Kensington - (Melbourne )

We are looking at buying an IP in Kensington and have several on our shortlist. Is there a "good" and "bad" part to this suburb. That is, should we be avoiding any particular area and favouring another. We are not familiar with the suburb and would appreciate any input. We are looking at apartments, as these suit us for various reasons and have a budget of about $500K. Thanks for any advice.
 
Kensington's great. I love it. Great little shopping strip with everything you need and also close to the city, well served by public transport, pretty streets. What's not to like?
For myself, I'd avoid much of Kensington Banks - the development on the old stockyards. Typical of that went-up-very-fast ticky-tacky box variety of development. I've heard it described as ''the slums of tomorrow'' many times.
Also, many of the later buildings are high, high, high-rise, with hundreds of cheapily (and nastily) built apartments.
Stick to the older part, in and around Kensington hill. Best streets include Ormond, Eastwood, Market, Bellair, Rankins, The Ridgeway, Bangalore and all areas around. There are some 1950s-1970s blocks in the area - that's what I wouldn't mind getting a hold of myself. I would have thought $400,000 would be enough for a tidyish 2-bedder, but I haven't been following the area all that closely in recent months.
Also, don't rule out Flemington. It's essentially part of the same area, and has similar attributes.
Good luck.:)
 
For myself, I'd avoid much of Kensington Banks - the development on the old stockyards. Typical of that went-up-very-fast ticky-tacky box variety of development. I've heard it described as ''the slums of tomorrow'' many times.

lol if town houses worth over $500k+ minimum is a slum Id love to hear what you think of Sunhine...Kesington banks is fine-lots of well off people. Dont know how it would turn into a slum? Yes some do appear to have been built on the cheep though when you spend $500k on a town house Im sure you wont be averse to renovating and fixing any problems?? How do you justify this comment?

"High, high high rise" Bwhhahahaha are you talking about the building in Speakman street-its about 15 floors-you need to get out more mate...

Other parts of Kensington are also very nice-a 2 bed terrace in Ormond st sold for $700k on the weekend. The area is hot....

I obvioulsy hold a few properties in the area-have treated me very well ;)
 
There seems to be a lot for sale on Altona Rd - is this in the area that you would avoid and described as the slums? If we can't find anything we will certainly look in Flemington and we would also like to look in Nth Melbourne, although it may be out of our price range.
 
lol if town houses worth over $500k+ minimum is a slum Id love to hear what you think of Sunhine...Kesington banks is fine-lots of well off people. Dont know how it would turn into a slum? QUOTE]

Slums of tomorrow mate, due to shoddy building practices. I've lived in and around that area for 13 years and saw many of those places go up.
BIL lived in one in Youlden street where the walls used to leak right down two stories (unless thousands have been spent, I would almost guarantee the place leaked like a sieve with the weekend's rain). Hubby is a plumber-handyman who does plenty of repairs in the area due to the shoddy standards.
High rises as on the Smithfield Road end, overlooking the racecourse - dark all day on the wrong side of the building, I'm told, and with fixtures and fittings falling apart even though the building is only about five years old. Hubby is regularly replacing blinds, taps, door handles and light fittings.
Oh, and FWIW, I think Sunshine is a great spot in the making. I'd take one of those 1970s brick veneer jobbies over a shoddily built piece of high-rise rubbish any day. But each to their own. You have a good day now.;)
 
To the OP, I think the Altona Road blocks are the rebuilt Housing Commission properties. They demolished a block or two of the old-style ones and built that mixed private and public housing development.
As many say on here, I'd be wary of any building that had too many in the block. My personal limit would be 10-12, but others have different numbers - higher or lower. Cheers.

(oh, and I'm told parking is incredibly difficult in the area. Not sure if every apartment has its own park, although I assume it does. But many of the residents drive taxis, so they're all parked along the street outside the YMCA for much of the time)
 
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Dixie,

My advise is have a drive around and see for yourself

Altona st is close to the comission flats, though has hardley affected prices-why dont you check the past sales in around Altona st to see...

Flemington also has very nice (and expensive pockets). All comes down to what you can afford...with a $500k budget you might be able to snag a 2 bed town house in Kensington banks, otherwise you are looking at $600k plus...
 
Slums of tomorrow mate, due to shoddy building practices. I've lived in and around that area for 13 years and saw many of those places go up.
BIL lived in one in Youlden street where the walls used to leak right down two stories (unless thousands have been spent, I would almost guarantee the place leaked like a sieve with the weekend's rain). Hubby is a plumber-handyman who does plenty of repairs in the area due to the shoddy standards.

And Ive had properties in blue chip areas that have also leaked...point being? PARTICULARILY old victorian properties that attract mega $ prices... So you are saying all the 'leaks' have been fixed but it will turn into a slum...lol yep-I can see many people walking away from a $500-600k plus property at a huge loss becasue they wouldnt spend $1k to fix a leak...

High rises as on the Smithfield Road end, overlooking the racecourse - dark all day on the wrong side of the building, I'm told, and with fixtures and fittings falling apart even though the building is only about five years old. Hubby is regularly replacing blinds, taps, door handles and light fittings.
Oh, and FWIW, I think Sunshine is a great spot in the making. I'd take one of those 1970s brick veneer jobbies over a shoddily built piece of high-rise rubbish any day. But each to their own. You have a good day now.;)

lol they are about 4 levels high-now thats a 'high, high, high high rise'?? Wow who would have thought that consumables such as fixtures and fittings like door handles would ever need replacing....they should just bulldoze the lot...lol, yep a slum in the making.
 
(oh, and I'm told parking is incredibly difficult in the area. Not sure if every apartment has its own park, although I assume it does. But many of the residents drive taxis, so they're all parked along the street outside the YMCA for much of the time)

This is not at all accurate-you should not post 'ive been told' info as fact.
 
This is not at all accurate-you should not post 'ive been told' info as fact.

I made a point. You took exception to it. I backed it up with reasons for why I made the point I did. You still disagree. We can agree to disagree. I'm happy to do so.
Now go away and stop hijacking someone's post because you take exception to your personal choices being criticised.
 
No, I take exception to people posting 'Ive been tolds' as fact...especially when they are as misleading as your comments. You have basically written off a whole area to someone after advice simply because 'door knobs and taps' needed replacing??

Now that the OP has seen the 'justification' behind your comments they can make up their own mind..
 
Thanks for all the advice - definitely to be taken into consideration. One of the agents is very keen to show us a townhouse in Oak Park, apparently just near the Tullamarine exit. This is in our price range and he believes you could get a good rent but is this a good area and how do you think it compares to Kensington?
 
Oak park is miles from Kensington. Do some research yourself-see what comparable places are renting for, how many are for rent etc...

I have had no problem renting out any of my properties around Kensington-its so close to the city, great public transport-lots of young professionals. Cant comment on Oak Park...
 
if you're going for $500k why not go for North Melbourne instead? surely you can get better rentals down there because of all the nurses/students around that area
 
Less than 5km from Melbourne CBD with prices continuing to rise. 500k won't get you much, but it's a good starting point.
 
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