Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in The Basin

The Basin sits in the leafy foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, with tall eucalypts, bush reserves and winding, garden-lined streets. It has a village atmosphere centred on a small shopping centre with cafes, shops and community facilities, and housing ranges from weatherboard cottages and mid-century timber homes to newer brick houses, most on generous, treed blocks. Outdoor life is focused on walking tracks, reserves and lookouts, while local roads and bus links make it straightforward to reach larger eastern suburbs and nearby rail connections.

The Basin is a community of 4,497 people with a median age of 40 and a median household income of $2,019 a week (roughly $105,000 a year). Households are strongly family-oriented and about 89.5% of homes are owner-occupied. Councils are planning town-centre and park improvements, footpath and shared-path upgrades and a picnic ground upgrade. That mix tends to suit families, retirees and anyone after a quieter, nature-focused suburb; whether it suits you depends on what you want from a neighbourhood.

On the figures, housing in The Basin is fairly stretched against local incomes recorded at the last Census. A house rent of $650 a week would take about 32% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, a sizeable share. The median house price of $897,500 is about 8.5 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, which sits well above what people locally earned then. If you're renting rather than buying, that rent share is the number that matters for day-to-day affordability.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

House rents in The Basin climbed 8.3% over the past year. House values also rose a solid 5.2% over the same period, so the rent a house earns has been the stronger performer this year.

If rental income is your priority, that stronger rent growth is the figure that matters; if capital growth is your priority, the 5.2% rise in house values is the relevant figure. Whether that balance suits your goals and circumstances is for you to weigh up.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.