Canberra's 'Up and Comer' suburbs

I just bought a house in Ngunnawal and it is a fantastic area. I rented here for the last couple of years and never had any problems with crime or rowdiness from residents. Some parts of Ngunnawal are better than others, but generally it is the best value for money suburb in my opinion. Great for first home buyers like myself.

I think you’ll find most 30+ year old houses have poor solar orientation, no insulation and are now generally crummy (unless renovated already).

busgirl said :

I reckon Kambah (near the Village)is good value for money. The block sizes are big and it is central to both Woden and Tuggeranong. And the Parkway makes Civic only a hop, skip and a jump away.

Yeah, Kambah is great…if you only care about the block and couldn’t care less about the quality of the improvements you’re buying. Houses there were all put up 30-plus years ago, mostly at great speed and minimal cost. Generally, they have poor insulation, the worst possible solar orientation, and all the other trappings of 30-year old houses. You’re looking at easily spending another $50k-plus to bring most of them into the 20th century….let alone the 21st.

IMO the most under-sold suburb in Tuggers is Bonython. It is right next to the town centre, the houses are quite new by Canberra standards (~20 years old), blocks are a decent size and the suburb has quite a few amenities (primary school, nature reserve and hill for dog walking, and it’s close to Lake Tuggers). Some dodgy parts, especially north of Barr Smith Ave, but generally not too bad. It reminds me of Florey three years ago, and that suburb has really boomed.

On the Northside, everything is quite dear. But I shake my head at ppl paying $440-450,000 for partially renovated, 30 year old houses in places like Scullin, Higgins and Holt when you can pay the same and get a four bedroom, ensuite house in West Macgregor, less than five minutes away, for the same price.

I agree with busgirl and addison. Kambah is a good long term buy, and there are others in a simliar boat. If you’re looking for a unit I think Philip is the standout bargain at the moment. For houses, Queanbeyan is also a good buy (since it’s closer to the city than a good chunk of Canberra).

Don’t forget that suburbs change over time. They start out nice and new, then get daggy and tired, and then get redeveloped into new (and by then very well located) communities. The idea is to find the suburbs going through it’s ‘tired’ stage, because it’s generally uphill from there. Queanbeyan is going through this at the moment, and will do for some years.

There are a number of suburbs on that list given in the article that I wouldn’t go near for investment purposes, too.

busgirl said :

I reckon Kambah (near the Village)is good value for money. The block sizes are big and it is central to both Woden and Tuggeranong. And the Parkway makes Civic only a hop, skip and a jump away.

I’ve acquired a bit of a soft spot for this bogan suburb of mine 😉

Agree with you Busgirl. I reckon north Kambah would have to be the most central place in Canberra when it comes to travel time to everywhere else.

Oh, I should probably add that the suburbs I listed above are referred to in what I perceive as their investment potential, which is a totally different thing to how good they are as a place to live.

Some of the suburbs listed will do well, but only because they are currently very cheap. Units are also a different market to houses. If you are after units there are suburbs obviously better than those listed. For houses, the difficulty is that much of these ‘up and coming’ suburbs are only value for money because the demand hasn’t equalised with surrounding suburbs yet.

Condor, Banks and Ngunnawal are not what I would call good long term buys.

I reckon Kambah (near the Village)is good value for money. The block sizes are big and it is central to both Woden and Tuggeranong. And the Parkway makes Civic only a hop, skip and a jump away.

I’ve acquired a bit of a soft spot for this bogan suburb of mine 😉

In my browsing I have seen a number of 4 bedroom homes in Palmerston for well under $500k. Decent size blocks too.

Very Busy said :

Suburbs close to the Tuggeranong town centre are almost certain to do well. There are large office blocks and shopping centres and although it is a fair distance from the city, Tuggeranong is self sufficient. Full size house blocks are the norm and it is not a social experiment like much of Gungahlin which makes Tuggeranong a safer bet. It has the beautiful Brindabella Ranges as a backdrop which adds to its appeal. Tuggeranong has very good infrastructure.

