Choosing a family-friendly suburb. When buying a family home, no doubt we are all looking for a house that is spacious, functional and well suited to our family needs. Purchasing your own home is no easy task, so when buying your family home, its also important to consider the location. Not all areas offer the same family community environment. Finding a home is one things, matching it with your lifestyle is another. In this market insight, we provide some tips on how to choose a family-friendly suburb:
Nearby education/schools:
Regardless if your children are still toddlers, its always useful to approach your decision to move with forward thinking. There are many schools available, but they all demonstrate different cultures and educational methods. You may be looking for a reputable co-educational public school, private school or a one gender venue. You need to consider the age of your children as they may be attending primary school or secondary college. Some of the very best schools, particularly in Melbourne have strict school zones. This is something else you need to take note of. Properties located within certain school zones can cost much more to a home that is only one street outside the school zone. You budget needs to be taking into equal consideration.
Family amenities:
When raising your family, you need all of your daily necessities available including supermarkets, bakeries, produce stores etc. To capture a family-friendly suburb, you also want nearby amenities. These can include a variety of different choices such as:
- Shopping precincts (i.e. retail)
- Entertainment venues (cinemas, indoor/outdoor playgrounds, arcades etc)
- Medical clinics and hospitals
- Recreational and sporting facilities (open spaces, reserves, basketball/tennis courts, cricket grounds etc)
- Reliable infrastructure and public transport (easy commute to work and/or the city)
Suburbs that have future planned developments:
Finding an affordable home in a family-friendly suburb isn’t always easy. They can also be in high demand and shorter supply. If you are approaching a purchase with a more challenging budget, you can consider buying in areas that are a little under developed. These are often a little cheaper, but you need to take some time reviewing any future planned developments.
When taking note of these planned developments, you should consider the validity of these developments. If you hear that a new train station is proposed, but has not set date, this is something that is not a firm planned development. It is not cheap or easy for the government to cater all areas with new train stations. When looking at proposed plans for schools, shops and public transport, you need to careful understand when or if these plans will evolve.
Neighbourhood safety:
Not all suburbs are made equal. You should consider the demographics and the crime rates in certain areas. Some places on paper tick many lifestyle boxes, but if its unsafe to occupy, it may be too good to be true! Reading material online can sometimes make an area sound worse that it is, so spend some personal time in the area and learn for yourself. If you feel uneased or unsafe by spending the day in a particular suburb, then its probably not the place for you.
Get to know the community:
This is much more easier said than done. If you are looking to move to an area you have never been before, you may have little connection to the community. You can attend some local community fetes, festivals and sporting events to meet local families and residents. You can also talk to some locals, if you are comfortable to do so.
What to do next?
If you’d like to learn more about buying a property in a family-friendly suburb, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would welcome the opportunity to help with your property purchase. We can offer you some additional insight on various suburbs, both in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Our YouTube channel and Market Insights also provide a wealth of information to assist you with many areas relating to property.
While we have taken care to ensure the information above is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances and legislation after the displayed date may impact the accuracy of this article. If you want to learn more please contact us. We welcome the opportunity to assist you.
May 2023
