Replete with Victorian and Edwardian homes, Clifton Hill is a picturesque suburb with all the comfort and advantages of modern living. 

From shopping strips to efficient transportation, Clifton Hill performs well as a convenient place of residence. 

But apart from its commercial areas and living spaces of historic character, Clifton Hill is inviting to families in their generous offerings of childcare centers. The suburb understands the challenges parents encounter day-to-day as they try to earn a living and chart a life of comfort for their kids.

If you’re a parent thinking of ways to keep working while your children are being cared for, here are three childcare centers you may want to check out.

Goodstart Clifton Hill – Childcare Centre

Smartly-situated in one of Clifton Hill’s thickly populated areas, Goodstart Clifton Hill – Childcare Centre is close to the main roads where transportation are frequent and the schools and local shops are thriving. The center boasts of a beautiful old Victorian building that plays host to quality childcare.

The Preschool rooms care for kids six weeks to five years old. The rooms are staged in such a way that they reflect the facility’s  Early Years Learning Framework curriculum. Through what it calls Storypark, Goodstart is able to establish ties with parents to assure them of children’s needs.

Petit Early Learning Journey

Located in Hoddle St, Petit Early Learning Journey’s philosophy is reflected in its six core beliefs:

1. Learning is an active process, a keystone to play-based pedagogy
2. Partnering with families fosters strong reciprocal relationships
3. Teaching teams should engage with contemporary pedagogies
4. The Learning environment is a place of potential and possibility
5. Connection with community supports health and wellbeing
6. Every child is capable, resourceful, and a constructor of their own knowledge 

These are representative of Petit ELJ’s identity and trajectory, one that puts their client’s children first. Parents are thus assured that their children’s welfare is in the right hands.

Walker Street Community Kindergarten

At the core of Walker Street Community Kindergarten’s services is its aim at inculcating a sense of wonder and drive to learn in the children they educate. 

In accordance to this goal, the learning environment at Walker Street Community Kindergarten is vibrant, creative, and motivating. The staff allows kids to exercise curiosity and self-expression. Independence and confidence are virtues that the facility’s programs work on conscientiously to uphold. 

Strategically situated on a residential street in the suburb, Walker Street Community Kindergarten work closely with parents to ease a child’s transition from home to kindergarten. This the facility does by honing a diverse and dynamic range of experiences that allow the kids to be themselves with utmost courage.

With these three childcare centers, Clifton Hill parents are assured that their children are getting the education they need and the guidance they deserve.

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Maintaining your house requires inside and outside work. Good spring maintenance doesn’t only bring peace of mind and safety, it also improves the look of your property in case you want to sell it in the near future.

What are the ways you can prepare your home for a spring sale? Below are some tips.

Exterior

Add more greenery

Invest in curb appeal by sprucing up your front yard. A few bushes, plants, and flowers along the path are already enough to breathe life into your entryway. 

Check the gutters

Check whether your gutter needs cleaning. Remove the twigs and branches that might have been stuck in there for a while. See if the gutter could be salvaged with a lick of paint or check if it’s already due for replacement. Besides, it is really advisable to replace gutters after a few years – and spring is the perfect time to do it. 

Update the sidings

Your sidings did a great job at keeping you warm during the cold season and it would definitely need some tender loving care in spring. Inspect your sidings if it needs replacement. If not, a good power-washing session might do the trick. If you’re feeling more generous, make it look brand new with a fresh lick of paint. 

Interior

Clean Carpets

Spring is the best time to clean your carpets. We welcome more light and air to our homes during springtime. As much as possible, we don’t want to be bothered by the allergies that might come from the dust, dirt, and pollen that the carpets have collected over the previous months. 

Upgrade tapwares and cabinet handles

Match the colours of the tapwares and cabinet handles in the kitchen and bath area. This is an underrated trick to make the overall look of your place cohesive. For example, if your tapwares are black, you might want to change your cabinet handles to black also. 

With the weather warming up, many home buyers are looking for a fresh start. They are ready to move into a new home so make sure that yours would be on top of their list.

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Considered as one of the oldest suburbs in Melbourne, Collingwood is an inner-city suburb where everything happens. Located 3km northeast of Melbourne’s central business district, Collingwood is known for its historical infrastructures, many of which are still in use.

