stamples

A lot of people from Sydney with lots of $ are moving up from there to the Brisbane greater areas the last year or so. Some areas like the Gold Coast have had a surge in prices as a result. (They can sell their Sydney home and buy one outright Brisbane greater region and can afford the private school fees too, with change). We think the growth areas for the greater Brisbane region now that the Gold Coast has had the recent surge (and increase in prices) are north - e.g. somewhere on the Redcliffe Peninsular and going west e.g. towards or near Ipswich (suburbs like Karalee, Barellan Point, Karana Downs, Mount Crosby, Chuwar we like) - out of the Ipswich city but only 15 minutes drive home and little traffic and some great value) We've just moved to the Ipswich area (apparently 30 mins train commute times into Brisbane City). There is a very mixed bag of suburbs, but some lovely ones with acerage/rural etc. 15 mins outside the city and value here is still incredible - e.g. we're looking at a place 15 mins outside Ipswich city with 1.7 acres for $465,000 and Costco are opening shortly - not a company who invest where they don't expect growth. And some other shopping precincts going up. Springfield I don't know much about is also in the Ipswich Council area, but further away, but I think a similar commute time to Brisbane. Still for value and not too bad commuting to Brisbane City I also favour some suburbs on the Redcliffe Peninsular (Woody Point, Clontarf, some areas of Margate, Scarborough) - We bought a townhouse at Woody Point a block and a half from the beach 5 years ago for under $300,000, which we are about to rent out a block (2 big Bedrooms, 1.5 Bath, courtyard, Garage etc), prices are only now starting to rise - so there is still time to get into the area before the likely surge. I commuted by car from there to other side of the city for around 1.5 years - +/- 45 mins commute - and the Redcliffe Peninsular and starting to smarten up and is changing the last year or so in particular. (Like anywhere, mixed areas and some lovely and some not lovely areas/roads - basic rule of thumb some locals believe ideally you should be "'Ëast of Oxley" street, but there are some lovely ones around other areas too. Some say that areas like the Logan region (mid way between Brisbane and Gold Coast), which I understand can be a bit wild, might start going up and improve and the proximity to Brisbane isn't bad - but I'm inclined to think you need to have rented there and feel satisfied about the actual area before investing there at this stage. I'm also hearing that the last 3 months 8,000 migrants have come to Queensland, jobs were already in short supply, but maybe the influx will create job creation ... they say there were 210,000 people in Ipswich in 2018, by 2036 they estimate it will have doubled, so maybe the Costco's of this world etc. have some insight. Hope this gives you broader 'food for thought'. Feel free to email me if you want to know more.

I agree 100% with Toots' sunscreen recommendation. That particular one (active) I've found also does not stain your white clothes/shirt collars. Many shops have it on half price or similar at the moment too.

Thanks for a brilliant summary of this wonderful area we live in!

Hi Not sure if you're looking in all areas however we will be sadly vacating this month, to move inland for work, a lovely very reasonably priced 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom double story town house in a lovely small complex at Woody Point (postcode 4019,Qld) on the Redcliffe Peninsular just north of Brisbane that is a block and and a half from the local long Sandy beach. I've commuted into Brisbane easily, by car (around 45 mins or so), train too is great news, and now has two train line options and local busses to get you there too etc. The local lifestyle is amazing with shops, cafes etc. And from our place walks\cycles are amazing - just for beach views, walk or cycle left and walk or cycle up to around 12kms, or walk right for around 5. In a car it's perfectly placed - around an have hour to 1) the Sunshine Coast 2) the Gold Coast or 3) the gorgeous mountains and hikes. Plenty of local schools. Feel free to email me on stamples@ymail.com if you want more info on area or town house.

We don't have kids, but immigrant friends who do have been very impressed with some of the Independent State schools (fairly independently run as opposed to State Schools as I understand it). If you are in Brisbane, there is an excellent and extremely well resourced Independent State school near Graceville I believe which our friends espouse is as good in every way as their children's previous private schools (in South Africa, which are generally still very good). Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone for your input and recommendations. Very pleased to say recommendations led us to an exceptional professional Conveyancing Solicitor - Emily Davis of Cartmells Solicitors in Buckinghamshire (http://cartmell-solicitors.co.uk/property-law/) - incredibly efficient throughout, who managed to get our sale through in only 6 weeks (liaising with us abroad) after a (random) window cleaner found us a private buyer (one of his clients who'd already sold) the day before we signed up with an estate agent! (random act of kindness?) Also the buyer's estate agent, Simon Minter, the Branch Manager of Tim Russ, Thame, Oxfordshire (http://www.timruss.co.uk/about-us/tim-russ-thame/thame-team/) although not getting any commission from us, was very professional and helpful by liaising with the parties and keeping me updated on what was occurring in the process, a second good deed, much appreciated - we've extremely grateful to all these kind and professional parties, particularly this post-BREXIT vote week!

