Grayling

OK.....if I had to work in the centre I would choose one of the western suburbs (I used to live in Toowong), unfortunately they are also very expensive but they do have Queenslanders although they really can be very expensive in good condition in good areas....see Kim's post....you can be talking in the millions.

The other problem with recommending a suburb is that one person's paradise is another's hell on earth so you will get a lot of conflicting opinions which will not help you.( try searching for previous discussions on this subject....there are plenty)

You best bet may be an inner city apartment in somewhere like West End or New Farm....but they will not be cheap either. You really should rent for a couple of years and then make your own mind up.

Kim67

When I moved to Brisbane - the advice from native Cain Toads was to live within the first 6km circle in the Refidex (Urban Street Directory). This covers the suburbs within 6km of the city as the crow flies. There will be some suburbs within that that are a bit dodgy (for example, and I'll probably get caned here for racism, certain parts of Annerley and Moorooka have fallen in price because of the large number of Sudanese refugees in the area. I personally wouldn't go any further than Chermside on the north side of Brisbane, or further south than Upper Mt Gravatt. West I wouldn't go any further than Ashgrove (but that's my personal preference) and I'm not keen on bayside (again just my personal preference).

Lisalan

Yes, I'm aware not everyone wants the same thing but if an area had high crime or the aforementioned mattresses outside that's kind of a fact, so less subjective!
When we really get to the crux of the matter we'd just like to avoid these areas!

As previously mentioned we have a dog so an apartment is totally out the question and why I'm willing to accept a larger commute as something has to give.

But you're opinion on the west is helpful and something we can keep in mind, always good to know what's potentially a dream and what is dooable!

Lisalan

Thank you for just sharing your thoughts, sounds like good advice and something which we should definitely consider.
I understand people not wanting to say bad areas, but fact of life is there is always good and bad and if we have any small insider knowledge its a help.
If we get lots of replys and a trend appears, good or bad then we can get a picture.

Soozi

When we first moved to Brisbane we lived in a furnished apartment right in the city centre- there are lots of these around (although not many take pets, unfortunately). They do tend to be quite expensive, but give you a good base for exploring the suburbs. Each weekend we would head off in a different direction. I think it's worth taking your time to look around if you can. At the moment there are plenty of rental properties about, so you should be able to give different areas a short trial period if you are willing to rent for a while.

We have decided not to buy, and are now renting in New Farm (an inner-north suburb). I see you are looking to live further out, though. I have friends in The Gap and they are very happy there. It really depend how much time you are willing to spend commuting, and how you like to spend your weekends.

You may well also be able to find a job as an accountant in the suburbs (if you are happy working with a small firm); most suburbs have a commercial centre with shops and various small businesses.

One tip from me:, if you are new to Brisbane, I definitely recommend getting somewhere with air-conditioning to start with - most older houses don't have this. As you acclimatise, you will be able to decide wether you can live without AC.

Best of luck with your adventure. I really like Brisbane, and I'm sure you will too.

fish.01

Hi Lisalan,

Aiming for a house around $400,000 can put you far out and public transport options start to become harder to keep manageable (High $400's puts you far closer to the city btw). If your job ends up right in the city centre parking can be too expensive and many prefer to have a decent public transport option.

With that in mind, and the fact you are willing to live in quiet outer suburban areas to begin with, some ok areas within budget to check out are:

Redcliffe:

36 LIVERMORE STREET, Redcliffe, Qld 4020 - House for Sale #117558843 - realestate.com.au

This will be near the beginning of a new train line being built at the moment. Train will take round 1 hour direct into the city. At the moment many drive approx 15 mins to another train line which is around 35 mins to the city. This example house is around 20 minutes walk to this:




Springfield:

60 Eden Crescent Springfield Lakes Qld 4300 - House for Sale #117744303 - realestate.com.au

This leaves you a walk to the new Springfield station which is around 35 mins from the city:


Source: http://resources2.news.com.au/images...be24f2f5ad.jpg


Wynnum:

http://www.realestate.com.au/propert...nnum-116834523

BadgeIsBack

Initial budget 400k and then another one double that?

