From very early on, when people built houses, siting was important. Why build in a ditch when you are likely to be susceptible to flooding? Why not build proud on the hill where everyone could be impressed by your fantastic house?

Good hill position for a home is one of those underrated property elements that really does help the charm and character of a house. First impressions really count and, if the house looks good and sits proud from the street, this will attract genuine interest very easily.  Privacy is also a key benefit here, as you simply cannot see into the house easily from the site, given inclined sightlines.

An example of poor hill position exists along Springvale Road: here a good majority of houses sit well down from the street and really do lack prominence and a sense of entry. Notoriously, these properties struggle to find a large buyer market and growth is affected accordingly.

Sometimes good hill position can affect other functions of the house, namely outdoor access and flow to the rear. This is evident in areas such as some parts of the Studley Park precinct in Kew. Sure, the houses here look grand, but the connection from the rear indoor living areas to the backyard is often not practical and often these properties have limited usable land size.

Two houses currently on the market that have a good hill position are 62 Manningtree Street in Hawthorn and 36 Moorhouse Street in Camberwell.  Both have pretty period facades and both sit up nicely from the street. The proposition of a rear extension is more likely to be accepted through council also, as sightlines from the street are more inclined and building bulk better concealed.

64 Manningtree Road, Hawthorn, is listed by Campbell Ward and Peter Batrouney of Jellis Craig and it is scheduled for auction on 1 August at 12.30pm.

36 Moorhouse Street, Camberwell, is listed by Geoff Hall of Noel Jones and it is scheduled for auction on 8 August at 1pm.

A well placed house that sits up nicely and has good street presence scores extra points in our James Home Rating system, and rightly so.

Design Smart

Adam