He Says: Auburn and the black jelly bean

Back at the turn of the century (yes, we can now say that in conversation without it meaning ye olde times) I used to frequent a proto-hipster bar in my home town that used to serve jelly beans on the bar rather than peanuts. If we didn’t get there early enough, all the “good” jelly beans would be gone, and there would be nothing left bar the black ones. Where most people would be discouraged, one friend was in heaven. She loved the black jelly beans, and when they were all that was left, she was the happiest person in the room.

When it comes to Sydney property, Auburn is one of the black jelly beans.

People often have strong responses to the black jellybean, and they are usually overly emotional. When asked on an opinion on said piece of confectionery, you won’t often hear “meh” as the response. People love them or are totally repulsed by them. That reaction is an emotional conditioning, self re-enforced over the years of rejecting the one flavour. Auburn as a suburb is no different. Sure, there are areas that are not nice at all, but they are not nice for objective reasons. Unfortunately for most, those areas are what most imagine when asked to think about the suburb.

And that is why Auburn is a black jelly bean. It has a lot to offer, but there are one or two things (the color, the taste) that makes what is still a perfectly reasonable confectionery less desirable. Yes, Auburn can elicit that response. But lets take the emotion out of it for a second and think about what matters when looking at an area for buying a Sydney property.

The 15 Minute Rule

Can you get to public transport in less than 15 minutes by foot? Can you get to a supermarket or shopping centre in 15 minutes by car? Can you do this while not living in a crowded unit right on top of a train line? For most parts of Auburn, the answer is yes.

Infrastructure Upgrades

Parramatta Road, the nightmare of the inner west is getting a major overhaul. The Westconnex once completed will be nearby. Any direction you want to go, north, south, east or west is catered for easily. There is also $500M worth of upgrade projects also slated for the area over the next few years.

When it comes to Sydney property, Auburn is one of the black jelly beans.

The Magic Circle

This is a thing. It is slowly growing, but anywhere within 20kms of the CBD, just like the Earth to Sol, is considered in the Goldilocks zone. At just over 18kms, Auburn again fits the bill.

Is Green Is Good

This is much more of a personal opinion, but when you live in sprawl, the human condition needs green space. Auburn is full of it. That is not a misprint. Look at the pictures below:

There is a nice easy flowing golf course with reasonable fees, the Auburn Botanic Gardens which incorporates the Japanese Garden, as well as a plethora of playing fields for cricket, football, rugby, AFL, the works!

…but when you live in sprawl, the human condition needs green space.

The Neighbours are Renovating Too

A great sign for any suburb, and more particularly a great sign for the certain areas of a suburb, is seeing other properties being renovated. It doesn’t matter if it is for the purpose of flipping, renting or for long term residency, improved houses means improved value, bringing the whole are up with them as it inspires more to do the same. Sydney may have now reached peak, but there are some suburbs, Auburn being one, where prices are still expected to see large capitol growth.

Health and Education

Two hospitals, TAFE, close to two main university campuses, a short train trip to three of Sydney’s bigger universities (UNSW and Sydney Uni to the east, and WSU to the west), Auburn has the major bases covered.

Get the black jelly beans while they last

So while it may be less desirable now, it still ticks a lot of the boxes that people (like myself) are looking for. Sydney property is the hardest it has ever been to get into, even with record low interest rates. With median house prices just a tick under $1m, unless you are completely loaded, have a “good job that pays good money” (according to Mr Hockey), or get really lucky, those highly desirable locations, or your favourite jelly beans are gone – no orange ones left for me. But by looking at things objectively,  looking at finding the balance between your wants and needs, you can still find a fantastic place to call home at a good price.

But hurry, get your black jelly beans while they last.

So what do you think? What areas are your black jelly beans that no one else wants but you think are delicious? Let us know in the comments.

Wookie

A musician, and IT professional, master of the flat pack assembly and now a home renovator. A man of many skills, you could call him a renaissance man. But not in like the whole Renaissance fair type deal. Those things are just weird.