<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-5" data-turn="user" data-turn-id="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" data-turn-id-container="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" dir="auto">Time &amp; Place’s plans to transform the former David Jones factory building in Surry Hills into a mixed-use residential precinct have gone on exhibition through the NSW Government’s In-fill Affordable Housing pathway.</section>

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-6" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" dir="auto">
The Marlborough House proposal, lodged for the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marlborough-house-47-97-marlborough-street-surry-hills-nsw-2010">47-97 Marlborough Street</a> site, would see the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed warehouse building alongside the construction of new residential additions and a separate apartment building on the northern portion of the site.

The proposal seeks approval for 172 apartments across three buildings, including 15 per cent affordable housing managed by a community housing provider for at least 15 years from occupation.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5d1d3c2a-bf13-47d6-a335-7c01102cdee1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=cjMYrbR.BLUlWH4dar0RVDDo0bG.u2YT" />

Interior view from the Northern Building Penthouse overlooking the park

&nbsp;

The redevelopment is planned for the prominent 3,413 sqm site bounded by Marlborough Street, Goodlet Street and Lansdowne Street, directly opposite Eddie Ward Park and around 200 metres from the Surry Hills light rail stop.

Time &amp; Place acquired the former David Jones building in 2024, marking the first time the property had changed hands in around 50 years.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal centres around the adaptive reuse of the former David Jones factory, originally constructed between 1913 and 1935 in the Inter-War Chicagoesque architectural style.

Wardle noted in its Architectural Design Report that the building “occupies a significant place in the industrial and cultural history of Surry Hills” and at its peak was “the largest department store manufacturing facility in Australia, employing over 800 people and fuelling the growth of Sydney’s fashion and retail industries.”

The practice said the project positions itself “not as an isolated intervention, but as a contributor to the civic, social, and architectural grain of the precinct.”

The proposal would deliver 75 apartments within the retained southern heritage building, 59 apartments within the central addition, and a further 38 apartments within the new northern building fronting Lansdowne Street.

Planning documents show the scheme would comprise a mix of heritage apartments, new-build apartments, townhouses and penthouses.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="57758518-40a3-4b83-958c-d06e96a2cffa" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.42%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=VerlX9ST5xgBi8.1_YRsqdWTJeT6ygjs" />Interior View of the Heritage Building Apartment

The development would also include a ground-floor retail tenancy on the corner of Marlborough and Lansdowne streets, rooftop communal open space, a landscaped pedestrian link along the western edge of the site, and basement parking accessed from Lansdowne Street via a car stacker system.

&nbsp;

The scheme emerged from a competitive design process run by Urbis, with Wardle ultimately selected as the winning architect ahead of FJC Studio, TZG, Architectus and Wilkinson Eyre.

The Design Integrity Panel later described several aspects of the Wardle scheme as fundamental to the project, including “the stepped character of the new addition to the north of the site”, the landscaped western pedestrian link, and the “garden arrival” experience separating the original Marlborough House from the heritage addition.

Wardle’s design heavily references the site’s industrial and heritage history, while also responding to the surrounding Surry Hills streetscape.

The Architectural Design Report describes Surry Hills as “a finely grained neighbourhood with beautiful and expressive brickworks throughout the suburb,” with the proposal introducing a material palette intended to sit comfortably alongside the existing warehouse fabric and neighbouring terraces.

The report also outlines the project’s relationship with Eddie Ward Park and the broader landscape context of the area.

“Marlborough House occupies a site of deep cultural memory and the neighbouring Eddie Ward Park is of local ecological significance, where natural systems, topography, and stories have long shaped human experience,” Wardle noted in the report.

The architects said the proposal sought to “rebind built form to Country” through landscape, materiality and the adaptive reuse of the heritage structure.

<img alt="Marlborough House" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9ae3f2f9-c85f-477a-a6f8-b43f6cb97c41" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.53%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=B.qUCLqRvJOR.n9CvYcTpaknIX9LuqKZ" />

The project is also being progressed under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions, allowing developments that include affordable housing to access additional height and floor space incentives.

Under the plans, 2,593 sqm of the project’s floor space would be dedicated to affordable housing, slightly exceeding the required 15 per cent threshold.

In its Design Excellence Strategy, Urbis said the project aimed to “sensitively adapt and enhance the heritage-listed building on site through alterations and additions that preserve its historical significance” while delivering “high-quality market and infill affordable housing development in Surry Hills.”

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/south-melbourne-vic-3205">South Melbourne</a>, and have future projects, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-wilmot-173-burke-road-28-hope-street-glen-iris-vic-3146">The Wilmot</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>, the redevelopment of the Northcote Plaza, and another tower in South Melbourne.

The developer broke into Sydney just a few years ago with Two Tides in Manly. They have another project nearby, which is at the ultra-luxury end of the market on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach.

