Upwey: Melbourne's best value for money suburbs revealed with room for the dog, chickens and a bee hive or two
Upwey was the perfect place for Sharon Meade and her partner David Phelan to raise their kids.
They bought the home, then a modest hills cottage, as Melbourne's suburban housing market was going crazy in 2001.
About a decade later they extended and expanded, excavating to create a second level below the now three-bedroom main residence and levelling off the back yard with the displaced dirt.
Shrinkflation in the suburbs, why Melb homebuyers are settling for paying more, getting less
The result was a home that has let them raise chickens for eggs, grow vegetables, share their garden with local wildlife from possums and echidnas to the odd kangaroo, and even harvesting honey from their own private beehives.
It also left room for a grass basketball court for the kids as they grew up, and plenty of space for their american staffy Pollo to roam.
'It's turned into the most amazing family home,' Ms Meade said.
'It's been absolutely beautiful.'
With local bylaws preventing subdivisions in their surrounding area, the pair have also been able to enjoy their time at the property knowing that development was very unlikely — leaving them with only a handful of friendly neighbours and a local shopping strip where you knew most of the people you met.
The pair are now selling the more than 1117sq m home at 106 Alexander Ave, Upwey, with a $900,000-$990,000 asking price via Bell Real Estate's Elliot Bell.
While the area has remained popular with a variety of buyers, Mr Bell said most were young professionals and families leaving behind central city suburbs — some of them among the most expensive places to buy a home by the square metre in the city.
Meanwhile, Seddon has been ranked Melbourne's second best suburb for bang for buck with a typical house in the area costing about $810.50 a square metre, according to REIV figures.
Only Narre Warren North had a lower figure at $399.8, but this is likely influenced by high numbers of hobby farms and significantly larger homes in that area.
Nearby Montrose was among Melbourne's best suburbs for value by the metre, with the typical figure being $876.70.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Report finds increasing number of Australian renters fear confronting landlords
Report finds increasing number of Australian renters fear confronting landlords Published 23 June 2025, 8:43 am A shortage of residential properties available for rent may be discouraging some renters from claiming their full rights as tenants. According to a new report - almost seven out of ten private renters surveyed worry about asking for repairs in case the landlord retaliates by increasing their rent.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
ASX 200 finishes down on Monday as most sectors turn red
Now Playing Sky News Business Reporter Edward Boyd says the local sharemarket opened lower today and was down about 0.8 per cent by midday. 'Most sectors were in the red, led by industrials, mining stocks and tech companies,' Mr Boyd said. 'Banks and energy stocks were in the green though.' The market fought back in the afternoon – finishing down 0.36 per cent on Monday.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Fairly solid' auction clearance rates across Australia despite quieter winter
REA Group Senior Economist Angus Moore discusses the 'fairly solid' auction clearance rates across Australia. This comes amid Australia returning a national clearance rate of 63.2 per cent. 'Obviously very light volume in some cities, as we'd expect to see in winter,' Mr Moore said. 'But even in Sydney and Melbourne, which are our deepest and most liquid markets, particularly for auctions, we're still seeing pretty solid results.'