Except that the Tuggeranong cinema closing is hardly going to inspire a vote of confidence …

foxygeek said :

no more than 500k. I need 4 bedrooms…

You could probably find something in Tuggeranong Valley for that price or Dunlop in Belconnen. The newer parts of Dunlop are gorgeous with views to die for. Or Macgregor?

Feebles said :

We live on the hill in Macgregor and it’s a great place to live. Even though we live on the edge of Canberra (with views to the mountains and countryside) there’s an express bus that means I get to work in the city, door to door in about 30 minutes. Kippax is a handy shopping centre, with an Aldi and a Woolies. There’s really no downside in my opinion.

We looked at buying there but

err Living under the powerlines would be a downside imo (hope your away from them)

Everything else ie express bus and Kippax shops keeps us looking in that general area though

Thanks for the insights on some of the cheaper suburbs. Interesting post from Sniper re: Charnwood. Have seen that area of Belconnen… looks pretty much the same as every other suburb in Belconnen to me…

for now, more research.

Sniper well said, and oops for not realising the inner part was on a slight hill.

As you said Charnie’s reputation isn’t all it is cracked up to be and it can be quite plesant. As I said before the big problem was the Radburn designed govie houses in the area around the shops. For those that don’t know Radburn was where the road effectivly lead to the back of the house and at the front of the house you had a common alley way often without fences. It was supposed to encourage community but those alleys in the end encourage crime.

Foxygeek,
When I was in Brisbane, I asked myself a similar question, and the way of calculating it is to compare the average price of the suburb with the UCV of land in the suburb. Thus giving the true value ratio, rather than the “perceived” value.
I did it in Brisbane in 2003/04 and found Banyo, Nundah, Redcliffe and Redbank were the front-runners. Having looked at how those suburbs fared in the last 5 years, the system’s probably accurate.
Haven’t tried it in Canberra though – no desire to buy anything in Canberra at all.

We live on the hill in Macgregor and it’s a great place to live. Even though we live on the edge of Canberra (with views to the mountains and countryside) there’s an express bus that means I get to work in the city, door to door in about 30 minutes. Kippax is a handy shopping centre, with an Aldi and a Woolies. There’s really no downside in my opinion.

foxygeek said :

no more than 500k. I need 4 bedrooms…

Try Wanniassa, 2 on list. We got a similar price for same(time adjusted) on the Erindale side and its half way between Tuggers and Woden so good investment potential. They are knocking them down and building them up in new rendered style all over the place here at the moment. Public and private schools, usual IGA/ hairdresser/ pharmacy etc except the takeaway is the one that used to be on Livingston Ave in Kambah +++ (many know this). Also there are 2 medical centres (placed next to each other), neither of which seem to be able to attract enough staff to open. Good luck!

Don’t know if you have been told yet, but the local (Sth Coast & ACT region)website for realestate is http://www.allhomes.com.au. Also, $500k 4B is a bit unrealistic in ACT, unless you buy in the outa suburbs or plan to spend another $200k to renovate later. In the ACT we have the benifit of all homes having to be energy rated too (although in my opinion the rating system is a farce but thats another topic), and you can see how the homes for sale rate on the allhomes site, as well as suburb trends, rates etc. Best luck. Disclaimer- I don’t have any affiliation with allhomes.

Maybe have a look at Narrahbundah, it doesn’t have a ‘prestige’ reputation, but it’s damn close to Russell (a suburb of offices) and Civic. Plus their suburb centre seems to be on the up.

foxygeek said :

no more than 500k. I need 4 bedrooms…

eek! Good Luck!

no more than 500k. I need 4 bedrooms…

Whats your budget?

Chop71 said :

JC said :

What hill? The hilly side is Fraser or Flynn. Charnwood is pretty much flat.

Inside of the Bettington loop.

