26 Seddon St, Ivanhoe VIC 307926 Seddon St, Ivanhoe VIC 3079
As we enter 2026, Melbourne house prices have just hit another record high (Source: Sydney Morning Herald). In December, the median price reached a staggering figure of $1.11 million. Throw in the added competition from investors, overseas buyers, and recent changes to the first-home buyer deposit scheme, and it's safe to say things are pretty tough to navigate right now.
Given just how much competition exists, it’s easy to be priced out or overpay for a property with hidden issues or a lack of long-term potential. Despite this, it’s far from a doom and gloom situation. At Property Analytics, we’ve helped first-home buyers from all walks of life to save thousands of dollars.
Keen to learn how? Keep reading for a detailed breakdown.
Real estate can be a tricky and murky business. In this sense, deciding who to trust is one of the biggest challenges. At Property Analytics, we’re very proud of the reputation we’ve built as a data-driven company that can be relied upon. At the core, we say what we think and do what we say.
We’re numbers-driven, analytical buyer’s advocates with a passion for helping people and putting our client’s needs first. As fully licensed and totally independent, we secure properties that will achieve strong capital growth and/or development profits. This means no apartments or off-the-plan properties tied in with another company.
Now, without any further ado, let’s switch gears and show you how it's possible to not only find the right home, but save thousands in the process.
I confirmed a build envelope for a family home site that was ultimately purchased for $100k under market.
I’ve known Daniel for years. He’s a highly successful director of multiple companies with three primary school-aged kids. After 70+ hour work weeks, his priority was to set his family up in the perfect home.
He found a site in his favourite suburb, but questions remained: what could he ultimately build given zoning, trees, slope, and multiple street frontages? What was the block actually worth?
I completed the required analysis, with feedback from my arborist and town planner. I put together a few rough mud maps showing the types of setbacks, tree protection zones, and slope considerations they’d need to be aware of. I also examined local area trends and recent sales, and spoke to a couple of good local agents to determine fair market value.
The vendors were originally seeking circa $1.80m. It passed in at auction with a vendor bid of $1.730m. Six weeks later, with no offers, I smelled a pending price adjustment. The selling agent, who I know pretty well, confirmed that’s what he was about to recommend. Before anybody knew, we offered a firm $1.635m, unconditional. Accepted.
Daniel and his wife have since built a remarkable family home. He says good things about our service:
“We’d been looking for a block to build our forever family home. The help Andrew provided in determining the site’s market value, assessing the design constraints, and negotiating the purchase (at $100k less than we were willing to pay!) proved invaluable. Quality service.”
Linda wanted to build a new family home that could accommodate her elderly parents and teenage children. But she didn’t want to overcapitalise. In fact, she wanted to engineer some profits.
The ideal location was reasonably broad, based on a triangulation between schools, work and transport. We quickly zeroed in on 4–5 suitable suburbs that suited her budget and objectives.
A preliminary analysis of this site suggested it was suitable: in a quiet but accessible neighbourhood location, with a wide street frontage, on the high side of the road, and surrounded by new modern homes. Linda liked it, and asked to progress with a full feasibility.
Some reasonable profits were possible, but we’d need to negotiate a second cross-over with council around an electric pole and street tree while retaining on-street parking spaces. We got advice from our architect and a Council Planning Officer, and determined we had multiple viable options.
A final piece of advice the day before the auction had Linda say “no thanks, we won’t bid.” The nearest Legal Point of Discharge for drainage was 40m away along the street. Council Engineering advised that we would need to install underground PVC drainage pipe from the front of our site to this point. Wow, that equates to about $40k and a giant pain in the butt. I respected Linda’s decision, particularly given we had another off-market property to pursue.
But sometimes life is about just showing up, so I attended the auction the next day. The agent greeted me right away, two minutes before kicking things off. “Hi Andrew, are you here to bid today?” “No mate, sorry but we got some bad advice from the Council yesterday that rules it out for us.” “Oh no, really? I probably won’t even conduct the auction then given I just have one other buyer.” “Well, what’s the Reserve Price? If we could secure it at the right price, I can give my client a call and see if she’d reconsider.” “The vendor told me just now that she needs to sell today 100%. She’s interstate and doesn’t want to continue a campaign. I reckon she’d sell right at the bottom of the $ range, around $1.200m.”
Well, this was very interesting news. I had valued the property at about $1.370m based on recent nearby sales and local agent advice. If we could pick it up at that price, then the drainage costs weren’t an issue at all.
After a bit of mucking around and waiting for the other buyer to confirm her best and final, we ultimately secured the property for $1.225m, almost $150,000 under market value. Linda was on the phone to me the entire time. She quickly drove to the property and signed. We’re now progressing full steam ahead with Plans and Permits for two large side-by-side semi-detached houses. With a 150-day settlement period, we’re aiming to have everything build-ready by the time Linda takes possession.
The big lesson from both Daniel and Linda’s stories is that preparation and knowing the landscape can save a fortune. Of course, it’s not just about spotting a good site. It’s about conducting a detailed feasibility study, finding out if and where hidden costs might appear, and knowing how the market really works–all of which is possible with the help of the right buyer’s advocates.
We know that buying a home, especially as a first-timer, can feel incredibly exhausting. However, doing a bit of homework upfront often prevents tens of thousands of dollars in surprises later.
Getting expert advice early is a total game-changer. Arborists, town planners, architects, and council officers can flag things you would never spot on your own. Linda’s potential $40k drainage problem would have been a huge headache if we had not caught it before committing.
Being present and aware also pays off. Sometimes just showing up at an auction or making a quick call to an agent gives you insight that others miss. Daniel’s $100k saving and Linda’s almost $150k under market price prove that timing, observation, and a bit of street savvy can make a huge difference.
Finally, there’s the value that comes with hiring someone who remains calm, professional, and focused at all times, even on the phone while an auction unfolds. This really is one of the most unheralded and underrated aspects to look for in your buyers advocate.
When it comes time to find the right property, you can also lean on the expertise of our dedicated buyer's agents in Melbourne. We work tirelessly to secure the right property, for the right price. To achieve this, we combine the latest data with genuine hands-on experience to help you save thousands of dollars.
You can read through dozens of Property Analytics success stories right here online or head over to our blog for insights into everything in the world of property. Or, if you’re ready to get started and speak with a buyer’s agent in Box Hill, Ivanhoe, or Northcote, or feel free to give us a call today!
03 9497 5429
