Browse Forums Real Estate 1 Apr 10, 2010 9:26 am Hi All, We are thinking of buying a block on 22 Stenson Road, Kealba. I have following concerns about this suburb & location. 1. Stenson Rd and Orbit Rd are closer to the Kealba Concrete batch plant and land fill & rock crushing. General perception is that it gets very dusty due to rock crushing and noisy due to the trucks. http://www.the-advocate.com.au/news/loc ... 85194.aspx 2. The location is under Aircraft noise path. Noise at the location is due to the international flights descending at altitude of 400-500 m. https://www32.webtrak-lochard.com/siteinfo/sitemap Some background on the location: Over the last couple of years the neighboring areas around the kealba quarry are being rezoned and these blocks on Stenson & Orbit Rd are a product of this initiative. The houses on this road are only about 6-7 years old. A neighboring double story house of about 36 sq sold for 590K. http://www.realestate.com.au/property-h ... c=38127633 The land in pursuit is 650 sqm for 287K http://www.realestate.com.au/property-r ... c=81254346 Recently blocks on RiverGum Point sold out very quickly. A 300 sqm block is now selling at around 280-300K http://www.realestate.com.au/property-r ... c=81254346 Distance & Travel to the city: - 22 Stenson road is about 2.3Km from the station (5 mintues drive) & 19Km from the city (30 – 45 min drive). To come to the city I can either get on to Calder Fwy, then city link or get on to Westgate Fwy or via Footscray. School, Childcare: - St Pauls Kealba Catholic Primary School - Kealba Kindergarten, Abc Developmental Learning Centre. Demographic: - I think majority are Vietnamese & Lebanese - Lots of oldies & Families Poll for votes: I am a typical FHO buyer and no experience in realestate & limited funds. How uncommon is that? Between me & my wife we have the following perspective. Wife says Buy this block because Keilor, Keilor East, Nedrrie, Keilor Park, Sunshine, Tottehnam, Braybook have all gone up and this location will provide excellent capital growth. I am of the opinion that being close the concrete batch plant & aircraft flight path are permanent handicaps and hence no one would like to spend 700 to 800K on this block for a big house. Opinions and suggestions welcome. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 2Apr 10, 2010 2:10 pm Hi bytebugs Welcome to the forum. I went straight to Somersoft when you posted this question to see if this suburb had been discused in greater detail as an investment opportunity, Surprisingly, no great discussions on it. I saw your post here... http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthr ... ght=kealba so you may get some really good answers. So what do I think about Kealba...its a suburb that I think has not yet peaked and still has some really good growth potential on some properties. I think it will have good capital gain prospects as there is not that endless amount of land available so new estates cannot just keep popping up. What you need to do is to buy well (bargain to get the lowest possible price) with a preference to buy a property to 'add value' later down the track ...this can mean by renovating, sub division etc. I feel this is really important as you are a first home buyer with limited funds. There are houses there in the mid to high 300's that are perfect for first home buyer. Why would you spend almost this amount on a block of land when houses are going for the same amount? I can see many people over capitalising in this type of area the melbourne market is reaching fever pitch and ridiculous prices are being achieved. So if I was a fhb, I would buy established, under market value with large block and potential to develop. I would make sure my property is in a 'well kept' part of Kealba. With interest rates likely to go up to 10% in the near future, I would factor this into how much could I afford to spend on a home loan. Hope this helps a little and dont forget it is only my opinion sp please do your due diligence before buying. Mrs B Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 3Apr 10, 2010 3:18 pm hey just thought i'd chip in as although i don't have a lot of good real estate knowledge and all that, i actually grew up in kealba re the aircraft noise - i actually didn't find that so much of a problem, but maybe became de-sensitized to it early as it was all i ever really knew (from the age of 3 up). even looking back now though when i go back to visit, i don't see it as a huge problem. personally i don't like stenson road. but that's just me. so much of this is personal choice! a friend of mine was tossing up whether to buy in kealba or werribee a couple of years ago. she ended up choosing werribee, but i think she should have chosen kealba due to closer cbd links. it's a bit of a pain if you don't have a car (if you do, you can just drive to st albans station or sunshine), otherwise you have to catch bus to station. i'm sure the buses are better than they were years ago when i lived there though. schools: (i went to kealba kinder ) not sure what kealba secondary is like now but back in my day all schools in the area had pretty bad reps so my parents sent me to a private high school in essendon instead. overnewton college in keilor is another option. lastly, just a bit of info to interpret what you will: my parents sold our family house (3brm 1 bath, around 14 squares, fully renovated and in very good nick) 7 years ago for $204k. they could have easily got over $300k for it only a couple years later. interesting. good luck with your search! "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." — Elizabeth Gilbert Living in our new house. Currently scaping the land. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 4Apr 10, 2010 4:28 pm Is the quarry still in use or are these block being built on above an old quarry? If it's the latter, then I would be quite dubious about the possibility of future subsidence. It has happened heaps in the UK when housing estates were built over old quarries and mines Blog: http://bluemistkids.blogspot.com "Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, and professionals built the Titanic." Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 6Apr 29, 2010 10:56 am I have built a new house in Kealba in the last couple of years and have found the area to be excellent. You should not be too concern with the aircraft noise as I think it is barely noticable to be honest. Our kids love the planes and you will be pleasantly surprised to find how quiet most of them really are. House prices in Kealba have been increasing rapidly in the last 18 months and are quickly becoming out of reach for first home buyers. I think prospective buyers realise you cannot find a house this close to town, with very close access to 4 main arterial freeways. Kealba is surrounded by Brimbank Park, which is a great asset. The only downfall to this is you will see many hoon dirt bike riders thrashing through the streets almost daily to ride (illegally) down the gully. This really hurts the suburns appeal. FYI, the Kealba Secondary College will be closing down in the next 2 years, but it has been undecided what it will be replaced with. The school does not have the reputation it once did due to the change in demographic (hence why it is shutting down). I have noticed the adjacent Kinder on Driscolls Rd has also closed. The Cathlic School is very reputable and has had recent upgrades. You will not find many young families, as most residents are older and have been in their homes for quite some time, with the exception of the Observatory Estate - surrounded by Stenson and Orbital Roads, where you are looking at purchasing. People are friendly, but generally keep to themselves. It is typically not the "Caroline Springs" type estates, where everyone knows each other (I mean that in a good and respectful way). Most of the newer homes around Orbital and Stenson are no more than 7 years old and some of the houses would easily push upwards of $700K+. There is currently an older home for sale in Stenson Rd for $430-$450K http://www.realestate.com.au/property-h ... -106417008. The land value at 22 Stenson for $287K would seem more than reasonable considering 3 blocks half the size (@ 300m2) sold for around $300K in August 2009 in the new estate on Rowan/Mcshane drive. You have to consider the fact the houses in nearby Keilor, East Keilor & Niddrie would fetch a minimum premiuim of at least 30% and they are only 5 minutes away. The estate mentioned above, including the land in question on Stenson Road was previously a Vineyard (back in the 1950's). I did my research before purchasing and can confirm this was not part of the quarry (which is on the otherside of the gully anyway). It has not been filled in anyway. When the subdivision was prepared around 1998/1999, the land was levelled with topsoil which showed up in my soil test before building. I would seriously reconsider your assessment in buying in Kealba. You won't find land cheaper within 15km of CBD, in my opinion anyway. Good luck with your house hunting and whatever you choose, I hope it works out!! Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 7May 04, 2010 11:01 am Up until march last year we lived in Kealba. Nice quiet area, but I felt a bit far a field from everything. I didn't know Kealba Secondary was closing - it had a bad rep when I was at high school, basically it was the sink school for students kicked out of everywhere else. I still think it has a high concentration of Maltese and Pinoy, rather than Lebanese and Viet. Keilor Downs, and St Albans have higher concentrations of the newer migrants. It's a slow growth area, so if capital gains is what you are of then Kealba is slower than the rest but okay for peaceful family living. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 8May 09, 2010 8:57 am I'm suprised there are so many other ermm Kealbians on here I've lived here most of my life and will miss the fantastic drive to the city when I move. Leaving to work at 9:30am, it takes around 25 minutes to get to South Melbourne on the Ring Rd and if I'm in a rush, I can take the Citylink and be there in just under 20 (on a good run). Brimbank park is great for running/riding and it's nice to look at. Regarding plane noise, I was under the impression they changed most of the flight paths because I've rarely heard planes fly over us in the past few years, where as when I was a kid, the doors would shake pretty often. I think they change the rules for how often planes can fly over as areas get more and more populated. I've never seen any dust From the quarry and rarely hear machinery, at worst its the sound of a truck engine braking. I think the median house price in Kealba is a bit misleading because if you have a house with a Brimbank Park view (or closy by) you'll be able to fetch a much higher price than a house that is on the other side of sunshine ave - which is still Kealba but might as well be St Albans (and is priced around St Albans level). In regards to nationalities, it's Australians and countries that immigrated in the 70s, so southern Europeans (lots of Maltese) mostly. Lots of older families with kids moved out, which I quite like because it's not as bad with hoons anymore like when I was growing up. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 9May 10, 2010 10:58 am Sheepdog than a house that is on the other side of sunshine ave - which is still Kealba but might as well be St Albans (and is priced around St Albans level). Opposite St. Pauls' Kealba? I thought that was St. Albans? Google maps reports it as St. Albans. I thought the natural boundaries of Kealba were Green Gully Rd, Sunshine Avenue, and Brimbank Park? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 10May 17, 2010 9:28 am Thats what I thought too but a friend of mine recently bought a block on the other side of Sunshine Ave and apparently was listed as Kealba. I guess my point still stands if you're on Sunshine Ave either way I guess since its such a busy road. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 11May 17, 2010 9:42 am Sheepdog Thats what I thought too but a friend of mine recently bought a block on the other side of Sunshine Ave and apparently was listed as Kealba. I guess my point still stands if you're on Sunshine Ave either way I guess since its such a busy road. I reckon it was the Agent's way of trying to differentiate between the properties to get a higher price/quicker sale - saying something is in Kealba sounds a lot nicer than saying it is St. Albans. Wasn't it a few years ago Kealba wanted to change it's post code to something else and the name to Keilor Heights or something in order to distance itself from St. Albans? Council of course ignored resident's wishes (75% vote for change) and kept it anyway. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 12Feb 18, 2011 8:56 pm Anything else to tell us about KEALBA? I am currently doing some research on the area and keen on investing in the area, my friend just bought in Keilor Downs... why is Kealba so much cheaper than KD and just the next suburb over?? Is there much commission housing in Kealba? would like to know as much as possible. (I currently own a place in Avondale Heights) Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 14Feb 18, 2011 9:54 pm B STAR kealba is further away from the city, and further away from stalbans. I think Kealba is closer to St Albans than Keilor Downs is. the bus from Keilor Downs to St Albans runs through Kealba. an interesting piece of trivia: Kealba was so named from the KE in Keilor and ALBA from St. Albans. I don't know why KD is more expensive, other than it having the name Keilor in the title (and being closer to Keilor), which is a bit more of a prestige suburb. some of the views in kealba streets are to die for! "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." — Elizabeth Gilbert Living in our new house. Currently scaping the land. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 16Feb 19, 2011 7:27 pm donuts I don't know why KD is more expensive, other than it having the name Keilor in the title (and being closer to Keilor), which is a bit more of a prestige suburb. some of the views in kealba streets are to die for! IIRC two main reasons; one, the unknown status of the quarry; and two, the presence of the high school - it's a sink highschool, which means that any one kicked out of other state high schools in the area end up there. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 17Feb 19, 2011 7:36 pm joeygbh IIRC two main reasons; one, the unknown status of the quarry; and two, the presence of the high school - it's a sink highschool, which means that any one kicked out of other state high schools in the area end up there. a-ha. glad my parents didn't send me to that one, it was right at the end of our street growing up! what does IIRC mean? "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." — Elizabeth Gilbert Living in our new house. Currently scaping the land. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 19Feb 20, 2011 2:10 pm coga Hang on, so there is 2 schools in Kealba then?? Kealba Secondary college has closed down... and there is another school... Kealba High ?? IIRC - If I read correctly? Actually you are correct, Kealba Secondary has closed down after they forced the merger with St. Albans and Deer Park to form Victoria University College. I forgot about that because in June they were still deciding what to do. http://brimbank-leader.whereilive.com.a ... a-college/ http://brimbank-leader.whereilive.com.a ... in-merger/ IIRC = If I Recall Correctly, which in this case apparently I didn't The fact that there is now a very large empty place with no supervision in the heart of Kealba would probably be worse that having a school there now. Re: kealba buy or not to buy? 20Jun 13, 2011 11:47 am This is just some more historical background for Kealba. As mentioned previously, Kealba is made up of a mix of Keilor and St Albans. However, what may surprise you is that it was named for the High School only. The area was growing at a rapid pace with young families moving in to St Albans and Keilor. There were no schools between St Albans High School, St Albans Tech (which was near the train line) and Keilor which was on the other side of the gully. So Kelba High School was formed. I started attending Kealba HS in 1975. The school was surrounded by open paddocks and few farm houses. Sunshine Avenue was just a cow track back then and Driscols Rd was gravel. Stenson Rd was barely a road. The school held cross country running championships where many houses now stand overlooking Brimbank Park, which was a farm back in those days. The night sandman use to reside in Driscols Rd about 400m from the school. I lived in Avondale Ave, St Albans and use to walk to school. I walked through opened paddocks. Check this out on Google now to see it can no longer be done. The airline path has never ever been a problem. Actually it's quite impressive to see large planes up close as they fly overhead. The quarry has been there since year dot I think (lol). The rumour at the time was that the high school was built back to front with the admin building suppose to be at the rear of the property. Behind the school, facing Sunshine Ave was suppose to be the Kealba Primary School but those plans were shelved once the Catholic school was built next door. When streets were being made and houses started to build, Kealba quickly became THE place to live. Unfortunately the area was divided by two councils in the beginning. Sunshine Council on the St Albans side of Sunshine Ave and Keilor Council on the other. Neither of which really cared for the area. Hopefully this has changed since both sides now come under the trust of Brimbank. There are only 2 schools (that I know of) that were built in the same style, which were firsts for Victoria at the time. Kealba, of course, and the other was Avondale Heights HS. During the 80's Kealba High School became Kealba Secondary College. House prices have always been stable for this area. Properties on sale are always snapped up pretty quickly. I hope this help anyone interested in the background of Kealba. 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