It is also continuing to work through the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-time-place-settles-on-design-for-the-chimes-potts-point-redevelopment">redevelopment of The Chimes building</a> on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as a project on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/time-place-to-take-on-mosman-apartment-market">Mosman's Redan Street</a>.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Time & Place unveils Marlborough House redevelopment designs for former David Jones warehouse in Surry Hills

The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

Melbourne

<html><body>
Bathing Box 6 at Dendy Street Beach in the beachside suburb of Brighton will be auctioned on 28 March.
The beach box on the well known strip is located near the Brighton Lifesaving Club.
John Clarkson of hockingstuart is marketing <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/bathing-box-6-dendy-street-beach-brighton/Property-Details-buy-residential-8489600" target="_blank">the blue and yellow bathing box</a>, with $150,000 plus price expectations.
Last year, he sold a new Brighton bathing box, 57a, <a href="/news/vic/200-000-plus-hopes-for-bright-new-bathing-box-on-brighton-beach">for $215,000</a>.
The agent has lengthy history with the suburbs' bathing boxes, being the first to auction one in 1999, for $58,000.
The highest known price for a Brighton bathing box was set in 2011 at $260,000.
While bathing boxes may be Brighton icons, they are known to fetch much more elsewhere in Victoria. In Portsea, the record for a boatshed sale was set in 2011 at $585,000. At an <a href="/expert-insights/buying/no-record-as-portsea-boatshed-fetches-553-000-at-australia-day-2015-weekend-auction">Australia Day auction this year</a>, one sold for $553,000.
</body></html>

jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Brighton Bathing Box listed with $150,000 guide

<html><body>
Toorak truimphs among the 59 suburbs in Melbourne that currently have a median house price of $1 million or more, according to the REIV.
Of these, 36 suburbs had more than 30 sales in the December 2014 quarter. 
There were eight new entrants to this list over the quarter: East Melbourne, Flinders, Carlton North, Clifton Hill, Richmond, Northcote, Aberfeldie and Strathmore. 
Carlton, North Melbourne, Fairfield, Moonee Ponds and Bentleigh fell off the list in the latest quarter.
Melbourne's $1 million plus suburbs:
<table style="width: 460px;" dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<colgroup>
<col width="162">
<col width="100">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"TOORAK"]'>TOORAK</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2850000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$2,850,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"DEEPDENE*"]'>DEEPDENE*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2250000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$2,250,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"CANTERBURY*"]'>CANTERBURY*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2201000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$2,201,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"EAST MELBOURNE*"]'>EAST MELBOURNE*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2087500]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$2,087,500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"FLINDERS*"]'>FLINDERS*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2070000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$2,070,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"KEW"]'>KEW</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2035000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$2,035,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"BRIGHTON"]'>BRIGHTON</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2000000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$2,000,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"MALVERN"]'>MALVERN</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1912500]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,912,500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ARMADALE"]'>ARMADALE</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1900000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,900,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"BALWYN"]'>BALWYN</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1800000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,800,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"CAMBERWELL"]'>CAMBERWELL</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1775000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,775,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"HAWTHORN EAST"]'>HAWTHORN EAST</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1725000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,725,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"MIDDLE PARK*"]'>MIDDLE PARK*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1717500]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,717,500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"MONT ALBERT*"]'>MONT ALBERT*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1700000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,700,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"GLEN IRIS"]'>GLEN IRIS</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1570000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,570,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"EAGLEMONT*"]'>EAGLEMONT*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1560000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,560,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"SURREY HILLS"]'>SURREY HILLS</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1525000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,525,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"HAWTHORN"]'>HAWTHORN</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1515000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,515,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"IVANHOE EAST*"]'>IVANHOE EAST*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1503750]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,503,750</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"BALWYN NORTH"]'>BALWYN NORTH</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1503000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,503,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"BLACK ROCK*"]'>BLACK ROCK*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1500000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,500,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ELWOOD*"]'>ELWOOD*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1500000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,500,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ALBERT PARK"]'>ALBERT PARK</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1452000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,452,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"HAMPTON"]'>HAMPTON</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1450000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,450,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"MALVERN EAST"]'>MALVERN EAST</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1432500]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,432,500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"CAULFIELD NORTH"]'>CAULFIELD NORTH</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1401000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,401,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"CAULFIELD*"]'>CAULFIELD*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1375000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,375,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"BOX HILL*"]'>BOX HILL*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1359000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,359,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"BRIGHTON EAST"]'>BRIGHTON EAST</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1350000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,350,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"KEW EAST*"]'>KEW EAST*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1305500]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,305,500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"MCKINNON*"]'>MCKINNON*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1292500]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,292,500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"SOUTH YARRA"]'>SOUTH YARRA</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1290000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,290,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"SANDRINGHAM"]'>SANDRINGHAM</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1282500]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,282,500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"FITZROY*"]'>FITZROY*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1279500]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,279,500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"IVANHOE"]'>IVANHOE</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1270750]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,270,750</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ELSTERNWICK"]'>ELSTERNWICK</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1255250]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,255,250</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"CAULFIELD SOUTH"]'>CAULFIELD SOUTH</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1250000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,250,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"SOUTH MELBOURNE*"]'>SOUTH MELBOURNE*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1243000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,243,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"PARK ORCHARDS*"]'>PARK ORCHARDS*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1210000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,210,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ASHBURTON"]'>ASHBURTON</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1200000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,200,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"PORT MELBOURNE"]'>PORT MELBOURNE</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1180000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,180,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"CARLTON NORTH"]'>CARLTON NORTH</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1160000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,160,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"PRAHRAN"]'>PRAHRAN</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1160000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,160,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ALPHINGTON*"]'>ALPHINGTON*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1140000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,140,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"CLIFTON HILL*"]'>CLIFTON HILL*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1140000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,140,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"MONT ALBERT NORTH*"]'>MONT ALBERT NORTH*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1140000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,140,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ORMOND*"]'>ORMOND*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1102000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,102,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"BEAUMARIS"]'>BEAUMARIS</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1100000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,100,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"GLEN WAVERLEY"]'>GLEN WAVERLEY</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1095000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,095,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"RICHMOND"]'>RICHMOND</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1071000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,071,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"NORTHCOTE"]'>NORTHCOTE</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1065000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,065,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ST KILDA"]'>ST KILDA</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1060000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,060,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ABERFELDIE*"]'>ABERFELDIE*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1050000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,050,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"STRATHMORE"]'>STRATHMORE</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1026000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,026,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"MURRUMBEENA"]'>MURRUMBEENA</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1022500]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,022,500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"DONCASTER"]'>DONCASTER</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1020000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,020,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"TEMPLESTOWE"]'>TEMPLESTOWE</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1014000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,014,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"ST KILDA EAST*"]'>ST KILDA EAST*</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1010000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,010,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"FITZROY NORTH"]'>FITZROY NORTH</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1010000]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]'>$1,010,000</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Source: REIV
* denotes less than 30 sales in the quarter
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Toorak triumphs with Melbourne's highest median house price: REIV

