- One Week, 25 Homes & Some Standouts
Welcome to another big week in inner-Melbourne high-end real estate. As the above video states — some good property coming on.
Below is a review of 25 public homes I walked through this week from Albert Park to Kew, Brighton to Malvern, Camberwell to Port Melbourne — not as a spectator, but as a value benchmarker.
This doesn’t include the five off-markets I also inspected — that’s how we bought 11 Knox and 49 Florence last week, and many more before that. Quiet discussions, deeper layers, real decisions. What you see here is just the public face of a much bigger week. A lot happens behind the scenes — and often, that’s where the real opportunity is.
- Why I Walk Through Homes (1000+ yearly, 25 years)
Each home I inspect ties back to a real client moment.
- Some are live buyer options.
- Others are value references — helping frame negotiations.
- A few are sale managements or vendor advocacy competitor checks (we don’t put them up publicly – 9 Collis was a price and quality check for 37 Marriage which we are sale managing /vendor advocating as part of a buy sell).
- And then there are homes I log mentally because one day soon, someone will ask:
“Mal, what do you think?”
10 Roosevelt was one such recent buy — started as a walk-through, matched carefully, strongly bought. This week we bought 127 Station St Port Melbourne (Graeme Wilson and Cheyne Fox) – it started with a walk though last Saturday (4th), it was bought for our clients today (11th) – due to go to EOI 21st.
These outcomes come from staying out in the field, week after week, testing what’s real and what’s theatre. Advocacy for me is less about marketing on the net and more about feet on the ground, listening, asking with a mind full of clients wants and needs.
- Setting a James Control Price
Every time we step into a home, as part of our initial rating we’re setting what we call a James Control Price. That’s our own benchmark — our structured opinion based on real experience.
Yes, I listen to the agent story/quote. Sometimes I even enjoy it. But I’m not there to believe. I’m there to measure. And that means building from my own foundations.
I’m asking:
- Is this home underestimated and worth chasing?
- Is it overbaked and worth walking away from?
- Or is it sitting in a negotiable zone where we can find the value?
- How We Benchmark a James Control Price (before)
We run three filters:
- $ per sqm (land + build) — That’s the basic. But I adjust up or down based on feel.
- Comparative stack (“totem pole”) — I line up other relevant sales and work out where this one fits: top third, middle, bottom.
- Benchmark comps — I compare to standout homes that have had proper exposure and competition. That gives me clarity on where this one really stands.
This week, we’re publicly referencing one James Control Price — 73 Merton Street, Albert Park — to show how we benchmark a home.
(Note: if we were actively buying or selling, our work would go deeper — more due diligence, more agent engagement. This is simply an initial benchmarking read based on a walk-through. We have no client connection to this property — it’s a brilliant offering, used here to illustrate our process. The Control Price can move up or down as new intel comes in — it’s a living benchmark.)
We’re now working off a $9 million framework, not $8 million. I’m not saying start there — but if things unfold openly at a boardroom auction, you’ll want to be clear on whether you’re ready to stretch to $9 million.
And some more benchmaking of Golden Mile homes – that we think are serious rebuilds/land values
So our advice would be for a number of them to offer lower or simply move on as there will be another.
Here’s a quick summary of my weekly notes. For more detail — including videos and rating sheets — click the rating number in the table.
| Address | Quote | Rating | What Worked | Drag Factors | Benchmark vs Quote | Verdict |
| Albert Park, 73 Merton St | $8,300,000 | 900 | Circle 900 home. Beautifully balanced. Rare brilliance. | None to speak of. | Quoted to $8.3m, likely 9+. | Benchmark. |
| Armadale, 39 Glassford St | $6,000,000 | 780 | Family-ready, north rear, campaign well handled. | Lacks emotional wow. | Should trade strongly. | Family home renovated |
| Armadale, 34 Northcote Rd | $3,960,000 | 731 | Strong project home, real upside. | Needs future spend. | Well-quoted. | Great project family home |
| Bentleigh, 29 Wright St | $2,800,000 | Entry level, good feel. | Contact Agent: Simon Pintado 0431473701 | Should get traction. | Good entry level home | |
| Brighton, 23 Bay St | $7,700,000 | 631 | Golden Mile land, flat. | Buyer demand patchy. | $6,500/m² is fair marker. | Land Only |
| Brighton, 6 Dawson Ave | $8,800,000 | 750 | Good land, awkward home. | Design limits appeal. | Sub-8m fair, not a stretch. | Probably Land Only |
| Brighton, 102/10–12 Lindsay St | $2,950,000 | 743 | Beautiful apartment, well-priced. | Overshadowing risk from future build. | Sold. | Brilliant mid level apartment |
| Brighton, 3 Rooding St | $6,600,000 | 638 | New home, modern Brighton standard. | Poor backyard connection. | Top-end $6m type. | New family home |
