A weatherboard home in the southern Brisbane suburb has been listed with a skate bowl in the backyard. Listing agent Matt Campbell from Ray White Mount Gravatt says the vendors have teenage children who enjoy skateboarding and BMX bike riding, so they carved out the sweeping concrete bowl next to the pool. It’s an adrenaline-pumping feature that has to be seen to be believed. A lawn and a covered entertaining deck complete the outdoor space. Prospective buyers who attend inspections often head straight to the garden to check it out, before taking in any other highlights, Campbell says. “There were no photos of it online … so I was expecting a half-pipe or something a bit smaller, but it is a full-blown skate bowl,” he says. An eight-month reno added a $1m price hike to this old cottage 'Extreme renovation rescue': Abandoned farmhouse could be yours for $325k One of the most wanted properties in Australia is the size of a car space The listing is a slick example of the suburb’s typical post-war houses. Campbell says this style of property can be on the smaller side, but after a renovation, it now easily accommodates a family of four. “They have done a really good job adding on a master bedroom and an en suite, which connects well with the deck and the pool,” he says. The postcode, about a 20-minute drive from the CBD, has evolved due to price pressures in closer suburbs, Campbell says. “The predominant buyer group has been families,” he says. “Mount Gravatt East has been going through a big change. “Before 2020, it was an investment-heavy area. Now, it is rapidly turning into an area for owner-occupiers and families. “That is likely because of how expensive it is closer to the city. Now, almost everything here is sold to young families.” Campbell is taking 3 Nightingale Street to auction on April 2. 3 Baths2 ParkingView listing The sparkling, near-new property has mountain views, a covered balcony, swimming pool, lush lawn and high-end fittings. 2 Baths2 ParkingView listing The townhouse is aimed at investors or first-time buyers. It has an outdoor entertaining zone and a double garage with storage space. 2 Baths3 ParkingView listing The family-sized, character-filled home is in a highly sought-after school zone, and has a self-contained retreat for visitors. The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. where we are privileged to live and operate Queensland’s most-viewed home up for auction this weekend has sold at a bargain price for its size thanks to a lower demand for homes without renovations The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 32 Panorama Pl, Mount Gravatt East, was marked by appraiser PropTrack as the home with the most views on realestate.com.au going up for auction over Saturday and Sunday Marketed as being in “the best street of the 4122 postcode” the rising cost of living and a need for renovations turned enough people away that a family was able to snatch the home for lower than it could have gone Four registered bidders attended the auction on Saturday with two actively competing back and forth to make the house their new home slowly climbing up after the property was on the market The home sold for $2.17 million – $170,000 over the reserve price of $2 million Agent Kosma Comino of LJ Hooker Sunnybank Hills and Mount Gravatt said the old vendors were happy with the price but knew it would have had more bidders if it had been renovated “Obviously the cost of living and renovating something is astronomical It’s been recommended the home receive a new kitchen bathroom and flooring when renovations do occur Mr Comino said the home’s need for touch-ups may have contributed to its popularity online “[It’s a] big block and big house in a lower price point “The price point’s more attractive because it needs the renovation.” and he’ll do some renovations over time,” he said While the home and the view are hard to beat the need for further renovations across the home meant one father and son could grab the home at a much more affordable price PropTrack’s latest property preview report showed the biggest increase in year-on-year auctions this spring with 332 scheduled auctions for this week – a 49 per cent improvement on this time last year Brisbane did most of the heavy lifting on this metric with 182 auctions representing a 65 per cent increase regional Queensland had 150 scheduled auctions which made for a 33 per cent increase from this week in 2023 third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. 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About InDaily Replacing a post-war house on a double block Paul and Yiota Russo built two modern five-bedroom homes contributing much-needed housing to a fast-evolving Brisbane suburb said he enjoyed the challenge of creating a home for his growing family in Mount Gravatt East “It’s a fantastic area for families where many of the older homes are being rebuilt or renovated,” he said “We’ve been very well-supported through the development process.” With their third child on the way, the family has listed their “forever home” at 56 Hoff St for sale The sleek home has a pool and al fresco entertaining area three-bathroom home is marketed by Place Woolloongabba agents Savva Koulouris and Michael Garcia The Russos purchased an 810 sqm block for $877,000 in 2017 and demolished the old three-bedroom house to make way for two three-storey homes on separate titles The first home was built during the pandemic and most recently sold for $1.85m in 2022 each home was designed to maximise the captivating mountain views across a 405 sqm hillside lot The home was designed to capture beautiful mountain views a stylish kitchen with LED-lit stone benchtops anchors open-plan living areas crowned by a double-height void Outdoor spaces include a spacious front balcony while timber stairs lead to the remaining four bedrooms The home is within walking distance to public transport and is close to good schools and Griffith University Why Qld empty nesters won’t budge More Aussie banks cut interest rates Builder’s marvel named Aus hottest home Mr Koulouris said Mount Gravatt East was emerging as a hub of new development that was well-supported by the area’s relatively young demographic “We are seeing that next ring out of the city is now starting to be developed purely for its land availability in a location that offers good amenities and accessibility to the CBD,” he said we will see more and more construction of bigger homes on smaller parcels of land.” With the countdown on until the arrival of their new baby Mr Russo and his accountant wife are preparing to take on another project this time at Holland Park close to Mrs Russo’s parents PropTrack data shows house prices in Mount Gravatt East increased by 14.9% over the past 12 months The property is being sold via an expressions of interest campaign Share via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe We speak to the team behind the most intriguing recent property sale The property: A three-bedroom house at 68 Abbeville Street SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy link Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. 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A builder has renovated an unfinished Mount Gravatt house just three months after setting foot in it and he’s now taking the brand new home to auction The suburb’s median property price is $1.5 million meaning even the half-done home was going for more than a typical house in the area … Before builder Vladimir Cosic took on the project New builder and investor Vladimir Cosic said he saw the home as a new and interesting challenge and wanted the chance to tackle a unique renovation project “I thought a half-finished house is not something that most people would go and buy,” he said because you don’t know what you’re walking into Mr Cosic got to work finishing the house his way: remaking the back balcony fixing the flooring and enclosing the house while understanding the floor plan was set in stone The building had been left unfinished due to its old builders going under … … The new team picked up where they left off: completing construction three-bathroom home was finished in the same time Mr Cosic said his team would do a typical renovation ready for homeowners to move in and modify to their liking so hopefully the new owners can decide to put a pool in,” he said “We left it to new buyers to personalise [the house] … to give someone the opportunity to do those final little touches and make it their home.” … Making the home ready for new home buyers to move right in without a fuss Ray White Mt Gravatt agent Andrew Boman said while many investors were interested in the home last sale this auction had seen a larger audience of families eager to move in to a new place and I think that’s been reflected by buyer feedback,” he said “There seems to be an appetite to want to buy a finished product The home will be auctioned off on Wednesday at 6pm both at Ray White Mr Gravatt’s auction room and online The build was treated like a big renovation understanding that the core structure of the house could not be changed Mr Cosic and his team focused on using the pre-existing space to the best of their ability with new flooring and a fresh look to the interior of their own design Cyclone Alfred off the east coast of Australia The approaching Cyclone Alfred has caused real estate agents across Brisbane and South-East Queensland to consider making Saturday’s upcoming auctions online-only events Ray White Queensland CEO Jason Andrew said the most teams across the company were either pursuing a switch to online auctions or delaying the events to a later date “Our strong advice that we are giving to our leaders is that they should look online or consider the possibility of postponing,” he said “One of the benefits that came out of the horrible situation that was Covid was the [advantage] of online auctions.” Tropical Cyclone Alfred has been predicted to hit South-East Queensland later on Thursday Mr Andrew said with 120 of its divisions and 60 per cent of its members in the cyclone’s trajectory Ray White Queensland’s first priority would be “the safety of all of our staff” “We feel the best policy is to work from home Wednesday-Friday at a bare minimum,” he said “We’re quite fortunate that [we’re working with] some subject matter experts: a lot of our businesses up in North Queensland have been dealing with cyclone after cyclone.” He added the company’s teams were checking in with property owners and tenants across the area along with sign board companies to try and remove “For Sale” signs to prevent a risk of damage The Friday auction for the shopping centre at 67-71 Wilgarning St It’s been decades since a tropical cyclone made landfall the region and is expected to be the worst weather event for the Gold Coast in 70 years Some like Ray White Chief Auctioneer Gavin Croft have already cancelled most of their auctions for the weekend Ray White Commercial has cancelled the auction for 67-71 Wilgarning St the retail centre’s auction will now take place on March 13 many other teams are currently in a “wait and see” stage Ascot and Wilston teams are currently going ahead with auctions while staying flexible in case a change is needed Several Ray White businesses have postponed events for the weekend Representatives for Place Estate Agents took a similar stance with auctions planned to go ahead until further notice Place Estate Agents Chief Auctioneer Peter Burgin said his team was “cautiously optimistic” but have “a firm plan in place” should they feel the need to pivot people can watch or participate online,” he said “That may be more of a consideration for buyers this weekend that don’t want to move around and we would encourage them to use that facility if they feel more comfortable doing that.” Place Estate Agents auctions are moving forward but the teams are prepared to make changes as the week goes on Mr Burgin said the “overwhelming” feedback he was receiving from sellers and buyers was a desire to hold off on a decision until later in the week He added the teams would follow government advice about safety procedures throughout the next few days and will be assessing “whether people are even in the mood to be selling and buying properties” “Stay in close consultation with the agents marketing the property in case there’s any change to the auction or the venue,” he said “It can be difficult to let everybody know at short notice.” Director of Apollo Auctions Justin Nickerson said most auctions his team was covering were looking to move to online with several postponing and others waiting on further developments Updates on auctions across Brisbane and SEQ to come A development application has been lodged for Material Change of Use as a Childcare Centre Designed by Elevation Architecture the proposal seeks to develop a Childcare Centre able to accommodate 226 children along with a commercial office use which can be used in the form of a Shop Veterinary Clinic and Food and Drink Outlet The subject site is currently vacant and has a frontage of approximately 150m to Cavendish Road The proposal consists of 61 car parking spaces comprising 46 for the Childcare Centre and 15 for the commercial tenancy Vehicular access to the site is obtained via a driveway onto Cavendish Road The planners at Murray Bell Planning states “The built form seamlessly integrates into adjoining commercial/ residential built forms An adequate number of car parking spaces have been provided on site capable of accommodating peak car parking demand The project delivers landscaping and deep planting in excess of the minimum amounts/ volumes required by the Planning Scheme” The development includes 2,303sqm of gross floor area with 2,043.6sqm (29.2%) of the site cover on the 6,988sqm development site We encourage you to like the Your Neighbourhood Facebook page to be updated on other projects or development News articles are presented in an unbiased manner from information publicly accessible that includes referenced links for the reader to obtain any further information The facts of the proposed government projects school upgrades and development applications are based on the available information at the time of the published date with information sourced directly from company websites media releases and development application material We reference all our information at the end of the articles and promote the creators with website backlinks Contact us: mail@yourneighbourhood.com.au Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Plans to “transform” a Brisbane suburb with new housing and a refreshed business hub have been unveiled Mount Gravatt is earmarked by Brisbane City Council for more homes and a mix of new businesses including cafes The “Suburban Renewal Precinct” takes in the Logan Road corridor from Glindemann Park in Holland Park to the Mount Gravatt Showgrounds The Mount Gravatt Plaza and a strip of industrial sites – including at least one abandoned car dealership – fall within the zone A full plan for the suburb renewal is yet to be released with the draft promised for community consultation “in the coming months.” Chairman of the Better Suburbs Initiative Ross Elliott told Brisbane Times a range of options are being explored including changing regulations to allow higher-density private development and new public works to improve shared spaces “Some areas haven’t been actively championed or reinvested by private capital in particular for some time for whatever reason … we’re trying to breathe new life in “For so long we’ve been distracted by the Emerald City – the big shiny new CBD lights and all the rest of it – and we haven’t really devoted a lot of attention to opportunities in the suburbs.” the suburb has been selected for increased development due to its existing infrastructure and public transport network The Brisbane City Council announcement suggests development regulation changes to allow conversion of commercial and industrial areas into “mixed-use” areas with housing will be considered About 1500 properties fall within the precinct area About 40 per cent of residents are renters “We’re unlocking opportunities for more homes in areas well-serviced by public transport and employment opportunities while protecting Brisbane’s incredible lifestyle,” councillor Adam Allan said in a statement announcing the proposal “Brisbane is a fast-growing city and kickstarting the construction of new homes is the right thing to do with the limited levers we have to help solve the housing crisis.” It is one of multiple suburbs that had been flagged for development by Brisbane City Council Stones Corner has been earmarked for a similar transformation with council proposing a redesign of a stretch of Logan Road and allowing development of 20-storey apartment buildings on some blocks the suburb’s population is expected to climb from about 800 to 2000 by 2046 Urban planning think tank Suburban Futures has also drafted a concept to make Chermside an “alternative CBD” for Brisbane with a tree-lined boulevard and dedicated mass transit lanes along Gympie Road Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter Plans to \\u201Ctransform\\u201D a Brisbane suburb with new housing and a refreshed business hub have been unveiled The \\u201CSuburban Renewal Precinct\\u201D takes in the Logan Road corridor from Glindemann Park in Holland Park to the Mount Gravatt Showgrounds The Mount Gravatt Plaza and a strip of industrial sites \\u2013 including at least one abandoned car dealership \\u2013 fall within the zone with the draft promised for community consultation \\u201Cin the coming months.\\u201D \\u201CIt\\u2019s early days,\\u201D he said \\u201CSome areas haven\\u2019t been actively championed or reinvested by private capital in particular for some time for whatever reason \\u2026 we\\u2019re trying to breathe new life in \\u201CFor so long we\\u2019ve been distracted by the Emerald City \\u2013 the big shiny new CBD lights and all the rest of it \\u2013 and we haven\\u2019t really devoted a lot of attention to opportunities in the suburbs.\\u201D The Brisbane City Council announcement suggests development regulation changes to allow conversion of commercial and industrial areas into \\u201Cmixed-use\\u201D areas with housing will be considered \\u201CWe\\u2019re unlocking opportunities for more homes in areas well-serviced by public transport and employment opportunities while protecting Brisbane\\u2019s incredible lifestyle,\\u201D councillor Adam Allan said in a statement announcing the proposal \\u201CBrisbane is a fast-growing city and kickstarting the construction of new homes is the right thing to do with the limited levers we have to help solve the housing crisis.