The Real Estate Guide

Brighton is a long narrow suburb of 8,2KM2 with a north-south orientation running parallel with Port Phillip Bay and bounded by the Bay, Nepean Highway to the east, South Road, Glenhuntly Road to the north with a western cut-out that is annexed to Elwood. Adjoining suburbs are Elwood, Elsternwick, Gardenvale, Brighton East and Hampton.

Brighton’s allotments are typically bigger than normal. The resident population of 20, 650 live in a modest density of 2,500 per KM2. Two-thirds of Brighton’s dwellings are freestanding homes with a current median price of $1.35 million, a 110% premium over surrounding suburbs. Units sell at an average of $560,000 – a 60% over the average median price of the region.

Besides the excellent private schools that dot this and neighbouring suburbs, Brighton has excellent beachside facilities, grand shopping experiences in Church Street (sometimes described as the southern counterpart of Toorak), a local twin-screen cinema, and some distinctive street layouts (some are crescent shape while others are set on the diagonal. Residents like the perceived aura about their Brighton lifestyle.

And the lifestyle is appealing. The shopping is good. Access to the city is excellent – the 13KM takes about 30 minutes using Barkly Street or St.Kilda Road. The suburb is well serviced by trains and buses. Trams from Glenhuntly Road pass the northern boundary travel to the city via Brighton Road.

Two primary schools servicing the local area are Elsternwick Primary and the Star of the Sea Catholic College. Private schools, however, dominate the scene. Brighton Grammar, Firbank Grammar, St. Leonards College, Hailbury College’s Castlefield Campus, Xavier College are either located within or close to the suburb borders. Brighton has double the State average ratio of primary students at private school compared with State primary enrolments. At secondary level however, this ratio difference becomes threefold.

Which brings us to the beach … and what a beach! There’s beach boxes for hire (if you can get one), plus walks and rides along the Elwood-Brighton mixed bike trail. The Middle Brighton pier and rock wall shelters yachts and pleasure craft ready for the next sailing, skiing or fishing sojourn on Port Phillip. Yes, the lifestyle!

22 KM south-east of Melbourne nestled south of Nepean Highway between Mentone, Cheltenham and Black Rock lies the suburb of Beaumaris. Its 17,500 people live in a quiet, moderately low-density residential area, one that is increasingly subject to urban renewal.

Its proximity to an incredible shopping centre (Southland), many great sand-belt golf courses, secluded beaches, numerous aquatic sports on Port Philip Bay, and the dining-out experiences at historic Ricketts Point make Beaumaris suburb that is a keenly sought by the more financially secure home-buyer. The median house price is currently $870,000 – 40% above the district average. Unit prices are 60% higher at $500,000. Most dwellings in the suburbs are houses. Of those residents who have borrowed to buy their home, over 25% repay more than $1,500 a month.

The main road access to the city is via Nepean Highway although Beach Road offers a more leisurely journey. Buses which criss-cross Beaumaris deliver their passengers to two local railway stations – Cheltenham and Mentone.

Beaumaris has two State schools, a Catholic primary school and Sandringham College’s Senior Beaumaris Campus in Reserve Road and Mentone Girls Secondary College nearby.

Everyday shopping can be found at the Concourse Shopping Centre and at Seaview shopping centre. Southland is the place to go for everything else.

Join prestigious Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the challenge, competition and for good friends that your fitness regime can bring – or simply take a walk along the cliff-top and beach. Love the water? The Ricketts Point peninsula offers safe mooring for yachts and water-sport power boats, some fine fishing around its 115 Hectare Marine Sanctuary plus secluded fine-sand beaches complete with a local life-saving club.

Black Rock is a pocket-sized 3.7KM2 beachside suburb wedged between Sandringham, Cheltenham and Beaumaris and overlooking Port Phillip Bay. Its 5,800 residents live in comfortable homes most being constructed on medium-sized allotments post WW2. The median price of houses is currently $900,000 nearly 50% higher than the area average. Units, at $500,000, command a 30% premium.

The Nepean Highway provides good access to the city in 40 minutes, some 21KM away. Buses service the suburb’s perimeter.

Two primary schools are located within the suburb boundaries – Black Rock Primary School and St. Joseph’s School and a pre-school centre in Bluff Road.

A conservation and recreational reserve stretching a kilometre south from Half Moon Bay to the Life Saving Club has preserved many of the original indigenous plants. Red Bluff offers an interesting cliff-top walk with views back to Melbourne and popular beaches on either side. A rock breakwater and the sunken warship HMAS Cerberus, provide storm protection for moored yachts of members of Black Rock Yacht Club.

The Sandringham Public Golf course offers most of the healthy benefits of neighbouring Royal Melbourne Golf Club, with fees that most people can afford.

The Black Rock Clock Tower at the intersection of Beach Road and Balcombe Road is a local landmark.