Narre Warren is a fast-growing, family friendly area in the City of Casey, 40km southeast of Melbourne. Like many neighbouring locations, it has evolved from semi-rural to suburban due to rising demand for its affordable homes and spacious blocks, which are an easy commute to business centres in Dandenong and CBD.

Set in leafy streets, the housing style is mostly large and contemporary with good-sized gardens.  You will also find a selection of compact units and townhouses which will appeal to singles, smaller families and downsizers. Well-planned, landscaped estates such as Oatlands are also popular choices for family friendly homes in the area.

The suburb has seen an overwhelming level of growth, according to Barry Plant Narre Warren managing director Nicola Parreira.

“Lockdown or not, Narre Warren is still on the rise, and the level of enquiry has been really overwhelming, in a good way,” she said.

“We had a record August, even through the current lockdown into September, we have sold over 20 properties, all via Zoom inspections within one week.”

Ms Parreira said the suburb is within an affordable price range for first-home-buyers.

“The median property price is great for first-home buyers, they are just getting more bang for their buck with bigger land, more space and local convenience,” she said.

“The suburbs main drawcard is the location, it’s perfectly positioned not too close to the city, but not too far away either.”

Median property prices in Narre Warren are $622,000 for a three bedroom house and $400,000 for a two bedroom unit, according to realestate.com.au.

Over the last decade, Narre Warren has benefitted from a burst of infrastructure works and extensions to the Monash Freeway, with better transport links encouraging a larger number of buyers and investors into the area. 

The rail and bus network has developed to support the growing population and there are regular services to the Melbourne CBD from Narre Warren train station on Webb Street.

Excellent health facilities including a 24hr medical centre and the new Casey Hospital are all only moments away. 

Narre Warren has everything you need close by for shopping, dining, entertainment and leisure. Head to Fountain Gate for hours of retail therapy, a movie and a meal. Or if a more intimate shopping and dining experience is what you’re after, you’ll find it at historic Berwick, which is a short drive away.  

For fresh sea air and a plunge in the surf, take a 20-minute trip to Frankston Beach, or go for a 15-minute drive to the Dandenong Ranges, where you can commune with nature. 

The suburb is also home to the multi-million dollar development at Bunjil Place, with its striking architectural design and range of facilities. The precinct has quickly become a destination for the arts in the southeast, with a theatre, studio, gallery, function centre, library and plaza offering entertainment for a diverse range of visitors. 

The Casey Aquatic and Recreation Centre has a great pool and there are plentiful parks and reserves with bike paths and dog-walking areas. Cardinia Reservoir Park in nearby Narre Warren East is one of Melbourne's most popular outdoor destinations where you can picnic among the trees and see kangaroos feeding at dawn or dusk.

A variety of public and private schools, as well as a selection of childcare centres, makes the suburb a great place for raising kids. State primary schools include Fleetwood, Fountain Gate, Oatlands and Maramba, while independent primary schools comprise Don Bosco and Trinity Catholic. For state high schools, Narre Warren is in the catchment area for Fountain Gate Secondary College. An additional state school is Dandenong Valley Special Developmental School.

Overall, Narre Warren has a lot to offer homebuyers. As development and investment in southeast Melbourne continue to rise and local job opportunities open up, it will no doubt keep growing and thriving.