30 December 2015

Ask RiotACT: Buying in 'old' Dunlop

| kewlguy
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Ask RiotACT

Hi Everyone!

Can anyone share some buying advice for old Dunlop? Specifically Lance Hill Ave/Evelyn Owen Crescent?

Looking to buy a 4-bed in the area; I have a young family so I’m wondering if its worth looking there?

Thanks.

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JC said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

JC said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

http://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/act/sale-residential/17-catalano-street-wright-canberra/1316871420311

Fortunately there are no land rent scheme blocks in Dunlop.

I have a friend who lives in James Harrison St, Dunlop and they are definitely on a land rent scheme…

mrs1948 said :

What wonderful news, ‘Chewi’, thanks for sharing that. Do you know if we will be able to choose which Telco we go with?

You will be able to sign up to a wider range of telcos for NBN access not just Telstra or a Telstra reseller. NBN access will also include a regular telephone service as well as internet access in the one package.

wildturkeycanoe said :

chewi said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

For the price you pay for a 2nd hand house in the older burbs, why not snap up a brand spanking new one in Wright for less than $500,000? You get 4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage and it is brand new! Why specifically Dunlop, any particular reason?

I’m pretty sure that the 4 bedroom homes in Wright being marketed for less than $500,000 are ‘construction only on a Land Rent block’. Current UVs in Wright are around $400,000 for a 450m2 block with a four bedroom house selling for between $700,000 to $800,000.

A relatively new (10-15 year old) house in an established suburb bought under private treaty sale can make financial sense. In most cases with a new build undetermined costs arise during construction that are added to the final contract price and you also need to factor in landscaping costs.

Conversely, buying a second hand home you need to factor in costs such as renovations due to the old home needing refurbishment to spruce it up, maintenance for things such as heating, cooling, hot water, cooking appliances and electrical or plumbing faults that may break down weeks after moving in. Old fencing can need replacing or repair too as well as worn carpet and broken tiles. Landscaping from scratch can actually be a very rewarding experience as you get to design the yard to function the way you want it to and plant the things you like instead of putting up with the withered remnants of the previous owner. The pros and cons are numerous and I’m sure there are supporters for both sides of the argument.

Not all older houses are broken down slums, as you appear to indicate. Many have been looked after and require very little work. Besides, even ‘older’ Dunlop is not that old! There are new homes too that give a lot of problems. Leaking showers, roofs, etc. Perhaps the house decor might not be fully to one’s taste, but that doesn’t mean it needs altering immediately, especially when money is short. Wait until it needs repainting and then choose colours more to your taste. This does seem a modern phenomena that everything must display one’s own personality from day one, and that unless it is new it will need work. I’m showing my age here, but when I bought my first house (you mentioned Dunlop, so presume we are talking first home here) it was somewhere to get me on the housing ladder; that’s all. The house’s (much older than any in Dunlop) decor (I saw the same carpet in a pub) was definitely not to my taste, but hey, it was a first home, and as I said it was somewhere to get me on the housing ladder, and meanwhile to provide shelter and get me out of renting. That’s what a first home is. Nothing broke down within weeks of moving in…why should it necessarily! In fact, my later new house had more initial problems.
Buying an older, established house gives the owner more time to make changes, as money becomes available. And more of a chance to do it yourself to reduce costs, such as painting and landscaping.

scarecrow said :

Dork said :

Are you happy having no home phone or internet? That’s what you will get living in Dunlop.

Don’t know what part of Dunlop you’re referring to but I’ve never had problems with internet or phone – the only issue I have is that I can’t get ADSL2+ but having said that, the speed I get is still pretty decent.

Internet ports in parts of Dunlop is limited, but phones should be fine. But even when limited, people should check every month as it changes as people move out, and occasionally Telstra do upgrades.

Also not very well known but if you push them Telstra can connect you to the Melba exchange directly through copper. It is more for ISDN lines but can be used for ADSL, but is at the limits distance wise.

wildturkeycanoe said :

JC said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

http://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/act/sale-residential/17-catalano-street-wright-canberra/1316871420311

Yes you can get a 4 bed house + 540 sq.m of land for $439,990 in Wright according to the link above. I’m not making it up unless there is a very tiny clause somewhere saying the land is extra, but why would they call it a house and land package??

It’s not in the small print it is on the very first line:

“The MAPLE, East facing block; a 4 bedroom family home by Kolak Living available on Land Rent”

The magic words are land rent.