\\u201D the suburb\\u2019s population is expected to climb from about 800 to 2000 by 2046 Urban planning think tank Suburban Futures has also drafted a concept to make Chermside an \\u201Calternative CBD\\u201D for Brisbane Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories I used to joke that the “Paris end” of Logan Road was in Woolloongabba because the burgeoning cafe precinct opposite The Gabba was starting to take shape the Mount Gravatt tranche of the 18-kilometre road must surely be one of its arrondissements thanks to the myriad of espresso bars that have opened their doors in and around there Mount Gravatt has been undergoing a metamorphosis over the past decade or so Located within cooee of the Pacific and Gateway motorways as well as Creek the collection of Mount Gravatt suburbs – including East and Upper – are certainly on the GPS of many buyers in spite of its handy location only 10 kilometres from the city “We were the bite out of the apple of the inner circle so the inner people would never come to us – never,” LJ Hooker Mount Gravatt principal Wayne Morgan said “They’d stop at Holland Park on Nursery Road and wouldn’t cross the border Same with Carindale people and Camp Hill people “You’d mention Mount Gravatt East and they’d say: ‘Nope I bought my first property with my brother in Mount Gravatt East 11 years ago we had to use a Refidex street directory (remember those?) to work out how to get to the inspection because we’d never ventured “that far south” we wanted to buy closer to the city because we were younger but we simply didn’t have the funds individually or collectively So Mount Gravatt East it was and we soon came to love the ease of access to roads north and south – as well as the ability to walk to the bottle shop just down the street I still own that property and it has increased in value by about 70 per cent even though the Brisbane market has been relatively flat for the past 10 years Real Estate Institute of Queensland southern suburbs zone chair Nick Brown said property prices in the Mount Gravatt region had been outperforming the Brisbane average over the past five years Mount Gravatt East in particular had recorded 12.5 per cent median house growth over the past 12 months “It’s easy to see why both of these suburbs are growing in popularity; with steadily rising populations with larger block sizes readily available for families and plenty of affordable housing options,” Mr Brown said “Mount Gravatt and Mount Gravatt East both offer convenience for commuters through access to good road infrastructure and public transport “The shopping is second-to-none with easy access to two of Queensland’s best shopping centres with a TAFE campus and two Griffith university campuses.” Mr Morgan said there was a “massive” migration of people into the region with Gen Ys in particular opting to buy a more affordable property or build a new one Many of those early to mid 30-year-olds were new couples who perhaps had previously bought a property that they didn’t want to sell to upgrade “They don’t necessarily want to sell the property to buy a house but they can’t buy a house in Coorparoo or Bulimba because it’s too dear,” he said “So those people are now looking in Mount Gravatt and Mount Gravatt East where they can buy something towards the late $500,000s… and you can’t do that on the city side of Nursery Road.” The region is also on the radar of developers and buyers of established units. While its cafe culture is blossoming with the influx of younger buyers, there is one thing that remains the same. The eponymous Mount Gravatt and its popular lookout – now home to social enterprise the Lovewell Project Cafe – is a permanent reminder that this part of Brisbane has plenty of hills and heart. And, according to Mr Morgan, that’s a very good thing.   “A lot of the hills in Mount Gravatt, the blocks actually face northwest so you get those north-easterly breezes, whereas you go to Holland Park and a lot of them face east-west so you’re looking at the western sun,” he said. “They think  it’s lovely to have city views but by God, it’s hot.” Mount Gravatt East will go under the hammer on February 18 MATT Whittaker and Amara Bains have transformed their three-bedroom Mount Gravatt East home and now they are ready to pass it on to a new owner The couple bought the property at 10 Greycliffe St in 2012 with an aim to renovate “It was in a terrible condition,” Mr Whittaker said “But it was in a great location and on a great street With the help of their neighbour and builder Chris Fysentzou from Zou Build Constructions “We did a lot of research and Amara and I designed what we wanted,” Mr Whittaker said At the heart of the renovated and extended home is the open plan kitchen Mr Whittaker said the kitchen was his favourite part of the property “We designed it to be easy to cook in,” he said “The quality Ness appliances include a combination oven “The benchtops are concrete and the sink is concrete as well.” The open plan area opens to a wraparound deck the garage was converted into a rumpus room and a separate multipurpose room and there is still undercover parking for two cars Mr Whittaker said he and Ms Bains were selling to move to the coast “The city isn’t far away and the neighbours are great The Mount Gravatt East property is being marketed by Grant Boman from Ray White Mt Gravatt and will be auctioned on Saturday “The level of this quality custom renovation is unparalleled in the Mount Gravatt East area,” he said Desperate buyers are snapping up half-built homes at hotly contested auctions as property demand continues to outstrip supply across Brisbane More than 400 buyers and spectators were in session for an auction event at Mansfield State High School as $14m in property changed hands over a nail-biting two hours One fiercely contested auction was for a half-finished house at 115 Dunbar Street Mount Gravatt East – snapped up by a local buyer for $1,372,500 from among a field of 34 registered bidders Ray White Mount Gravatt principal Grant Boman said all 12 properties up for auction on the night sold with a collective reserve surplus of $1.2m and active bids “flying across the school hall” The half-built house attracted plenty of interest The sale was “bittersweet” with the family forced to sell when their builder went bust He said the agency had a “near perfect” auction clearance rate with only four properties passed in so far this year “And they sold directly after auction anyway,” Mr Boman said we don’t have enough supply to meet demand “This creates a wonderfully competitive auction environment with great leverage for our sellers and buyers also love how transparent it is “Gone are the days where you make an offer and they come back with a counter offer a few days later – things have to happen faster than that now.” He said Mount Gravatt and the surrounding area “ticked a lot of boxes” for prospective buyers “The vast majority of our buyers are families,” he said “If you’re a mum and dad with three kids you maybe work in the city want good schools and want a family sized property with assured growth – you’ve got it all.” He said the Dunbar Street property was “no more than a shell” with the build halting after the collapse of major Australian residential construction company Porter Davis “Back in the day no one would have wanted to look at that but these days people can see the potential in a half-finished property in a good area,” he said “The site has already been levelled and retained and the frame is there so a new buyer can finish it off “More people are willing to take on a project than before because we just don’t have the supply we need to keep pace with this demand.” Car dealer’s mansion has UFC ring, 8-car garage Best-value suburbs to buy a home revealed First-home buyer fury: ‘Where have all the price guides gone?’ Mr Boman said families were flocking to residential pockets southwest of the city for coveted school catchment zones “I grew up around here and have worked here for 22 years and schools like Mansfield State High have become a brand name in itself,” Mr Boman said very friendly and your kids will get a great education – what more do you want?” A dozen properties sold under the hammer on the day BROTHERS and sisters may be known for bickering but this duo shared a common vision Alyssa Balancio and her brother Kyle Newby bought a single-level house at 69 Margate St early last year and have since worked tirelessly together to flip the home building underneath and gutting the original structure “We completely gutted the top and started again,” Ms Balancio said When asked where they had gained inspiration for the design of the house which has crisp white walls and either timber floors or grey carpet and tiles Ms Balancio passed all credit to her brother “I would say (the design) was from my brother,” she said The kitchen has white subway tiles mixed with black The kitchen has white subway tiles and a white benchtop and this is one of Ms Balancio’s favourite rooms in the house it’s really open and easily accessible,” she said The same theme as in the kitchen flows into the bathrooms Ms Balancio said while it was a joint effort between herself and Mr Newby “It brought us closer together as a family.” which she has lived in for the past six months Ms Balancio will best remember the first time seeing the view from the top floor “If I stand and look at the view from the top THE home at 72 Invermore St gave Brooke Garner a taste for renovation – and now she has a thirst for more When Ms Garner moved into the home in 2016 which is what I was looking for,” Ms Garner said “I was attracted to the position of the home and the fact that it had good bones.” Ms Garner set to work, completing renovations in every room of the property The home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms which Ms Garner said was a drawcard for the home “Two bathrooms is quite rare for that street,” she said There are VJ walls and polished timber floors throughout Ms Garner said she was pleased with how the renovation turned out One of the renovated bathrooms has a moody vibe Out on the back deck is Ms Garner’s favourite place at the property gaining inspiration from reality TV shows and Pinterest and buying a lot of furniture from Gumtree “I think someone will definitely fall in love with it (and) it would suit a young professional couple with one or two kids While Ms Garner shot down any talk of competing on The Block anytime soon she will be taking the renovation plunge again “I’m going to be doing another renovator,” she said The outdoor entertainment space at 294 Creek Rd is to die for FANCY a functional yet industrial chic abode Transformed from a post-war home to an Asian inspired industrial delight, the renovation of the three bedroom property at 294 Creek Rd at Mount Gravatt East was a labour of love for vendors Maria and Al Tsudon the couple needed a sanctuary to return home to after working long days “We were going for a relaxed island luxe feel,” Mrs Tsudon said “Our life is quite busy so our space really needed to be a refuge.” Mrs Tsudon said she and her husband “lived so the project had been continual over the past eight or so years What they were left with is a home that maximises what space is available and celebrates the Queensland lifestyle which is the Aboriginal word for ‘to dwell at ease’,” she said By swapping bedrooms with the lounge room and vice versa “The whole thing is such a careful balance of stark black The kitchen has a mixture of all different textures living and dining area which leads out to Mrs Tsudon’s favourite space at the property – an outside entertainment area Outdoors is the ideal area for any entertainer “We both love to cook so it was important to be able to have friends and family close while we do that I make a pretty mean spaghetti and my husband is the chicken wing master “We’ve had lots of events and spent a lot of time out there.” This two-level Mount Gravatt East home is barely recognisable after undergoing extensive renovations Although the basic bones of the home remain the same, 61 Spence St has been given a new lease on life by Jodie and Drew Moreland This entertainment area flows out onto the back deck The couple bought the property eight years ago “It was a very pokey house but also very original,” Mrs Moreland said “From head to toe it has been modernised.” The back deck is like an added living area and looks over the backyard The two-level home sits on a functional terraced block with the main entrance through the second level The top floor has sleek polished timber floors throughout with two separate living areas that open out to a large deck and backyard “We’ve always been big on indoor outdoor living and we wanted the deck to be part of the house,” Mrs Moreland said Downstairs is an enormous rumpus room with polished concrete floors giving the space a stylish but industrial feel There are also two smaller multipurpose rooms two store-rooms and a double lockup garage Mr and Mrs Moreland have four children aged under six and said the functionality of the home was important “I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and the best thing is it doesn’t matter if they’re outside playing in the treehouse or indoors in the living room The family is moving to acreage to give the kids more room to roam “It’s the only home the kids have ever known and it’s where we’ve raised them,” Mrs Moreland said “Our home has so much character and warmth so I want it to go to someone who loves it as much as we have.” Darian and Heidi Templeman at the home they are selling in Mount Gravatt SELLERS in Brisbane’s blue-chip suburbs are in the box seat this spring as the pandemic fuels a flight to premium property Research from Realestate.com.au shows the suburbs with the shortest average days on market for houses and units since COVID-19 are predominantly expensive locations close to the city but experts say a two-tier housing market is emerging which has a median house price of $1 million with houses typically sitting for a month on the market are not lasting long either — being snapped up within 37 days on average Units are selling the quickest in the inner-west suburb of Auchenflower with apartments staying an average 49 days on the market Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee said the fact that most of the fastest selling suburbs in Brisbane were in premium locations was in line with the suburbs most in-demand among would-be buyers at the moment Yet Ms Conisbee said there were two types of buyers in the Queensland market right now — first-home buyers looking in regional and city outskirt suburbs and buyers with stable employment “It’s kind of unusual because we’re seeing a flight to quality but also stimulus for first-home buyers but the (fastest selling suburbs) trend is consistent with the flight to premium suburbs as they are perceived as low risk and high return,” Ms Conisbee said it will hold its value and will probably go up’ These will give you decent capital growth over the long term.” Ms Conisbee said COVID-19 was affecting housing in different ways with some property types in certain locations doing better than others “Suburbs with big family homes on large blocks are faring well but the best performers continue to be premium suburbs,” she said “The buyer market is still strong and well-paid professionals are supporting expensive housing they’re probably not spending much on anything else This seems to be leading this push in many of the blue-chip suburbs around Australia “Demand is often a good indicator of price growth.” Ms Conisbee said those suburbs with fewer apartments seem to attract the most buyers and sell faster than those with plenty of unit stock Brisbane couple Heidi and Darian Templeman are selling their house at at 30 Stellman Street in Mount Gravatt which is one of the suburbs where houses are selling the fastest The Templemans built their home five years ago and have decided to sell now because they have outgrown it and want to act now in case prices drop in the coming months the area has had strong sales,” Mrs Templeman said we want to try and capitalise on that because there is no such thing as ongoing certainty in the real estate market.” Listing agent Ben Salm of Place – Coorparoo said he was not surprised Mount Gravatt was on the list of fastest selling suburbs because it offered value for money for buyers priced out of inner-city suburbs “We’re getting a big mix of first-home buyers at higher price points young families moving to the area because they see value because of the strong education belt here and then investors looking to the area because it’s very stable and is growing in value and getting good rental returns,” Mr Salm said “Activity has increased significantly in the last four weeks leading into spring It’s certainly noticable this year that inquiry from sellers looking to do something in the next six months has definitely increased.” Mr Salm said he had noticed an increase in vendors interested in selling after sitting on their hands for several months following COVID-19 “You’ve got a mix of people who put (selling) on hold because they were going to sell at the start of COVID-19 pple forecasting …and want to avoid a falling marekt then pple forced to sell due ot circumstances outof their control Teagen and Cliff Bensted with their children at the home they have renovated in Mount Gravatt East BOWLS of half-eaten food strewn across the house It’s enough to put even the hardiest of home renovators off The young couple learned not to judge a book by its cover when they were searching for their first house five years ago “We were basically trying to get into the Mount Gravatt area because it had a nice without being pretentious,” Mr Bensted said “I’d seen our house up for sale and kept looking past it I clicked on the ad and saw it had VJ walls and breezeways between the doorways.” BEFORE: The front of the home at 22 Pettigrew St AFTER: The front of the home at 22 Pettigrew St Mr Bensted said he thought the property at 22 Pettigrew St, Mount Gravatt East was a “post-war mess” until he realised it was one of the original farm houses in the area The couple continued renting for about six months while they got their new purchase in a liveable state BEFORE: The back of the home at 22 Pettigrew St AFTER: The back of the home at 22 Pettigrew St They moved in once they had installed a new bathroom and sanded and polished the timber floors They excavated underneath the house to create a lower level walls were moved to change the configuration slightly Two of the bedrooms were joined together to become the master bedroom along with a back deck and a large section of the roof was replaced BEFORE: The kitchen in the home at 22 Pettigrew St AFTER: The kitchen in the home at 22 Pettigrew St All new plumbing and electrical was installed and the yard landscaped “I hired a builder and two carpenters to try and do it as quickly as possible,” Mr Bensted said “I did all the painting and there was a lot of time where I just did labouring for the builder.” Many of the materials used in rebuilding the house were sourced from all around southeast Queensland including the iron lace balustrade framing the front porch which came from an old railway station house BEFORE: The main bathroom in the home at 22 Pettigrew St AFTER: The main bathroom in the home at 22 Pettigrew St They wanted to change the front of the house where a brick extension had been added in the early 1970s They rendered the brick and painted the exterior of the house black which Mr Bensted admitted was a risk — but it worked “The whole front and the whole right side of the house had aluminium windows