| Brighton East, 67 Centre Rd | $4,500,000 | 0 | Decent house, awful presentation. | Busy road, campaign fatigue. | Will struggle. | Family home poorly presented |
| Brighton East, 9 Collis St | $3,700,000 | Viewed for comp. | N/A | Not rating due to potential conflict. | Family home | |
| Brighton East, 10A Lucas St | $5,900,000 | 780 | Superb townhouse. Big-ticket quality. | South rear. | Quoted strongly, but justified. | Benchmark |
| Camberwell, 13 Allambee Ave | $7,500,000 | 723 | Quirky, intelligent design. | Secondary pocket, dated materials. | Quoted to 7.5. | Quirky and imaginative family home |
| Camberwell, 31 Canterbury Rd | $9,300,000 | 637 | Big home, near schools. | T intersection and busy roads | Tough sell | Challenging family home |
| Deepdene, 4 Peverill St | $4,100,000 | 725 | Flow, proportion, feeling. | South rear. | Quoted sub-4.1m. | Benchmark. |
| East Melb, 602/182 Wellington Pde | $1,980,000 | 600 | MCG views, brand spec. | Boxy layout, poor feel. | $2m feels steep. | Boxy apartment |
| Malvern, 31 Embling Rd | $4,400,000 | 660 | Lovely front, good rear. | Disconnected middle zones. | Block is strong. | Very quirky family home |
| Malvern, 7 Glendearg Gr | $8,300,000 | 700 | Street is great. | House has transition issues. | Land size may carry it. | Big land and family home |
| Malvern, 10 Jordan St | $4,400,000 | 709 | Strong build, poor parking. | Dealbreaker for some. | Build quality is a plus. | Really good family home |
| Malvern East, 15 Ash Gr | $3,200,000 | 600 | Entry level, little sparkle. | Reno too steep to justify. | Overcapitalisation risk. | Entry level family home |
| Malvern East, 72 Beaver St | $6,000,000 | 740 | Big block, good bones. | South rear, over-themed. | Good bones. | Family home |
| Malvern East, 28 The Avenue | $4,200,000 | 702 | Imaginative, Australian home. | Layout quirks, pool design, single upstairs bath. | Emotionally strong. | Quirky and imaginative family home |
| Port Melb, 127 Station St | $1,400,000 | 665 | We bought it. Well-priced. | Minimal. | Different suburb bigger price. | Cool family home |
- A Few Observations Out and About This Week
Optionality is undervalued.
Flexibility adds hidden value — it’s never obvious in a brochure.
Drag factors cost real money.
South rear, corners, main roads, poor presentation — they can knock 5–20% off. On $4m, that’s up to $800k.
Bidding is unpredictable.
Two buyers can push it up $500k. Lose one, and it can fall the same. Same home, different day.
Shine fades. Substance lasts.
If it’s only surface, it won’t hold. Strong fundamentals always do.
Apartments remain risky.
Too many are overpriced, overstyled, and underlit — developer exits, not real homes.
Land still rules.
Especially in oversupplied areas like the Golden Mile — price per sqm matters again.
- Rarity Is Risk
It can lift a home — or sink it. Depends how well the story resonates.
That’s why I push for strong pre-market prep, multi-agent campaigns, off-market context, and a genuine seller strategy.
It’s not just about setting a price. It’s about knowing where the leverage sits.
Every suburb plays by its own rules.
$5m in Malvern is not the same as $5m in Brighton East.
Feel matters. Emotion drives deals. Even when someone says, “I’m just going by sqm rate,” what they really mean is:
“I’m anchoring low — hoping to feel like I’ve won.”
I’ve always liked Aristotle — the father of logic — but even he knew: logic is built on lived experience.
And experience is always emotional.
- How We Benchmark That Value (after)
As you know, we personally attend many auctions, but we also track private auctions, EOIs, and off-market sales to stay across benchmark results.
This one caught our eye — a smaller block in the Sackville Ward with demolition potential.
Quoted at $3.2–$3.5m, Perry mentioned there were three bidders yesterday. It was on the market at $3.3m and sold at $3.995m — clearly someone didn’t want to cross $4m.
Right now, $5,000 per sqm seems to hold across both small and large blocks, while mid-sized ones (around 750–800 sqm) without Heritage are achieving closer to $6,500 per sqm.
Benchmarking matters across every PPP segment — property type, positional precinct, and price point.
Well, it matters if you actually want to understand value.
- James Home Ratings for nearly 25 years
The James Home Rating System for Buyers
Three Ps. 1,000 points. A lifetime of difference.
Over the past 25 years, we’ve developed and refined one of Melbourne’s most trusted property assessment tools—
James Home Ratings. Built to bring science, structure, and strategy to high-stakes real estate decisions, it’s quietly helped more buyers and buy/sellers make more money than any other buyer advocate method in the city.
What Is It?
The James Home Rating is a 1,000-point scoring system based on the 3 critical drivers of long-term property value:
- Position – Street, precinct, orientation, land size, walkability, and school zones.
- Property – Building size, flow, floorplan, architecture, renovation quality, potential.
- Price – Relative value based on recent sales, market cycle timing, and agent positioning. Emotions
Each home is scored independently and consistently, based on how it aligns with long-term demand and supply fundamentals—not short-term trends or agent spin against other similar types of homes.