Sorry, my bad, I read through the rest of it and somehow skipped the bit in the very first line. It isn’t quite the house and land pacakge then is it? False advertising?
But is it really renting, when you consider all land in the ACT is rented on 100 year leases from the government? Nobody owns it outright, they just paid a few hundred thousand dollars up front for the privilege of living on the government’s land. The land rent people are simply paying it on an annual basis instead.

It is a scheme name whether it is the right terminology or not is irrelevant.

But in general the difference is non land rent scheme, called a nominal rent lease, you buy, which is also the wrong word, your land and then pay $1 per year rent, which is waived.

Land rent scheme you pay 2% of the land value, and in some case 4% year in year out. It is also harder to sell, as the buyer also has to be eligible for land rent, or there is complexity about having to convert to a nominal rent block. All depends upon when you first took the lease on your land rent scheme block. I was looking at buying an established house that was on a land rent block and it was just too complex so walked. The house, which was very nice, was on the market for well over 6 months.

Fortunately there are no land rent scheme blocks in Dunlop.

As stated I wouldn’t live on Lance Hill itself, too busy and speeding drivers. With Evelyn Owen just be careful also of the undesirables in the flats at the corner of Lance Hill. That being said I’ve lived here for many years and love the area and our house. You can get some very nice properties with surprisingly large blocks. Our block is well over 1000 m2 and has good views of the Brindabellas. Although we will be sadly moving later this year. Depends on what your budget is too. Not too long ago the big house on Buckmaster sold for $850k, a Dunlop record. Although in the low to mid $500’s should get you a nice property with a small block we’re hoping for around $600k because of the block size, views and everything has been renovated and updated.

Dork said :

Are you happy having no home phone or internet? That’s what you will get living in Dunlop.

Don’t know what part of Dunlop you’re referring to but I’ve never had problems with internet or phone – the only issue I have is that I can’t get ADSL2+ but having said that, the speed I get is still pretty decent.

wildturkeycanoe5:53 pm 05 Jan 16

JC said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

http://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/act/sale-residential/17-catalano-street-wright-canberra/1316871420311

Yes you can get a 4 bed house + 540 sq.m of land for $439,990 in Wright according to the link above. I’m not making it up unless there is a very tiny clause somewhere saying the land is extra, but why would they call it a house and land package??

It’s not in the small print it is on the very first line:

“The MAPLE, East facing block; a 4 bedroom family home by Kolak Living available on Land Rent”

The magic words are land rent.

Sorry, my bad, I read through the rest of it and somehow skipped the bit in the very first line. It isn’t quite the house and land pacakge then is it? False advertising?
But is it really renting, when you consider all land in the ACT is rented on 100 year leases from the government? Nobody owns it outright, they just paid a few hundred thousand dollars up front for the privilege of living on the government’s land. The land rent people are simply paying it on an annual basis instead.

chewi said :

mrs1948 said :

Lance Hill Avenue is a very busy street – it is 50kmh but people drive a lot faster, and if you don’t like traffic noise it’s not for you.

We live in this part of Dunlop and internet is not so good for us. We couldn’t sign up for Telstra or Optus as the lines in our street were all taken. We had to go with Transact (now iiNet) Wi-Fi, with an aerial on the roof to get internet. But, before Transact could sign us up we had to be in range of the transmitter on Mt Rogers. If we have problems with our phone or internet, trying to speak to speak to someone at iiNet is a nightmare as we have to wait for so long on the phone. Our neighbours are with Optus or Telstra and from what they say they can’t get ADSL2. I asked the NBN staff when they would be coming through our suburb and they replied “not in the foreseeable future”!!

We are further over in Dunlop towards Fraser but still only have ADSL1 too. We are attached to a RIM which limits us to Telstra or a Telstra reseller. The good news is that the latest October 2015 update to the NBN 3 Year Construction Plan has Dunlop included under the Scullin area. Construction is due to start from late 2016 using Fibre To The Node (FTTN) technology so we may have access to an NBN service by the end of 2017.

What wonderful news, ‘Chewi’, thanks for sharing that. Do you know if we will be able to choose which Telco we go with?

‘Wildturkey’ mentioned the problems you can have with an established houses. Well, you can also have problems with new builds too and if the builder is dodgy, as friends of ours found, it can be a real nightmare. I also think that if you are buying a house, old or new, and problems are identified, you can make an offer on the price, noting the things that need doing.