which we replaced with recycled timber windows,” he said BEFORE: Inside the home at 22 Pettigrew St AFTER: The living room in the home at 22 Pettigrew St colonial-style Queenslander home — with a difference “We wanted to get away from the Hamptons style that everyone’s doing,” Mr Bensted said Teagan and Cliff Bensted after buying the house at 22 Pettigrew St AFTER: A close-up of the front of the home at 22 Pettigrew St The property is being marketed by Ben Salm of Place – Coorparoo and is scheduled to go to auction on May 18 at 11am WORKING with a partner on a project as big as building a house is not for the faint of heart Yet Jessie and Michael Kassolos pulled off their first build together — and they certainly did not start small living and dining all link to the alfresco dining area The couple dived in headfirst and worked with local architect John Contoleon to design a large two-level family home for the 31 Spent St address at Mount Gravatt East Mrs Kassolos said her husband was a builder and they wanted to stay away from the current Hamptons trend The black kitchen is offset with white benches and timber features “We wanted something different for the local area,” Mrs Kassolos said “It’s dark outside and fresh inside with whites it was essential that the house worked well for a family “We sat down together and I said I want a house that flows easily and is going to be kid friendly “I like the fact the toy room slash media room is near the kitchen and I can see out to the pool area and outside so I can still see them if they are running around.” Mrs Kassolos said they also ensured all of the bedrooms were oversized to allow room for a desk as the children grew “I can entertain there — the bench is nearly 4.5m “I’m always prepping food on there or having people sit there “It flows to outside as well and it is a good entertainment home.” Watch the kids in the pool from the alfresco dining area Mrs Kassolos said she also loved the master suite which ran the whole length of the house and almost half the width The ensuite has a long vanity with dual sinks and there is a double shower as well as a bath CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Brisbane’s recession-proof suburbs have been revealed BRISBANE’S recession-proof suburbs have been revealed with some of the city’s most overlooked middle and outer areas poised to lead a housing market recovery in the wake of COVID-19 Mount Gravatt East and Moorooka could rebound faster from the present downturn than the traditionally bulletproof blue-chip suburbs Data provided by CoreLogic showed the performance of capital city and regional housing markets three years after the global financial crisis (GFC) and identified the suburbs that outperformed despite the economic shock Rochedale home values rose 14 per cent post-GFC Property Investment Professionals of Australia chairman Peter Koulizos said the best-performing suburbs post-GFC in Brisbane were mostly located in outer suburbs rose more than 14 per cent in the three years between December 2008 and December 2011 — the best performing housing market in the city post-GFC The housing market in the neighbouring suburb of Macgregor was also resilient during the period with home values rising more than 9 per cent at the end of 2011 home values in the south Brisbane suburb are also tipped to recover strongly from the COVID crisis Home values in Macgregor rose 9 per cent post-GFC was an exception to the outer suburb trend recording a 9 per cent rise in median house prices during the downturn Mr Koulizos said the suburbs likely to recover fastest from the current downturn were likely to be middle-ring suburbs that offered more affordable property prices than their inner-city counterparts Alderley home values rose 9 per cent post-GFC with the potential increase in people who work from home the outer regions will also be on the radar of buyers and investors,” he said “This will partly be due to affordability considerations but also lifestyle factors such as being closer to the water in the Redcliffe or Redlands regions or the chance to live on acreage in parts of Logan or Ipswich “The Gold and Sunshine coasts are also set to strengthen from local and interstate buyers who decide to prioritise lifestyle and opt to make a sea or tree-change sooner rather than later.” But Mr Koulizos said it was “impossible” to forecast exactly which suburbs would fare better than others post-pandemic “It’s vital to always consider the underlying fundamentals of a location when investing in property for the long-term such as infrastructure and access to schools and amenities,” he said CoreLogic head of research Tim Lawless also believes suburbs within Brisbane’s middle and outer ring are likely to rebound the strongest after the pandemic — particularly those close to main arterial roads and train stations Mr Lawless said transport options in a suburb was often a driver of stronger capital gains it may be the case that more people are seeking lower-density housing options,” Mr Lawless said “Many of the areas with a relatively affordable price tag are located further from the city where transport into the city centre may take some time although commuting times may be less of a priority if there is lasting willingness from employers to allow staff to work remotely.” Mt Gravatt East has been tipped to bounce back from the current recession Mr Lawless said Queensland’s housing market recovery post-COVID would be slightly different to the GFC interest rates were coming down from higher levels so we won’t see the stimulating factor of interest rates falling because they are already super low,” he said “The economy at the time was also benefiting from the mining boom There was strong demand from China for resources and that had a substantial postive impact on regional Queensland in particular “Where the similarity is much more appropriate is that it was a time when there was a lot of stimulus in the market and that’s something we should expect going forward.” Mr Lawless said it was likely more housing incentives would be announced in the upcoming federal budget which would apply to newly constructed homes and first-home buyers areas that will probably show a better performance coming in to next year are those popular with first-home buyers and those benefiting from people looking to build new properties,” he said The best Queensland regional performer in the wake of the GFC was Moranbah which recorded a 33 per cent surge in home values between December 2008 and December 2011 where economic conditions are dependent on a single industry are much more likely to experience bursts of price rises or falls because of the strength or weakness of their dominant industries,” Mr Lawless said “While many of these mining regions recorded spectacular capital gains post-GFC a few years later many of these same regions recorded a crash in home values.” FIVE BRISBANE SUBURBS SET TO LEAD THE RECOVERY POST COVID-19 BRISBANE’S TOP 5 RECESSION-PROOF SUBURBS POST-GFC Suburb % change in home values Dec 2008 to Dec 2011 Dec 2011 Median Value The owner of an old Brisbane quarry has asked police to start prosecuting trespassers who cut through chain wire fences to swim at the property's water hole The Freshwater Quarry on Pine Mountain Road in Mount Gravatt East has been a popular swimming hole among Brisbane teenagers since operations at the site ended in 1991 Zekria Sayed, 16, drowned in the murky and slightly acidic water while he was swimming with his three cousins at the quarry on Sunday afternoon Trespassers cut through the 2.4 metre-high chain wire fence surrounding the disused quarry almost on a weekly basis Police divers search Freshwater Quarry in Mount Gravatt East.Credit: Penny Dahl/Australian Traffic Network "Unfortunately some choose to cut the fences ignore the warning signs and jump from the cliffs into the [water hole]," BMI spokesman David Evans said "The most recent repairs were made by one of our employees last Thursday "The local police have been requested to increase their patrols and unfortunately we have now been placed in the position where we must ask them to prosecute trespassers." Mr Evans said the problem was exacerbated by websites and YouTube videos which promote the quarry as Brisbane's best swimming hole drowned while swimming with his three cousins at the quarry on Sunday afternoon "Perhaps the owners of these sites will now display some responsibility and remove them," he said "Our condolences go to the relatives and friends of the young man whose life has been cut short by this tragedy." With BMI in the process of refilling the water hole Police Inspector Steve Flori said the teenager drowned while swimming 50 metres from one side of the quarry to the other on Sunday He said the 16-year-old tried desperately to grab hold of one of his cousins before disappearing beneath the surface about 1.45pm "I'm concerned that young people would go there," Inspector Flori said "The gradient of the side walls is unknown They wouldn't know what they're jumping into." He said the boy's death served as a timely reminder to teenagers particularly those about to embark on Schoolies celebrations "Teenagers tend to do things that are well beyond their true capability because sadly there can be consequences," he said The quarry's former owner Boral secured preliminary council approval to redevelop the site before it was sold to BMI Group for $7 million in March More than half of the quarry site will be preserved as bushland while the remainder is set to be developed into a housing estate it could be at least several years before the water hole is refilled because the project is dependent on the amount of infill available from nearby road works "We are aware of the importance of the property as a residential infill site linking the eastern and western parts of Mount Gravatt East," he said "But preparation of a master plan for the development of the property may still be several years away." The owner of an old Brisbane quarry has asked police to start prosecuting trespassers who cut through chain wire fences to swim at the property's water hole in the murky and slightly acidic water while he was swimming with his three cousins at the quarry on Sunday afternoon \\\"Unfortunately some choose to cut the fences ignore the warning signs and jump from the cliffs into the [water hole],\\\" BMI spokesman David Evans said \\\"The most recent repairs were made by one of our employees last Thursday \\\"The local police have been requested to increase their patrols and unfortunately we have now been placed in the position where we must ask them to prosecute trespassers.\\\" which promote the quarry as Brisbane's best swimming hole \\\"Perhaps the owners of these sites will now display some responsibility and remove them,\\\" he said \\\"Our condolences go to the relatives and friends of the young man whose life has been cut short by this tragedy.\\\" \\\"I'm concerned that young people would go there,\\\" Inspector Flori said \\\"The gradient of the side walls is unknown They wouldn't know what they're jumping into.\\\" He said the boy's death served as a timely reminder to teenagers \\\"Teenagers tend to do things that are well beyond their true capability because sadly there can be consequences,\\\" he said The quarry's former owner Boral secured preliminary council approval to redevelop the site \\\"We are aware of the importance of the property as a residential infill site linking the eastern and western parts of Mount Gravatt East,\\\" he said \\\"But preparation of a master plan for the development of the property may still be several years away.\\\" Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a 31-year-old man reported missing from Mount Gravatt East Christopher Boyter (pictured) was last seen on December 28 at an address in Creek Road Mount Gravatt East Police hold concerns for his welfare as his disappearance is out of character Christopher is described as Caucasian in appearance Any members of the public who have seen Christopher or know of his whereabouts are asked to contact police If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day Families are looking to buy property in particular school catchment zones THE battle to buy a home near one of Brisbane’s most popular public schools just got easier with research revealing the cheapest suburbs in the city’s top ranked catchments Families are forking out tens of thousands of dollars more for homes in Brisbane’s prized public school catchments rather than pay the equivalent in private school fees — but it doesn’t have to cost a fortune if you do the research The state government released new school catchment maps last year with big changes made to the zone for Queensland’s top ranked public high school — Brisbane State High where more than half of all students received OP1s last year Figures show the cheapest suburb within the current Brisbane State High School catchment is Woolloongabba with a median house price of $817,000 and an average unit price of $391,750 But that will change with rezoning to make way for what will be Brisbane’s newest high school The catchment map for the proposed Inner City South State Secondary College The cheapest suburb for houses in the catchment will then be Highgate Hill at $885,000 Luke O’Kelly of Ray White – West End said more parents of school-aged children were choosing to buy into areas zoned for some of the city’s best public schools rather than pay the same in private school fees Mr O’Kelly said buyers were willing to pay up to $100,000 for a property in the Brisbane State High School catchment The proposed catchment map for Inner City South State Secondary College reveals Greenslopes will have the zone’s most affordable houses at $755,000 while the catchment’s cheapest units will be found in the same suburb for $384,000 is for sale in the proposed catchment for the new Inner City South State Secondary College the most affordable houses in the sought-after Mansfield State High School zone are found in Mansfield while the catchment’s cheapest units are in Wishart at $400,000 Tony Langanis of Ray White Mt Gravatt said about 70 per cent of people looking to buy in the 4122 postcode were doing so to get into the Mansfield State High catchment He said some families were willing to pay an extra $50,000 to $80,000 to secure a property in the zone is in the Mansfield State High School catchment and is going to auction “Simply because of the reputation of the school and the high OP achievements of the students there,” Mr Langanis said and homes and streetscapes are changing for the better.” When it comes to the top-ranked primary schools Sunnybank has the MacGregor State School zone’s cheapest houses at $670,000 while buyers gunning for a spot in Rainworth State School should look in Toowong which has the zone’s cheapest houses and units at $814,000 and $437,500 is for sale in the prized Rainworth State School catchment The cheapest houses in the Ashgrove State School zone are in The Gap at $696,000 while the most affordable units in the catchment can be found in Ashgrove at $423,500 Jacob Pirrone of Pirrone Property is marketing a property at 588 Waterworks Rd, Ashgrove which is in the popular Ashgrove State School catchment Mr Pirrone said the home’s asking price of mid $600,000s was competitive for the affluent suburb of Ashgrove “I think that’s really good value for Ashgrove considering what you’re getting,” Mr Pirrone said Jimmy Papas of Place – Coorparoo is marketing a four-bedroom house at 109 Crewe St, Mount Gravatt East for offers in the low $700,000s and has been inundated with inquiries from families wanting to move in to the Cavendish Road State High School catchment is in the Cavendish Road State High School catchment and a good buy at offers in the low $700,000s Mr Papas said it was possible to buy a home for a bargain in a good school catchment “if you do your research” “A lot of these houses don’t stay on the market long,” Mr Papas said “Cavendish Road is a great school and they’re strict about being in the catchment Ocean and Chris Wemyss bought into the Cavendish Road State High School catchment a few years ago with the aim of sending their sons They have watched house prices go up since buying in to the area as a result of the demand for the school and are always keeping an eye on other properties when they hit the market “It’s gone up by huge amounts,” Mrs Wemyss said “We are very happy we got in when we did.” TOP RANKED PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN BRISBANE IN 2018 Cheapest suburb for houses Median price Cheapest suburb for units Median price Toowong $814,000 Toowong $437,500 Best bargain home in the catchment on the market right now: Sunnybank $670,000 Robertson $374,250 is for sale in the MacGregor State School catchment The Gap $696,000 Ashgrove $423,500 Best bargain home on the market right now: This four-bedroom house at 588 Waterworks Rd is in the Ashgrove State School catchment and is currently on the market Taringa $865,000 Taringa $410,000 is in the prized Ironside State School catchment and is on sale for a negotiable $349,000 Upper Mount Gravatt $650,000 Upper Mount Gravatt $380,000 is in the Wishart State School catchment and is for sale for all offers Toowong $814,000 Indooroopilly $429,000 This three-bedroom house at 84 Waverley Rd is in the Indooroopilly State School catchment and is on the market for $750,000 Sunnybank Hills $670,000 Sunnybank Hills $398,000 is in the Sunnybank Hills State School catchment and good value at offers over $798,000 is in the Chapel Hill State School catchment and a good buy at $615,000 Graceville $897,500 Graceville $421,500 is in the sought-after Graceville State School catchment and a good buy at $750,000+ is in the Robertson State School catchment and available for between $890,000 and $980,000 TOP RANKED PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN QLD IN 2018 Highgate Hill $885,000 South Brisbane $495,000 is for sale in the prized Brisbane State High School catchment Best bargain home in the proposed new catchment on the market right now: Mansfield $680,000 Wishart $400,000 Toowong $814,000 Taringa $410,000 This three-bedroom unit at 4/110 Indooroopilly Rd is in the Indooroopilly State High School catchment and on the market for $600,000+ CAVENDISH ROAD STATE HIGH SCHOOL CATCHMENT Mount Gravatt East $650,000 Coorparoo $371,000 is in the Mount Gravatt State High School catchment This two-bedroom apartment at L47/35 Gotha St Fortitude Valley is in the Kelvin Grove State College catchment and is a bargain at offers over $350,000 is in The Gap State High School catchment and great value at offers over $639,000 This five-bedroom house at 13 Stanaway Plc is in the Kenmore State High School catchment and a bargain at offers over $639,000 is in the Stretton State College catchment and is a bargain at offers over $425,000 Chermside $595,000 Aspley $378,500 is in the Craigslea State High School catchment and a bargain at offers over $559,000 buyers will be out in force to see some special properties on Brisbane’s south side go under the hammer this weekend At Mount Gravatt East a luxury contemporary home is poised to set a new benchmark for the area having