21 Brunel Street MALVERN EAST

Comments on 21 Brunel Street MALVERN EAST

Newer style homes in amongst a number of period ones can either be a breath of fresh air or a disaster. 21 Brunel is more a breath of fresh air than a disaster - in fact as a building it has got a lot going for it. Everything is at least of medium quality in terms of finishes and the house has a very good floor plan. I would like to have seen a downstairs bedroom to make it near perfect. The study at the front works as a home office, while protecting a family's privacy. The laundry and pantry and kitchen set up is efficient and good for supervision internally and externally. The backyard is north-facing, although a tad small and that may rule out a few buyers, as this would have initial interest from bigger families due to its floorplan. However a very good park is just a short walk down the lane. And many families with grown up children are looking for the low maintenance option of smaller yards anyway. The laneway is another plus - giving more view of the sky and also rear access if needed.
Upstairs works, with a good master set-up. The three secondary bedrooms revolve nicely around the second bathroom and the informal rumpus-type room. The wet areas are well finished. And overall the cabinetry etc. is acceptable but would not exceed the expectations of a buyer at this level. It has been built to a formula with a few extras, but in many cases, extras are useless when the main game (light, flow and proportions) doesn't work. This home works though.

As far as position goes, the area overall is a B, if Gascoigne is A and Chadstone a C. At the expected result, the land to value ratio would be around 50% rather than the roughly 75% you'd expect for a period home. You are not on a 50m x 150m block of land. With that in mind, one needs to understand the likely outcome when it comes to downsizing in a decade or two in terms of capital growth on resale against other homes in the area. This is not intended to be negative but to inform and should be balanced with the fact that 51 offers a modern aspect in this changing precinct (look on streetview) and the "now" lifestyle may be a far more important priority to the eventual buyer.