So is this 2 house purchases? One after the other -
Stamp duty/fees a consideration.

idreamadream

Hi,

I have also been looking into Brisbane suburbs as it's where we are aiming to live. I just googled "Brisbane suburbs" and have found lots of good information from Australians who live there on Aussie websites. People on forums tend to jump down your throat if you don't provide them with every minute detail, like you are stupid if you haven't thought it all out 100%!

Here is a list of the good suburbs recommended by Brisbanites. Of course- I cant vouch for any of them as I haven't been there!
-Southbank (obviously!)
-Bulimba
-Balmoral
-Manly
-The Gap
-Camp Hill
-Hawthorne
-Morningside
-Rosalie
-Indooroopilly
-Taringa
-New Farm
-Kangaroo Point
-Ascot
-Clayfield
-Strathpine
-Sherwood
-Clayfield

I've been looking them up and writing down important points about each. Of course some of them are very expensive, but you will earn a lot more in Australia so its all dependant on what job you can get.

jad n rich

Brisbane property market at the moment is absolutely manic in the under 500 range. A lot of southern investors are buying them up sight unseen.

For 400 you would have to go further out, the house would probably even then be a dump, needing a lot of work.

Where we used to live in brisbane, a house recently went to auction, not too far from the beach, pest and building report included. What wasn't included was the fact it had no approvals from council, illegal decks and structures, including one that was about one third of the property! It didn't sell at Auction, so it was then offered for sale with the agent telling people their offer had to be 'unconditional' . No buyer therefor had the chance to do the necessary searches. Nasty situation brewing for the happy chap who thought he got a bargain

Also one in 3 houses in Australia has Asbestos, many in the cheaper ranges are totally full of it. A lot of it is not obvious and removing it properly can be costly. We had it in a waterfront home, it was a nightmare, even a tiny thing like a broken light, dishwasher needed pulling out, small leak, you were delving into asbestos. Loads of asbestos roofs and sheeting too, more obvious but lovely when you come home and the part of the next door roof/ wall has been ripped off leaving your place covered in asbestos fibers.

Unfortunately the problem at the moment is the market is so frantic, people are buying without the proper checks a normal sane market would allow.

If an agent is asking you to buy 'unconditional' ask yourself why.

Kim67

Pretty good recommendations there, the only thing I can say from personal experience, that Bulimba and Hawthorn are lovely, but an absolute pain in the backside to get in and out of at peak hour. There is one road and out and to get to the city in the morning, you have every man and his dog going to work, plus the thousands on the school run, it's a nightmare.

Grayling

.

Grayling

It's all very well making a list of desirable or good suburbs....any of us could do that and many of us also live here.

However, given the figures mentioned by the OP, many of those are immediately ruled out because they are too expensive.

You say you will earn more in Australia but it will not be that much more. Unless you are bringing a very large amount of equity or have a partner on a very big salary then many of those suburbs will be out of reach,

Many people who live in those suburbs bought their houses before house prices went crazy in Australia (not that long ago).

moneypenny20

I'm a tad confused as some of the places mentioned are not what I'd call suburbs of Brisbane. GC, SC, Redcliffe and Logan are their own areas, aren't they? Damn, do I now live in Brisbane???????

jad n rich

Very true.

The list also has suburbs that were heavily affected by the floods.

Most councils will have flood maps.

Buying somewhere you dont know is always hard work. When we bought in Melbourne, suddenly heritage overlays, bushfire overlays, totally different stuff was being thrown around. Very stressful, when so many other buyers looking at everything.

BadgeIsBack

I wonder how any expat or migrant manages to set up here now...
the last 10 years have seen prices rise so fast that's it a case of yet another rat-race. What price sunshine, lifestyle, a change.

Australian cities can be a very nice life for those who had some luck with circumstance and timing in markets. But the life can also be very hard work.