drawn the attention of buyers from neighbouring blue-chip suburbs Selling agent Stan Egawa of Place Sunnybank said more than 115 groups of people had been through 31 Spence Street, Mount Gravatt East He’s now got another opportunity and is selling but it was built to be a lifetime house,” Mr Egawa said “So to see a house of this standard hit the market in Mount Gravatt East is very rare Nothing like this has been sold in the area and it’s triggered a lot of people who wouldn’t ordinarily consider Mount Gravatt East to check it out because it’s just that beautiful.” two-level home set on 647 square metres of land with a grassy backyard and pool Located in the Mansfield State High catchment high-end appliances and a clever layout designed for families Mr Egawa said buyers generally looked to suburbs like Coorparoo and Camp Hill to get a house of this standard “They’re getting that luxury without the inner-city price tag,” he said “Normally they look to those inner-ring suburbs but The location is something that people will be considering into the price but how much they’ll save by compromising on the suburb “Mount Gravatt East is a very underrated suburb Mount Gravatt East will go to auction Saturday In Annerley, buyers looking for a substantial piece of land to build their dream home on are expected to turn out in their numbers at the auction of 15 Sampson Street, in Annerley The massive 1100-square-metre block already has a two-bedroom house in place, but significant termite damage lends the property to be demolished and used as a blank canvas, subject to council approval, selling agent Luke Croft of Ray White South Brisbane said most other blocks in the area are 450 square metres in land area so such a large parcel isn’t common at all,” he said “There’s a real opportunity for a couple or a family to come in and subject to council approval “Annerley has changed a lot over the years and is now a vibrant suburb on the fringes of Brisbane CBD it opened up this particular pocket to investors so the age demographic began to change buyers have the benefit of the bridge link direct to the University of Queensland and easy access to the M1 “You also have amenities in close proximity with the PA Hospital and the shops at Buranda Village that has a Woolworths and Target “What we’re talking about here is pure potential and the fact the property is in the catchment area for the brand-new school in Dutton Park will be a major drawcard for families.” The auction will take place on site on Saturday March 30 In the south side hotspot of Robertson, another large property with double street access is going under the hammer at 1pm through Ray White Holland Park’s Isa Kural Set on 1059 square metres, the home at 1 Reculver Street is on the market for the first time since it was built by the seller around 40 years ago. “It’s in an area where buyers are paying top money for properties, liking the school catchments and being close to Sunnybank,” Mr Kural said. The house is set across two levels and has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a pool and parking for eight cars. Former Brisbane Lions skipper Michael Voss has sold his block of land at Mt Gravatt East Former Brisbane Lions great Michael Voss has made a motser on his vacant block of land at Mt Gravatt East Ray White – Holland Park selling agents Piers Crawford and Joseph Leong said the pre-auction sale of 68 Panorama Place was assisted by fellow agent Isa Kural who joined the Port Adelaide Football club as midfield coach in 2014 has made the permanent move to South Australia He bought the 1138sq m block in 2002 for $235,000 Mr Crawford said the already split property (450sq m and 688sq m) was in a highly prized front row position on the hilltop of prestigious Panorama Place He said the block was in a quiet cul-de-sac and flowed down the back corner of Mt Thompson Three years ago Scott Komel purchased a block of land subdivided it into two lots and will be selling the house next door Scott Komel with his fiancŽ Juanita (**Correct*****) Bradford As spring signals the start of the busiest time of year for property two leading agencies have bought out the big guns in a selling bonanza Harcourts Queensland celebrated its Blue Friday nationwide event today at Howard Smith Wharf in Brisbane with 213 auctions coming out of the state alone The Blue Friday event across the country will see $100 from every property sold on Blue Friday donated to Beyond Blue with a minimum of $50,000 guaranteed to be provided by the Harcourts Foundation The first hour of auctions saw 20 properties go to auction CEO of Harcourts Queensland Mitch Peereboom CEO of Harcourts Queensland Mitch Peereboom said he couldn’t be happier with the event today “This phenomenal event is a great snapshot of what’s going on in the market in South East Queensland,” Mr Peereboom said “Clearance rates are the highest they’ve been this year and we’re seeing a significant number of registered bidders and people feel comfortable investing in real estate here.” Mr Peereboom said vendors will feel comfortable putting their homes on the market when they see stronger results Harcourts Collective kicked off their Blue Friday event on September 22 with proceeds going to Beyond Blue “Our role in the process is to work for the sellers to get them the best price; auctions are the most transparent environment and deliver those results.” Property agent Judi Brown from Harcourts Unite said it was an awesome event “It was exhausting but exhilarating; my sellers felt the same and were ecstatic with their results “My sellers felt strongly about the donations to Beyond Blue and wanted to contribute to that and the property market is still running red hot.” the clearance rate of the event is sitting at a comfortable 60 per cent Harcourt’s Blue Friday event continues on the Gold Coast tonight Scott Komel with his fiance Juanita Bradford Ray White Mt Gravatt celebrated their biggest auction event on Thursday night where all 13 properties sold with more than 300 bidders turning up for their slice of Brisbane’s property market said that given the state of the property market “We purchased an old house three years ago,” Mr Komel said Auctioneer of Ray White Grant Boman at the helm at the Mt Gravatt auction event on September 21 Mr Komel said his advice to buyers looking to purchase would be to find their way into the market at whatever cost have a go; the quicker you purchase a property said low supply was still driving the current market We sold 13/13 and all up worth $13.5 million in total and our team worked incredibly hard to fill the room with buyers and potential sellers Buyers turned out in droves to Ray White’s Mt Gravatt auction event on September 21 “There is not enough supply of homes to go around and you can see by the active bidding that demand is very high.” with some bidder registrations from overseas Mr Bowman said 450 people watched the Ray White Mt Gravatt stream online “This is the biggest auction event I have ever called and we hope to make it biannual or even three times a year,” he said Ray White lead agent: Michael Bagnall – 0458 791 416 Ray White lead agent: Andrew Boman – 0405 400 162 Ray White lead agent: Grant Boman – 0413 381 434 Ray White lead agent: James Austin – 0425 890 657 Ray White lead agent: Matt Campbell – 0477 244 777 Ray White lead agent: Grant Boman – 0413 381 434 the savviest of buyers are starting to zero in on 600 square metre sites with development potential allows for subdivision of 600 square metre sites that are within 200 metres walking distance of a shopping centre and certain railway stations 600 square metre sites can now be split into two blocks of 300 square metres each Metropole Brisbane property strategist Brett Warren said there was a number of other strict requirements that would-be developers must understand “They also must meet site requirements like the right frontage While a train station is pretty stock standard the shopping centre must be zoned correctly and be in excess of 2000 square metres,” he said Mr Warren said it represented a solid short-term opportunity to buy and develop or land-bank so it was important that novices did not try to “test the waters” “Thankfully we are starting to see these sites being developed and are in the very early stages of blocks either being sold off or development completed – so end values are there also,” he said “While it does represent a good opportunity investors should seek professional advice as there is much higher room for error if you do not fully understand the new town plan.” He said opportunities could be found in pockets of Everton Park and Stafford on the northside as well as in Holland Park and Mount Gravatt on the south He said developers were looking for sharp prices but sellers would probably do better just selling their homes to other owner-occupiers or investors instead. While townhouse development in the area had been solid, he said, duplexes might struggle to make a solid enough profit. “There is literally no duplex development because you’re paying too much for the land,” he said. “You’ve nearly got to have at least four townhouses or three big townhouses to make it work and you’re really pushing it at the moment because land is [on] the way up.” Part of the reason for increasing land values, he said, was the strong demand for property from people migrating into the wider area. “The migration of people into Mount Gravatt and Mount Gravatt East is massive at the moment and they’re coming from the north and the south,” he said. “The area has also become hugely popular for people coming in [from southern suburbs] who can now buy reasonable blocks of land, knock it over, and build a new house.” Where to Find Australia’s Best Inner-City Bakeries By Katya Wachtel By Katya Wachtel By Matheus Husband and wife Louise and Josh Daly are a former geneticist and micro-biologist Opening Little Black Pug in Mount Gravatt was quite the career turn for them but also an opportunity to invest in their passion for sustainability Little Black Pug offers a 50-cent discount on its Toby’s Estate coffees when customers dine in The space has lots of white paint and greenery There’s a long bench down one side of the room and framed pictures of the cafe’s namesakes The all-day menu consists of tried-and-tested combinations such as crispy corn fritters with tomato relish and the bestselling soft scrambled eggs with mushrooms and truffle oil on sourdough The cake cabinet is filled with house-baked goods such as macarons Phone: 0468 385 720 Website: littleblackpug.com.au We do not seek or accept payment from the cafes bars and shops listed in the Directory – inclusion is at our discretion Venue profiles are written by independent freelancers paid by Broadsheet Where Chefs Eat: Supernormal’s Jason Barratt Has Found a Top-Tier Peking Duck Spot Fill Up Before You Fly: Where To Eat and Drink in Brisbane Airport From Cuddly Koalas to Karaoke: Student-Friendly Hangouts in Brisbane Former Brisbane Lord Mayor turned auctioneer Graham Quirk with Karalis Real Estate agents Michael Sunderland and homeowner Ricky Elias in Mount Gravatt East BRISBANE’S former Lord Mayor Graham Quirk starts his new job on Saturday calling the shots as Queensland’s most high profile residential auctioneer “It’s like the first of anything,” Mr Quirk said yesterday “I’ve got an element of anticipation about my first property auction “I’ve done a lot of auctioneering over the years and this will be the first property auction it’s a different style but I’m not underestimating for one moment the importance of it these are people’s principle investments.” Mr Quirk resigned as Lord Mayor of Brisbane in April this year Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and his wife Anne speak at a press conference after announcing his retirement after three decades in politics He reapplied for auctioneering accreditation in May after letting his 2010 accreditation lapse when he became Lord Mayor and was spotted in training with Place auctioneer Peter Burgin in Hendra in June Former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk is spotted at a Saturday morning auction in Hendra training to become an independent auctioneer Mr Quirk catches up with the vendor and agent at Mount Gravatt East ahead of his first auction on Saturday The former Lord Mayor now trades as Graham Quirk Auctions Pty Ltd “Our relationship began when I was a local councillor Michael has been a very community involved agent.” Mr Sunderland made contact with Mr Quirk after reading about his interest in becoming an auctioneer and helped him gain reaccreditation “He can only go well because he’s good,” Mr Sunderland said “He has more than what it takes because of what he’s done and who he is But auctioneering is not the only gig Mr Quirk has put his hand up for since handing over the keys to the city He has been appointed to the board of Racing Queensland as the thoroughbred representative He has an ongoing voluntary role as part of Queensland’s bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games “I’ve got something emerging which will be in the area of international education,” he said Mt Gravatt East that Graham Quirk will sell on Saturday There are multiple local bidders expected at Saturday’s auction which starts with coffee and a sausage sizzle at 11.30am before the auction begins at 12.30pm The property is suitable for dual living with separate accommodation downstairs And if you miss this weekend’s auction, he’s heading up to Tamborine Mountain next weekend for the auction of 46-48 Alpine Tce Why people choose one suburb over another is highly subjective: access to education, public transport, the coast and employment are often big factors. Across 17 indicators, 260 Greater Brisbane suburbs were ranked for the inaugural Domain Liveable Brisbane study, which has given us this list. It’s gold for Alderley! This leafy suburb about seven kilometres northwest of of the CBD with its wide, tree-lined streets and character housing is Brisbane’s most liveable suburb, with extremely strong scores for access to public transport options, a low crime rate, access to schools, tree cover and topographic variation. Residents enjoy plenty of open spaces and relatively little traffic congestion. Second place goes to nearby Wilston, home to an array of beautifully renovated homes which has helped gentrify the suburb over recent years. The suburb scores very highly for its café culture, open space, tree cover as well as its walkability, with many of its residents no doubt strolling to its plethora of dining options. Wilston is also one of Brisbane’s best suburbs for access to trains as well as boasting a beautiful topography with rolling hills. With its hilly landscape offering city views, it’s no surprise that Paddington is the number one location for topographic variation. The suburb, just a few kilometres from the CBD, also boasts an embarrassment of culture, cafes and retail options for residents and visitors alike. Paddington also scores highly for access to employment as well as its walkability. The inner north suburb of Newmarket has gentrified over recent years, bringing a plethora of positives for residents. Located about five kilometres from the central city, Newmarket scores strongly for culture, cafes and retail. The suburb is also considered highly walkable, scoring very highly in that category. Red Hill has one of the most beautiful landscapes in the city, so it’s no surprise it gets top marks for topographic variation. It also scores very highly for culture and, given its location just a few kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD, Red Hill has excellent access to employment and is highly walkable. Also in the inner north, Kelvin Grove is considered one of the best suburbs for education in the city – no doubt due to its Queensland University of Technology campus and the nearby Kelvin Grove State College. The suburb also ranks highly for cafes and walkability, as well as access to employment nodes. Located adjacent to Wilston, Windsor has an impressive cultural and café lifestyle. Located about six kilometres north of the central city, residents have easy access to buses and trains for their daily commutes. The suburb also scores strongly for access to employment as well as walkability The inner-north suburb of Albion, literally next door to Windsor, has some of Brisbane’s best cultural and café offerings and it was scored accordingly. Residents can walk to its many dining and entertainment options as well as take advantage of its excellent access to bus services and access to employment. Completing the inner north’s dominance of the most liveable suburbs in Brisbane is Grange. The suburb, just seven kilometres north of the city, has an abundance of tree cover and open space, which also means it is very walkable. Grange residents also have plenty of cafes to choose from. The inner city suburb of Auchenflower is well known for its enviable hilly landscape, but it also scores highly for culture and access to employment. The suburb is very walkable, with many of its residents commuting via its local train station. Although its leafy streets helped secure it a strong tree cover score, its overall ranking was let down by a lack of open space and a low mark for congestion. The seaside suburb of Sandgate unsurprisingly scores highly for its coastal and beach location north of Brisbane as well as its myriad open spaces for residents to enjoy. It is also a highly walkable suburb with a burgeoning café culture and great scores for education options. Located about six kilometres south-west of the city, Taringa is well serviced by both bus and train public transport options, which means it also scores highly for access to employment. The suburb also has a varying landscape, which not only boasts plenty of tree cover it is highly walkable. Located adjacent to Sandgate, Deagon also scores highly for its coastal and beach location, however that’s closely followed by its strong access to secondary education score. The suburb also ranks highly for culture and retail, as well as its train station, which is on the Shorncliffe line. Mitchelton, which is about 10 kilometres north of the CBD, scores highly for its excellent access to a variety of primary and secondary schools. In fact, it ranked in the top 10 for education access overall in the study. The suburb also scores well for retail, cafes and topographical variation. Toowong has become a well known café precinct over recent years, and so it unsurprisingly scores highly in that category. With its location just a few kilometres from the city, as well as being adjacent to the Brisbane River, residents use its excellent bus services to commute for work as well as spend plenty of time walking around the suburb. What Petrie Terrace may lack in size, it sure makes up for in substance, scoring six top 10 rankings in the study. The suburb has high scores for culture, café and retail as well as for access to employment and its walkability. The suburb also has an enticing natural landscape. The northern suburb of Nundah has gentrified over recent years which has resulted in residents flocking to its thriving café and retail precinct. The suburb also has