Florey vs MelbaTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Florey (ACT 2615) is approximately 11 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen. Melba (ACT 2615) is approximately 12 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen. At the 2021 Census, Florey had 4,781 residents with a median age of 39, and Melba had 3,383 residents with a median age of 38.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Florey and 2% in Melba, while 34% of Florey households rented compared with 21% in Melba. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
ACT 2615 · Belconnen
Florey
Florey is a Belconnen suburb gazetted in 1975 and named after the Nobel laureate Howard Florey, with evenly divided tenure and a large townhouse share.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 11 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen.
Read the full Florey guideACT 2615 · Belconnen
Melba
Melba is a western Belconnen suburb named after Dame Nellie Melba, built of large houses where only 20.7 per cent of households rent.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 12 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen.
Read the full Melba guide
What buying in Florey and Melba would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Florey and Melba.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Florey to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Melba to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Florey and Melba: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Florey | Melba |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 4,781 | 3,383 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 38 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,082 | $2,326 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $415 | $400 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,950 | $2,100 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 34% | 21% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 32% | 44% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 33% | 35% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 76% | 80% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 23% | 18% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 2% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 16% | 12% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 38% | 50% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 4% | 5% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Florey and Melba
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Florey
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- The 1975 gazettal falls within the loose-fill asbestos installation period.
- Complexes from the mid 1970s warrant close review of sinking fund adequacy.
- A special levy for major works is a real possibility at this stage of a complex's life.
- Single-development exposure limits apply to any particular townhouse complex.
- Almost no apartments exist, so attached evidence comes from townhouses only.
Melba
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- 1970s housing falls within the loose-fill asbestos installation period.
- At 1,198 occupied dwellings, sales volume in any period is modest.
- Only 20.7 per cent of households rented, so the tenant pool is small for investors.
- Complexes from the 1970s warrant close review of sinking fund adequacy.
- Density potential should not be assumed given limited redevelopment.
Housing stock in Florey and Melba compared
Florey
- Detached houses from the mid 1970s
- Separate houses numbered 1,403 at the 2021 Census, 76.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- At 415 dwellings, or 22.6 per cent of occupied homes, well above the national 12.6 per cent.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 824 dwellings had three bedrooms and 562 had four.
Melba
- Detached houses from the 1970s
- Separate houses numbered 961 at the 2021 Census, 80.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four bedroom homes
- At 478 dwellings, slightly ahead of the 461 with three bedrooms at the 2021 Census.
- Townhouses
- The 210 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with only 19 flats.
Official sale price and rent figures for Florey and Melba
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Florey
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Florey, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Melba
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Melba, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Florey and Melba
Florey
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Ginninderra Drive (road)
- Southern Cross Drive (road)
Amenities
- Florey shops
- Belconnen Town Centre
- Ginninderra Creek corridor
Melba
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Ginninderra Drive (road)
- Southern Cross Drive (road)
Amenities
- Melba shops
- Belconnen Town Centre
- Umbagong District Park
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the ACT education department.
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Request a free assessment: Florey or Melba
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