There is currently a house for sale in Lance Hill Avenue (now under offer) that has been renovated, inside and out – they’ve done an absolutely beautiful job. The only drawback is it only has one bathroom – horrendous if you have children or visitors staying! Another problem with houses on Lance Hill Avenue is parking for visitors, as there is very little room to park. Some houses do park cars across the footpath which makes it a nightmare for anyone pushing a stroller or using a motorised scooter (elderly people).

JC said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

http://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/act/sale-residential/17-catalano-street-wright-canberra/1316871420311

Yes you can get a 4 bed house + 540 sq.m of land for $439,990 in Wright according to the link above. I’m not making it up unless there is a very tiny clause somewhere saying the land is extra, but why would they call it a house and land package??

It’s not in the small print it is on the very first line:

“The MAPLE, East facing block; a 4 bedroom family home by Kolak Living available on Land Rent”

The magic words are land rent.

And Land Rent is the worst of both worlds. The government holds on to the maintenance-free appreciating asset (the land), and you own the depreciating house on top of it. Surely you’re better off just paying the mortgage on house and land than mortgage on the house and rent on the land.

chewi said :

mrs1948 said :

Lance Hill Avenue is a very busy street – it is 50kmh but people drive a lot faster, and if you don’t like traffic noise it’s not for you.

We live in this part of Dunlop and internet is not so good for us. We couldn’t sign up for Telstra or Optus as the lines in our street were all taken. We had to go with Transact (now iiNet) Wi-Fi, with an aerial on the roof to get internet. But, before Transact could sign us up we had to be in range of the transmitter on Mt Rogers. If we have problems with our phone or internet, trying to speak to speak to someone at iiNet is a nightmare as we have to wait for so long on the phone. Our neighbours are with Optus or Telstra and from what they say they can’t get ADSL2. I asked the NBN staff when they would be coming through our suburb and they replied “not in the foreseeable future”!!

We are further over in Dunlop towards Fraser but still only have ADSL1 too. We are attached to a RIM which limits us to Telstra or a Telstra reseller. The good news is that the latest October 2015 update to the NBN 3 Year Construction Plan has Dunlop included under the Scullin area. Construction is due to start from late 2016 using Fibre To The Node (FTTN) technology so we may have access to an NBN service by the end of 2017.

FYI a RIM is fibre to the node and the whole of Dunlop is on RIMs. Difference the node has adsl cards under NBN it will be vdsl2, the same basic technology transact installed all those years ago on half of Canberra. For the purists they installed vdsl initially then over past few years upgraded to vdsl2. My point don’t get too excited about nbn in FTTN areas we are being sold an outdated pup.

wildturkeycanoe said :

http://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/act/sale-residential/17-catalano-street-wright-canberra/1316871420311

Yes you can get a 4 bed house + 540 sq.m of land for $439,990 in Wright according to the link above. I’m not making it up unless there is a very tiny clause somewhere saying the land is extra, but why would they call it a house and land package??

It’s not in the small print it is on the very first line:

“The MAPLE, East facing block; a 4 bedroom family home by Kolak Living available on Land Rent”

The magic words are land rent.

wildturkeycanoe7:01 am 05 Jan 16

chewi said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

For the price you pay for a 2nd hand house in the older burbs, why not snap up a brand spanking new one in Wright for less than $500,000? You get 4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage and it is brand new! Why specifically Dunlop, any particular reason?

I’m pretty sure that the 4 bedroom homes in Wright being marketed for less than $500,000 are ‘construction only on a Land Rent block’. Current UVs in Wright are around $400,000 for a 450m2 block with a four bedroom house selling for between $700,000 to $800,000.

A relatively new (10-15 year old) house in an established suburb bought under private treaty sale can make financial sense. In most cases with a new build undetermined costs arise during construction that are added to the final contract price and you also need to factor in landscaping costs.

Conversely, buying a second hand home you need to factor in costs such as renovations due to the old home needing refurbishment to spruce it up, maintenance for things such as heating, cooling, hot water, cooking appliances and electrical or plumbing faults that may break down weeks after moving in. Old fencing can need replacing or repair too as well as worn carpet and broken tiles. Landscaping from scratch can actually be a very rewarding experience as you get to design the yard to function the way you want it to and plant the things you like instead of putting up with the withered remnants of the previous owner. The pros and cons are numerous and I’m sure there are supporters for both sides of the argument.

wildturkeycanoe6:50 am 05 Jan 16

http://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/act/sale-residential/17-catalano-street-wright-canberra/1316871420311

Yes you can get a 4 bed house + 540 sq.m of land for $439,990 in Wright according to the link above. I’m not making it up unless there is a very tiny clause somewhere saying the land is extra, but why would they call it a house and land package??

mrs1948 said :

Lance Hill Avenue is a very busy street – it is 50kmh but people drive a lot faster, and if you don’t like traffic noise it’s not for you.