its own train station for commuting to the city about 12 kilometres away and is considered very walkable to boot. Less than two kilometres from the CBD, Spring Hill is unsurprisingly in the top three suburbs for access to  employment. It also scores highly for education and walkability with its residents no doubt meandering to its many cafes as well as culture and retail offerings. The inner north suburb of Lutwyche has transformed over recent times with renovation activity gentrifying the suburb. It comes as little surprise that it scores highly for its access to a growing café scene and retail precincts. It is also considered a very walkable suburb with a varying landscape. Located just four kilometres south of the city, Annerley has been previously been overshadowed by its more well-known neighbours Highgate Hill and Tarragindi. Times are changing though, with the suburb scoring very highly as one of Brisbane’s most walkable, as well as having excellent access to employment and education. Banyo has gone ahead in leaps and bounds in recent years, partly due to the Australian Catholic University setting up its Brisbane campus in the suburb. The suburb ranks second-best for access to education overall in the study, as well as having coastal and beach access via the neighbouring suburb of Nudgee. Located less than five kilometres north-west of the CBD, Ashgrove has long been known for its charming character homes of the same name. However, when it comes to liveability, Ashgrove is about much more than its beautiful houses. The suburb scores strongly across the board, especially for its tree cover, walkability, topographic variation and employment. Milton has been at the centre of a development blitz over recent years, thanks to its inner city location just two kilometres from the CBD. The suburb has seven top 10 rankings in the study, including access to cafés, retail and employment, as well as access to train and bus transport. It wasn’t so long ago that Brisbane City was home to very few residents but that has changed and with it has the CDB’s liveability attributes. It was ranked number one for access to culture, retail, walkability and employment as well as scoring strongly for its café lifestyle and bus networks. The inner north prestige enclave of Clayfield has long been associated with its education options, including two private girls’ schools, which saw it score highly in the study for overall education. It also has its own train station as well as an excellent café precinct. Another suburb that has come into its own is Dutton Park, which has traditionally been overshadowed by neighbouring West End and Highgate Hill. These days, it has an enviable café lifestyle, as well as a number of education offerings for both primary and secondary students, as well as direct access to the UQ campus at St Lucia via the Eleanor Schonell Bridge. The suburb has excellent access to employment and is considered highly walkable. When you think about Bardon, it’s probably trees and hills that come to mind, which is why there is no surprise that the inner city suburb ranks highly for both of these attributes. There is also ample open space. It also has a strong bus network and scored well for primary education options. Already well-known for its medical precinct, Herston also scores highly for its culture and café attributes. Being home to a number of medical facilities also means the suburb has strong employment access. However, Herston has plenty of open space as well. Located five kilometres south of the city, Fairfield is also one of those lucky suburbs that has the Brisbane River on its doorstep, which is what makes it a highly walkable suburb with plenty of tree cover and open space. It is also well known for its retail with it being home to its own shopping centre. The number one suburb for coastal and beach access in Brisbane is Shorncliffe. Located about 20 kilometres north of the city, the suburb has direct access to Moreton Bay as well as a popular pier. If that wasn’t enough, the suburb boasts its own train station as well as plenty of plenty of open space. Tucked in between the stately suburbs of Clayfield and Wooloowin, Kalinga is a new inner city Brisbane suburb (gazetted in 2015) that is on the rise. The suburb scores highly for its open spaces, including Kalinga Park, as well as its walkability but is also a top performer when it comes to its access to secondary school options. Inner city West End is considered the second most walkable suburb in Brisbane, with its residents regularly walking along the river or to its range of café, culture and retail offerings. They represent its highest scores but it also ranks well for for access to primary and secondary education. Its location adjacent to the CBD also means it has excellent access to employment. Its overall score was let down by a lack of open space, tree cover and poor congestion. Once upon a time it was only known as a place to party but Fortitude Valley has evolved to be home to a growing number of permanent residents. The suburb is seen as the second-best location for its café lifestyle as well as access to employment. It also ranks highly for retail, culture and walkability. The neighbouring city of Ipswich was previously known for coal and rail, but these days Ipswich (its central suburb) has a number of enviable strings to its bow. The suburb has oodles of open space and scores highly for access to employment. Ipswich also has excellent access to a bus network as well as retail precinct. The northern suburb of Stafford has undergone a transformation over recent years, courtesy of renovations of its many timber and tin dwellings. It now boasts one of Brisbane’s best retail precincts as well as a vibrant café and cultural scene. The suburb is also considered highly walkable. Located about nine kilometres of Brisbane city, Corinda has a landscape that in the envy of other suburbs given it has plenty of open space as well as river views. When it comes to liveability, Corinda scores highly for this attribute as well as its tree cover. The suburb has excellent access to trains, decent bus access as well as strong secondary education options. It’s overall score was let down by average marks for culture and cafe access. The inner city suburb of Highgate Hill has an attractive, undulating landscape and that is reflected in its excellent topography score. The suburb’s location just two kilometres from the city means it has excellent employment options as well as being highly walkable. It also scores highly for access to secondary education. Norman Park is just four kilometres east of the CBD and scores highly for access to trains, thanks to the local train station that transport commuters every day. The suburb also scores highly for access to education options, especially primary level, and for its great tree cover that residents enjoy. Chermside West may be best known for its proximity to the sprawling Westfield shopping centre in neighbouring Chermside but it also has some of the city’s best access to education options. Options include Craigslea State School and Craigslea State High School. The suburb also scores really well for open space. Perched on the coast of Brisbane rising back from the water fronting Moreton Bay, Manly is a picturesque seaside suburb and, not surprisingly, scores top marks for its coastal and beach lifestyle. The suburb, about 16 kilometres east of the city, is home to an expansive marina and plenty of residents who want to smell the sea air while being in cooee of the CBD via the local train station. The suburb also scores highly for secondary schools, as well as its café precinct. Boondall’s claim to fame may be the Brisbane Entertainment Centre but this northern suburb has much more to offer residents than just big concerts. Its location not far from Shorncliffe means it ranks very highly for its coastal and beach access but also has one of the top scores for open space. The suburb scores well for tree cover. Gaythorne scores top marks for topographical variety and does well for access to trains and employment. The suburb, located seven kilometres north-west of the city, has good results for cafes and retail but its overall score is let down by poor tree cover and access to primary education. Teneriffe is one of Brisbane’s most popular — and expensive — inner city suburbs, and it scores highly for culture and café, as well as walkability and access to employment. Access to retail is another strong point but poor tree cover and open space drag down its overall score. Previously part of Sunnybank, the southern suburb of Macgregor now is considered more liveable than its previous locality. The suburb, about 12 kilometres south of the city, scores highly for its secondary education options given it is home to its own high schools. The suburb also scores highly for its culture and café attributes as well as employment. Located about 14 kilometres north of the CBD, Zillmere’s affordability has resulted in its residential market strengthening over recent years. The suburb’s growing number of residents enjoy great access to trains, while it also scores well for access to education, walkability and its coastal and beach lifestyle. New Farm’s ranking is likely to raise a few eyebrows; as one of Brisbane’s most sought after suburbs, real estate here is fiercely fought after and comes at a premium. Its inner city riverside location translated into very strong scores for access to employment and walkability, while the plentiful amenities saw it score highly for culture, cafe and retail. New Farm’s overall score is let down by poor access to secondary education, a lack of tree cover and, significantly, congestion. Located about 40 kilometres from the Brisbane metropolitan area, West Ipswich has one of the city’s most attractive landscapes – in fact, it has one of the top scores for topographic variation in the study. The suburb also ranks strongly for retail and train access as well as primary education options. It also has a maturing cultural sector sector. Located on the waterfront next door to Manly, it’s little wonder that Wynnum is classed as one of the city’s best for its coastal and beach lifestyle in the study. While it might be located about 16 kilometres from the city, its residents have a choice of three train stations to commute to the city. The suburb also scores well for its walkability and its open space. One of Brisbane’s most desirable suburbs with easy access to the city, Coorparoo has also undergone a metamorphosis over recent times courtesy of the new Coorparoo Square. The development is likely part of the reason why the suburb scores highly for its café lifestyle. Coorparoo also ranks well for its walkability, access to primary schools and bus network. The inner north suburb of Wooloowin has seen many of its timber homes renovated to a high standard of late and is home to a number of heritage-listed properties. The suburb scores highly for having access to primary and secondary schools. It also boasts its own train station and is considered a highly walkable suburb. Everton Park has been quietly undergoing a transformation courtesy of new development and a new demographic. This is no doubt the reason why suburb scores highly for its café and retail precincts. Everton Park, just eight kilometres north of the city, has excellent access to bus services as well as access to educational offerings. Located south of the city and with the Brisbane River on one of its boundaries, Yeronga has a lot going for it. As well as a collection of streets that start with the letter “O”, the suburb is the highest-rating suburb for access to bus transport, plus it has its own train station to boot. Yeronga also scores highly for culture as well as open space, tree cover and walkability – beside the river no doubt. Kangaroo Point has one of the city’s most recognisable landscapes with part of it perched on the cliffs above the Brisbane River. Such an enviable location means the suburb scores highly for its topographic beauty as well as its walkability. It has excellent access to employment and excellent scores for cafes. It is also an easy commute to the city via bus or ferry. As its name suggests, Carina Heights has one of those lovely hilly landscapes as well as plenty of post war properties ripe for renovation. The suburb, about eight kilometres south-east of the city, naturally scores well for its topography but also was ranked number eight in the study for its open space. Carina Heights also has excellent access to secondary schools. Located about nine kilometres north-west of the city, Keperra has an undulating landscape and a well-known golf course. The suburb scores strongly for tree cover, walkability and retail, however its poor scores for congestion and lack of access to local primary schools dragged down its overall score. Another suburb where its name gives away its topography is Wavell Heights. Its location, about 11 kilometres north of the city, also sees it within an easy drive to the waterfront — a fact that helps it score strongly for its coastal and beach access. The suburb is classed as having excellent open space and tree cover. Home to the precinct of Stones Corner — recently reinstated as a suburb in its own right — Greenslopes has come of age with many of its post war homes undergoing rejuvenation. The suburb in one of the top two for access to primary schools and also scores strongly for retail, cafes and walkability. It may hold one of the city’s smallest populations but Nathan is a suburb with open space and culture in spades. It is home to a university campus as well as a sports stadium, which means it scores highly for culture, cafe and access to employment. Nathan, south of the CBD, also ranks well for access to employment. While it may be located along Brisbane River, Indooroopilly has many more attributes than just water activities. The suburb scored strongly for its secondary education opportunities as well as for its walkability. Given it is also home to a Westfield shopping centre, the suburb ranked highly for its retail and café precincts as well as access to employment and culture. The southern suburb of Holland Park is one of the city’s best for tree cover with its residents no doubt making the most of its hilly landscape when pounding the pavement. The suburb also has excellent secondary school options, including its namesake high school, and also boasts a number of primary schools. Holland Park is also considered very walkable. Lota is not often in the news, even though it is one of the few Brisbane suburbs with ocean views. Located about 16 kilometres east of the city and neighbouring Manly, Lota was ranked eighth for its coastal and beach lifestyle in the suburb. However, it is ranked fourth in the city for access to primary schools, such as Lota State School which opened in 1952. The suburb also has excellent access to trains and as well as open space and tree cover. Well-known for its desirable landscape as well as its bevvy of beautifully renovated homes, it’s little wonder that Camp Hill is a very liveable suburb. Its key attributes are clearly its open spaces as well as tree cover, however, the suburb also scored well for its secondary education opportunities. With a name like Sherwood, this southwest suburb has a picturesque landscape that obviously includes plenty of trees, but also the Brisbane River. However, when it comes to liveability, Sherwood scored highest for its train station as well as its primary school, which is actually one of the oldest in the State. Being home to a namesake mount, or hill in reality, Mount Gravatt has come of age over recent years with renovation being part of its evolution. Where the suburb really kicks goals, though, is in education, especially secondary with it being the third best in the study for this attribute. Mount Gravatt also has plenty of open space and a developing café lifestyle. Upper Mount Gravatt may be located next door, but its liveable are quite different given it is one of the study’s best areas for primary schools. In fact, the suburb boasts three of them. Being home to a large shopping centre as well as a number of businesses means the suburb ranked highly for retail and café as well as employment. Cleveland, in the Redlands shire, is located on the western shores of Moreton Bay, which is scored so highly for its coast and beach lifestyle in the study. The suburb also has its own train station as well as strong bus networks. Cleveland also scored well when it comes to primary level education, with it being home to two primary schools. The inner-north suburb of Kedron has more than its fair share of education offerings for its residents it seems. The suburb scored well for education overall, with it being home to one primary and two secondary schools. Kedron is also well serviced by buses and has plenty of open space for residents to enjoy. Graceville’s enviable location means it has the Brisbane River as two of its four borders as well a number of parks. Both of these attributes are part of the reason why the suburb scores strongly for its tree cover, open spaces as well as walkability. Graceville also has a number of schools nearby as well as a desirable café culture. It you want to experience the best café lifestyle in Brisbane, well, you better head to Newstead which took out the top spot for that attribute in the study. The suburb, just a few kilometres north of the city, also has culture and retail in spades as well as excellent access to employment. Newstead is also considered highly walkable. Being one suburb back from the beach, hasn’t stopped Wynnum West from ranking highly for its coastal and beach lifestyle. The suburb, about 13 kilometres east of the city, also has one of the best bus networks around as well as access to trains. Wynnum West also scored well for primary and secondary schools. Chermside is perhaps best known as being home to the largest Westfield shopping centre in Australia, but it is also a suburb that is growing fast, too. The suburb, about nine kilometres north of the city, unsurprisingly scores strongly for retail, but it also ranks well for its cafés as well as its walkability and open space. Chermside is also a top performer when it comes to employment, too. Gordon Park tends to fly under the radar, probably because it is one of the smallest suburbs in Brisbane. Located about five kilometres north of the city, the suburb scores strongly for its tree cover. Neighbouring Kedron means that Gordon Park residents have access to its well-regarded high school. Being located on the bend of the Brisbane River means Chelmer is one of the city’s most desirable locations but it also ranked number one for secondary education in the study, and 12th for overall education, as well. Chelmer also has oodles of tree cover, no doubt along the river reaches, as well as its own train station. Taigum may be located about 16 kilometres north of the city, but it is only two suburbs from Moreton Bay, meaning it is ranked 20th for its coastal and beach lifestyle. The suburb also ranked well for retail – it has its own shopping centre – as well as buses. One of the best performers for the Ipswich region in the study, East Ipswich scored highly for primary education with two schools, including the Ipswich Girls Grammar School, located in the suburb. The suburb also has excellent train and bus networks as well as access to employment. The Gap is well-known for its hilly and leafy landscape so it’s no surprise that it scored strongly for tree cover as well as geographic variation. The suburb, about eight kilometres northwest of the city, also scored well for education, especially high schools. Popular with families wanting lifestyle as well as access to education, Kenmore scores strongly for both of these liveable attributes in the study. The suburb is considered one of the best for tree cover as well as being highly walkable. It is also home to its own primary and secondary schools, so scores highly for access to education. The best performer for its region, Logan Central is the official business district as well as being a major activity centre. It got top marks for education overall and is considered highly walkable. The south side suburb of Sunnybank gets great marks for access to education being home to a number of primary and secondary schools. It also scores well for tree cover, walkability and access to train and bus services in the study. However, Sunnybank has one of the poorest scores for congestion in Brisbane, which drags down its overall ranking. The second-best performer for the Logan region, Beenleigh also has enviable access to education, with it being home to its own state primary and secondary schools. The suburb also scores well for culture and retail and is considered very walkable. Beenleigh also has its own train station. With Toohey Forest as one its boundaries, the southern suburb of Tarragindi took out the number three spot for tree cover in the study. The suburb also scores strongly for access to primary education, given it is home to two primary schools. Tarragindi is also considered quite walkable. Located 13 kilometres north of the city, Aspley has excellent retail as well as a number of primary and secondary schools within its boundaries. The suburb also scores well for its coastal and beach access as well as open space. The suburb has average access to bus and train networks. Hendra is most well-known for being home to the Doomben racecourse but also has an abundance of lifestyle attributes. The suburb scores highly for culture and cafes with a plethora of options available for residents. Hendra also ranks well for access to employment as well as education, with the Hendra Secondary College located in the suburb. Located just a couple of kilometres from the city, the predominant architecture in East Brisbane is timber and tin Queenslanders, most having been renovated to a high standard. The suburb also has a number of café precincts, which is reflected in its score. It did well for retail.  