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina G Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Thank you for all your comments it's been so helpful. I went to Spence the other day to see a house. really liked the area, very pretty, and a short taxi ride to an English pub! on a more serious note we loved what you get for your money. so I think we've found or area and maybe even a house! my husband and I should be there by June, maybe a few meet ups in the belconnen area! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slean Wolfhead Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Loved Aranda, Weetangera and Cook...would have been perfect for catching the express bus to the southside, but alas couldn't find a suitable property in our time window. The Jamison centre is great, we're looking at joining the club next time we go over there. We're now in a lovely new house in Kaleen, after looking at Spence and Nicholls (I liked Spence, the route into Belconnen is very quick) Advantages of Kaleen are two decent shopping centres (both with supermarkets and restaurants), very close to Dickson and the top of Northbourne (7 minutes is our record). There's not much else round here except cycle paths and parks ...but that's perfect really. Also about midway between Belconnen and Gungahlin, so strategically we're happy with it. You need a car to get anywhere really, but the drives are lovely. Some of the nice suburbs have really poor "shops", I think one we saw on the southside only had a car mechanic and a hairdresser...so basically nothing useful for daily shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thom Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Currently living in Cook, have lived in Aranda, both are great suburbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine please Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 We couldn't find a suitable (nice) house in Aranda, cook, maquire or weetangera!!! We have found one in Melba which we get the keys for tomorrow. We really panicked when we started having a nosy at the houses out there for rent!!! Some of them are truely awful. Had to laugh then when they said no pets, I was like I wouldn't let my dogs in here to live I case they caught something!!! Pity really as I love these suburbs but on the plus the house in Melba is newly renovated so everything clean and new and it has a pool so oh and daughter are delighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I found somewhere decent in Macquarie, nothing like what you speak of. Sick of renting though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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