78 Gillies Street, Fairfield VIC 3078

Period corner shop conversion | deep block with 6m ceilings | zoned for Fairfield Primary and Thornbury High | auction in three weeks This property occupies a rare position in Fairfield’s market. Its corner-shop origins give it a floor plan that breaks from the standard terrace layout — the 198m² building sits on a 302m² block with only 66% coverage, meaning the rear garden is genuinely usable and not a token strip. The 6m roof height and pressed-metal ceilings are structural features that cannot be replicated in new builds, and they create a sense of volume that drives buyer preference in this price tier. For a family or professional couple looking at Fairfield’s median of $1.9m, this house offers entry below that figure with a layout that can flex between three and four bedrooms. The school zoning is a concrete advantage for resale, not just amenity. The single bathroom is the clearest constraint — it limits appeal to downsizers and investors targeting sharers, and will be raised at every inspection. The carport is narrow by current standards, and the 2013 purchase price of $915,000 means the vendor holds low cost base, which may translate to firm negotiation at auction if bidding stalls below $1.65m. The absence of heritage or flood overlays removes two common friction points for renovation or extension, and the Darebin planning scheme allows for a sensitively designed rear addition if a buyer wants to add a second bathroom later. Hold this property as a period home with garden space in a school-zoned pocket, and let the market’s structural undersupply in Fairfield do the work.