When our client first came to us, she knew exactly what she wanted. Not just in a property, but in a life. Two kelpies, a backyard she could genuinely live in, room for a native garden, and space for the car and the motorbike. She also wanted a neighbourhood where she could walk to a leash-free park and pick up groceries without getting in the car. As a buyers agent Hughesdale wasn’t even on her radar for, but that’s exactly where her search ended up.
She’d done her research and knew her suburbs well. Glen Iris or Ashburton would be the forever home. Everything else was a stepping stone to get there.
A Brief Worth Respecting
It’s a brief we respect. Knowing what you want and holding firm on it is exactly the right approach to buying property. Our job isn’t to talk clients out of their brief. Instead, it’s to find a property that genuinely delivers on it, whatever suburb that turns out to be. In this case, it turned out to be Hughesdale.
Why Hughesdale Made Sense
Hughesdale wasn’t on the original list, but it ticked every box on the brief. Wide, tree-lined streets. A genuine neighbourhood feel. Eaton Mall a short walk away for coffee and everyday groceries, without the sprawl of a major shopping centre. Plus, both Hughesdale and Oakleigh train stations were within easy reach.
Importantly, it’s the kind of quiet, residential pocket that sits close to everything without sitting on top of it. For a client who planned to spend most of her time outdoors and preferred walking to driving, the location was hard to argue with.
Character, Not a Compromise
The home itself is a character-rich, single-fronted weatherboard on a deep allotment of approximately 460 square metres. It has the kind of warmth and personality that new builds rarely manage, with a classic façade, a bay window, and a neatly kept front garden that sets the tone before you even step inside.
Inside, an open plan living and dining area centres around an open fireplace, the sort of feature that makes a house feel like a home from the moment you walk in. The kitchen is well equipped with a full suite of Bosch appliances and plenty of storage. There are two generous bedrooms, a spa bathroom, and a dedicated study with built-in shelving and desk, which suits her work-from-home days well.
The Outdoor Space That Sealed the Deal
For our client, the real highlights were outside. The backyard has genuine space, with plenty of room for a native garden and scope to add a small pool down the track. The covered patio is made for long afternoons, and the huge garage and man shed is exactly the setup she needed, with room for the car, the motorbike, and space left over besides.
The property was move-in ready too, with room to extend or enhance over time if she chooses to. For a client who wanted to settle in and enjoy rather than renovate and stress, that mattered.
What This Purchase Really Represents
Glen Iris and Ashburton remain the long-term dream, and this purchase was made with that goal in mind. However, a stepping stone property doesn’t have to feel like a compromise, and this one doesn’t. It delivers on the lifestyle she wanted from day one, in a suburb with genuine appeal and solid fundamentals.
That’s what a well-matched brief looks like in practice. Not a list of features to hunt down, but a clear picture of how someone wants to live, and a search focused on finding it, wherever it exists.
We’re incredibly proud of this result and excited for what’s ahead. As always, the kelpies are going to love the backyard.
Looking for the right fit, even if it’s not the suburb you had in mind? As a buyers agent Hughesdale clients rely on, Team Azure works exclusively for buyers. Get in touch to talk through your search.
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