Property investors and homebuyers who’re looking for a Melbourne suburb with a difference should look no further than Werribee.

Those who settle here can enjoy a wide range of amenities that normally can’t be found in the suburbs, including a safari zoo (Werribee Open Range Zoo), a well-appointed rose garden (Victoria State Rose Garden), and a winery (Shadowfax Winery). Other notable attractions include a beach, a beachside caravan park, and a jet ski area.

Aside from these great amenities, Werribee is also known for its affordable housing. According to David Lawson, director of Greg Hocking Lawson Partners in Werribee, houses were going for $300,000 to $320,000 a year ago. Prices have since shot up to the “high $300,000s and early $400,000s”. Compared to the mind-boggling prices in Sydney and Melbourne, Werribee is an affordable and smart alternative investment.

It’s important to get into the market as soon as possible, however, because cash-rich Sydneysiders and buyers from Melbourne’s pricey inner west are showing greater interest Werribee.

“We’re getting a lot of the younger buyers that have grown up in the west but, maybe Yarraville, Newport, Altona, but now can’t afford that but are prepared to come out here and purchase a property,” Lawson said.

“That’s the only way that that 20-30-year-old buyer is going to get some serious equity into a property. By buying something that is $400,000, sitting on it for five to six years and then selling it for $600,000-$700,000 … and hopefully building some equity that way. In the inner west you need $700,000-$800,000 to buy now and you’ll need a deposit of $100,000 to do that.”

Collections: