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NORTH Lakes couple Valentina Burgess and Carl Snowling have won $20,000 toward the purchase of their new home as part of Australia’s first Best On Show event to give cashed up buyers exclusive access to some of the best residential developments currently on the market.

Hundreds of Queenslanders applied to be part of the News Corp Australia initiative, in partnership with developers, builders and furniture retailers across Brisbane, with 100 buyers chosen to be part of the all day event, hosted by Selling Houses Australia and Love It or List It presenter Andrew Winter.

Camp Hill couple Sumeet Bagga and Vijaya Kumar were chosen to spend the day with Andrew Winter, visiting developments including Lume Kangaroo Point.

A $12,000 furniture package donated by luxury furniture retailers Coco Republic, was won by Kay Scott of Alexandra Hills whose last furniture purchase was 40 years ago.

“With an event like this normally, by 4pm you’ve lost them, but they were still here eight hours on, that’s massive,” Mr Winter said.

“I think others could look at this as a real opportunity and I think qualifying the buyers helps them as much as it helps the developers.”

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Model Elyse Knowles and partner Josh Barker, who were crowned 2017 champions of The Block, have put their South Melbourne pad back on the rental market.

The property power couple have listed their unrenovated investment property at 13 Mountain Street for $600 a week.

It’s a significant price drop from their previous asking rent of $690 and $650 since 2018, according to CoreLogic.

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The two-bedroom terrace is yet to be updated by Knowles and Barker, who recently moved to a 1960s Byron Bay beach house they bought for $2.3m last year.

They bought the South Melbourne pad for $1.42m before they left the city in May 2018. ASIC documents name Barker as the owner of the property.

Belle Property South Melbourne property manager Natasha Coulloupas said she could not comment on the listing or the landlords’ identities.

But the agency is marketing the property as “immediately impressive with its high ceiling and wide hallway … drenched with natural lights and perfect for an easy and low-maintenance lifestyle”.

The property is also listed as pet friendly.

Knowles has modelled for major Australian companies including Myer, Aveda and Land Rover Australia since comedian Dave Hughes splashed out $3.067m on their Block creation in Elsternwick.

The couple also launched their own construction company J & E Projects this year.

The South Melbourne terrace was listed for rent just before stage four lockdown restrictions were enforced on Melbourne’s property market, ending private inspections for prospective tenants.

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OF all the luxury features inside their grand Sovereign Islands mansion, there’s one in particular the Jordan family will miss the most.

Bill and Muriel Jordan have put their family home of seven years on the market — much to the upset of their grandchildren.

Come school holidays it’s game on inside the basement of the four-level residence where the games lounge is kitted out with pin ball machines, a darts board and billiards table.

But the all-time family favourite is a five-hole putt putt golf course with a spectacular outlook over the Broadwater to Brown Island.

Mr Williams, who is on The Sovereign Islands Gateway board of directors, is an avid golfer but it’s the grandkids who get serious on the green.

“Bill loves his golf but our grandson adores the putt putt course,” Mrs Jordan said.

“He always says he’s going to flog us but more balls end up in the water than on the green.”

A builder by trade, Mr Jordan brought his piece of paradise to life on the exclusive island estate, with features including an internal lift, Hollywood-style cinema, pool, 8-car basement and five spacious bedrooms.

The home, which is listed for offers over $5 million, has hosted many special occasions for the retired couple who plan to downsize.

“The grandkids keep saying, ‘But Nanny, why are you selling? We love this house!’” Mrs Jordan said.

“Sovereign Islands is lovely. We would love to stay in the area.”

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Imagine waking to find your home bathed in sunbeams, as the sun breaks through a layer of morning mist.

That’s what Lincoln McEwen says the next owners of his stunning Stirling home have to look forward to when he sells.

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“I bought the property about six years ago and I was attracted by Stirling, and the home’s central location in it,” Mr McEwen says.

“It’s almost like an English village walking lifestyle where you park the car on Friday night after work and you don’t get in it again until Monday morning, because we walk to the shops, walk to the playground, walk to the library or walk up to the pub for dinner.