Dear Shayman I've only a few minutes, so a quick brief post in reply: I don't know anything about the Leeds market or rentals there or anything, but here are some generic things to think about: - at the moment if you rent out a UK property, you can get 'depreciation' tax relief here in Oz on it if it's under 20 years old or renovations have been done in that time (I think those are the parameters from memory) - this may change, but at the moment it's still there - we just got it done from here for a UK property via http://washingtonbrown.refr.cc/3HJFXMP. You can usually also claim your mortgage interest and repairs and maintenance off Oz tax. So after all sums done, often it's almost 'neutral' but someone else is paying your UK mortgage and the property is growing in value - so worth staying in the property market rather than being out of it altogether for 4 years I would personally think unless tax regimes become harsher. - As part of you decision making - worth also checking out the newish UK's Capital Gains tax laws, but from what I understand it, it'll be worked out from 5 April 2015 until you sell and I'm guessing your rental income will keep you under the UK tax paying threshold. - Leave it vacant possession - I can't think of any good reasons to contemplate this, a good rental agent should be able to look after a property and repairs etc. can often be claimed back via tax (or a proportion of). On another note, have a read of posts regarding what life in Brisbane or Queensland generally is like to live in or why people have returned to the UK before you sell up anticipating you might move here permanently, it's not all fun and sunshine, things can be quite challenging, in the workplace especially. All the best with your research and subsequent decisions! Regards

Hi All The conveyancing Alchemist we used to use in the UK (21 days viewing to completion on a freehold) has retired, and we probably have a cash buyer who is in love with the house and wiling to pay decent money it seems, and all before we've even put the house on the market with an agent - so if we proceed that route, would ideally need a really quick UK conveyancer if anyone can recommend any - My google search found a few, but it looks like they are just trying to differentiate themselves from other conveyancers and don't necessarily appear really convincing they are fast at achieving completion. We'll be selling from over here (house based Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border) and I understand from a conversation with one conveyancer (quoting 8-12 weeks at the moment!!) that scanned signed email documents can start the process and that originals just need to be available for Completion (?). Any experience on this? Also, any other advice/recommendations/things we need to be aware of if selling 'not through an agent' would be appreciated too. Thanks in advance.

The Redcliffe Peninsular is lovely - good lifestyle, sand beaches, marina - so good walks etc. and good value homes. If you look there the general 'rule of thumb' is to ideally look at property (East of Oxley St so you are beach side and/or Scarborough), there are some nice homes elsewhere, but you generally can't to wrong with East of Oxley. I don't know much about schools. Traffic to Brisbane I personally think is a bit better than Northlakes etc. as we have more sneaky routes we can use from here when things clog up. Also they are opening a new train line here shortly and it's 'end of the line' so you should be guaranteed a seat. Happy home and area hunting!

Thanks everyone for your input and suggestions. This thread has sure had some legs

Any recommendations on a good conveyance that can get things through really quickly in a no-chain scenario?

Thanks for the advice on the furnishing etc., just wondering about what to aim for in sales commission negotiations - 1% seems to be coming up as standard rate, how low is a good agent likely to go - best to start negotiations with figures in mind... Thanks in advance for suggestions.

Hi! Wow 75% hike in 4 years, extraordinary - well done! Some areas probably have grown more than others too. Our recent valuations have had a 40k span - what's with that... We've had ours a long time so the value is over time. Excellent tax advice from our Alchemist has just demonstrated to us the forex etc offset from when we moved until now means limited tax liability, so looking like the right time to make the move .... The property is Chilterns based, in Chinnor, 4 miles from Thame and Princes Risborough, about 12 miles from High Wycombe or Aylesbury. Any recommendations/suggestions on Estate Agent and Solicitor would be welcome and if things are still so hot, opinions too on the following would be helpful too: - Do some more improvements before selling to try and maximise sale value? (interior to be repainted this week, but facias could be replaced at around 3k if likely to make a difference, both neighbours have upgraded theirs) or just sell as is? - It will be emptied this week so furnish with a staging company or not?, if so, any idea of costs and any recommendations? - Wait until after Easter before putting on the market? - Also, any ideas whether we could do the selling paperwork without us both flying back to the UK to sign etc? - What estate agent's commission rate should I be aiming to achieve when negotiating? etc. Thanks in advance for all opinions!

Dear GW May I ask your recommendation for a Bucks based agent if you have one, and what buyers think of the 'bidding' process in the UK these days? We're about to engage an estate agent, so just getting up to speed on what we need to be asking for etc. and if things still as 'hot' as they appeared a month ago

In response to various above and other key thoughts: - I would not give any indication of any particular 'need' to sell urgently - whether you go for a full disclosure or more private positioning, your ethical choice, I would recommend you 1) are not home when viewings take place (I think this is a ploy by estate agents to save resources, but that's what they're paid for) - we have always preferred the agent shows people around, they have less attachments and often get a better price through their objectivity in the sales process 2) even if you do disclose you are moving countries, I recommend you indicate you are quite happy to rent if not sold, 'so either way, you're ok' so it's now their choice to make a decision before it goes off the market, whichever way that transpires.... 3) conveyancing can be done really quickly with the right conveyancers - we purchased a vacant property once with no chain and moved in 21 days from viewing - viewing to and it was completely hassle free - our choosing a small but dedicated and very professional team who worked to achieve our goals enabled that - we happened to use http://brownssolicitors.co.uk/brownssolicitors/contactus.aspx - excellent professional service, fixed fees, fair prices - we've not used them in a few years personally as not sold, but I've recommended them to hundreds of people over the years and no one has ever expressed anything but high praise I've heard about. Good luck!