Where to live - in walking distance of beach & within 45min commute to an international airport

[talesofatwinmum 10]

Hi, We're moving over next yr and are considering where to live. My husband is going to look for work at an international airline so we need to live within 45 mins of an airport. We thought Brisbane was going to be most suitable as we have a good work contact there but finding somewhere to live within walking distance of a nice beach is proving unlikely from the research I've been doing (I've just put a post in the Queensland section in case anybody has any bright ideas that we've missed). We are unmovable on living near to the beach - at the moment we live a 10 min drive away in the UK but never get around to going and I'd like to be able to take the kids after school regularly. We loved Sydney but don't think we can afford to live close to the beach there as house prices are too high (unless there are suburbs further out that are accessible to the airport where house prices are more reasonable?) Although we liked Cairns when we visited, we don't like the fact you can't swim in the water. Perth is an option as we loved it there too, but feel he would have a long commute to the airport in order for us to be able to find an affordable beach suburb. Can anyone suggest where might be a good fit for us? We haven't visited Melbourne, Adelaide and lots of other potential cities. We have three kids so need good schools and are looking for a place that has a community feel. Any suggestions of places we could research would be appreciated! x

[Rupert 1,313]

You have mentioned that Perth and Sydney beach suburbs are too expensive but you don't give an indication of what is expensive to you. Fact is though, that beach suburbs are always expensive. Perhaps you should find the job first and take it from there?

[fish.01 2,566]

You could check out Redcliffe peninsula. It contains the suburbs of "Clontarf, Kippa-Ring, Margate,Newport, Redcliffe, Rothwell, Scarborough and Woody Point" (Wiki).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a bayside area so the beaches are calm water and the beaches are just ok rather than spectacular surf beaches but they are nice for young children, are good for wind/water sports and have nice foreshore swimming pools, bike/walking paths, bbq's, parks, cafes etc.

 

Redcliffe was traditionally a sleepy outer suburb of Brisbane with a bit of a bogan reputation. It has developed nicely but this has kept the house prices down over the years and it is a really nice place and very accessible given the price of the houses in relation to other cities. Because Brisbane averages between 20-29c for the whole year and is very dry through winter you can have quite a few very pleasant 20c+ dry, sunny days by the beach in winter as well unlike the other capitals.

 

Google suggests it is around 30km and 28 mins from Brisbane airport. Probably off peak so allow more in traffic. To get to Brisbane you drive 15 mins to train station (or bus) and then catch train for 30 mins into Brisbane city. It is getting it's own direct train in the next few years (construction has commenced).

Edited October 19, 2013 by fish.01

[fish.01 2,566]

All walk to beach:

 

This house is 200metres to the beach. Notice it mentions east of oxley ave which is a thing people pay more for in redcliffe.

$649,000

House

4 2 5: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-redcliffe-113648527

 

Price by Negotiation over $630,000

House

3 2 3: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-redcliffe-113987259

 

$619,000

House

4 2 2: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-redcliffe-114508963

 

 

$540,000

House

4 3 2: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-redcliffe-115129171

 

Offers Over $499,000

House

3 2 2: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-redcliffe-112784087

 

$499,000

House

4 2 4: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-redcliffe-114719171

 

All Interest Over $399,000 Invited

House

4 2 2: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-redcliffe-114254755

 

Offers Over $280,000

House

3 12: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-redcliffe-114571747

Edited October 19, 2013 by fish.01

[Guest]

You can find suburbs in Perth around the median house price of £500k that fit your criteria - we lived walking distance from the beach, about 1km but mostly along a shared bike/walk path and were about 30-40 mins from the airport, we were in Hamilton Hill, Cockburn.

 

It's true what Rupert says though, beach suburbs and affordability don't go hand in hand.

[dxboz 203]

Lady Rainicorn where are you now?

[talesofatwinmum 10]

Thanks very much everyone. And thanks Fish.01 - that's the sort of prices we were looking to spend so good to know it's affordable for us within a reasonable commute. We know Brisbane will be the easiest place for us to find work due to our contacts there. £500k is way above our limit. I've seen houses further out of Perth in our price range, but we'd have to deal with a longer commute. I know we need to find a job first, but it would be useful to have an idea of places we would like to live so we can search on job websites for those partcular cities. Thanks for your ideas. x

Edited October 19, 2013 by talesofatwinmum

[fish.01 2,566]

No worries. I don't know all your criteria but from what you've listed it seems a definite maybe as it ticks all your boxes.

 

BTW, we have British friends who live up there and send their girls to this school and they seem happy with it. They are non catholic btw.