“The location couldn’t be any better, but yet it still feels very private. You’d think you’re on acreage.”

The property was the site of the former vet clinic, but some clever conversion work both by the former owner and Mr McEwen has transformed it into a great family entertainer.

“We’ve used it as an extended family house – my parents spent a lot of time in the self-contained area upstairs because it’s got a separate living area, kitchen and bathroom upstairs,” he says.

“We’ve made lots of little changes over the years, including creating an extra bedroom upstairs and converted the remains of the vet upstairs back to much more residential use.

“It’s great for entertaining and we had my boy’s seventh birthday on the lawns and it was perfect for that.

“All of our friends live nearby and we’re never short of a pop-in and we spend a lot of time on the deck around the chiminea in winter or enjoying the shady garden in summer.

“People are blown away by the views out of the northern windows and the sun streams through so you get beautiful dappled light during the day and as the sun comes up in the morning it streams through the mist in the valley and bathes the house in these stunning rays first thing in the morning.”

The home features seven bedrooms, numerous indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces and is set on a 2680sqm allotment with a creek.

“There are two ducks that have lived there for the past three years now – it’s brilliant,” Mr McEwen says.

“My kids Leo and Ivy loved it – it really is a fantastic family home.”

6 Merrion Tce, Stirling

Contact agent for price

Agent: Harris Real Estate, Arabella Hooper 0403 336 407. Land size: 2680sqm. Offers: Close Wednesday, August 26 at noon.

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PRIVATE negotiations will begin this week on the sale of Harbour Point, the grand Hope Island mansion which was passed in at auction for on Saturday.

The sun was shining down on 1525 Riverdale Drive where more than 200 people turned out to see the fate of the largest land holding in the exclusive enclave.

A strong local contingent gathered around the resort-style pool where auctioneer Colin Banks listed the virtues of the iconic estate.

“This is the largest block in the area,” he said.

“There are 11 entitlements, subject to council approval; it’s a whopping 4982 sqm property. The house is master built and has a 1815 sqm footprint.”

One of four registered bidders – all local – got the ball rolling at $4 million, with the auctioneer bidding $4.25m when no further offers were forthcoming.

“People have travelled over the border to be here — I can’t do anything to help you unless that hand goes up,” he beckoned.

The same bidder upped his original offer to $4.5m, still well short of the $9 million paid by the Chinese owners during the GFC in 2009.

“I know you’re going to test me here, but $4.5m isn’t going to buy it,” Mr Banks told the crowd.

“We’re not selling cattle or horses, we’re selling a mansion of a house.”

When the third and final call produced no further interest, the property was passed in and the auction wrapped up less than 10 minutes after it began.

Professionals Vertullo Real Estate agent Mark Carew, who led the marketing campaign alongside Nikki Dunlop, said the result was a surprise given the level of interest.

“It’s been very positive,” he said.

“There are a number of interested parties who we will be speaking with this week.”

Mr Carew said the border closure and lockdowns prevented a serious Melbourne contender from attending the auction, which was conducted onsite only.

The campaign pivots to private treaty this week, with an anticipated price guide of $6.5m-$7.5m.

The Mediterranean-style mansion was built by national car-warranty business owner Gary and Suzanne Chuck, who purchased the prime plot in 2001 for $2.1 million.

Long-time Riverdale Drive residents Daryl and Pam Sutherland, who attended the auction, recall dinner parties at the house during the Chuck’s tenure.

“There were chefs, waiters and sorbet between courses,” Mr Sutherland said.

“It was like being in a five-star hotel. Gary was a real character, it was always a lot of fun.”

Mr Sutherland said he was surprised to see the property passed in.

“I really thought the bidding would have started at $5m or $6m,” he said.

“I thought a wealthy celebrity might have bought it, like maybe Russell Crowe and his football team.”

