Thinking of buying a property in Stirling Crescent Glen Waverley 3150, or Skye Court Glen Waverley 3150, or Waverley Road Glen Waverley 3150?
There is something you should know…
About the Covenant…
THE BEST STREETS IN GLEN WAVERLEY
Stirling Crescent Glen Waverley & Skye Court Glen Waverley, and Waverley Road Glen Waverley, 3150
You cannot build “just anything you like” here. You should be aware that you can only build a single brick or brick-veneer house, the main floor of which shall not be more than two feet above the natural level of the ground at the highest point covered by such floor, and such dwelling-house shall have only one storey above such floor. This is to protect the views for everyone to enjoy.
Stirling Crescent, Skye Court and Waverley Road near the Police Academy, in Glen Waverley, 3150, are often considered three of the finest streets in the suburb. High up on the hill, with sweeping views, generous blocks, beautiful architecture, and birdsong greeting you every morning and evening. If you’re thinking about buying a home here, there are a few things you might like to know first.
Who We Are...
We’re a group of residents from Stirling Crescent, Skye Court and Waverley Road. We’re not affiliated with any real estate or legal entity – just neighbours who value transparency.
Our aim…
Our aim is to make sure anyone buying here understands that there is a covenant that protects the character and appeal of the cul-de-sac.
This page is purely informational and reflects the community’s shared appreciation of the area’s planning heritage.
What is the Covenant?
The covenant on Stirling Crescent, Skye Court and Waverley Road appears as a small paragraph buried in the Section 32 statement of contract of sale of any one of the properties in the area. If you are intending to buy, it’s important that you are aware that it is there because it is easy to miss. Your conveyancer or lawyer should notice it and point it out to you. Real estate agents are not lawyers and generally don’t bother to point it out to potential buyers, either because they are not aware of it, don’t care to inform you, or omit mentioning it because they think it’s going to frighten buyers away.
A covenant is a legal agreement attached to the land. The covenant on Stirling Crescent, Skye Court and Waverley Road Glen Waverley, was first put in place by Alan Percival Launder, the original proprietor of the estate. It “runs with the land,” meaning it binds all future owners.
When the hill was first subdivided, Mr. Launder understood that a formal agreement between neighbours was needed to preserve the views, scale, and character of the area for everyone.
An example from one of the titles on the street states that landowners will:
“Not erect on the said lot hereby transferred any building other than a single brick or brick-veneer dwelling house, the main floor of which shall not be more than two feet above the natural level of the ground at the highest point covered by such floor, and such dwelling-house shall have only one storey above such floor. And it is requested that this covenant shall be set out as an encumbrance on the Certificate of Title to the land hereby transferred and shall run with the land.”
This is general information only, buyers should seek independent legal advice.
This is just the language used from one block, as an example. The covenant is legally binding. It’s a promise made by the buyer when they purchase the property, to other owners, that they agree to certain rules that ensure a continued character of the street.
Over the decades, many owners have worked to uphold and preserve the covenant. It is what it is today, only because of their commitment to preserving it.
There’s no problem with new builds per se, just that newcomers should know exactly what the covenant defines, so to protect and preserve everyone’s investment over time. This is general information only, buyers should seek independent legal advice.
Why the Covenant is Often Overlooked
We’ve noticed that when properties in the area go up for sale, the covenant is not always disclosed, or if it is, it’s sometimes dismissed by real estate agents as being easy to get around. This is not accurate. It is legally binding, and ignoring it can lead to disputes between neighbours. When the covenant isn’t clearly explained, whether by oversight or assumption, it can result in developers or builders unaware of its effect, and can cause unnecessary conflict.
It’s also a missed opportunity, because the covenant is actually one of the area’s greatest strengths, appealing to buyers who value privacy, space, and long-term character.
When the covenant is not clearly disclosed or is misunderstood, ultimately the community are left to bear the consequences after the sale is settled and done. Buyers who may try to build beyond what’s permitted, are often disappointed when they discover the covenant’s limits, neighbours are angry when their views or space are threatened or compromised, and legal disputes arise: a poor way to start a neighbourly relationship.
Transparency from the outset benefits everyone
It’s time to switch the balance, and instead of leaving agents and sellers to disclose its presence, we hope that by leaving this here on the internet we may point out its existence, which might attract buyers who value the covenant, and help those actually living on the hill to avoid disputes.
The covenant’s value is a premium shield; a built-in protection that the estate will maintain its privacy, views, and aesthetic integrity, in a suburb that is losing these in other pockets.