Despite its age, it’s one of the cool places to hang out if you want to experience a gritty Melbourne community. We’ve created a list of things we recommend to try when you’re in Collingwood.

We’ve created a list of things we recommend to try when you’re in Collingwood.

Street art tour

A host to so many diverse artists with different specialties, Collingwood is vibrant with art and masterpieces. There are street art tours available so you can check out the colorful murals that tell the stories of the residents of the suburb.

Experience the night life

The nightlife at Collingwood is also something to experience because it’s bustling with clubs, bars, pubs, and other live music venues. An ideal place for couples without kids, singles, professionals, and creatives, people can jam with people from different backgrounds and industries.

Food trip

With food establishments ranging from high-end restaurants to trendy hole-in-the-walls, Collingwood offers a wide variety of cuisines. From coffee to grills, to oysters and pizzas, there is always something different to try.

Collingwood is a historical suburb that already cemented itself as a landmark in Melbourne history by evolving with the times.

For more information about Collingwood or if you have properties that you want to offer would-be residents, send us a message via our contact form.

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Appealing to residents of all ages, Ivanhoe is a suburb where people flock to raise families. Set against the backdrop of thriving greenery, this gem of a suburb is replete with venues that give visitors and locals alike plenty to enjoy.

But what may not be known by many is that Ivanhoe hosts several places of exceptional services. They are described as such because these offer things that are conventionally in demand in an era ruled by screens and social media. These places give the mind a break–something that does not just give it an easy dopamine hit. These places feed the intellect and develop a healthy appreciation of literature and nature.  

Here are the 3 places in Ivanhoe that serve to sustain the mind.

Andrew’s Bookshop

Small but generous in its offering of various literature, Andrew’s Bookshop is a bookshop located at Upper Heidelberg RD in Ivanhoe. It is quaint, spanning more than 40 years. It all began in 1977 when a young man named Andrew started selling 2 boxes of his parents’ old books at the Wantirna Market. In 1983, Andrew’s Bookshop was opened. 

Andrew’s Bookshop thrives in its dedication to providing a wide range of books that deal with general fiction, interior design, travel, and art history, among others. It even offers adult coloring books and postcards, something that is seen as almost passe in the ever-expanding digital terrain. Nonetheless, Andrew’s Bookshop keeps itself afloat with something that the internet simply cannot offer.  

The Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub

The Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub is a place that celebrates intellect and cultural expression. It has become known as a place of inclusivity where visitors are free to think, study, delve into art, and get involved with other creative activities through cultural programs. Each of these will integrate and support each other. For instance, art workshops will be run by resident artists and joined by other artists or other library visitors. The aim is to be dynamic, adaptable, and of course, inclusive. 

Not wanting to leave anyone behind, it operates under the principle: Something for everyone, all under one roof, all year round. 

Chelsworth Park 

Apart from the cafes and specialty shops, are you wondering where else you can read your newly purchased book from Andrew’s Bookshop? Maybe you can stroll by the river first and settle on one of the wooden park benches underneath the massive old trees of Chelsworth Park. 

Surround yourself in Chelsworth Park’s teeming greenery and rich bird life as you find an escape from the daily drudgery of contemporary living. Visitors agree that the park is one of Ivanhoe’s finest with its well-maintained oval and walking tracks where you can walk your dog, beautiful riverside view, and the quietude it offers.

So there you go, if you happen to be in the Ivanhoe searching for a timid and repose from your monotonous day-to-day life, be sure to check out these places. Surely, your mind will find the peaceful break that it so deserves.

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There were a number of townhouses on the market with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 2 car park spaces when this property with the same amenities was sold via a private sale method.

But Collings Real Estate added 3/197 Separation Street, Northcote in their sold portfolio anyway. The key is to understand the challenges of the seller while also being of assistance to prospective buyers.

“A social media and digital marketing campaign were both completed. This gave us the maximum opportunity to expose the property to buyers online,” Caleb Pikoulas said. Caleb and the whole Real Estate Team understand the importance of online presence when it comes to real estate marketing. 