Anyone in there looking at selling in the next 12 months?

I for one live within that loop and nope sorry, not looking to sell. I’m there to stay. Love it in Charnwood Heights!!

Look, we are in Canberra after all and really, as much as some people would hate to admit, there are no ‘rough’ areas in the nation’s capital, in comparison with other cities! My insurance in Charnwood is much cheaper than it was where I used to live in Melbourne years ago!

As I am somewhat feeling a strong wave of anti-Charnwood vibes flowing through in the forum at the moment, before the wave gets any bigger, let me just point out a few things about this lovely Canberra suburb of which I am a proud resident:

The bad reputation that Charnwood has is due to things that happened in the 80s and early 90s (gang activity, crime). Despite the tragedy at the shops last year, I really don’t think the suburb deserves the bad wrap from everyone. Because of its history, any incident that happens close to Charnwood, the local media gets hold of and everyone then feels justified in their unfair opinion of the suburb. Reality though is that it has gone through a significant transformation over the years and it truly deserves much greater respect than the unfortunate tag that has stuck to it. You are just as likely to get mugged in Charnwood as you are in Griffith or Kingston. There are good and bad pockets everywhere.

I grew up in Canberra and even I thought at one stage ‘over my dead body, I ain’t moving to Charnwood’. But in studying this area, my wife and I came around and now feel so grateful and happy we bought here. No regrets whatsoever.

Contrary to popular belief, the suburb is not composed of drug dealers, prostitutes, murderers and rapists. My neighbourhood is full of professionals, respected businessmen, a policeman! and generally just upstanding citizens with great families. It’s quiet and friendly and only a few blocks away is the Canberra Christian Life Center (used to be Charnwood High School) which from all accounts has really helped promote a ‘nice’ family community environment.

Bottom line is, if you avoid Charnwood, you may as well avoid the surrounding suburbs (or Belconnen in its entirety) because trust me, they are all the same!

Charnwood truly offers great value for young families… even today! No where else in Canberra are you going to get 3, 4 or 5 bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, study/office, multiple living areas, double garage, on a big block (not like some of the new houses around) for 350-450K!! It’s one of the few suburbs in Canberra that First Home Buyers are afforded a chance to get into the market with a decent size house.

I rented a $700k for an enormous premium per week, in supposedly a nicer suburb and found the surrounding neighbourhood to be more rowdy (and shifty in general) with much more police activity than where I am now.

It has the best fish and chip and Charcoal Chicken place in Canberra!

A mate of mine purchased a unit in Charnwood 5 years ago for $190k. It sold not long ago for $380k. Another friend picked up a house as an investment for $280k no so long back, now valued at $345k, renting at $420pw.

Another mate owns a unit in near the city, has had his car stolen multiple times (secure parking, 2 different cars first written off) and unit broken into in the last 2 years. Another mate in O’Connor has had his place broken into twice in last 3 years. Meanwhile Charnwood streets that I know remain peaceful.

Ok, I’ll get off my soap box now. Long live Charnwood Heights. Drop by for a visit some time. 🙂

To respond to some of the posts, no I’m not looking at making a quick buck. I’m a young professional with a family and I’ve come to like Canberra the short time we’ve been here so looking at buying to stay for the long haul. I only asked regarding best value suburbs because I can’t afford the ridiculous amounts family homes are going for in many suburbs. Of course in the long term, I would like the value of the house to go up, who wouldn’t?? But definitely not a shark about to swoop in to make a quick buck.

Great discussion though, keep it going.

JC said :

What hill? The hilly side is Fraser or Flynn. Charnwood is pretty much flat.

Inside of the Bettington loop.

Anyone in there looking at selling in the next 12 months?

Forget rent haha ive made 260% on my dodgy spec stocks this year beat that.

But then again, rent is also ridiculous (and I’m a landlord)!