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Our overall Inner Melbourne market is being driven by overseas interest (of course not on every home) – we all know that. But what is of further interest is the flow on effect to the lower parts of the market.
The top of the market is driving the bottom of the market. This means as buyers continually miss at higher price points/main suburbs they begin to gravitate to “lower price points” and “the fringes of the wealthier suburbs” as their expectations change and their need to be satisfied intensifies.
This puts even greater pressure on the lower segments of the market and this is how overseas buyers are driving the market at all levels, even if they are not seen to be bidding at every auction.
Melbourne's Bayside feels like it’s a powder keg – the question appears not if, but when. Bayside has been to Inner East in terms of price, what Sydney is to Melbourne. Bayside is behind Inner East on prices, when a few decades ago they were on parity (of some sort). 
With the number of Asian people going through Bayside OFIs it feels like things must change over the next few years. The “undervalued” suburbs of Brighton and Hampton feel like they may start to see the numbers that Toorak, Balwyn and Kew have been attracting over the last decade.
 It is only my speculation and I do live in Brighton, so possibly I’m getting ahead of myself, but it just doesn’t feel like I am.
New Strategies to meet new markets
After the worst start to a year at James Buyer Advocates in terms of success, we had four from four positive auction outcomes for our buying clients at Richmond (Stuart Evans), Bentleigh (John Gorman), Brighton (Andrew Campbell/Chris Hassall) and St Kilda East (John Manton/Fiona Ansell-Jones).
These four 'volcano' auctions involved a complete revisit on strategy at our Negotiation Council last week.
Strategies that had worked this time last year to the tune of an 84% success went out the window and were replaced with new fresh ways to manage what, in early 2015, has become an incredibly difficult market for buyers
Mal writes weekly auction reports, advice and in-depth market analysis on <a href="https://www.jamesbuyeradvocates.com.au/" target="_blank">James' website</a>.
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maljames-vHwm28JUAa