Why It Works – Patterns
Because real estate, at its core, is about human behaviour—and history repeats itself.
Over decades, we’ve tracked what buyers want, what they avoid, and where they pay premiums. Certain homes—especially true A-Graders—attract stronger demand in every market. Others, like C-Graders, only sell well in boom times.
Our 1,000-point system exposes where a home really sits in that cycle. That insight gives you:
- Confidence to buy strong,
- Courage to walk away from trouble, and
- Clarity to align your sell/buy strategy with your life goals.
A, B, C-Grade Homes – Know the Difference
- A-Grade: Always in demand. Rare, proven, and resilient through market shifts.
- B-Grade: Good, but situational. Can work well when bought or sold smartly.
- C-Grade: Riskier. More emotion-driven, often overhyped, and harder to recover value.
The James Home Rating makes these differences clear—before you commit.
What the Scores Mean
Here’s how the James Home Rating benchmarks property quality across inner Melbourne:
- 500 – Maybe ok but it has serious issues to consider
- 600 – Average: Typical for many Inner Melbourne homes
- 700 – Solid: Better than many, with clear buyer appeal
- 750–800 – Above Average: Strong fundamentals, few weaknesses
- 800+ – Exceptional: A-Grade, no obvious dealbreakers, rare and highly sought-after
Why It’s Made Clients Millions
Because clarity beats chaos. Whether you’re buying, selling, or doing both at once, the James Home Rating:
- Finds value others miss
- Exposes flaws hidden beneath polish
- Aligns your decision with long-term truth, not short-term noise
We’ve used it to protect clients, unlock better homes, and negotiate stronger outcomes—time and again for over 25 years – it is patented.
The James Home Rating System for Buy Sellers
Why the James Home Rating Works When You’re Selling
Science, structure, and serious clarity—for stronger decisions and better results.
Selling a home—especially in Melbourne’s inner suburbs—requires more than a good agent and some fresh paint. To get the best price from the best buyer, you first need to know what your home is truly worth, not just what an agent tells you.
That’s where the James Home Rating becomes a game-changer.
It’s Scientific. It’s Strategic. It’s Seller-Smart.
This isn’t guesswork or gut feel. Our 1,000-point scoring system is built around 3 core value pillars:
- Position – Location, street quality, orientation, amenity
- Property – Land size, architecture, layout flow, condition, scope
- Price – Based on real market dynamics and long-term performance
Each home is evaluated across a lot of PPP issues. From traffic noise to natural light, from ceiling heights to buyer emotion triggers—nothing is left out.
Why Sellers Use It
When you’re selling and planning to buy again, clarity is power.
The James Home Rating helps you:
- Understand your true market position before listing
- Avoid underquoting or overhyping, which can backfire
- Strategically align your sell/buy timing to minimise stress
- Pre-empt objections and improve buyer perception
- Back up your price expectations with logic—not hope
It’s not just for buyers—it’s a powerful tool for price-setting, deal-structuring, and agent accountability.
What the Scores Mean
Here’s how the James Home Rating benchmarks property quality across inner Melbourne:
- 500 – Maybe ok but it has serious issues to consider
- 600 – Average: Typical for many Inner Melbourne homes
- 700 – Solid: Better than many, with clear buyer appeal
- 750–800 – Above Average: Strong fundamentals, few weaknesses
- 800+ – Exceptional: A-Grade, no obvious dealbreakers, rare and highly sought-after
Bottom Line
The James Home Rating gives you what emotion and opinion can’t: a scientific, structured, and strategic understanding of your property.
Whether you’re buying, selling, or both, it’s the most powerful way to stay in control, avoid costly mistakes, and walk into every decision with confidence.
Clarity leads to stronger outcomes.
And stronger outcomes lead to better lives.
- Boroondara This Week
- Boroondara This Month
- Boroondara Recently Sold
- Bayside Port Phillip
- Bayside Port Phillip
- Bayside Port Phillip
- Stonnington This Week
- Stonnington This Month
- Stonnington Recently Sold
- Click Address through to Completed James Home Rating
- Do you have an off-market for any of our James Buyer Advocacy clients?
| PRICE | BUYER ADVOCACY | POSITION | PROPERTY |
| 3.5m | Brighton | Church St Precinct | Apartment |
| 1.8m | East Melbourne | Apartment | |
| 2m | Carnegie | to Richmond | Townhouse |
| 3.5m | Camberwell | Canterbury & Kew | New Home |
| 7m | Armadale – | Malvern Larger block and family home | Bigger yard, will reno |
| 6m | Camberwell Hawthorn | Camberwell Hawthorn | Renovation Value Add up to $2m |
| 1.6m | Fitzroy North | Carlton North | First family home |
| 1.5m | Hawthorn | Anderson Park Area | Townhouse for single |
| 2m | Prahran | South Yarra, | Small home |
| 4.5m | Hawthorn | Malvern | Family Home |
| 3m | Surrey Hills, | Mont Albert Canterbury | Family Home |
| 3.5m | Mont Albert | Surrey Hills, Canterbury | Family Home |
If you do great – we can come and have a look. Simone 0400304111 or Mal 0408107988