The property was advertised on major platforms such as realestate.com.au and domain.com.au as well as social media/digital marketing platforms where the property garnered a total of 13,833 views. All these translate to entertaining a total of 34 inspection attendees.

The property was also Styled by Collings. “This is done to give the buyer a vision of the property and understanding of the space.” said Pikoulas. By assisting the prospective buyers with the right vision, the negotiation only took approximately 48 hours. 

The property was only occupied for 12 months and was built 18 months ago so there were no major adjustments required to further enhance the space. Defined by contemporary sophistication, this exclusive 20sq property includes wool carpets, engineered floorboards, intercom, security alarm, quality fittings, heating and cooling systems in every room, double glazed windows, and generous storage.

The property is within the Northcote High School zone and is close to the Northcote Plaza and Station St. Shopping Precinct. Within walking distance are cafes in High Street. The area is serviced by train stations, buses and No. 86 Tramline.

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Life has never been this demanding in history. Life in lockdown didn’t exactly help alleviate it. For what it’s worth, being stuck in front of the screen daily increased feelings of apprehension and the pressure brought about by other people’s achievements posted daily. 

Rarely do people make the effort to explore nature that is readily available to them. Sure, traveling has always been in their sights every time local lockdowns seem to ease. But a stroll in the park? It’s usually seen as routine-mundane, nothing really special, or something to look forward to. But these 3 parks in Clifton Hill will turn a common walk in the park into a meditative experience. 

Merri Creek Trail

This Queens Parade trail was made to cater to both cyclists and pedestrians. It goes along Merri Creek and runs north of Victoria.

Merri Creek Trail artistically winds across the suburb starting at Dights Falls, it sneaks into Merri Creek’s point of entry to the Yarra River. Vibrant housing estates, gardens, horse paddocks, and athletic ovals abound in this vast and rich reserve that makes no attempts at taming its teeming nature. 

The trail also frames Coburg Lake which takes care of ducks and welcomes families in its rich atmosphere. Merri Creek Trail is exuberant with its weeping willows and grasslands where people can unwind and have picnics. 

The Quarries Park

Located in Ramsden St, the Quarries Park at Clifton Hill is a cluster of parks and sports grounds linked by shared paths lining the suburb. 

Quarries Park is abundant with expansive grass areas that hold fields for football, cricket, and soccer games.

The park also plays host to family-oriented activities and offers a pleasant view of the urban horizon.

Darling Gardens

A gem of green earth on Gold Street, Darling Gardens stands by its name as it exudes a vintage charm. A place of quite a reverie, the park is replete with wide lawns that have been beautifully maintained for people’s enjoyment. Its shaded avenues provide comfort from the blistering heat of summer.

Darling Gardens is a true darling as it provides rich grounds for kids to play in, making it a favorite among family and friends.

Exuberant in its many green spaces, Clifton Hill thrives with life and is generous in its peaceful pause from the hullabaloo of the daily demands of modern-day Metropolitan living. So if you feel like drowning in an ocean of stress, remember, Clifton Hill’s many green spaces are here to offer you a sweet repose.   

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Downsizing Your Home Brings Advantages

You need not be retiring for you to consider downsizing your home. But it is commonplace to find old couples or empty nesters who choose to cut down on space and let go of stuff they no longer need. It is also not uncommon for millennials to keep their possessions at a minimum as they desire to invest more in traveling. 

Regardless of the reason, it remains that downsizing a home brings several advantages to homeowners. Mind you, there is simply no recommended or specific point in someone’s life wherein downsizing his or her place of residence should happen. But apart from the obvious, there are unexpected benefits of downsizing your home.

Augmented Cash Flow and Lower Bills

This is somewhat of a no-brainer. If you opt to get a smaller space, it means you won’t have to spend money on a huge mortgage. On top of that, monthly fees such as electric and water bills, alongside insurance costs, can be reduced dramatically.

As these stands, you will be able to save more money to spend on things that matter more like education and other basic needs.

More Personal Time

Maintaining a smaller home means you will not be compelled to spend too much time on chores. This means you can allot more time to hobbies, studies, sports, or passion projects. Having more time for such things allows more room for personal development.