East Brisbane’s access to secondary education is very good — it ranks 22nd for this indicator — but its scores for open space and tree cover need to be improved. One of the Centenary suburbs in western Brisbane, riverside Jindalee is the eighth best location for access to secondary education in the study. The suburb, about 12 kilometres southwest of the city, also has strong bus networks and a growing café culture. A sparsely populated, semi-rural suburb, Sadliers Crossing has many attributes to offer its residents. Located in the Ipswich region, the suburb ranks fifth for primary education as well as sixth for access to trains with the Thomas Street Railway Station. Sadliers Crossing also has excellent tree cover — it ranked seventh overall. Another of Brisbane’s most prestigious suburbs, Hawthorne’s inner-east riverside location is dominated by grand character homes and beautiful Queenslanders. While it scores well for cafe, culture, access to buses and ferries, and tree cover, its overall ranking was dragged down by poorer scores for open space and congestion. Located about 22 kilometres from the city in the Moreton Bay council region, Strathpine is one of the best locations for access to secondary education with it being home to two high schools. The suburb also has two train stations, making commuting for work easy and an evolving café culture. Situated on a peninsula with the Brisbane River on three sides, St Lucia offers some of the best water views in the city. The suburb is also well known for being home to the University of Queensland. If that isn’t enough, St Lucia also ranks highly for access to employment as well as walkability, cafes and culture. Brighton is the most northern suburb of Brisbane with Moreton Bay on its border. Home to the Brighton Esplanade, the suburb ranks highly for its coastal and beach lifestyle, and open space. Brighton also scores strongly for access to primary education, with three schools in the district. With a name like Ferny Grove, it’s little surprise that this suburb, about 11 kilometres north-west of the city, has a picturesque landscape – it ranked 12th-best in the study. The suburb has excellent access to employment as well as secondary education. Stafford Heights has come of age over recent years during to renovation and gentrification. The suburb, about eight kilometres north of the city, also has excellent tree cover – the eighth best in fact. While Stafford Heights has good access to educational and retail offerings, its culture and congestion ratings are on the low side. Robertson might be located about 13 kilometres south of Brisbane, but it sure punches above its weight when it comes to education. The suburb was the 13th best for primary and 16th for education overall in the study. Robertson also has excellent tree cover. The fact that Arana Hills is on the edge of the Bunyaville Forest Reserve is one of the reasons why the suburb is ranked number three in the city for its beautiful landscape. Located in the Moreton region about 12 kilometres north-west of the city, it also has excellent access to buses and above average retail offerings. Its name does give it away, but Seven Hills is indeed one of Brisbane’s finest with it comes to topographic variation. The suburb, about five kilometres east of the city, is also the seventh best in the study for open space as well as having excellent tree cover. Seven Hills always has excellent access to employment. Mansfield has an abundance of bush and parklands courtesy of its agricultural history. Today, the suburb about 11 kilometres south-east of the city, is home to the well-regarded Mansfield State High School. Mansfield unsurprisingly ranks strongly for its open spaces and varying landscape, as well as tree cover. Nestled behind Bulimba, Balmoral boasts bountiful character homes. The suburb is also considered one of the city’s best for access to secondary education, mainly thanks to Balmoral State High School. Balmoral also has an enviable topography, and scores highly for tree cover and its undulating landscape. If you’re looking for open space close to the city, then Cannon Hill should be on your radar. The suburb is only five kilometres east of the city yet ranks the third best for open space in the study. Cannon Hill also scores strongly for its retail and café precincts as well as walkability. Its overall score is let down by its airport noise rating, which will come as no surprise to its residents. With the Bremer River as one of its boundaries, it’s clear why North Ipswich is one of the most liveable in the region. The suburb has a strong retail sector as well as access to bus networks. North Ipswich also ranks well for culture and topographic variation. Location within cooee of its namesake beach, Nudgee has one of the best coastal lifestyles in the city. The suburb ranks strongly for access to education, specifically secondary, as well as having plenty of open space. Nudgee also ranks highly for train transport given it has its own station. Its overall rank is impacted by its score for airport noise, which was one of the lowest in Brisbane. Located on a riverside peninsula just east of Brisbane’s CBD, Bulimba has long been of the city’s most desirable places to live. It’s liveability scores were very good — the suburb boasts some of the city’s best marks for cultural, retail and cafés and is considered highly walkable. However its overall score is dragged down by poor marks for congestion, open space and tree cover. Carina has undergone a transformation of sorts over recent years with its affordable post war housing attracting younger buyers and renovators. The suburb, about seven kilometres east of the city, also boasts oodles of open space. Carina is home to the Clem Jones Centre and Carina Leagues Club, which no doubt helped it rank highly for culture in the study. If any suburb’s name reflects its nature, then Basin Pocket hits the mark, given it is just 0.2 square kilometres in size. Yet this tiny Ipswich suburb scores big for its wide open spaces, tree cover, and access to bus networks. Mount Gravatt East has gentrified over recent years courtesy of younger residents and local development. The suburb, about eight kilometres east of the city, scores strongly for its retail sector. Mount Gravatt East also has an attractive landscape that features plenty of open space and tree cover. The commercial heart of Greater Springfield, Springfield Central has many liveable attributes to its name. Not only does it have one an enticing landscape, courtesy of Robelle Domain, the suburb ranks highly for its retail and café sectors. Springfield Central also scores strongly for access to secondary education opportunities. Home to the Enoggera Army Barracks,  Enoggera rates as one of the best suburbs for access to employment in Brisbane. It also has a beautiful topography, courtesy of Enoggera Hill. Situated about six kilometres north of the city, Enoggera gets decent marks for cafes and tree cover. From the highest point of Bracken Ridge, you can see the coast as well as the city on a clear day. The suburb, about 11 kilometres north of the city, ranks highly for its coastal and beach lifestyle. However, Bracken Ridge also scores well for open space, tree cover and access to education. With its evocative name, the inner Ipswich suburb of Woodend is home to a large number of parks as well as schools. Its location, just two kilometres from the centre of Ipswich, sees it rank highly for employment. Woodend, as its name suggests, also has an abundance of tree cover and open space and scores highly for those as a result. With its eastern boundary being the shoreline of Moreton Bay, it’s no surprise that this Redland Bay suburb is one of the city’s best when it comes to a coastal and beach lifestyle. While it’s about 27 kilometres out from the city, Ormiston residents can easily commute via its train station and it scores well for access to trains. It also gets decent marks for cafes and open space. A suburb that is slowly gentrifying, Moorooka also is one of Brisbane’s most multicultural. Located about seven kilometres south of the CBD, it ranks seventh for primary education in the study. Moorooka also scores well for its culture, cafes and walkability. Home to a plethora of timber and tin Queenslanders, the northern suburb of Virginia is only a short drive the ocean, with its coastal and beach access its highest ranking. The suburb, about 10 kilometres north of the CBD, also has its own train station for the commuting needs of residents and scores well on this front. Virginia also gets good marks for culture and cafes. An exclusive enclave best known for its prestigious properties and its koala sanctuary, Fig Tree Pocket, as its names suggests, has some of the best tree cover in the city. The suburb is also one the top ranked when it comes to culture. Bordered by the Brisbane River on three sides, Fig Tree Pocket ranks well for topographic variation as well as open space. Clontarf may be best known as a coastal suburb of Moreton Bay, but this picturesque neighbourhood took out the number one ranking for overall education. Home to a number of schools, the suburb comes in at number one for access to primary education and ninth for access to secondary education. Clontarf also scores strongly for its coastal and beach lifestyle. Given Toohey Mountain extends into this southern Brisbane suburb, Salisbury scores strongly for its landscape variation in the study. The suburb, about nine kilometres south of the city, also scores well for its access to primary education and cultural offerings. Salisbury also boasts plenty of cafes. Its congestion score was its poorest — not surprising given the major roads that run through the suburb. While Runcorn may be located a fair distance from the CBD – about 19 kilometres – its residents have some of the best access to a train network in the city, according to the study. The suburb also punches above its weight for access to secondary education. Runcorn also has plenty open space, which is why it’s considered very walkable. With a name like Everton Hills, the topography of this northern suburb is not hard to imagine. In fact, it ranks as one the city’s best for its attractive geographic features. The suburb also has an abundance of tree cover. Everton Hills also has excellent access to retail, courtesy of neighbouring Mitchelton, as well as cafés. A suburb that was mostly rural until recent decades, Mount Warren Park in Logan has oodles of open space courtesy of its many waterways and parks. The suburb, about 37 kilometres south of Brisbane’s CBD, also has excellent access to education, especially primary. Mount Warren Park also ranks well for retail. The inner Ipswich suburb of Churchill is within cooee of Ipswich’s centre but also has access to has a number of water ways, which could be why the suburb scores well for its attractive landscape. Churchill residents also have access to a number of train stations in nearby suburbs. With its seaside peninsula location overlooking beautiful Moreton Bay, you would think that Wellington Point’s highest score would be its access to the coastal and beach lifestyle. And while it does score strongly for that indicator, it also ranks highly — 20th in fact — for access to education. Wellington Point, part of the Redland local government area, also has its own train station as well as plenty of open space —with sea breezes. Another suburb which boasts easy access to the bay is Manly West, which came in 28th for its coastal and beach lifestyle in the study. The suburb, about 16 kilometres for the city, also ranks well for access to education given it is home to a number of public and private schools. Manly West also has excellent tree cover. Its cafes and culture need improvement and it scores poorly for access to buses. With its location mostly on the side of a hill, plus being on the southern side of the Brisbane River, Mount Ommaney kicks serious landscape goals. In fact, its topographic variation is ranked 11th best in the city. However, Mount Ommaney’s top result, 10th overall, is for its retail, likely given it is home to its own shopping centre. Classed as the commercial precinct for the Redcliffe peninsula, Kippa-Ring also has the enviable position as being one of Brisbane’s best for access to coast and beach. The suburb also ranks sixth for bus transport. Kippa-Ring rates highly for retail and walkablility but very poorly for topographical variation and access to primary schools. Another suburb well known for its retail offerings, the northern suburb of Carseldine is home to a popular homemaker centre. The suburb therefore scores well for its retail, and rates as one of Brisbane’s best for tree cover. Carseldine, about 16 kilometres north of the city, also ranks well for coastal and beach as well as open space. With an abundance of parks, bushland and waterways, Tingalpa scores highly for its multiple open spaces. The suburb, 10 kilometres east of the city, also has excellent access to primary education. Tingalpa ranks well for culture, retail and its access to coast and beach, given its close proximity to Manly. Nestled north of Chermside and west of Nudgee, Geebung is in the enviable position of having easy access to the city and the coast. However, its best feature is access to primary education, with two primary schools located in the suburb. Geebung also scores well for culture and walkability. Located just east of Capalaba, Alexandra Hills has a number of schools within its borders, with access to primary education its highest scoring feature. Along with an undulating landscape, the suburb has excellent tree cover and open space. Alexandra Hills also ranks highly for its access to coast and beach, thanks to its Redland City location. It needs to improve its access to buses and tree cover. Holland Park West has easy access to both the Gateway Motorway and Logan Road and is also one of the city’s best for access to education. The southern suburb is ranked eighth for education in the study, with access to number of nearby schools, including the Nursery Road Special School. Holland Park West also scores well for its abundance of tree cover. Jamboree Heights was originally part of “Centenary Project”, and along with surrounding suburbs was developed in 1959. The suburb, about 14 kilometres south-west of the city, ranks highly for its impressive tree cover, coming in ninth in the study. Jamboree Heights also scores well for its attractive landscape, as well as culture and access to primary education. With its location on the coast of Moreton Bay, Redcliffe is well known for its water sports as well as Suttons Beach and parklands. The suburb is classed as the heart of the peninsula and scores strongly for retail and cafes. Redcliffe also has good access to employment. With its hilly terrain and extensive bushlands, Shailer Park is classified as having one of the city’s more alluring landscapes. The suburb, which is part of the Logan region, correspondingly has excellent tree cover. Shailer Park also scores strongly for its primary school opportunities. Having Mt Coot-tha within its boundaries is clearly part of the reason why Chapel Hill’s topographical features are so well regarded. The suburb, about seven kilometres west of the city, also has plenty of walking tracks, which means it scores strongly for tree cover. Chapel Hill ranks well for access to primary education. With a train station, substantial shopping centre and retail strip plus parkland, Booval is an eastern Ipswich suburb with strong family appeal. The suburb’s best result is for its retail offerings – coming in 11th in the study. Booval also scores well for its train, walkability and access to employment. When it comes to access to the coast and beach, you can’t get much better than Woody Point in the Moreton Bay local government area. The suburb is ranked third best for this attribute in the study, with its residents living an active lifestyle thanks to its parks and waterways. Woody Point also scores well for its access to employment and cafes. A major suburban service centre within the Moreton Bay council area, Albany Creek residents have a number of lifestyle attributes at their fingertips. The suburb, about 17 kilometres north of Brisbane’s CBD, has one of the city’s best access to buses as well as good access to primary and secondary schools. The suburb also scores well