Edited October 19, 2013 by fish.01

[Guest]

Back in Scotland, by choice and so, so happy. No regrets though - some once in a life time experience in Australia and the contentment I have now I probably would never have achieved if we hadn't made the move. I always was striving for something better - house, car, job, husband - I did think Australia would be a 'happy ever after story' and realised quite quickly that it wasn't any better but didn't think it was necessarily worse...year on year I started to miss certain things and the strong dollar made the move back favourable at a good time for my son's education. Got our citizenship so who knows what the future holds but for now life is good

[Guest]

Thanks very much everyone. And thanks Fish.01 - that's the sort of prices we were looking to spend so good to know it's affordable for us within a reasonable commute. We know Brisbane will be the easiest place for us to find work due to our contacts there. £500k is way above our limit. I've seen houses further out of Perth in our price range, but we'd have to deal with a longer commute. I know we need to find a job first, but it would be useful to have an idea of places we would like to live so we can search on job websites for those partcular cities. Thanks for your ideas. x

 

The median house price in Perth is around $500K, I would honestly not consider Perth any further - not only are houses expensive so is everything else. Brisbane is much more affordable and my only reservation would be work isn't so plentiful but from what you've said it is a better option all round for you.

[talesofatwinmum 10]

The median house price in Perth is around $500K, I would honestly not consider Perth any further - not only are houses expensive so is everything else. Brisbane is much more affordable and my only reservation would be work isn't so plentiful but from what you've said it is a better option all round for you.

 

$500 is absolutely fine (you'd said £500K before which had scared me a lot!!) so perhaps it is still an option to live at Perth in a reasonable commute to the airport within our budget after all. I know our outgoings there will be higher and there will be less work opportunities though so I guess we just start looking for jobs in a few places the new year and see what happens. Thanks for your help. Sounds like moving was a good experience for you and at least it stopped you from always wondering. x

[Guest]

$500 is absolutely fine (you'd said £500K before which had scared me a lot!!) so perhaps it is still an option to live at Perth in a reasonable commute to the airport within our budget after all. I know our outgoings there will be higher and there will be less work opportunities though so I guess we just start looking for jobs in a few places the new year and see what happens. Thanks for your help. Sounds like moving was a good experience for you and at least it stopped you from always wondering. x

 

LOL SO sorry - I get so confused where I am sometimes

[talesofatwinmum 10]

LOL SO sorry - I get so confused where I am sometimes

 

Haha I bet you do - I get confused enough and I haven't moved over there yet let alone moved there and back again! x

[VERYSTORMY 3,405]

Rockingham in Perth is easily within the 45 mins and is a beach suburb and you should be able to find a house there for under $500k.

 

Mandurah is a a little further - about an hour and i live there and have to get to the international for work and its a easy journey. There are plenty of houses around the mandurah area that are beach suburbs under $500k. We are hoping to start building on The Cut golf course in Dawesville with a complete house being about $450k and a short walk to the beach. Do remember though, Perth is the 3rd windiest city in the world and being close to the ocean can mean howling winds

[talesofatwinmum 10]

Rockingham in Perth is easily within the 45 mins and is a beach suburb and you should be able to find a house there for under $500k.

 

Mandurah is a a little further - about an hour and i live there and have to get to the international for work and its a easy journey. There are plenty of houses around the mandurah area that are beach suburbs under $500k. We are hoping to start building on The Cut golf course in Dawesville with a complete house being about $450k and a short walk to the beach. Do remember though, Perth is the 3rd windiest city in the world and being close to the ocean can mean howling winds

 

Brilliant, thanks - I'll check them out. I can handle wind, because at least it won't be freezing like it is over here in the UK! x

[Paul1Perth 5,858]

The median house price in Perth is around $500K, I would honestly not consider Perth any further - not only are houses expensive so is everything else. Brisbane is much more affordable and my only reservation would be work isn't so plentiful but from what you've said it is a better option all round for you.

 

If their main criteria is to be near a nice beach that will discount Brisbane straight away.

 

I have a friend who works for Qantas catering and lives in Ocean Reef. Takes about 40 mins to get to the airport from there and they are about a 5 minute walk to the beach. Ocean Reef and any of those suburbs near there would fit your criteria. Nearer the beach and nearer Perth you go the more expensive it is. If you can stand a 10 minute drive to get to the beach the property will be cheaper. In my opinion thought it's worth paying the extra to be in walking distance of the beach. Much better for when you have people visit, they don't need transport to get them there. Kept our visitors happy for days being able to walk there and back when they felt like it, not having to wait on someone.

 

Houses on the beach side of Marmion Ave are a lot more money than ones on the other side. If you go for a suburb like Craigie, Beldon, they are both do-able to walk to the beach, have some older, cheaper properties and are still nice suburbs. What's it matter if you end up with a big mortgage that will take you a long time to pay off, you need that anywhere, may as well get a place you are going to be happy in for a few years.

 

I don't know South of the River very well and how difficult it is to get from to the airport from there but from the Northern suburbs it is freeway all the way. Gets busy during rush hour but that's always going to be the case wherever you go.