In Melbourne, the top of the market is driving the bottom: Mal James

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Melbourne's appetite for inner city apartments will soon be outpaced by their supply, according to economic researchers BIS Shrapnel.
At their Melbourne business forecasting conference yesterday, BIS Shrapnel's managing director Robert Mellor and associate director of building forecasting, Kim Hawtrey, both warned of impending oversupply in the Melbourne multi-residential market.
According to BIS Shrapnel's forecast, by June 2016 there will be a surplus of 14,300 multi-residential dwellings in Victoria, with the majority in Melbourne.
<img src="/images/2015/03/18/bis-march-18-one.jpg" alt="">
"Now is certainly the time to start sounding the alarm," said Hawtrey.
"If we keep on going at this rate, maybe not a year from now, maybe two years from now, the market is going to start to feel it."
The effects of the mismatched demand and supply will be seen in prices, said Mellor.
"If construction doesn't begin to ease back significantly in the next 12 to 18 months, then that will exaggerate the oversupply," explained Mellor.
He predicts either a "long, long downturn" where prices are depressed for a period of up to seven years, or a "very significant correction in price".
A recent BIS Shrapnel report on the inner-Melbourne apartment market noted that an annual average of 6,212 apartments are set to be delivered between 2012/13 and 2016/17, which is more than double the long term average of 2,563 apartments a year in the 16 years to 2011/12.
<img src="/images/2015/03/18/Picture%2020.png" alt="">
"Furthermore, there are already approximately 2,000 apartments in projects currently under construction that are scheduled to be completed in 2017/18", writes BIS Shrapnel.
<img src="/images/2015/03/18/Picture%2021.png" alt="">
Hawtrey warned yesterday that it wasn't just the inner-city that would be affected by an apartment market correction, but middle-ring suburbs, with tenants leaving for cheaper rents close to the CBD.
He noted that construction of high density dwellings in Melbourne is beginning to spread throughout the suburbs, with upticks in development in suburbs like Brunswick, Armadale and Doncaster.
<img src="/images/2015/03/18/bis-march-18-two.jpg" alt="">
While Hawtrey believes that the shift to apartment living will be permanent, predicting that multi-residential dwellings will one day makeup more than half of national dwelling commencements, in the short term, "we're overdoing it".
"Get ready for, two years from now, for that market to have a correction," warned Hawtrey.
"For me, if I was buying property now, I'd buy a detached house, rather than an apartment."
While former Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy approved many of the larger residential towers set for the Melbourne CBD, including the record-breaking <a href="/expert-insights/buying/sky-high-australia-108-launches-with-300-buyers-reportedly-already-in-the-bag">Australia 108</a>, Hawtrey said it is yet to be seen whether new Planning Minister Richard Wynne will continue the trend for high-density apartments.
{mijopolls 96}
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Price correction looming in wake of Melbourne apartment boom: BIS Shrapnel