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SAVVY househunters could save hundreds of thousands of dollars by buying a house in a ‘bridesmaid’ suburb just a stone’s throw from some of Brisbane’s priciest postcodes.

While the ‘bride’ suburbs of Ascot, Hamilton and Pullenvale may have some of the most prestigious real estate in Queensland, some of their neighbouring suburbs are just as appealing — and with a much more affordable price tag, new figures show.

Research by Realestate.com.au reveals it is possible to buy a house in Northgate, Riverhills and Murarrie for less than half of what you would expect to pay for their respective ‘bride’ suburbs.

In crunching the numbers, suburbs were ranked based on the greatest variance in median price between the ‘bride’ suburb and the ‘bridesmaid’ suburb.

The two suburbs being compared either share a boundary or are within 10km of each other.

For example, in Newstead the median unit price is $645,000, but just next door in Fortitude Valley, the median unit price is $390,000 — that’s a difference of $255,000.

The Brisbane ‘bridesmaid’ suburbs with the biggest difference in unit prices compared to their respective ‘bride’ suburbs include Woodridge, Deception Bay and Capalaba.

Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee said ‘bridesmaid’ suburbs were considered the second-best options for buyers locked out of the more expensive postcodes.

Ms Conisbee said some suburbs were seen as less desirable than others nearby, but buyer preferences could change.

“Difficulties in moving around are going to be less of an issue going forward,” Ms Conisbee said.

“Sometimes suburbs can seem vastly different but because preferences change they become far more desirable.”

Ms Conisbee said buying a property a bit further away from a ‘bride’ suburb to a ‘bridesmaid’ suburb could be a good an investment.

“In the knowledge that you’re never going to pay the same price, you can enjoy some of the amenities that the blue chip suburbs enjoy (by moving to wannabe suburbs),” she said.

“The factors that seem to lead to the gaps are things like beach access, housing is tight, block sizes and physical geography. Hilly does better as you can get higher aspects.”

In Brisbane, Ms Conisbee said homes in suburbs on the river were generally higher in price.

She said Stretton, with a median house price of $896,500, would be considered a ‘bride’ suburb because it had a lot of big homes on large blocks.

But the nearby suburb of Woodridge had a much more affordable median house price of $285,000 — meaning buyers could potentially save more than $600,000 by buying a house there instead.

“Places like New Farm are also really expensive for houses,” Ms Conisbee said.

“People are potentially buying units just to be in those (‘bride’) suburbs, and that’s something that would really push up the pricing.”

Ms Conisbee said the same considerations applied when it came to buying units.

“If there are a lot of units in one location as opposed to another, it makes it a lot cheaper than a suburb where there aren’t many units,” she said.

Northgate in Brisbane’s north has been identified as a ‘bridesmaid’ suburb, with a median house price of $633,000, yet only about 10km from the CBD.

Its ‘bride’ equivalent of blue-chip Ascot has a median house price of $1.4 million.

Janelle McKenna of Place Estate Agents Ascot said Northgate was a more affordable alternative to Ascot that offered “more bang for your buck”.

But house prices in the suburb are rapidly growing as buyers begin to realise its potential.

Ms McKenna holds the residential home sale record for Northgate after selling 94 Peary Street for $3 million early this year.

“I don’t think you’d get a bargain here anymore, but you’re going to have good growth — it’s definitely a suburb worth investing in,” Ms McKenna said.

She said the suburb had grown in popularity in recent years as coffee shops and micro breweries started to pop up.

“Northgate once upon a time was looked at as an industrial suburb, mainly because of the pineapple factory that was here,” Ms McKenna said.

“It’s now a community minded family area.”

On the other side of the river, the ‘bridesmaid’ suburb of Murarrie has a median house price of $645,500 — a far cry from its respective ‘bride’ suburb of Hamilton, where the average house sells for $1.4 million.

After falling in love with Murarrie nearly two decades ago, Mara and Vince Greco are now reluctant to leave.

The couple is selling their home at 32 Walter Street to move closer to family interstate.