If your coming to live long term then it might be worthwhile buying, but if your an investor forget real estate. Property can’t stay at record highs for ever. Long term averages have put median house prices continually at 4 x average earnings. Average earning are about $55,000 these days, so median house prices should be close to $220,000. I don’t think we’ll ever get back down there, but I also don’t think things are going up over the next 3 years (then again I’ve thought that for the last 3 years and been wrong there).

If interest rates return to 8% over the next couple of years (unlikely but possible to go quite that high that quick), there will be be an absolute plethora of cheap quality property around.

Braddon is certainly not a cheap area, but it always strikes me as being undervalued given it is within a 10 minute walk of the City, and considering the prices in suburbs around it. Allhomes recons that the average non-unit price in Braddon is 668k, whilst in Reid, the next suburb over, it is 1.1 million.

There are those public housing flats in Braddon though.

If I had the choice Gungahlin or Charnwood its Charnwood all the way I cant stand Gungahlin with its tiny streets tiny back yards and houses inches from each other.

I’ve lived in Ngunnawal for 4 years now and am completely over it. The commute southside is killing me. Hoping to buy a house on a decent size block in Tuggers in the next 6 months.

Chop71 said :

shauno said :

Charnwood can be cheerful my mate lives in a street there and every one knows each other kids play on the street its a “place” and on the lawns and they have BBQs at one and others houses. Its a bit run down looks like a welfare state but they make the most of it and its a nice environment.

I was diving through Charny the other day and noticed some of those houses on the top of the hill. Some of them are quite nice and would have great views of the Brindy Mtns. One house had people on their front deck enjoying the view and I was actually quite jeleous I wasn’t sitting there with a beer in hand.

What hill? The hilly side is Fraser or Flynn. Charnwood is pretty much flat.

Friska said :

LOL @ charnwood on the list

There are some ok parts of Charnwood, specificaly the bit North of Kerrigan Street and on the Dunlop side of Lhotsky St. It is the radburn designed parts nearer the shops that bring the place down.

On your list you also have Macgregor and Holt. I grew up in Macgregor and it is quite a good place to live. You have the bit on Mount Goodwin which is good, along Archdall street there are massive places with good views. There are pockets of govie housing (a lot is now ex-govie), but even these are good and have good sized land. You now also have West Macgregor which is a new housing estate. To me it looks over priced with tiny land.

Holt is similar but without the Mountain views. It has a newer section inside the golf course.

Both have Kippax which is a good shopping centre with large supermarker.

Not on your list is Dunlop, which is also not too bad. It is much newer with the first houses going in around 1996 (or there abouts) with construction continuing to this day. So quite a good variety of housing to be had. One section is on a small hill with views of the mountains. Only bad thing is no school, so the kids go to Macgregor or Charnwood.

shauno said :

Charnwood can be cheerful my mate lives in a street there and every one knows each other kids play on the street its a “place” and on the lawns and they have BBQs at one and others houses. Its a bit run down looks like a welfare state but they make the most of it and its a nice environment.

I was diving through Charny the other day and noticed some of those houses on the top of the hill. Some of them are quite nice and would have great views of the Brindy Mtns. One house had people on their front deck enjoying the view and I was actually quite jeleous I wasn’t sitting there with a beer in hand.

Very hard to get a house in Canberra under $400,000 anywhere these days. The good point is we don’t have the 1hour comute to work that other cities do.

There are some lovely views from Calwell ‘heights’ . . . and some very nice homes there too.

Plus you can get stabbed for free!!

Charnwood can be cheerful my mate lives in a street there and every one knows each other kids play on the street its a “place” and on the lawns and they have BBQs at one and others houses. Its a bit run down looks like a welfare state but they make the most of it and its a nice environment.

Try Red Hill or Forrest.

There are some really cheap bargains just waiting to be snapped up.

Charnwood is cheap but certianly not cheerful.

barking toad said :

I think you should move to Charnwood

+1

I was thinking aobut this the other day as I was driving through Queanbeyan and I beleive ther will be strong growth in the older established Qbn suburbs (yes, they do have them)as people begin to look for older style houses in the renovation market.