The Value of the Covenant
If you’re a discerning purchaser looking for a haven (safe from crowding, overdevelopment, and congestion), this covenant gives you that status and rarity, of belonging to a select group of properties that do not have to compromise their views, land size, or environment. Its value is deeply emotional and enduring. If you’re thinking of buying here, you’re not buying just a house (even though they are luxurious!). You’re buying long-term protection and custodianship of your home’s character and surroundings: the trees, the view, the light, the birds, and the space in a non rural area. For you, your children, and your grandchildren.
This is general information only, buyers should seek independent legal advice.
This covenant isn’t a burden; it’s the very thing that preserves exactly what makes this hill, and every single block of land on it, exceptional. This is also why prices increase as you go up the hill on the high side of Stirling Crescent and Skye Court; every block is protected by the covenant ensuring the multimillion-dollar views can’t be built out.
Decreased supply increases value
Blocks over 1,000 m² are becoming a rarity. Every block in Stirling Crescent and Skye Court is over 1,000m² – a luxury almost lost in modern Glen Waverley. As supply of land is limited, the covenant is an advantage that protects the quiet prestige. It is not something to be dismantled.
As density rises and blocks in surrounding areas fill in and up, the covenant becomes a gift, protecting the generosity of land from encroaching development and slow erosion of space and scale.
Take a look at what’s happening just around the corner near The Glen Shopping Centre, and compare. There used to be trees. There used to be space. Now lots of little boxes in multi-storey builds, multiple skyscrapers, and the quiet character of the neighbourhood that once was has been replaced by congestion and noise.
Yes, there are some McMansions that have been built there, but they are on blocks half the size of what Stirling Crescent and Skye Court can offer, with no view to boast about, right next to busy roads or ugly train lines.
Stirling Crescent and Skye Court has a comparable advantage of space, aspect and scale that are protected by the covenant.
Preserving Character and Quality
If you’re considering buying here because you like the character of the neighbourhood, please consider that it only looks this way because of the custodians who protected it over time.
Also worth flagging… there are a number of coveted mid-20th century timeless ‘Rolls Royce’ and ‘Mercedes’ homes in this pocket. These ‘houses of Waverley’ are considered top-of-the-range private homes. For example, some were built by renowned builder, Mackevicius. They set a standard of excellence in construction and attention to detail in finish. Don’t mistake age for obsolescence. Homes in suburbs like Camberwell or Hawthorn may be old, but they are prized. Similarly, these mid-century Glen Waverley masterbuilds were constructed with a depth of quality that is unsurpassed. Unfortunately many have been lost to rebuilds, but the ones that remain, are more precious for it. They exude craftsmanship, character, and timeless appeal that modern homes don’t always match. Glen Waverley has become a sea of faux French Provincials; glossy, grand, and forgettable. The homes that still turn the experts’ heads are the rare originals: solid, enduring, and steeped in that timeless mid-century modern warmth.
In a market flooded with rendered lightweight, cookie-cutter construction, finding a property like this, with its own individual style and design excellence, is increasingly rare. Discerning buyers know a diamond when they see one. Many are in the Stirling Crescent and Skye Court pocket.
Multi-Storey Homes Explained
You might be wondering though… if the covenant says ‘one storey’, then how come so many houses on the street look like they have multiple storeys?
Great question! This is THE PART that gets buyers and builders into strife. It’s the bit that causes misunderstandings. It’s the bit that wastes time and money, when builders plan houses that contravene the covenant.
In layman’s language, the easiest way to understand it is it’s about the relationship between the slope of the land and the highest point of the block where the house goes.
Let’s break this down to make sense of it. Stirling Crescent and Skye Court sit on a hill. Let’s take Stirling Crescent as example. There’s a high side and a low side to Stirling. Now picture in your minds’ eye, the high side. The blocks on the high side slope down towards the street and up towards their back fence. The highest point is usually near the back of the block. Now bear in mind a distinction between the highest point on the block, and the highest point covered by building, meaning there might be land in a yard that is even higher than the land covered by the house building.
The highest, natural level of the ground, point (as covered by a floor), determines the maximum height allowed by the covenant.
The main floor can be no more than 2 feet above the natural level of the ground at the highest point covered by that floor, and that floor can only have a single storey on it.
That’s how these houses may appear to have many storeys when you look up at them from the road. That’s why they look like multiple storey properties, but really what they have is only one storey above the highest point covered by such floor and then multiple levels going down the hill to the street under that. They do not have another level on top of that single storey at the highest point “covered by such floor”.
