VIC Looking to the Eastern suburbs

Hi all!
Me and my husband have been living in Melbourne for 5 years now, and we are currently living in a 2B2B apartment in Richmond that we bought 2 years ago.
Now we have a 10 month old baby and are considering to move to a house/unit with more space for our family.
My husband work in Mitcham and I work in Dandenong (but my company will move to Clayton in a year or so).
We are looking for a 4B2B house/unit, ideally a land and house package to move in within the next year/s. But we are struggling to decide which suburb will be ideal as we don't know the area.
It would be great to be between the freeways and Eastlink, with a commercial area near by and public transport. Also looking for good public school/kinder. Regarding community, we don't practice religion and are of spanish background.
Our ideal budget is 1M.
Any recommendations re suburb?
Also, any recommendations on new projects in those areas?
Many thanks!

 

Not sure about house and land packages but perhaps you could find something to those specifications from Moorolbark to Lilydale on the Lilydale train line. But it depends on how prices move in this cycle.

 

Most schools in the East are pretty good so you can't really go wrong. But it will be very hard buying a newish home close to PT and shops with 1m budget unless you go further out or sacrifice on location.

If you prefer newer homes on full blocks then pockets of Wantirna, Croydon Hills, waverley Park in Mulgrave, southern part of Ferntree gully, rowville and lysterfield may be achievable. The high school in wantirna and Templeton primary is probably the pick of the bunch, also close to knox shopping centre. All the above lack decent pt to the cbd.

Otherwise older homes or newer towhouses / detached on half blocks may be doable in better locations. In areas like Mitcham, Clayton, ringwood/ringwood East, Ashwood.

Let us know how you go!