Peace of Mind

Less clutter and clearer spaces give your head some room to breathe. Not having to deal with so many distractions makes it possible for you to find peace of mind.

5 Tips To Get You Started

We don’t have to tell you that the benefits above sound good. You already know they are. So if you’re thinking of downsizing and decluttering your home, here are a few tips that could help you start.

Think About Your New Lifestyle

Contemplating what you want to gain from downsizing is the first step to making it work. You need to plan how to reset your lifestyle by getting rid of what is otherwise irrelevant clutter.

You need to understand your goals so that you would be able to stand by them when the process kicks in. Look into the opportunities that it will create. Imagine how you are going to enjoy the result.

Know Your Space

Get to know your property again. Look at the space you aim at revitalizing and determine how you can make the best out of it by taking out what might no longer be necessary. 

If you are clearing out your entertainment room, ask yourself for what purpose it will serve now that you’re letting go of plenty of its former effects.

If you are moving to a smaller home, plan how to maximize each space so that nothing goes to waste.

Have Rules for Decluttering

You need to set down some ground rules to know in what direction you would be heading to your decluttering effort. This allows you to set a goal in clearing out your space, giving you a clear idea of what to keep and eliminate. 

Repurpose and Digitize

If there are things that you want to keep, you can always opt to upcycle or repurpose them so that they would still prove useful in your new space. Look into your clutter and see if there is anything in there that can be turned into wall art. If you have an old chest from your childhood, why not turn it into a seat or linen storage? The possibilities can be limitless.

If you have keepsakes that are broken but you want to memorialize them, why not digitize them and post them on a blog or online album? That way, you can still share them with others–tell your audience what makes the piece special.

Donate!

Donating to charity is never a waste. You allow people with less to enjoy the things that you had previously loved. Donating is always a good way to help others as you train yourself to let go of the past.

Less Is More; Learn to Let Go 

Adhering to the principle that less is more, downsizing is a good way to save up and rethink your lifestyle. 

We hope that these downsizing home tips inspire you to think about what you value in your life. Remember, not just because you live a life of plenty that means fulfillment will follow; there is always room for you to learn to let go to invite what may be of greater value.

For more real estate tips, always visit our blog or connect with us in our socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collingsrealestate/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collingsrealestate/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CollingsRealEstateNorthcote/videos

Read about the popular downsizers’ suburb options:

Fairfield is a fairly small suburb sitting 6 kms far from Melbourne CBD. Fairfield is extremely walkable. Although it’s small in land area, this oddly-shaped suburb is the home to many urban professionals. 

What are the lifestyle shops that you should head to whenever you’re in Fairfield? We’ve shortlisted specialty shops with the highest-rated reviews:

5 Elements Boutique

5 Elements Boutique is a small clothing shop that offers clothing labels such as M.A. Dainty, Once Was, Elm Lifestyle and many more. Women shop here because of the wide range of clothing but what makes them come back is the shop’s customer service. The staff are generous in giving fashion advice and genuinely care about the shoppers. Hard selling doesn’t exist in their vocabulary, just pure honest opinion.

Fossil Vintage Furniture

Running their business since the 30s, Fossil Vintage Furniture has surely mastered its craft of sourcing the best vintage pieces there is. The shop is considered to be one of Australia’s premiere vintage and industrial furniture sellers. Each piece sold by Fossil Vintage Furniture is hand-selected for its individuality, style, and quality. 

Ili

Shopping for clothes is one of the best or worst feeling in the world depending on where you choose to do it. At Ili, every shopper is warmly welcomed by the attentive staff. Their fashion advice is tailored to your body shape and preference. Ili is also very active in social media. Their website always is updated with their latest catalog but it’s always a joy to visit the shop and try the clothes in person. 

Fairfield Books

This independent bookstore at Fairfield is a gem for bookworms! They stock an extensive range of books; from best sellers to obscure ones. If they don’t have the book in stock, they will go the extra mile to source the book for you. 

Shoe Image

Shoe Image is a family-run business in Fairfield existing for many decades now. Whether you are looking for women’s shoes, men’s shoes, or children’s shoes, they always have something that will suit your preference. The owner is very knowledgeable when it comes to giving out advice on size, model and color so it’s almost impossible to walk out of the store empty-handed.

