Sarah and Britney with their dog Poet.

---

Sarah Basile, Brittney Roy and their dog, Poet are hunting for their first home with a five-figure deposit.

The couple relocated from Canada to Melbourne for a “better lifestyle,” and have had their eyes on affordable townhouses in Epping — a suburb Hotspotting’s Terry Ryder has picked as a top area for buyers on a budget.

RELATED: Dream move Aussies are being forced to put off

Hidden gems: Where to snag a Melbourne pad under $350k

One million Vic households found to be in financial stress

Ms Basile, who’s originally from Australia, said while they could compromise on some things, certain deal-breakers stood firm.

“We know this isn’t going to be our forever home – the size of the homes we are looking for are quite small,” she said.

“Our dog struggles with the heat, so heating and cooling are essential. We also don’t want a property managed by a body corporate.”

Their long-term plan includes moving to a suburb like Thornbury, Fitzroy, Hawthorn or Fairfield, which offers a richer diversity in culture, lifestyle and food.

Sarah, Britney and their dog Poet are currently looking for their first home in Epping, Thomastown or Reservoir with their five-figure deposit ready to go.

---

Ms Basile said she also appreciated the growing diversity in suburbs like Lalor, where her grandparents lived.

“There are many Italians, Greeks, and now Indian, Egyptian, and Afghani families. The more diversity, the better,” she said.

The speech pathologist added that Australia’s economy was stronger and the wages and overall cost of living was better relative to their income than in Canada.

Harcourts Rata & Co sales specialist Ron Singh said numerous first-home buyers were moving into Epping, along with Victorians looking to upgrade from units to family homes.

Mr Singh said there was a lot of stock in the market, which gave buyers leverage to negotiate prices including auctioned properties.

He has also observed an influx of Sydney-based buyers attracted by the affordable prices in Epping and nearby areas.

— additional reporting with Sarah Petty

Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.

MORE: Aussie suburbs where home prices are set to crash

Influencer turns his Melb rental into a home podcast studio

Townhouse project appealing to Melbourne’s southeast families