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<div class="WordSection1">
GUEST OBSERVATION
One of the most important decisions you may make as a parent is where to send your child to school. You can spend hours researching schools, studying what they offer, their reputation, yearly VCE results and overall school ranking.
Imagine spending all that time researching to find what you believe is the perfect school for your child, only to be informed that they will not be accepted because you do not live in the school’s zoning. If only you had known this when you purchased your family home!
Public secondary schools in Melbourne are separated into zones, such that the entire area is covered. There are few overlapping regions.
The bulk of enrolments will come directly from these zones, making the decision on what area to settle down in a potentially crucial factor for parents.
While private schools are not affected by the same zonal restrictions, many pose a heavy financial burden on the household budget, especially if the choice between public and private has to be made for several children.
If you are a future home buyer, a school zone should be taken into account as this will affect how others view a property and potentially push prices up. This means you could be overpaying for a property because it is within a school zone, even if this is not relevant to you. The school zone effectively comes with the house and you will pay for it regardless as a result of market pricing.
Click pictures and tables to open in new windows:
<a href="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-one.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-one.jpg" alt=""></a>
Different school zones may have different impacts depending on their ranking and popularity. This study set out to compare the performance of public schools with house prices in the surrounding region. Our primary aim was to uncover the answer to the question: What is the real, unseen price of education in the housing market and how much do rankings influence this?
School zones are becoming increasingly important in the inner city market. The rise in popularity of public schools is evident by the increase in intake of students each year.
There has been lobbying in some suburbs for more public schools so that the demand for the existing schools is reduced. Population growth in the Port Phillip area has put enrolment strain on the only public school in the area; Albert Park College.
Provision of more public secondary schools in the inner south is necessary especially for South Melbourne and the new Fishermans Bend suburb which are outside the Albert Park zoning. In the inner north, it seems that demand for public schools is so high that one new school does not make a difference. For example, Northcote High School has had to reduce their catchment area recently so that Preston West and parts of Thornbury are no longer included.
They state that the opening of nearby Coburg High School has not affected demand for places and are still having to turn away students.
With a limited number of properties falling within each school zone, demand for these is pushing up property prices and even rents in certain areas.
Popular independent school Haileybury recently purchased a site in the CBD itself with speculation they will open up a new campus to service this growing area of inner Melbourne. They currently have campuses in the south eastern suburbs only. This shows a shift in attitudes of schools whereby it is no longer essential to place a high performing school in the eastern suburbs as was traditionally done. Good schools are now moving to more centralised locations.
This shift in attitude is also seen in parents who are accepting more modern approaches to a school’s design.
Planning is to go ahead for NSW’s first public high rise school in the inner suburb of Parramatta. Whilst high rise schools come with their own problems, it seems the only way forward for the inner city where space is so limited.
Low cost, high performing public schools are a desirable variation to private schools for many, especially as the inner city suburbs have resurfaced to be incredibly popular to live in.
People can now live in their dream inner city suburb whilst sending their child to a good school without having to pay a fortune. Furthermore, the money they save from sending their kids to a public school can go towards servicing a more expensive mortgage, or offering their children an eye opening experience, for example, by taking them to Paris for a family holiday.
Property Values and School Zones 
It is well established that there is a correlation between property values and being located in a school catchment area. In our major capital cities, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, buyers will pay a premium to be located within a public school zone, regardless of its ranking.
A study in New Zealand aimed to actually quantify the impact of geographically defined school zones on house prices. Using hedonic regression, they analysed over 10,000 house sales in a select group of inner Auckland suburbs over 21 years.
What was interesting in this study is the fact that the school zone boundaries changed over the duration of the study.
It was found that when a school increased its boundary to include a new suburb, the house prices in this suburb began to attract a premium compared to relative suburbs and this premium grew to NZ$66,000 over 10 years. When a suburb which had a historic premium attached to its houses relocated out of a school zone, this premium diminished.
VCE Results and House Prices 
The Victorian Certificate of Education, better known as the VCE, is the main tool used for ranking schools based on performance.
Students complete the VCE over their final two years of senior high school. In each subject, they are awarded a grade from 0 to 50, based both on their individual performance and the performance of the rest of the state. A score of 30 in an individual subject denotes an average score, i.e. a score in the top 50% of the state.
<a href="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-two.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-two.jpg" alt=""></a>
</div>
<div class="WordSection2">
To determine what impact a school's VCE results have on property prices, the sale results of 2,300 houses were analysed using hedonic regression techniques. All two and three bedroom houses were included if they were sold between January 2011 and December 2014, and were located within seven different inner city high school zones, as depicted in the school zone map. This property size and type was picked as it most closely represents a potential buy for an inner city family household.
Table 1 shows the average percentage of VCE scores of 40+ achieved between 2011 and 2014 at the different schools, as well as the average price of two and three bedroom houses in the school’s zone. A study score of 40 or above is indicative of a score in the top 8 percent in the state. The ratio of such exceptional scores compared to the total shows us the proportion of high achievers in each school. Note that Lynall Hall Community School did not publish VCE scores in 2013. Data for this year was therefore left out.
On its own, Table 1 doesn't tell us much, except how affluent an area is. There seems to be no obvious link between the VCE results and average sale prices. However, there are many other factors that determine the price of a house. To single out the effect of public school VCE results on house prices, the following parameters were taken into account in the regression analysis:
<ul>
<li>
Bedrooms and Bathrooms: Indicator of the size of the house and number of children. One additional bedroom and bathroom set added on average $350,000 to the price of a house. 
</li>
<li>
Land Area: The value of the land the house was located on if it were vacant. Each square metre was worth $1,475. 
</li>
<li>
Beach: Proximity of suburb the house was located in to the closest beach, broken up into three bands – adjacent to a beach, one suburb away from the closest beach and more than one suburb away. Each band towards the beach increased the value by $320,000. 
</li>
<li>
CBD:  Proximity of the suburb the house was located in to the CBD, in kilometres. For every kilometre away from the city centre, the price of houses in the data set decreased by $80,000. 
</li>
<li>
Sale Date: The number of days since the first day in the set (01/01/2011). In other words, the effect of inflation on housing prices. Each day since 2011 added on average $125.80 to the price of each house.
</li>
</ul>
Housing sales that were missing information on any of the above variables were left out of the study.
The analysis uncovered that, on average, a 1% increase in the percentage of scores of 40 and above at a school increases the price of a house in the affected school zone by $19,000, holding all else constant.
This is quite a significant change, between 1.5% and 2.9% of the average price of houses sold over the past four years. To confirm our findings, Secret Agent thought it would be interesting to isolate those houses located nearby the border of two different school zones and analyse their sale results against each other.
Article continues on the next page. Please click below.
</div>
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Borderline: Comparing house prices close to two school zones 
1) Station Street 
Station Street runs in a northerly direction through Carlton North. The school zones of Fitzroy High School and Princes Hill Secondary College meet on Station Street, with the former receiving all even house numbers and the latter every odd house number.
<a href="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-four.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-four.jpg" alt=""></a>
The comparison here is almost uncanny. Not only were the same amount of two bedroom houses sold, they were also generally sold in the same proportions each year. The average land area is almost identical.
Table 2 shows that the average sale price is 4.5% higher in the better ranked Princes Hill Secondary College zone. This result is smaller than what our model would predict and is most likely due to the small sample size. 
<a href="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-three.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-three.jpg" alt=""></a>
2) Brunswick suburb 
The majority of houses in the suburb Brunswick belong to the Brunswick Secondary College zone, but a small part in the south is within the Princes Hill Secondary College district (Figure 3).
<a href="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-six.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-six.jpg" alt=""></a>
Even though the houses in the Princes Hill zone are on average smaller (by approximately 50 square metres), they sell for on average 14.5% more. The difference can be partly attributed to being inside the much better performing school’s zone, but is also the CBD.
<a href="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-five.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-five.jpg" alt=""></a>
3) University High School 
When comparing sales inside University High School’s boundaries to houses sold just outside, results are much less clear cut.
<a href="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-seven.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-seven.jpg" alt=""></a>
While University High is the better performing school, average prices are lower in this zone. The unexpected result can be explained by a huge difference in average land size.
The houses in the University High area have some of the smallest land bases in the entire set of studied houses. As mentioned earlier, each square metre of land is worth about $1,500. If the houses within University High’s zoning had the same land size as those outside the zone, they would be worth roughly $221,400 more, holding all else constant.
In other words, per square metre, these houses are valued much more highly. Again this is most likely due to the closer proximity to the CBD as well as being within the higher ranked school zone. 
<a href="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-eight.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/03/17/sa-march-17-eight.jpg" alt=""></a>
Conclusion
We aimed to find out how much value home owners and families looking for standalone houses in the inner city see in better schooling according to VCE performance. The answer is clear: property prices are inclusive of a school zone premium and school rankings affect how much the premium paid will be. As the percentage of top achievers in a school increases, the value of houses located within the area rises as well.
On average, the price of a house in a particular school zone increases by $19,000 with each 1% increase in VCE study score above 40.
This shows parents’ willingness to pay for a school zone. Whether or not you care about the zoning yourself, you will pay for it to live in the suburbs with high performing public schools. It will be interesting to see how demand for public schools is met in the future as Melbourne's inner population continues to grow rapidly and space becomes even more valuable. 
Jodie Walker is a buyer's advocate and researcher at <a href="https://secretagent.com.au/" target="_blank">Secret Agent</a>, a Melbourne based buyer's advocacy.
Richard Rossman contributed to this Secret Agent report.
Paul Osborne is founder of <a href="https://secretagent.com.au/" target="_blank">Secret Agent</a>.
You can download the full report on school zones, as wellas other property research, from the<a href="https://secretagent.com.au/" target="_blank"> Secret Agent website</a>.
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How do school zones affect Melbourne property prices?