Fairfield doesn’t boast of large shopping malls and supermarket chains. But that is an advantage to local shops as their businesses thrive with the support of residents and visitors. The success of the local shops in Fairfield is a testament to what the suburb is like as a community: small but tight-knit.

Are you looking into buying or selling a property in Fairfield? Let our Fairfield real estate agents guide you through your real estate journey. Get in touch with us through our contact form and let us discuss your requirements. Alternatively, you may also shoot us an email at info@collings.com.au or call us directly at +61 3 9486 2000

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The week has been quite a dive, hasn’t it? And there is no better way to cap it off than spending it with your closest mates in a bar that serves your favorite drink.

And because we believe that one good turn deserves another, here’s part two of our feature on the hippest bars in Brunswick East that all the cool kids are at. 

Noisy Ritual

249 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

“Making and drinking wine should be a celebration: relaxed, loud, inclusive, and fun.

Get involved.”

Thus says Noisy Ritual’s tagline from its official website. Standing out as the sole winemaking establishment in an urban setup, the winery gathers all the grapes it uses to produce wine from different known vineyards across Victoria. 

But what sets Noisy Ritual from the rest of the bars in Melbourne is its move to further client experience by grounding the winemaking experience to its avid patrons. They are given their chance to produce their wine through the traditional way of pressing and stomping grapes in the winery itself.

Noisy Ritual also offers an extensive menu of salads, meat and fish dishes, and deserts that go well with a glass of red and do not discriminate against any discriminating palette.

Old Palm Liquor

133B Lygon Street, Brunswick East

Don’t let the dark and gloomy entrance fool you into thinking that Old Palm Liquor is too somber or “old” for fun. When you go deeper into the bar, you’ll find a most pleasant contrast at the back with its appearance of a semi-indoor garden blessed with natural light and furnished with a fireplace that gives it a homey atmosphere. 

Considered a sequel venue to the popular, Fitzroy North haunt Neighbourhood Wine by proprietors Simon Denman and Almay Jordaan, Old Palm Liquor offers a long wine list and a food menu that cater to all tastes, leaving both first-time visitors and regular patrons the obvious choice between staying or looking for another bar to hang out in. 

Uncle Joe’s

325 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

Much like the vibe that its name exudes, Uncle Joe’s has an air of Pop Culture evidenced by its aesthetics: a portrait of David Bowie assuming the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that hangs atop the intentionally shabby brick walls of the bar, a library of vinyl records that entice with a classic selection, an image of Patti Smith painted on the courtyard walls, and a disco ball that resplendently hang on the toilet. 

Uncle Joe’s provides an exciting menu of martinis and other alcoholic beverages and Lebanese pizzas patiently baked on firewood.

Temple Brewing Company

122 Weston Street, Brunswick East

Industrial in character, the second iteration of Temple Brewing Company fits perfectly in the Brunswick end of Lygon Street, appealing to both professionals and the working class regardless of the intensity of their love for craft beer.

But the Temple Brewing Company attracts not just because of the booze but also because of the selection of South American food, delicatessen, and cheese boards. On top of that, the Temple also hosts live music and comedy that is sure to revitalize any tired soul.

The B.East

80 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

An obvious play on the name of the area, B.East is as hip as it sounds. The bar serves all the fast food favorites such as burgers, fries, and shakes. Among the usual favorites, those that stand out are the Fried Chicken Burger, the Clint Beastwood burger, the Sexy Beast, the Holy Cheezus, and the southern Fried Chicken fillet with a slew of sides and sauces. And if you can take in more pork and grease, you can pay $3.50 for a bacon add-on. But if you’re conscious of what you eat, you can get a gluten-free option for only $1.50. 

Apart from the selection that is sure to be conversation starters, customers are treated to a fun-filled youthful ambiance of pop interiors that are a sure-fire hit among the younger clientele.

These five bars complete your list of go-to places to start the weekend right. 

So cut yourself some slack, gather your mates, and get a change of perspective; who knows, maybe a night out in one of these colorful hang-out places is all you need to reset.

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