This is the nuance that a lot of unsuspecting buyers and planners don’t understand, and can cost them dearly when they are challenged on it by neighbours.
Now picture in your mind’s eye the low side of Stirling Crescent. The highest point is usually at street level, with the floor being no higher than two feet above natural ground level. These houses on the low side slope away from the street down the hill. There may be multiple storeys sloping down, but there is only one floor above the highest point covered by such floor.
10 Stirling Crescent Glen Waverley, 3150 is an example of this. Situated on the high side of Stirling Crescent, if you look at it from the street it appears to be a two storey house. But from the back at its highest point covered by such floor, it is only one storey. See the pictures below.
It’s a subtle but important nuance, and one that’s often misunderstood. The covenant ensures you cannot build more than two feet above the natural level of the ground at the highest point covered by such floor, and such dwelling-house shall have only one storey above such floor.
Protecting What Makes It Special
Over the decades, many owners have spent considerable time and money to protect this covenant and preserve the area’s character. That’s why these large blocks – the very thing that attracts many people to the street – still exist.
So, before you buy thinking you’ll be free to build multiple storeys to any height, or if an agent suggests the covenant can be easily ignored, and that you can develop multiple townhouses on these large blocks, please take a moment to understand that this is just sales puff and the reality is different.
Please don’t assume it can just be ignored, as it will be upheld by neighbours who care deeply about this place; the trees, the birds, the wildlife and the view.
But this isn’t a bad thing: it’s a great benefit, knowing your property belongs to a community that actively preserves what makes it special. As a group, we do this for everyone who calls this place home.
It’s far nicer when new residents arrive valuing the covenant between neighbours and building in accordance with it, rather than feeling entitled to ignore it and assuming they can do as they please – because it doesn’t go unchallenged. The residents of Skye Court and Stirling Crescent are well informed and experienced in protecting the covenant. Ignoring it isn’t worth the cost or delay to your build, as it will be challenged, often resulting in unnecessary legal expenses, building delays, and wasted costs in design and planning. The covenant is an agreement you make to the neighbours when you buy. Please just stick to that. Then join us at the street gatherings. 🙂
The covenant keeps a place where the views stay open and the community stands together for what makes it unique. Where large blocks still define the landscape, not developers. This covenant is what makes that possible. That’s exactly what makes living here so rare and valuable: a street where views, space, and character are preserved for those who truly appreciate them.
The covenant is its greatest strength, and it’s what separates this pocket from the chaos, it’s the invisible signature of prestige that developers can’t replicate. The only reason Glen Waverley still has blocks over 1,000 m² is because earlier generations respected the covenant and protected the hill. As density in the wider suburb increases, the covenant’s protection of the hill just makes these blocks rarer and more valuable over time. We’re simply continuing that care for the next generation. Preserving it now is a shared responsibility that benefits us all. If you’re looking for somewhere to live or build that aligns with the ethos of preserving the existing luxury, elegance, and community character, then you’ll feel right at home here.
Notable Sales in Stirling Crescent and Skye Court, Glen Waverley, 3150
5 Skye Court, Glen Waverley, 3150, Sold March 4, 2023 by Barry Plant Waverley, as an EMPTY BLOCK for $3050,000. High side of Stirling further up the hill in Skye Court. https://www.realestate.com.au/property/5-skye-ct-glen-waverley-vic-3150/
6 Stirling Crescent, Glen Waverley, 3150, Sold May 6, 2023 by Ray White Judd White Group, as an EMPTY BLOCK for $2,800,000. High side of Stirling Crescent. https://www.realestate.com.au/property/6-stirling-cres-glen-waverley-vic-3150/
21 Stirling Crescent, Glen Waverley, 3150, Sold on 10 Apr 2025, $3,082,500. On the low side of Stirling Crescent. https://www.realestate.com.au/property/21-stirling-cres-glen-waverley-vic-3150/
10 Stirling Crescent Glen Waverley, 3150, Sold on 21 Nov 2025, $3,110,000. On the high side of Stirling Crescent. https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-glen+waverley-149393256
7 Stirling Crescent Glen Waverley, 3150, Sold on 11 November 2025 for $2,905,000 https://www.allhomes.com.au/7-stirling-crescent-glen-waverley-vic-3150
Prepared by local residents of Stirling Crescent and Skye Court, Glen Waverley. General information only. Always obtain independent legal advice before purchase or building.