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RealAs advised 80% of home auctions in metropolitan Melbourne suburbs were "underquoted" in February 2015 with buyer price guidance.
Box Hill South had the biggest gap between estate agent price guidance and the final auction selling price.
The realAs website alleges Victoria holds the title as the worst underquoting state in Australia.
<table style="width: 460px;">
<colgroup>
<col width="22">
<col width="150">
<col width="90">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
 
</td>
<td>
Top 10 VIC gaps
</td>
<td>
Sold Price vsAgent Quote
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
Box Hill South
</td>
<td>
32%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
2
</td>
<td>
Bulleen
</td>
<td>
31%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
3
</td>
<td>
Templestowe Lower
</td>
<td>
30%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
4
</td>
<td>
Burwood
</td>
<td>
29%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
5
</td>
<td>
Armadale
</td>
<td>
29%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
6
</td>
<td>
Carlton North
</td>
<td>
29%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
7
</td>
<td>
Doncaster
</td>
<td>
28%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
8
</td>
<td>
Burwood East
</td>
<td>
28%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
9
</td>
<td>
Caulfield South
</td>
<td>
27%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
10
</td>
<td>
Carnegie
</td>
<td>
27%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
 
</td>
<td>
Source: realAs.com
</td>
<td>
  
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The realAs.com price predictions website was co-founded by Australia’s first buyers’ advocate, David Morrell.
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Box Hill South agents can't get their price estimates close to auction results: realAs