The Grecos have seen a lot of once undesirable suburbs become ‘brides’ in the time they have lived there.

“We used to visit friends in Bulimba, but back then it was an area inhabited by people who worked down at the wharves,” Mr Greco said.

“It was low-lying and flood-prone. Of course, it’s been transformed now.”

But Mr Greco always saw potential in Murarrie.

“On the other side of Creek Road — the high side — is all small, post-war houses,” he said. “The elevation is something that always appealed to me. It’s a lot cooler up here than on the low side.”

The Grecos bought an old house in the suburb, but instead of renovating, decided to rebuild.

Mr Greco believes it was a good investment decision, and sees Murarrie continuing to grow in the years ahead.

“If you look at the progression of residential development over the decades, if you look at what Brisbane started out as and how it’s grown since then, the industry tends to get pushed further and further out,” he said.

“There’s less and less stevedore work and dry docks down along the river at Murrarie, and that will all slowly change.

“People want to live close to amenities, schools, shopping centres. Here, you’ve got the Cannon Hill shopping centre, Carindale (Westfield shopping centre) down the road, you’re one traffic light away from the north coast, one traffic light away from the south coast, and there’s a train station.”

Meagan Muir of Place Bulimba, who is marketing the Grecos home, said ‘bridesmaid’ suburbs like Murarrie often held up well in times of uncertainty because buyers saw an opportunity to buy close to a more desirable area.

“I think anyone wants to buy in a suburb where they can see growth happening,” Mrs Muir said.

“If they can get in at a value buy, they feel more confident because they’re not paying a premium for real estate at a time when the market is uncertain.”

Mrs Muir said Murarrie was seen as the next Cannon Hill in terms of the ripple effect from higher priced suburbs closer to the CBD.

“Now Cannon Hill is outpricing many buyers, so they’re looking to Murarrie,” she said.

“It’s very family friendly, with lots of young families and first home buyers.

“You’ve got a city view from some parts. In Bulimba, you’d be paying in the high $1 million bracket for a house with the same view.”

THE TOP 10 BRIDESMAID SUBURBS FOR BUYING HOUSES IN BRISBANE

Suburb #1  Median price Suburb #2  Median price  Price difference % difference

Stretton $896,500 Woodridge $285,000 $611,500 215%

Brookwater $780,000 Goodna $292,375 $487,625 167%

Kuraby $682,000 Logan Central $285,000 $397,000 139%

Fig Tree Pocket $1,170,000 Jamboree Heights $495,000 $675,000 136%

Newport $850,000 Deception Bay $362,000 $488,000 135%

Corinda $805,000 Inala $345,000 $460,000 133%

Ascot $1,445,000 Northgate $633,000 $812,000 128%

Pullenvale $1,115,000 Riverhills $505,000 $610,000 121%

Sherwood $915,000 Rocklea $420,000 $495,000 118%

Hamilton $1,403,888 Murarrie $645,500 $758,388 117%

(Source: Realestate.com.au)

THE TOP 10 BRIDESMAID SUBURBS FOR BUYING UNITS IN BRISBANE

Suburb #1  Median price Suburb #2  Median price  Price difference % difference

Runcorn $326,000 Woodridge $161,500 $164,500 102%

Scarborough $440,000 Deception Bay $255,000 $185,000 73%

Ormiston $485,000 Capalaba $292,500 $192,500 66%

Newstead $645,000 Fortitude Valley $390,000 $255,000 65%

Bulimba $650,000 Albion $400,000 $250,000 63%

Bethania $310,000 Beenleigh $203,000 $107,000 53%

New Farm $587,000 East Brisbane $395,500 $191,500 48%

North Lakes $402,500 Murrumba Downs $277,000 $125,500 45%

Teneriffe $567,500 Bowen Hills $395,500 $172,000 43%

Ascot $477,500 Wooloowin $336,750 $140,750 42%

(Source: Realestate.com.au)

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BUILT in 1991, this large two-storey home has a distinctive nod to classic Georgian architecture.