for open spaces. With creeks as well as a coastline, the Redland suburb of Birkdale has many strings to its bow. Unsurprisingly, the suburb ranks highly for its access to coast and beach. While it scores well for walkability, tree cover and access to trains, its access to cafe and culture lets down its overall ranking. The Logan suburb of Kingston is one of the city’s best for access to education, according to the study. Kingston, about 24 kilometres from the city, also scores strongly for open space and trains. One of Brisbane’s newest and smallest suburbs, the northern suburb of Fitzgibbon has an enviable amount of open space for residents to enjoy. The suburb is just two suburbs from Moreton Bay, which is why it ranks well for access to coast and beach. Fitzgibbon also scores strongly for cafes and trains. A small suburb adjacent to Nudgee, Northgate has excellent coastal and beach access. The suburb, which is also close to the airport, ranks well for access to employment. Northgate is also kicking goals when it comes to cafes and trains. With a name like Ferny Hills, this suburb north-west of Brisbane easily ranks as one of the city’s best for tree cover, coming in fourth in that indicator for the entire study. The suburb also has one of our most attractive landscapes. Ferny Hills scores well for access to education, particularly secondary schools. Algester may be on the outskirts of the Brisbane council area but it received one of the highest scores for access to primary education. The suburb also has plenty of tree cover and is considered quite walkable. Algester rates well for access to buses. In the second-most populous suburb in the Redlands, residents are spoilt for choice when it comes to educational offerings with the suburb ranking highly for access to primary and secondary schools. As well as having Moreton Bay an easy drive away, the suburb has good open space and is classed as quite walkable. Capalaba also scores well for access to its bus network. With its location next door to Mansfield, this southern suburb is the enviable position of being in the school catchment for the well-regarded Mansfield State High School. The suburb, about 14 kilometres southeast of the city, obviously ranks well for education, particularly secondary. Wishart has excellent access to buses as well as plenty of tree cover. Coopers Plains gets the gold medal for access to trains. The suburb also scores strongly for bus networks and access to employment, with solid scores for retail and café precincts. Its overall score is let down by open space, tree cover and walkability. Once part of Loganlea, the Logan suburb of Meadowbrook has oodles of open space courtesy of its extensive parklands. The suburb has access to a number of transport options, including trains and buses. Meadowbrook also ranks well for secondary education as well as retail. Located on the Redcliffe peninsula, it’s no surprise that Margate gets top marks for access to coast and beach, including access to its namesake beach. The suburb, about 26 kilometres from the CBD, also gets an excellent retail score. It ranks well for access to employment and tree cover. With one of its boundaries being North Pine River, Lawnton is a suburb in the Moreton Bay region. The suburb has strong scores for access to train and bus networks for its residents. Lawnton also ranks well for culture and retail in the study. Home to a large primary school, Edens Landing in the Logan council area also has a median age five years below the Australian average and scores well for access to primary education. The suburb, about 33 kilometres south of the city, has decent scores for access to bus and train networks. If you want access to secondary schools, then Slacks Crack in Logan is one of the best according to the study, with this suburb coming in at number four. The suburb, which is near the Pacific Motorway, also scores highly for education overall, as well as retail. It scored poorly for access to buses. Another suburb in Logan, the population of Browns Plains has been growing strongly over the past decade. It’s little surprise then that the suburb ranks very well for its access to education. Browns Plains also scores well for culture and open space. Woodridge in Logan probably has more than its fair share of educational offerings for its size with it ranking strongly for both primary and secondary schools. The Logan suburb also has excellent access to buses and trains. Woodridge also ranks well for tree cover. Its overall score is dragged down by below average marks in cafe and culture and a poor result for crime. The northern Brisbane suburb of McDowall is notable for the Raven Street Reserve, which is a 24-hectare bushland area. No surprises then that the suburb is classed as one of the city’s best for its topographical variation and open spaces. McDowall also scores well for its retail sector. Flanked to the north by the Brisbane River, Sinnamon Park has oodles of open space for residents to enjoy. The suburb, about 14 kilometres from the city, also scores well for its access to retail and cafes. Sinnamon Park has good access to secondary schools. The Moreton Bay suburb of Petrie is about to transformed courtesy of a new university campus set to open next year. It ranks highly for access to primary schools, access to trains and coast and beach. Its scores for cafe, culture and retail are average and its access to buses needs to be improved. Redland suburb Victoria Point boasts good scores for cafes and retail. Located about 33 kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD and eight kilometres from Cleveland, it ranks well for access to secondary education and open space but poorly for access to public transport. One of the “Centenary suburbs” which came into being in the 1970s, Middle Park housing is generally of the brick and tile variety. The suburb has excellent access to bus transport and scores well for retail and access to primary schools. Given it is home to more than 20,000 residents, the Moreton Bay suburb of Kallangur has a number primary and secondary schools and scores accordingly in the study for these indicators. The suburb also ranks solidly for its access to buses and the coast and beach. It may be on the edges of the Brisbane City Council region but Kuraby residents have excellent access to buses and train transport options. The suburb, about 16 kilometres from the city, also ranks well for its primary school access and open space. Its scores for cafe, culture and retail were low, as was its score for access to employment. Named after the early explorer John Oxley, this south-western Brisbane suburb also has a number of waterways within its boundaries. The suburb scores well for culture, retail, access to primary schools and walkability. Its overall ranking was let down by poor scores in congestion and access to secondary schooling. Home to a number of affordable timber houses, Darra is popular with first-home buyers and renovators. The suburb, about 14 kilometres south-west of the city, scores well for access to primary education, culture, retail and trains. It’s one of the lowest ranked suburbs for access to secondary education though, and its tree cover score needs improvement. Newtown gets the gold medal in the entire study for tree cover. Unlike its Sydney namesake, the east Ipswich suburb of Newtown remains relatively price accessible. Dotted with large colonial homes and post war designs, with ready access to the Ipswich CBD Newtown is well loved by local homeowners. The suburb also scores well for access to secondary education and trains. Well known for its robust Asian population, Sunnybank Hills also has excellent access to primary schools. The suburb also has plenty of tree cover and is considered highly walkable. Sunnybank Hills also has a good retail sector. Its scores for culture and access to buses and trains need improving. Named for its flat topography as well its distance to Woolloongabba, Eight Mile Plains residents have good access to employment. The suburb also scores well for open spaces. Its scores for access to education are below average, while its walkability, tree cover and open space are all fairly average. Home to a large number of parks, Springwood in Logan also has a strong retail sector. The suburb scores well for access to secondary education, cafes and access to the coast. One of Brisbane’s smaller suburbs, Hemmant has easy access to the airport as well as being home to its own train station. The suburb, about 11 kilometres east of the city, is recognised for access to the coast and beaches as well as employment. Hemmant also has plenty of open space. With a location that boasts easy access north to the city and south to the Gold Coast, the northern Logan suburb of Rochedale South is also one of the best in the study for tree cover. The suburb scores well for its topographical features and access to secondary education. Its ranking is let down by lack of access to public transport and average cafe and culture offerings. The Moreton Bay suburb of Caboolture South has a mix of residential, commercial and rural land uses. The suburb scores well for access to secondary education as well as access to employment. Caboolture South is also recognised for its cafes but lacks access to retail and local schools, both primary and secondary. Bordered by the Brisbane River on one side, the Ipswich suburb of Goodna has mainly average scores across the board, with above average ratings for access to educational options including a TAFE campus. The suburb has decent access to public transport but its score for crime and let it down considerably. Home to its own conservation park, the Logan suburb of Daisy Hill, ranks highly for its tree cover. Daisy Hill is also recognised for its retail and cafes. Its scores for access to trains and schools, both primary and high, are quite low. Originally established as a place for returned servicemen after the Second World War, Inala today has excellent access to secondary schools. The suburb scores highly for its abundance of tree cover as well as its retail sector. A desirable address within the city of Ipswich, Eastern Heights is centrally located, enjoys ready access to major parkland and offers a mix of housing styles on well-sized, family-friendly allotments. The suburb scores strongly for secondary education in the study. Eastern Heights also ranks very well for tree cover. One of Brisbane’s newest suburbs within the Greater Springwood development, Brookwater, like its name, has an attractive landscape. The suburb scores well for culture, retail and cafes but is let down by below average scores in public transport and walkability. One of Moreton Bay’s fastest growing neighbourhoods, Burpengary’s location close to Bribie Island means it scores well for coast and beach. It also has access to trains and is recognised for its open space and walkability. Its cafe and culture scores need improvement and its access to public transport scores are low. Underwood is positioned on the Bruce Highway and includes a number of major commercial operations servicing Logan council residents. This likely contributed to its high score for retail in the study, as well as its solid ranking for cafes and culture. Housing ranges from affordable, established dwelling to newer estates. The masterplanned community of North Lakes has been a major growth driver in Brisbane’s northern outskirts. Train and Bruce Highway access make it popular with commuters, while the regional shopping centre services residents well, helping drive its strong walkability ranking. Its proximity to the bayside shows in its coast and  beach access score. With a long foreshore and plenty of parkland options improving its tree cover rank, this Redland suburb appeals to a broad range of buyers seeking a bayside lifestyle only just outside of the Brisbane City Council boundaries. As such, it scores highly in the coast and beach category of the study. However, it scored poorly for cafe, culture and retail, as well as access to employment. Dinmore is a modest suburb with affordable housing positioned 7.5 kilometres east of the Ipswich CBD. Properties range from detached homes on standard lots to some attached, entry-level housing. Its access to public transport options, both trains and buses, ranked highly in the study but its access to schools and open space scored poorly. Positioned 28 kilometres south-east of the Brisbane CBD, Cornubia’s ready access to the Logan Hyperdome and the Pacific Motorway make it a popular choice with commuter-style, family buyers. There’s a mix of standard and rural residential home options, the later likely helping to contribute to its high tree cover and open space rankings. An established suburb within easy reach of Strathpine’s comprehensive retail and service facilities. Comprehensive school options see the suburb rank well for access to education, while easy highway access helps drive its coast and beach position in the study. This modest Ipswich suburb bounded by the Cunningham Highway and Brisbane Road has affordable detached housing in its northern part, with a central park helping boost its tree cover result. Its access to trains ranked well, although it rated below average for cafes and access to buses. A Logan City suburb bordered by the Pacific Motorway and divided by the Logan Motorway, Tanah Merah gets good marks for tree cover and open space but poorly for public transport, walkability and crime. Calamvale in Brisbane’s south is a well recognised residential suburb with brick and tile homes typical of mid-1990s developments. The suburb did well in the education and open space rankings but poorly for culture, public transport options and congestion. Silkstone is an Ipswich suburb positioned three kilometres west of its CBD. While housing age various, there are numerous late 1800s and early 1900s dwellings among the mix. Good school options saw a strong showing in the access to education ranking, with a decent rank for open space as well. The bayside suburb of Rothwell sits between the Redcliffe peninsula and Deception Bay, resulting in a high coast and beach ranking. It’s home to the Redcliffe Aerodrome and has easy access to major roadways, wetlands and parks. Bus access ranks highly in the study while the Rothwell Central shopping area boosts its retail result. Gailes extends south of the Ipswich Motorway/Logan Motorway junction and is dominated by affordable post-1960s housing. Tree cover was strong in the study, as was train access with the suburb having its own station. Positioned 10 kilometres south-west of Brisbane and with frontage to the Brisbane River, Seventeen Mile Rocks includes riverfront parkland, likely contributing to its high open space ranking. There are also sections of light industrial bulk retail and detached housing of mixed age. Seventeen Mile Rocks Road has several commercial outlets helping boost the suburb’s retail ranking. Springfield Lakes is Australia’s largest master planned community located in Brisbane’s western corridor growth zone. It offers residents an enormous range of housing options, as well as comprehensive lifestyle facilities and necessary services, and plentiful parklands helping to boost its ranking in the open space category. Education also scores highly with multiple options for families across both primary and high schools, as well as a university. The southern suburb of Yeerongpilly is traversed by a train line. To its east is established housing, while west comprises the Brisbane Golf club, plus a comprehensive redevelopment of government land toward new residential, retail and other services. Its open space and train access are well regarded in the study. Brendale, in Brisbane’s north, provides a broad range of property types, from standard residential home sites with dwellings of various ages, through to rural stock and industrial uses. Cafes, culture and open space are plentiful in Brendale, although access to buses, employment and schools are not. Brendale’s lowest score was for crime. A north Ipswich suburb providing a small number of mixed quality housing along its main road, it has frontage to the Bremer River and includes a caravan park and sports centre. The local primary school helps boost its rank for access to education in the study, while easy bus access is reflected in its public transport ranking Positioned 25 kilometres south of the Brisbane CBD and well serviced by train and retail facilities, Loganlea is an established residential suburb offering a mix of average housing blocks, acreage style holdings as well as some high density housing. Secondary school options are seen as a strong point for the suburb in the analysis, while the suburb station boosts its train ranking too. Located in Logan City and bounded by Logan River to the east, Waterford West provides a mix of standard residential properties and acreage. The suburb, which features Waterford West Plaza and Tygum Lagoon park, has decent scores for retail and open space. Access to secondary school options score well too. Sitting just west of the Ipswich CBD, Leichhardt’s 1960s defence force housing evolved throughout the 1990s and beyond through a program of renovation and gentrification. That said, it still provides affordable housing options and ranks highly for access to employment. Access to primary schooling and tree cover both rank well in the study. Forest Lake is a major, master planned community, with its earliest stages begun in the 1990s. The suburb has evolved over the decades to become a major service centre, offering new-home alternatives to nearby Inala and Richlands. Schooling options are comprehensive, helping to drive a high overall education ranking across both primary and secondary tiers. Bundamba, in Ipswich, is a well established suburb that houses a TAFE and broadacre/rural residential and manufacturing in its northern portion. The suburb also includes affordable, older style housing in the area south of Brisbane Road. Its ready access to trains and buses rate particularly well in the study, although its access to primary schools does not. Crime and open space score poorly. Loganholme is most commonly recognised as a major retail and services hub located on the Pacific Motorway heading south to the Gold Coast, which resulted in a strong rank for retail. Housing within the location is of mixed quality but it appeals strongly to family buyers needing to commute both north and south with access to local primary schooling also a feature result in the analysis. Brassall is an Ipswich suburb positioned just off the Warrego Highway. In its elevated western portion are relatively new homes, however  established housing in the affordable price sector can be found across its landscape. As home to the Ipswich State High School, the suburb ranks well for access to secondary education. Its scores for cafe and culture were below average, as was its access to buses. Augustine Heights is one of the newer suburbs created within Greater Springfield, Australia’s largest master planned community. Positioned just off the Centenary Highway, homes are mostly good quality and of new construction. Its open space rates well in the study, as does its access to bus options. Bald