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The award winning Haddow House sold for $3,571,000 at auction last weekend, a rare feat for Fitzroy North.
Nelson Alexander sales agent Arch Staver, who marketed the property with Rick Daniel, says the sale "really did test the market".
"North Fitzroy is not full of warehouse conversions," Staver told Property Observer, noting that renovated industrial sites are more common in the neighbouring Fitzroy, or the inner-eastern suburb of Richmond.
"It really was a stand out property".
The six bedroom home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-fitzroy+north-119046907" target="_blank">11 Tucker Place in Fitzroy North</a> certainly does stand out, even among its fellow warehouse conversions.
The vendors commissioned Belgian architect Daniel van Cleemput to design the renovation of the home for their blended family. On the 545 square metre former factory site, van Cleemput designed the cleverly structured house, surrounded by gardens. Its design saw the home awarded the ARCHITEAM 2012 award for Best Design, Residential, New, and featured in architect and commentator Stuart Harrison's 2013 book New Suburban.
When van Cleemput was commissioned, the warehouse had no roof, just external walls.
{qtube vid:=hXPu9VE_2Tg}
The house, while offering flow between both the interior living spaces and between the interior and exterior, also provided privacy for its residences.
The home's enclosed bedroom spaces are all on the upper level, with the teenagers and the two adults living in separate parts of the building, connected by an outside deck. The parent's retreat includes a hydraulic-doored "pod" with a kitchenette, wardrobe and study, and opens directly to the hilltop garden. Meanwhile, the children's area has five double bedrooms, each with a view to the gardens, two shower rooms and a separate toilet.
On the lower level, there are open plan living, dining and kitchen areas, with full height sliding doors opening the interior to the surrounding gardens. The exterior is further invited in through translucent walls, which draw in the natural light. The outdoor spaces include a landscaped garden "hillside", a spa and deck and plant covered high walls.
Despite the house's connection with nature, it still retains many industrial features, including raw finishes and a structure exposed by its translucent panelling.
At Saturday's auction, there were around 200 observers, with three active bidders. Bidding for the warehouse conversion off a cobbled laneway began at $3 million with a bid from the eventual buyer, and came onto the market at $3.4 million. The $3,571,000 result makes it the most expensive known sale of a warehouse conversion in Fitzroy North, with the second highest known to Property Observer being a brick double fronted single level home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-fitzroy+north-114997019" target="_blank">7 Tranmere Street</a>, which sold for $1,105,000 in October 2013.
According to CoreLogic RP Data, <a href="/news">Fitzroy North</a> houses recorded 10.3% capital growth over 2014, with a median house price of $1.5 million in January 2015.
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Fitzroy North's Haddow House warehouse conversion sells for more than $3.5 million

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<div>
The auction battle for 3-5 Fourth Street, Black Rock highlighted the escalating buyer intensity along the Melbourne sand belt and inner east suburbs today.
It fetched $1,010,000 over its reserve price setting a new $3.81 million record for a residential property in the suburb. 
"The previous highest that we could find being $3,775,000 for a contemporary home with pool and tennis court on around 1650sqm of land in May 2010," <a href="https://www.jacobsba.com.au" target="_blank">said buyers agent Nicole Jacobs</a>. Bidding began at $2,450,000, swiftly going past $2,800,000 when it was announced on the market (below) at the Marshall White auction.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/photogallery_new.ds?id=119054395&amp;theme=rea.sold" rel="photos" data-id="119054395"><img src="https://i3.au.reastatic.net/456x342/27c32b444fe77d755cfdb4ba1ec7ada742d91d315297878cea0ded67ba6e0cdf/image2.jpg" alt="3-5 Fourth Street, Black Rock" title="3-5 Fourth Street, Black Rock" data-index="2"></a>
</div>
Once the $3,000,000 barrier was exceeded the increments started to decrease but the pace of bids didn’t, Jacabs noted as at $3,060,000 a third bidder joined the fray.
Selling agent Barb Gregory thought its architectural features including a large open fireplace in the family room, extensive use of cedar, wide eaves had Frank Lloyd Wright influences.
The final $3.81 million sale price was withheld, so it didn't feature in the REIV's top five sales.
A clearance rate of 78 per cent was recorded this weekend compared to 70 per cent last weekend and 72 per cent this weekend last year.
There were 939 auctions reported to the REIV today, the REIV chief Enzo Raimondo advised, the resumption of the auction market after last weekend's Labour Day holiday.
The Black Rock auctioneer Peter Kakos cheekily asked the two final bidders if there was any chance of the two of them moving in together, to which the second bidder quipped “not after this” – a light moment breaking the auction tension. 
It was a 1440 square metre corner block with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IrDlh0C4Zk" target="_blank">a large 1980’s architect designed home</a>.  
Meanwhile Malvern results topped both house and apartments on the REIV results.
Late week several parties gathered inside <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/106-stanhope-street-malvern/Property-Details-buy-residential-8312666" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">106 Stanhope Street, Malvern</a> (pictured above) for a private auction, which ranked as the week's highest house sale. 
Midlothian, the 1891 Malvern property had been renovated by the current vendors by Rosenthal, Munckton and Shields in 1997 and then further enhanced by the addition of a superb pool-side studio, with sub-floor heating, from the same architects in 2006.
Langley says just about every premium offering now has multiple buyers running on it, which is a sign of the depth and heat in the market.
Other Malvern sales included 6 Claremont Avenue at $2.51 million.
 