This style is synonymous with the historic village of Richmond, from which this home is just a short walk away.

Set back from the road on a large 1206sq m block, this home will cater to the needs of a large and extended family with its four big bedrooms and the inclusion of a single-bedroom, self-contained unit with its own, near-level access.

The lower level of the home offers flexibility.

It has multiple living areas, which will allow the next owner to configure to their needs.

The current owners have a warm and cosy TV room, a study and large family dining room, perfect for family meals and entertaining.

But the inviting spaces make it easy for the imagination to run wild with the possibilities the downstairs of the property presents.

A well-equipped kitchen can also be found on this level. It has a large double Belling stove with an induction cooktop, a dishwasher and a large pantry. There is benchspace for miles and a servery window for added convenience; it opens into the front room.

There is a large laundry and a separate toilet that divides the main house from the unit.

Head upstairs and you will discover large bedrooms, three of which have built-in wardrobes.

There is an updated large family bathroom with a tub and a linen cupboard that is large enough to house all a family-sized load of linen and then some.

Back downstairs, the self-contained unit offers a variety of uses.

Whether the property owner needs the extra space for a home business, a child that “just won’t move out”, a mother-in-law who insists on moving in, or an indulgent parents’ retreat – the choice is yours.

The unit has a lounge, kitchen, bathroom and built-in wardrobes.

Its level access is from the rear of the property and it has privacy from the rest of the home.

It could even be used to generate an income as an Airbnb or long-term rental, if desired.

Outside, this property does not disappoint. A large covered deck is located off the dining room. It presents a perfect spot for a family gathering or alfresco dining – whatever the weather.

With a triple garage and additional off-street parking, there is plenty of extra space for vehicles and weekend projects.

Yet another highlight, the property has a swimming pool, ensuring summer afternoons are filled with fun and laughter. The safe yard is fully fenced.

No.7 Prossers Road, Richmond is listed with Kate Storey Realty and priced at “Offers over $780,000”.

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There is no question that COVID-19 is making plenty of people rethink where and how they live.

Working from home has opened up many new opportunities, and interestingly, the lockdown has also spurred people into thinking about retirement options.

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Nerida Conisbee, realestate.com.au chief economist, said online search activity had risen since the first COVID-19 lockdowns in March.

“The interest in luxury living at retirement is also showing up when we look at new development inquiries,” she said.

The Rose By Moran at Wahroonga is currently Australia’s most popular, Ms Conisbee said.

The luxury seniors independent living project is being developed at 1574-1578 Pacific Highway, a property also home to one of the area’s most stately, heritage-listed homes, Rosemorran, which has been owned by Marc and Lindy De Stoop since 2003.

They have teamed up with former Moran Health Group chief, Dr Shane Moran for the project. which is under construction and will comprise 34 two and three-bedroom luxury apartments.

Dr Moran said he was surprised to learn how popular the project was nationally.

“Our phones have been running hot,” he said.

“We’ve been fielding a lot of inquiries and secured some strong sales which has put us ahead of expectations. I think the current environment is certainly focusing people on looking for a safe haven for themselves or their parents.

“People preparing to retire are thinking about how they move to this new stage of life and maintain independence but still stay connected and part of a community; and adult children are wanting the best care and environment for their elderly parents. They also know we’ve been in the industry more than 60 odd years so there’s definitely a significant sense of comfort in that.

“Buyers are looking for a balance of all of these things in new generation retirement living – we’re offering that plus the back-up health services and assistance.”

Dr Moran said the development was well ahead of targets in terms of off-the-plan sales, and they are expecting a sellout before construction is completed.

“In particular there’s been a tendency toward the larger, higher-end apartments and they have been most in demand, bearing in mind we’re still off the plan,” he said.

“As we get closer to completion we’re seeing interest build as it’s easier for people to visualise.”

He said construction was tracking well and was on target for a late end of year completion – around November/December.

There are still a number of two-bedroom plus study apartments available from around $1.2 million, up to more than $3 million for a three-bedroom apartment.

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