We live in this part of Dunlop and internet is not so good for us. We couldn’t sign up for Telstra or Optus as the lines in our street were all taken. We had to go with Transact (now iiNet) Wi-Fi, with an aerial on the roof to get internet. But, before Transact could sign us up we had to be in range of the transmitter on Mt Rogers. If we have problems with our phone or internet, trying to speak to speak to someone at iiNet is a nightmare as we have to wait for so long on the phone. Our neighbours are with Optus or Telstra and from what they say they can’t get ADSL2. I asked the NBN staff when they would be coming through our suburb and they replied “not in the foreseeable future”!!

We are further over in Dunlop towards Fraser but still only have ADSL1 too. We are attached to a RIM which limits us to Telstra or a Telstra reseller. The good news is that the latest October 2015 update to the NBN 3 Year Construction Plan has Dunlop included under the Scullin area. Construction is due to start from late 2016 using Fibre To The Node (FTTN) technology so we may have access to an NBN service by the end of 2017.

Are you happy having no home phone or internet? That’s what you will get living in Dunlop.

mrs1948 said :

Lance Hill Avenue is a very busy street – it is 50kmh but people drive a lot faster, and if you don’t like traffic noise it’s not for you.

We live in this part of Dunlop and internet is not so good for us. We couldn’t sign up for Telstra or Optus as the lines in our street were all taken. We had to go with Transact (now iiNet) Wi-Fi, with an aerial on the roof to get internet. But, before Transact could sign us up we had to be in range of the transmitter on Mt Rogers. If we have problems with our phone or internet, trying to speak to speak to someone at iiNet is a nightmare as we have to wait for so long on the phone. Our neighbours are with Optus or Telstra and from what they say they can’t get ADSL2. I asked the NBN staff when they would be coming through our suburb and they replied “not in the foreseeable future”!!

The whole of Dunlop uses RIM technology for the phones. This in turn means ADSL hardware needs to be placed in the street. ADSL is available but only from Telstra or from other providers buying the service off Telstra wholesale. In places without RIM’s other providers install their own ADSL hardware in Telstra exchanges so can offer naked ADSL and the like. The big difference is wholesale is more expensive and limoted to ADSL 1.

ADSL 2 has been available in Dunlop for a number of years, but only through Telstra, as Telstra are not oblidge to wholesale this to other providers.

The existence of RIM’s was the reason Gungahlin was the priority site for NBN but Dunlop, built at the same time missed out. Prior to the last election it was to be next cab off the rank, even to the point they run conduits through to the new part of Macgregor where it would have picked up the fibre to Sculin but other than the conduit nothing has been done. And now government policy will see Dunlop get FTTN NBN, which is really just an upgrade to the RIM’s that have been so problematic for Internet country wide.

To the OP, one thing about RIM’s is they are distributed around the suburb, so even though the person I am replying to had issues getting access, it doesn’t mean it is a problem everywhere in the suburb. With the caveat to expect to use ADSL1 wholesale or Telstra.

wildturkeycanoe said :

For the price you pay for a 2nd hand house in the older burbs, why not snap up a brand spanking new one in Wright for less than $500,000? You get 4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage and it is brand new! Why specifically Dunlop, any particular reason?

I’m pretty sure that the 4 bedroom homes in Wright being marketed for less than $500,000 are ‘construction only on a Land Rent block’. Current UVs in Wright are around $400,000 for a 450m2 block with a four bedroom house selling for between $700,000 to $800,000.

A relatively new (10-15 year old) house in an established suburb bought under private treaty sale can make financial sense. In most cases with a new build undetermined costs arise during construction that are added to the final contract price and you also need to factor in landscaping costs.

Lance Hill Avenue is a very busy street – it is 50kmh but people drive a lot faster, and if you don’t like traffic noise it’s not for you.