  
TOP 5 HOUSES 
1. 106 Stanhope Street, Malvern $5,080,000 2. 28 Rowland Street, Kew $3,840,000 3. 11 Collington Avenue, Brighton $3,520,000 4. 13 Springfield Avenue, Toorak $3,225,000 5. 42 Bogong Avenue, Glen Waverley $2,925,000 
TOP 5 BARGAIN HOUSES 
1. 43 Vista Drive, Melton $190,500 2. 1 Argyll Circuit, Melton West $223,000 3. 71 Hilton Way, Melton West $245,000 4. 19 Kynoch Street, Deer Park $291,000 5. 44 Mulberry Pass, Craigieburn $330,000
TOP 5 APARTMENTS
1. 17 Fraser Street, Malvern $3,690,000 2. 26B Shoobra Road, Elsternwick $1,500,000 3. 204/55-62 Beach Street, Port Melbourne $1,480,000 4. 2/48 Albany Road, Toorak $1,320,000 5. 5/20 Yarra Grove, Hawthorn $1,300,000 
TOP 5 BARGAIN APARTMENTS 
1. 501/2 Eastern Place, Hawthorn East $95,000 2. 5/160 Grange Road, Carnegie $240,000 3. 1/156 Station Street, Fairfield $270,000 4. 4/11 Wallarano Drive, Noble Park $275,000 5. 18/46 Baker Street, Richmond $290,000
<a href="https://www.reiv.com.au/Property-Research" target="_blank">Source REIV </a>
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Black Rock $3.81 million auction record, while Malvern makes clean sweep

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Consecutive Victorian governments have done nothing about real estate underquoting over the last decade, Miriam Sandkuhler, founder of buyer's agency Property Mavens says.
"The newly elected Victorian government is still mute in regards to this ongoing problem in Victoria," she told Fairfax Media.
"It seems the financial and indirect marketing support the Labor government received from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria during the election campaign last year has rendered it deaf and blind to the problem," she claimed noting the NSW Premier recently pledged a crackdown on rogue real estate agents.
"Underquoting is a bipartisan issue as it affects all consumers.
"Both sides of politics need to work together to develop a solution to this problem.
She claimed rogue agents who breached regulations often do so because they have an "exceptionally high chance" of getting away with illegal activity simply because Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) doesn't have adequate skilled staffing to police it or a satisfactory complaint handling process. 
"Given this and the 30,000-plus auctions held in Victoria every year, the onus of investigation, policing and enforcement needs to be removed from CAV and handed to an independent body in the form of a real estate ombudsman."
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Victoria needs tougher underquoting laws and enforcement: Miriam Sandkuhler

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The Melbourne housing market weakened over 2014, down by an underperforming local economy, according to the Domain Group senior economist, Andrew Wilson.
It was reflected in Melbourne recording price growth of 4.1% over the year, well down on the 10% recorded over 2013.
<img src="/images/2015/03/12/melbourne-mar-12-one.jpg" alt="">
Source: Domain Group
But Melbourne has commenced 2015 in "solid to strong fashion" with activity in the local auction market clearly tracking ahead of the weaker results recorded over late spring and early summer in 2014. 
"Interest rate cuts are fuelling increased confidence with inner suburban regions particularly active," Wilson said.
Melbourne’s mid and upper price ranges, and eastern suburban regions in particular, were the best performers in 2014 with these sectors expected to continue to prove resilient through 2015 as aspirational buyers remain active. 
"Lower interest rates through 2015 will offset weakening economic activity although budget priced outer suburban markets are likely to remain subdued," Wilson said.
"The prospect of a stronger stock market through 2015 will continue to activate prestige buyers. 
"This market sector reported a solid 2014."
<img src="/images/2015/03/12/melbourne-mar-12-two.jpg" alt="">
Source: Domain Group
Wilson said overall Melbourne house prices were set to record similar growth in 2015 compared to 2014. 
"The prospects for a solid autumn season and a moderate spring season continue to be dependent on a stable and improving economic environment," he forecast.
"The Melbourne median house price will increase by between 3 and 5 percent over 2015 with the autumn season likely to produce the best results."
<img src="/images/2015/03/12/melbourne-mar-12-three.jpg" alt="">
Source: Domain Group
Sales this week in Melbourne's eastern suburbs highlight the emerging depth of prestige buyers.
Jock Langley at Abercromby's has sold <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/12-washington-street-toorak/Property-Details-buy-residential-8294460" target="_blank">12 Washington Street, Toorak</a> on the back of a major pre-auction offer. The 2001 house in Paul Bangay gardens had been quoted at $6 million plus for its March 17 private auction.
Late yesterday several parties gathered inside <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/106-stanhope-street-malvern/Property-Details-buy-residential-8312666" target="_blank">106 Stanhope Street, Malvern</a> (pictured above) for a private auction, with it selling under the hammer at around $1 million above the $4 million plus lower guidance expectations. 
Midlothian, the 1891 Malvern property had been renovated by the current vendors by Rosenthal, Munckton and Shields in 1997 and then further enhanced by the addition of a superb pool-side studio, with sub-floor heating, from the same architects in 2006.
Langley says just about every premium offering now has multiple buyers running on it, which is a sign of the depth and heat in the market.
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