Hills sits on the boundary between Brisbane City Council and the Moreton Bay local government area. With a train station and ready highway access, it’s a popular location for commuters seeking relatively affordable housing in a well serviced suburb. This proximity to the highway has raised its ranking for coast and beach in the analysis. Its open space also ranks highly because of abundant parkland and broadacre holdings. Caboolture was recognised as the traditional “city centre” of Brisbane’s fringe northern suburbs housing the local government offices, major parkland, train station and retail outlets. Its housing is a mix of affordable, modest quality post-1970s dwellings, some new infill housing and small unit and townhouse projects. As a commercial centre, it did well for employment in the analysis, and its highway and train accessibility mad for easy access to the coast according to the rankings Riverhills is a highly regarded locality within Brisbane’s Centenary suburbs to the west of the city. Homes are of mixed quality but include some very high quality prestige construction, especially those with Brisbane River frontage, with abundant parks boosting its open space ranking, and ready access to bus transport featuring too. Murrumba Downs in Brisbane’s northern suburbs fronts both the Bruce Highway and North Pine River meaning access to coast and beach are highlighted in the study. It has seen a series of large-scale subdivisions over the past 30 to 40 years, including the slightly unusual Castle Hill project with eye-catching designs in its early stages. Parks are considered a feature in the analysis, scoring relatively well for open space. While this was seen as one of the city’s best known rural residential suburbs offering very high-quality housing on acreage allotments, development has progressed with numerous subdivisions completed over the past 40 years. Quality contemporary housing on good size suburban blocks are now the norm. The abundance of acreage sites shows in its high scores for tree cover and open space. The Moreton Bay-fronting tip of the Redcliffe peninsula offers a range of housing types, many with excellent water views. As such, access to beach and coast rates extremely well. The suburb has evolved slowly away from its “retiree haven” status to become a lifestyle hub for many in the region. Scarborough rated well for cafes but not so well for retail, culture and public transport. One Mile in Ipswich sits just west of its CBD and is bounded in part by the Bremer River. The suburb is dominated by affordable housing on good size blocks. Ready access to the Ipswich golf course provides local appeal too. Open space, bus and train access are some of its standout ratings. A reasonably small suburb within Logan City, it includes Berrinba Wetlands, a man-made recreational park covering 120 hectares along Scrubby Creek. Culture and open space are seen as drawcards in the analysis, scoring decent results. A slightly unusual mix of established housing, industrial and retail outlets dot the landscape of Sumner in Brisbane’s western suburbs. With easy highway access and plenty of services and facilities, including a nearby train station, the suburb has appeal to both tenants and homeowners. The suburb ranks highly for open space and culture, with densities still fairly low throughout. Its crime score is poor, as is its access to schools. This bayside suburb east of Brisbane has been progressively developed away from its established market-farm holdings towards more traditional lots with contemporary homes. That said, there are still a number of rural residential properties, reserves and parkland areas across the neighbourhood, which help boost its open space ranking. It also, unsurpringly, places well for coast and beach access. Springfield came to fruition in the 1990s and formed the initial stages of what is now the master planned community of Springfield Lakes. The study shows access to secondary education options is strong and the suburb ranks well for cafe access. This is related to its ready access to Springfield Lakes facilities. North Booval is positioned just three kilometres from the Ipswich CBD. Its Bremer River frontage has appeal, although it was heavily affected in the 2011 flood event. Detached housing dominates with some homes dating back to the early 1900s. The analysis shows access to retail options is a drawcard, particularly south to Booval Fair Shopping Centre. It is one of the poorest performers for crime and open space in the study. Located within Redland, Thornlands is seeing progressive development of its once dominant rural holdings. Rural residential housing is still on offer, along with a mix of housing types on more traditional allotments. The low density nature of the suburb resulted in good ranking for tree cover and open space. Its easy bayside access also ranks well for coast and beach in the study. However, it is limited by poor public transport options and walkability. Riverhills is a well-regarded locality within Brisbane’s Centenary Suburbs to the west of the city. Homes are of mixed quality, but include some very high-quality. There are also extensive parklands fronting the Brisbane River which boosted its open space ranking. Positioned 25 kilometres south of Brisbane’s CBD, Bethania is a Logan City suburb with ready access to the Pacific Motorway and Beenleigh service centres. Trains also run directly to the suburb from the city and south to the Gold Coast which is reflected in the study scores – complimented by a high ranking for bus options. Located along Brisbane’s western corridor to Ipswich, Collingwood Park saw housing progressively developed south from the motorway and Redbank’s major shopping centre. Homes are predominately brick construction of post 1980s design. Open space is deemed a suburban strong point, as is access to good primary school options with Collingwood Park State School and Wood Links State School nearby. This is a southern suburb that saw extensive subdivision and development since the 1980 with a dominant house type of lowset brick and tile design. Education options and open space score well in the rankings with Yungumbir State School and Regents Park State school within its boundaries. Riverview is an Ipswich suburb that provides affordable attached and detached homes within easy reach of the Ipswich Motorway and train services. Easy train and bus access ranks highly but crime does not. It also rates poorly for access to schools, open space and tree cover. Deception Bay is a waterfront suburb known for offering affordable post-1970s housing on both standard size and acreage lots. It has evolved over the past three decades to now include newer designs and townhouses as well and has comprehensive shopping and services. Primary schools and coast and beach access rank well for the suburb – unsurprising given its bay front position. Hillcrest has a comprehensive range of services and facilities – including the popular Greenbank RSL – running adjacent to Mount Lindsay Highway. Housing is a mix of older and more contemporary homes on standard blocks as well as some acreage holdings helping boost its open space ranking. Bus options were seen as a strongpoint too. Marsden’s reputation as a popular, well serviced residential locality has grown over the past two decades, with a broad mix of post-1960s housing, townhouses and newer designs on offer. Secondary school options are well regarded in the rankings, due in part to Marsden State School’s good reputation. It did not fare so well for access to employment and crime. Richlands is best known as an industrial suburb and an employment hub in the western suburbs, although there are pockets of detached housing and new townhouse and house developments that offer affordable accommodation for residents. Culture and retail are its strong points in the rankings, while access to buses and crime are not. With a major shopping centre and easy access to the Bruce Highway, this established residential suburb has proved popular with renters and affordability-driven commuter homeowners. Easy access to the coast is highly regarded in the rankings, as is the level of retained tree cover. Stretton is a highly regarded southern suburb with a notable portion of prestige homes located on large semi-acreage lots, as well as more traditional housing in its western section. It scores top of the class for open space in the rankings and access to education options are deemed good across the board as well. Stretton’s overall score is let down by a lack of retail, poor access employment and walkability. One suburb out from Sunnybank, Acacia Ridge sits 15 kilometres south of Brisbane’s CBD. It’s mainly residential, although it’s known for its heavy industrial area in the suburb’s east. Its scores for culture, cafe and retail are above average, although it’s let down by low marks for open space, tree cover, walkability, access to schools and crime. An affordable, well-established residential suburb in Brisbane’s northern fringe with easy Bruce Highway access and facilities in both Morayfield, Burpengary and North Lakes within a short drive. Ready access to the coast ranks well for the suburb, as did its retained tree cover. Drewvale’s boundaries encompass the meeting point of the Logan and Gateway motorways, with established housing and some townhouses and villas located to the north and south. Open space and tree cover are real strong points in the analysis. Parkinson is traversed by the Logan Motorway with its northern section providing semi-contemporary brick and tile homes, and southern portion dominated by industrial and broadacre holdings. The suburb gets a silver medal, coming in second on the rankings for open space. It’s also a very safe suburb, getting top marks for crime. Its overall score is let down by very limited access to public transport and one of Brisbane’s lowest scores for access to both primary and secondary schools. Boronia Heights, 23 kilometres south of Brisbane, has ready highway access to the services and facilities of Browns Plains. Its low density housing is dominated by post 1970s brick and tile low set construction on good-sized allotments. Primary school options are a strongpoint for the suburb, as is open space and tree cover. While famed for its fresh food markets and outlets, Rocklea also provides a mix of light industrial and residential property. Heavily affected by the 2011 floods, housing has very much bounced back for this suburb situated just nine kilometres south of the Brisbane CBD. For culture, cafe, employment, and access to trains, Rocklea ranks well. For access to buses, congestion and crime, its scores are very low. With its well known racetrack and established post-war housing, Raceview provides popular, relatively affordable housing for buyers. The suburb has seen more recent development in the past two decades as well. It ranks highly for primary school options and total education overall. Eagleby has long been regarded as an affordable but well serviced suburb with ready highway access. School options such as Eagleby State and Eagleby South State helped lift its ranking for access to education. Its location between Brisbane and the Gold Coast make it popular with commuter residents. As such, it ranks well for coast and beach access. Located in Brisbane’s northern corridor, Dakabin has become progressively developed away from rural residential holdings toward standard house and land properties, as an extension to the nearby Kallangur project. The suburb has easy highway access, and comprehensive facilities at North Lakes are well within reach. Northpine Christian College helps lift access to secondary school education, while ready highway access also promote its beach access ranking. Camira provides established post-1960s housing just south of the Ipswich highway. The first stages of the now established Springfield Lakes community were in this suburb. Its wide streets and large blocks re recognised with a high tree cover ranking, while access to quality secondary schools is recognised too. While it’s located within easy reach of the Ipswich CBD, Moores Pocket also offers larger holdings along with more affordable, established holdings. The area was affected by the 2011 floods which impacted its housing markets appeal. Train access is seen as a strong point in the study with the nearest station being Ipswich. Durack is an affordable residential suburb with some industrial property in Brisbane’s south-west offering low priced housing with ready access to major roadways for commuters. Glenala State High School helped boost its secondary education rank, and it is also rates well fortree cover throughout the suburb. Positioned15 kilometres north of the CNBD, Eatons Hill is a mix of contemporary homes on standard allotments constructed over the past two decades, plus rural residential home sites with a variety of housing on offer. This boosted the open space and tree cover rankings for the suburb. Ellen Grove in Brisbane’s south west has seen progressive subdivision of its once rural-residential holdings to create new housing on small lots with easy access to Forest Lake facilities. A good tree cover ranking was a highlight for the suburb while nearby Richlands and Springfield stations also boosted its train access ranking. Positioned just 4.5 kilometres south of the Ipswich CBD, Yamanto’s easy access to the Cunningham Highway and plethora of facilities make it one of the city’s most accessible addresses for commuters looking for an affordable family home. Its retail was strong among the rankings boosted by the Yamanto Shopping centre and surrounding outlets. Flinders View is an Ipswich suburb which was dominated by established detached homes from the late-1960s onwards, however new subdivisions are seeing growth in affordable contemporary housing for buyers. Its open space scored well among the rankings. The southern suburb of Heritage Park has firmly established itself as a developing suburb of semi-contemporary homes on standard lots with its population utilising on the wealth of facilities and services available in nearby Browns Plains. Its open space scored well among the rankings while bus access was seen as a definite plus. Bellbird Park, in Brisbane’s western corridor, is positioned south of Goodna and has seen progressive development away from acreage style property toward higher density house and land development. Its tree cover is a definite high point in the analysis, coming in at 10 on the rankings. Bellbowrie evolved through the 1990s to become a recognise retail and services hub for Brisbane’s established rural-residential western suburbs, such as Anstead and Moggill. Around the main shopping are, homes on lower density sites have become popular with new development over the past few years gaining traction as well. Walkability is a major strong point in the analysis, while access to primary school options also features due to Moggill State School. Warner, positioned 19.5 kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD and located in the Morton Bay Shire, offers a diverse range of detached housing due, in part, to the development of Warner Lakes in the late-1990s, through to large acreage holdings south of Kremzow Road. It ranks well for coast and beach access and its nearby lifestyle facilities are recognised with a good café rank. Newport is recognised as one the Redcliffe Peninsula’s most established canal-front addresses with high quality housing and easy water access appealing to boat-owning buyers. Not surprisingly, a standout performer in the coast and beach rankings coming in at number six, but its café rank is also strong. The Logan City suburb of Crestmead sits 25 kilometres south of the Brisbane CBD and is dominated by semi-contemporary homes on standard residential allotments – a progressive development of housing away from the more established suburb of Marsden. St Francis College and Crestmead State School help boost the suburb’s primary school rank, while good bus access is also recognised. Doolandella, positioned 17 kilometres southwest of the Brisbane CBD, is evolving beyond its acreage property history. Large blocks are being subdivided into house-and-land style developments as an extension of the now complete Forest Lake project. Despite this, the suburb still ranks well for open space in the analysis. Bus access is well regarded in the study too. Redbank Plains is a well-established residential suburb located in the Ipswich-Brisbane corridor. The locations evolution has been ongoing since the 1980s with progressive house-and-land development being a primary housing type. Good access to both primary and secondary school options help boost its total education ranking. Located two kilometres west of the Ipswich CBD, Wulkuraka contains a small residential enclave of traditional-sized lots offering affordably priced properties. The remaining suburb includes larger acreage holdings and a mix of commercial/service use sites. Its easy train access is a standout highpoint in the rankings. It rates poorly for a number of indicators though, including cafe, culture, retail, access to schools and tree cover. The northern suburb of Joyner, on the banks of Lake Samsonvale, provide a mix of attractive family living on large acreage blocks and higher density, more traditional size house and land holdings. Coast and beach access are well regarded by the rankings due to the lakeside position, while its level of tree cover also features in the study. Burpengary East is a bayside suburb that sits on the banks of the Caboolture River. It is at the fringe of recent residential development in Brisbane’s outer-north region. Its coast and beach access rank well, as does its open space score. Its overall score is let down by very poor access to public transport, schools and walkability. Based in Brisbane, Nicola is an award-winning journalist and editor who has more than 14 years' experience writing about the property market and real estate sector. Louise and Josh Daly are a former geneticist and micro-biologist Opening Little Black Pug in Mount Gravatt is quite the career turn for the husband and wife team “Most people grab a takeaway coffee and five minutes later they chuck it in the bin,” Josh says “That contributes to billions of cups every year Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter today Josh considered banning takeaway coffee cups entirely but the two are offering a 50-cent discount on their Toby’s Estate coffees when customers dine in “We’ve tried to create a cool environment where someone will actually want to sit “If that means they grab something from the cabinet too The Dalys have taken over the Logan Road tenancy previously home to Brent and Kylie Farrell’s Slack’s Track The dark space has been revitalised with lots of white paint and greenery A long bench has been installed down one side of the room and the kitchen expanded and the best-selling soft scrambled eggs with mushrooms and truffle oil on sourdough Louise hopes to soon add more items that reflect her Asian heritage – a Korean fried chicken and kimchi burger A cake cabinet on the front counter accommodates house-baked goods such as macarons littleblackpug.com.au