Selecting Your Suburb: Attributes For Your Family

Parents – are you on the hunt for a happy home in a suburb where your gorgeous little family can thrive? In today’s blog, we explore the attributes that offer the best in family-focused living. Read on!

Child care, primary and secondary schools.

If you’re sending the little ones off to school, there’s a lot to think about – public or private education, academic results, community feel and more. A simple way to view the educational facilities available in each postcode is to head to the Department of Education and Training website and perform a simple search. Be sure to check the box to search surrounding postcodes, too. It’s also worth researching whether these school and educational facilities are serviced by public transport, or whether there are school-operated transport options.

Healthcare facilities including hospitals, doctors, chemists and support services.

Having a range of reputable, family-focused medical facilities close to home is an important consideration for families at all life stages. To best locate the healthcare options available to you, simply head online. You can find helpful information on local hospitals here, general practitioners here and a variety of support services here.

Parklands, bike paths and recreational areas.

Whether your little ones enjoy a friendly game of kick-to-kick or blazing around the local bike path, it’s important to ensure there are some local sporting groups in the communities you’re looking to become a part of. Well-maintained paths are important for pushing prams and kids need room to run, so a quick search for local sports facilities such as a cricket fields, footy ovals, green spaces and parklands is a must before you settle on a suburb! Additional facilities such as a library or community centre add to a suburb’s family-friendly points.

Access to major roadways and proximity to public transport.

For family members commuting to the city and beyond, easy access to major roadways is essential! While public transport may not seem like such a necessity when the little ones are still in nappies, it will be a great help when your teenagers start asserting their independence and treating Mum and Dad like a personal uber! A simple way to check how a suburb is serviced by public transport is to jump onto Google Maps and explore bus, tram and train routes in the local area. Enter a starting location in the suburb you’re considering and a destination you visit often – perhaps Flinders Street Station in the city. You’ll find options detailing how long it will take you to arrive there by road and rail.

Safety and security.

In a family-friendly suburb, your family can move around freely. Older children can head off to the park unsupervised and teenagers can travel from home to their friend’s places without fear. Safety and security are important for young families, so it’s worth checking out the local crime statistics and incidents from police websites and news articles in the area. This RACV tool can help with your research!

Local infrastructure investment by the government.

If there are lots of development opportunities and exciting infrastructure projects in the works, you can be sure that you’ve chosen a growth area in Melbourne. This not only means potential for capital growth on your home, it also provides a number of employment opportunities for the future! Both are great signs of an intelligent investment.

Lifestyle and culture.

Lastly, what’s on offer when it comes to eating out, family entertainment and shopping in your area? Ideally, there will be a bustling town centre with a variety of shops and restaurants, perhaps even a cinema or bowling alley as an added bonus. Closer to home, you’ll want to know that there are some local shops scattered around for when don’t have time for a long road trip! These local shops will also act as a hub to bring together the families in your local community, helping you to know that you’re surrounded by other families at a similar stage of life.

The Aston Homes team are happy to assist with information regarding your next family-focused investment. If you’re considering one of our floorplans for your new build, feel free to reach out with any questions you might have. Contact us here!