The Shire of Moorabool is a local government area in Victoria, located in the western part of the state, approximately 55km’s from the Melbourne CBD. Moorabool Shire is a fast-growing regional area situated between Melbourne, Geelong and Ballarat. It offers residents picturesque and friendly surrounds with a fast-growing community. In this edition of FHBA’s ‘hotspot in focus’ we focus on the suburb of Bacchus Marsh.
Disclaimer: This article is general nature and should not be relied upon. FHBA is not qualified or licensed to recommend locations for your first home. If you do not know where you want to buy your first home, you should speak to a licensed professional.
Why the Bacchus Marsh region?
The Shire’s landscape provides a vast range of living options. Residents can enjoy an urban lifestyle in towns like Bacchus Marsh (45km west of the Melbourne CBD) and Ballan (70km west of the Melbourne CBD) or take advantage of Moorabool’s small towns and hamlets, rural open spaces and natural surrounds. Bacchus Marsh ranks in the top three of regional Australia’s housing markets that are likely to be the best suited for family living. Some of the better features of the region include:
Transport & Location – Bacchus Marsh & Ballan both have train stations which provide access to other parts of Victoria and more important the Melbourne metropolitan area for those aspiring first home buyers that work in in the metro. Some key features of the train to Melbourne CBD include:
- Just over 1 hour from Ballan to Melbourne CBD
- Approximately 50 mins from Bacchus Marsh to Melbourne CBD
Melbourne and surrounding areas are also home to some of the best freeway networks and ring roads. The Melton Highway allows easy access into the city for those that need to drive into work with a peak hour trip of over an hour and a non-peak hour trip of less than an hour from Bacchus Marsh to the CBD.
Schools – Bacchus Marsh Grammer School offers a private school solution for those parents looking for this. Other schools include Bacchus Marsh Primary School and Bacchus Marsh college, this provides a public-school solution for parents. There are also plenty of childcare centres around the region if you are in need of it.
Lifestyle – The Moorabool area boasts breathtaking landscapes, national parks, forests, gorges, mineral springs and tourism attractions. Some of the key attractions in the area include the Wombat State Forest, Brisbane Ranges National Park, Lerderderg State Park, Werribee Gorge State Park and the Bacchus Marsh Avenue of Honour.
The Bacchus Marsh Avenue of Honour
The economy
It is 45 minutes in the car to Melbourne, and roughly the same time to both Geelong and Ballarat – Bacchus Marsh and surrounding suburbs are quite attractive for those looking for a semi-rural lifestyle whilst being close to the city. This has contributed to rapid population growth in the area. But problems have previously arisen when investment in infrastructure can’t keep up. The Local Government had done its best to address these by announcing measures to assist foster growth.
The Urban Growth Framework (set by the Council & Victorian Government) is estimated to be in place by the beginning of 2018. This is designed to improve the roads, schools, hospitals, and facilities for the region. Agriculture, wool, beef production, mineral, stone and water extraction have been tradition economic drivers in the region. Residential growth, construction, retail and service industries and light manufacturing are emerging factors of growth as the population grows in the area.
When considering future growth of the Moorabool Shire, Council has identified three key residential locations where the majority of that growth will occur. These locations – Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, and Gordon have already established the infrastructure to enable the growth.
The population of the Shire is estimated to increase by 65% between 2016 and 2041 to 53,270.
Bacchus Marsh first home buyer housing
According to APM Data, the median house price in Bacchus Marsh is currently $398,000 (as of August 2017).
The median prices mentioned shows affordability in terms of house prices for first home buyers who are looking for houses below $400,000 whilst being within close proximity to the Melbourne Metropolitan areas. Some of the other desirable suburbs for first home buyers include the following:
- Pentland Hills
- Darley
- Merrimu
- Pentland Hills
- Hopetoun Park
- Maddingley
- Parwan
New house & land packages have become very popular in the Bacchus Marsh area, as first home buyers look to take advantage of the VIC Regional Grant boost, which has been doubled to $20,000 from 01 July 2017, alongside the Stamp duty exemptions below $600,000 if you are looking to buy an established home.
Looking to determine if you have saved enough for your first home in one of the above suburbs? Click here to use our Eligibility Estimator.
We have some FHOG & FHBA 50 Rebate eligible new home opportunities in the Region!
How can FHBA help secure your first home in Bacchus Marsh?
Buying your first home can be quite tricky. That’s why at FHBA we are with you every step of the way, even as far as helping you move into your first home!
First Home Loan
Your FHBA Coach will explain all the steps, determine your borrowing capacity, offer suitable loan options, compile your loan application paperwork and even assist you with applications for the FHOG and Stamp Duty concessions in Regional Victoria. Click here to get pre-approved with a no-charge assessment!
FHOG eligible brand new home
We have access to a range of brand new property opportunities for aspiring first home buyers looking to buy in the Moorabool region and surrounding areas (all with FHOG eligibility + the FHBA 50 Rebate!). Be sure to complete the form at the bottom of this page if you are interested and want to know more about the exciting apartments, townhouses and house & land packages we have access to.
Established homes
FHBA assists first home buyers looking to buy an established home – regardless of budget, property type, or property location, we will not rest until you have successfully settled on a property you have chosen & you have comfortably moved into your first home.
If you are looking for more information or if you have any questions, please complete the form below to speak to a FHBA Coach.
Written By,
First Home Buyers Australia