We live in this part of Dunlop and internet is not so good for us. We couldn’t sign up for Telstra or Optus as the lines in our street were all taken. We had to go with Transact (now iiNet) Wi-Fi, with an aerial on the roof to get internet. But, before Transact could sign us up we had to be in range of the transmitter on Mt Rogers. If we have problems with our phone or internet, trying to speak to speak to someone at iiNet is a nightmare as we have to wait for so long on the phone. Our neighbours are with Optus or Telstra and from what they say they can’t get ADSL2. I asked the NBN staff when they would be coming through our suburb and they replied “not in the foreseeable future”!!

wildturkeycanoe said :

For the price you pay for a 2nd hand house in the older burbs, why not snap up a brand spanking new one in Wright for less than $500,000? You get 4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage and it is brand new! Why specifically Dunlop, any particular reason?

$500k for a house in Wright is correct, you just forgot about the land.

wildturkeycanoe said :

For the price you pay for a 2nd hand house in the older burbs, why not snap up a brand spanking new one in Wright for less than $500,000? You get 4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage and it is brand new! Why specifically Dunlop, any particular reason?

Where in Wright can one find a place like that, that isn’t a part of the Land Rent Scheme?

wildturkeycanoe said :

For the price you pay for a 2nd hand house in the older burbs, why not snap up a brand spanking new one in Wright for less than $500,000? You get 4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage and it is brand new! Why specifically Dunlop, any particular reason?

Because the one in Wright doesn’t include land?

crackerpants11:21 am 03 Jan 16

For the price you pay for a 2nd hand house in the older burbs, why not snap up a brand spanking new one in Wright for less than $500,000**? You get 4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage and it is brand new! Why specifically Dunlop, any particular reason?

**house only. Land an optional extra for $400k.

chewi said :

It may also be worthwhile looking a little further afield in one of the original portions of Dunlop around Hugh McKay Crescent on the far side of Ginninderra Drive or further east around Shoobridge and Marchant Circuits on the other side of Woolworths.

Agree the Hugh McKay Crescent side of Dunlop is good. This area was developed in a couple of stages which effects the properties out there. Stage 1 was mid 90’s and stage 2 from 1999 onwards.

Stage 1 is the northern side of the ridge, essentially draw a line from the road off Hugh McKay Crescent that goes to the Jaramlee Homestead, along the ridge to the Archdall street roundabout plus everything off the east of the roundabout. It also included a few houses on the southern side of Hugh McKay from number 81 upwards and Leason Close. Look at a map it will make sense.

The 2nd stage was the southern side of Hugh McKay Crescent (with views to the mountains) plus Jonsson and Cashion Ct’s.

IMO stage 2 even though it is just a few years younger the house quality is far better, whereas stage 1 seemed to have a lot more budget concious properties.

PS the original part of Dunlop is the very area the OP was first mentioning. Eg Evelyn Owen Cres and the roads that come off it. The cheaper houses are towards Lance Hill Ave, with those on the Buckmaster Cres side of the horse trail being a bit larger, fancier and expensive.

wildturkeycanoe said :

For the price you pay for a 2nd hand house in the older burbs, why not snap up a brand spanking new one in Wright for less than $500,000? You get 4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage and it is brand new! Why specifically Dunlop, any particular reason?

The only way you could get that in Wright for that price is on land rent. If your looking at AllHomes, you need to look at the fine print where you will see the quoted price will be land rent.

Off land rent add another $350-400k.

Here is an example

101 Ulysses Circuit Wright ACT 2611, advertsied for $469,990, Outright purchase $860,990.

wildturkeycanoe7:48 am 03 Jan 16

For the price you pay for a 2nd hand house in the older burbs, why not snap up a brand spanking new one in Wright for less than $500,000? You get 4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage and it is brand new! Why specifically Dunlop, any particular reason?

For a budget of between $500,000 & $550,000 you should be able to find the type of house you are looking for in that area with most selling for around the middle of the range. That said there are not too many on the market at the moment in that price range but there have been several similar sales over the last few months (mostly through auctions). There has also been the odd four-bedroom house in that area selling for just below $500,000 but these seem to be getting fairly rare now.

It may also be worthwhile looking a little further afield in one of the original portions of Dunlop around Hugh McKay Crescent on the far side of Ginninderra Drive or further east around Shoobridge and Marchant Circuits on the other side of Woolworths.

Public transport is arguably a little better in the older sections of Dunlop with regular bus services travelling down Kerrigan Street, Lance Hill Avenue and Archdall Street.

If you have a young family it may also be worth knowing that the area you are looking at is in the Priority Enrolment Area for Charnwood-Dunlop School while the ‘new’ sections of Dunlop on the north side of Kerrigan Street are covered by the Fraser School Priority Enrolment Area.

Hope that helps.

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