I just bought in Holt. I would love it if the price doubles in the next couple of years, but I also wish I had the money to consider property to be anything but accommodation.

Holt is Canberra’s Sangri la

Pot Holes said :

I can’t help but think that Oakes Estate will come good one day. It is close to facilities in Queanbeyan and also closer to Civic than many of the other suburbs mentioned. Might not be for a while though.

Perhaps when Canberra decides to expand east? so in about 20 to 30 years, when Molongolo is about done

I just bought in Higgins, its right near the new super school 5 min walk to Kippax shopping centre and across the road from large ovals. The block is huge and a well built house for a very reasonable price.

Calwell is NOT that great.

I can’t help but think that Oakes Estate will come good one day. It is close to facilities in Queanbeyan and also closer to Civic than many of the other suburbs mentioned. Might not be for a while though.

Very Busy said :

Suburbs close to the Tuggeranong town centre are almost certain to do well. There are large office blocks and shopping centres and although it is a fair distance from the city, Tuggeranong is self sufficient. Full size house blocks are the norm and it is not a social experiment like much of Gungahlin which makes Tuggeranong a safer bet. It has the beautiful Brindabella Ranges as a backdrop which adds to its appeal. Tuggeranong has very good infrastructure.

Being a Northside lad myself, it pains me to say that history shows the comment above to be sound advice.

For Canberra, at least, all of those suburbs are quite a way out. For example, there’s Gungahlin, then there’s outer Gungahlin! Same goes for Tuggeranong Valley.

I don’t mind the Kaleen suggestion. If you wanted something new, then take a look at Crace as well, which is (kind of) nearby.

It’s part of Gungahlin, but on the edge so you don’t have to drive all the way through the burbs to get home and it’s close to the Barton Highway, so access to town is relatively easy. Although Northbourne Ave sucks.

I’ve always thought Page, next to Belconnen town centre, might have some hidden gems in it too, but have been fortunate enough to never have to look at it too closely.

Having said all that, the days of making a quick buck as your Brisbane experience tells, are long gone. In the short term at least.

Good luck!

The same rules apply here as everywhere else, worst house best street as close as you can get to civic or a town centre. Better value in established houses closer to the centres than new houses in new suburbs.

Frontrow is spot on, you wont see the likes of the valley here or anywhere else in oz I suspect, too many people are switched on to it now.

Suburbs close to the Tuggeranong town centre are almost certain to do well. There are large office blocks and shopping centres and although it is a fair distance from the city, Tuggeranong is self sufficient. Full size house blocks are the norm and it is not a social experiment like much of Gungahlin which makes Tuggeranong a safer bet. It has the beautiful Brindabella Ranges as a backdrop which adds to its appeal. Tuggeranong has very good infrastructure.

Definately give Kaleen a look in. It’s closer to the city than Gungahlin and is only a few minutes drive from Dickson.

I think you should move to Charnwood

LOL @ charnwood on the list

They are (relatively) cheap because they are far away from the city centre. Fortitude Valley is smack in the middle of Brisbane. Canberra isn’t old enough to have developed the inner city tenements that various other cities had and won’t ever go throught the urban gentrification process. No free money to see here.

I think Macgregor and Holt are on the list as the new super school just opened.

Also, West Macgregor seems to be expanding heaps.

Wanniassa at #2?
That always depends which part of Wanniassa you are looking at!

Hit up the side on the hill/closer to Erindale and you’ll probably get a decent return investment wise, as for the otherside I’m not too sure.

Banks and COnder will be better off soon once their roadworks near the Lanyon shopping centre are done and it won’t take them 30 mins to hit Drakeford…

I think the gungahlin area will just keep going up…. canberra is just expanding.. and we dont go upwards we go further out… i think the will keep putting property out that way..