Balga, WA 6061

Been here for 5 years, no problems so far

We lived here in 2011 then our rented house was bought and we need to move but renting is a challenge during WA boom. We houseshared in Ballajura for a while then bought a redevelopment unit in 2016. Balga is an ugly-duckling suburb. It has a stigma of past but it will become a swan someday. Mt. Druitt in NSW was like Balga before but very expensive now. It has all the potential for success and it can rise and become a star.

This suburb IS underrated. Its lovely for a growing family. Friendly neighbours most streets in a huge process of change though!
The liquor store, pub and IGA store area and carpark is a bit scary. I wouldn't recommend you bring your kids there or leave valuables in the car or in your hands. The shops are good and the people in the stores are nice, but I wouldn't want to live right there or go there often! Find somewhere else to pick up the bread and milk or fish and chips if you can!
The park and cricket club ovals across the road from the shops are lovely, quiet, mostly harmless :) I like it there! The kids like the play area and the hills.
There's space to roam and enough schools within close proximity from our house to easily walk. Over all its a nice place to bring up the kids, and theres lots of things in close driving distance.

Balga has everything you could want, good schools, good transport links, close to the city, beach and shopping centres and is very affordable

My wife, two children and I have been living in Balga for four years. We bought a brand new 3x2 for $350k with wooden floors, raised ceilings and granite benchtops throughout (wouldn't get it for that price now). We have never had a problem in Balga. We used to live in Wembley near the pub and constantly got woken up by drunk people during the night. In Balga, our neighbours are all so friendly, my children have so many great friends they meet at the local park from lots of different countries which I believe puts them ahead in later life as we are becoming more and more global.

Location, location, location. What can I say 15 minutes east and we are in Swan Valley for the afternoon enjoying bee-sting cake. 15 minutes south and we are in the CBD enjoying a meal at a restaurant. 15 minutes west and we are at the beach. Then north we have Hillarys. It's five minutes to Warwick shopping centre, 5 minutes to Mirrabooka shopping centre and 10 minutes to Galleria and Coventry Square now with the 24 hour spud shed. We are also only a matter of minutes to Malaga and Balcatta which have your bigger shops like officeworks and Harvey Norman.

Balga has changed a lot even in the four years I've lived here. My whole street has been knocked down and rebuilt in that time and it resembles something more like desperate housewives than when we first moved in. There are a couple of bad pockets especially around the central shopping/IGA area but I suspect this will get cleaned up in the future.

Oh I almost forgot. Don't get me started on the leisure centre just down the road. It's huge I go to the gym, my kids do swimming classes there every week. Some weekends we all go as a family - it's the best.

In the 3years my family and I lived there we had 3 break ins (one while we were home) 4 car break ins in our driveway. We rented in Balga when we moved to Western Australia & was disgusted with the area. I Highly recommend you invest in Contents insurance & hide valuables if you intend on living in the area.

We are a professional couple with a newborn baby and we moved to Balga last month and we're delighted with the place. We managed to buy a beautiful 3x2 for under 430k, it just wasn't possible to buy that type of home anywhere else in central Perth. I would enjoy the ability to walk to a nice bar or pub like in Leederville, but if you don't leave the house often as family and work take up much of your time, the location of your home isn't as important. The parks are gorgeous, especially celebration park. We're yet to meet neighbours yet, but as the Perth population keeps soaring, this suburb will be very sort after and will continue to attract good and honest folk. Access to the beach is easy, once you're on Reid highway, you're 12 minutes from North Beach. Overall this is a gem of a place and I'd recommend Balga to most people.

We've lived here for a couple of years now. We bought into the area and live in a house that is less than 6 years old for a very reasonable price. This means that unlike my other friends, we are not constantly choking over the mortgage and have had a bit of money for holidays with the kids, decent cars and basically, a life. My kids go to a very good public school out of area so I can't comment on the education, but I can say that the neighbours here are extremely nice. We haven't been broken into (touch wood) and the Mirrabooka shops are very convenient, with an excellent, cheap fruit and veg out the front. There's a great park down the road to walk the dogs (and the kids), and I like that my kids are growing up in a multi-cultural area. The beach is not far away, but neither is the city. It's good.

Great area, regardless what some say. I have had no problems and my family and I have been here 10 years.
Close to everything, friendly people. Yes you have the odd twit but dont most area's?

Great place to be :)

I am happy to announce that all the misguided comments regarding this area are false. Yes every area has not so nice pockets but as a whole its a great area. I still get the odd comment when I tell people I just brought a house here but I will have the last laugh as its central - 15mins airport, 15 mins beach, 15 mins CBD. Great shops close by, private and public schools, huge blocks, some beautiful old houses are still available and mine was one... so I have high ceilings beautiful jarrah floorboards, huge yard... list can go on.

So to all those haters... HA HA, I am in a great street, with great neighbours, got the house for a great price, can keep my house and still build out the back if needed and will be ahead in years to come when the silly stigma goes.