Park Orchards: Melbourne suburb home to Australia’s biggest houses

Park Orchards in Melbourne’s northeast has topped the country as the suburb with the biggest houses per square metre.

Homes in the suburb, which has a median price of $1.8m, average a huge 1727sq m — 12 times the size of their North Sydney counterparts, which typically measure just 139sq m.

They also dwarf floorplans in the swanky inner-city hub of Albert Park, where some of Melbourne’s tiniest homes are found.

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There, the average house measures a comparatively minuscule 285sq m but costs $190,000 more.

Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee said suburban living was having a “renaissance” post the onset of Covid-19.

Sale data for the past two years showed Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and the Adelaide Hills typically had some of the country’s biggest homes.

But she said Park Orchards, popular with buyers with school-aged children, had houses “well over” three times the average sized block of land.

This made them an attractive choice for families looking for more space to spread out while stuck indoors.

“The really massive houses are quite a bit more expensive than $1.8m, but you are getting the biggest homes in Australia for under $2m,” Ms Conisbee said.

“And if you look at the national list, the smallest homes are in North Sydney, where the median is $2.8m.

“So for the biggest homes you’re paying $1m less than the suburb with the smallest homes.”

Jellis Craig director Daniel Bullen said families flocked to Park Orchards for its big blocks and larger homes, with the extra space coming in handy in recent years due to lockdowns.

Meg Dunne, who is selling her five-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 53 Granard Ave, Park Orchards, said the larger floorplan and 1967sq m block was perfect for her family of six.

Having grown up in the area herself, she said she wanted her four sons to have the same “amazing’ childhood with lots of space to run around.

Her home is for sale for $2.2m-$2.4m.

“A lot of the people that moved to the area move because they did want that bigger property,” Mrs Dunne said.

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Australian capital cities with the biggest houses

Suburb State Median Price Average size

Park Orchards VIC $1.8m 1727sq m

Ferny Creek VIC $992,500 1538sq m

Crafers SA $837,500 1479sq m

Aldgate SA $866,000 1469sq m

North Warrandyte VIC $1.25m 1375sq m

Gooseberry Hill WA $757,000 1317sq m

Stirling SA $872,500 1311sq m

Kalorama VIC $851,250 1305sq m

Olinda VIC $1m 1294sq m

Belair SA $731,000 1237sq m

Australian capital cities with the smallest houses

Suburb State Median Price Average size

North Sydney NSW $2.8m 139sq m

West End QLD $1.23m 149sq m

Teneriffe QLD $2.25m 164sq m

Norwest NSW $1.32m 174sq m

Erskineville NSW $1.45m 177sq m

Woolloongabba QLD $915,000 183sq m

St Clair SA $565,000 186sq m

Forest Lodge NSW $1.88m 193sq m

Crows Nest NSW $2.35m 199sq m

Kelvin Grove QLD $889,500 202sq m

Melbourne suburbs with the biggest houses

Suburb Median Price Average size

Park Orchards $1.8m 1727sq m

Ferny Creek $992,500 1538sq m

North Warrandyte $1.25m 1375sq m

Kalorama $851,250 1305sq m

Olinda $1m 1294sq m

Belgrave South $987,500 1266sq m

Beaconsfield Upper $1.06m 1237sq m

Mt Dandenong $895,000 1232sq m

Monbulk $713,500 1222sq m

Narre Warren North $1.23m 1203sq m

Melbourne suburbs with the smallest houses

Suburb Median Price Average size

Albert Park $1.99m 285sq m

Carlton North $1.59m 312sq m

Seddon $1.11m 319sq m

Kensington $1.05m 343sq m

Maidstone $825,000 363sq m

Newport $1.15m 382sq m

Abbotsford $1.26m 400sq m

Middle Park $2.78m 413sq m

Pascoe Vale $990,000 417sq m

Spotswood $1.02m 423sq m

Source: Ray White

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