North lakes

[Waldo]

Guys, 

just been granted my 100/309 visa last week and looking to move to Brisbane after Xmas… Going to book flights for May.

me and my family like the look of North Lakes.

im a construction manager with a scaffolding background 

my wife is a bank clerk 3 yrs in that position with loads of experience in the hospitality industry

what is North lakes like as an area?

and would we find that type of work in that area?

TIA

[Loopylu]

North Lakes is a relatively new area in the Moreton Bay Region and therefore not in Brisbane.  It has a large shopping centre and business district, IKEA and a Costco.  The landscape is flat.

As with all newer areas, the housing is close together to maximise profits for property developers. As housing has all been built around the same time, it is a confusing place to drive around as everywhere looks the same. There are no real landmarks. It reminds me of new towns in the UK like Milton Keynes, Redditch and Telford. 

It has recently benefitted from a new rail line making commuting into the Brisbane CBD easier. I have heard that driving to and from North Lakes to the CBD at peak hour is not fun.  The main road from Brisbane (Bruce Highway) is always busy these days and when we head north we often use other roads heading north some of the way to avoid the congestion around North Lakes. A lot of new arrivals from the UK set up home in North Lakes and so it is often referred to as Little Britain. As far as jobs are concerned, you have as much chance of finding the work you have mentioned as anywhere in South East Queensland.

Personally, I would not choose to live in North Lakes due to the style of housing, lack of mature trees and the demographic who live there because they generally can't afford to live closer in to Brisbane.  We live in an older suburb in Moreton Bay, Eatons Hill, which has a mixture of acreage and housing on larger blocks (typically 800 to 1000m2).It has more of a sense of community as people have lived here for a few generations. In North Lakes your average block is 400m2. 

I would recommend that you find a short term rental on the northside of Brisbane (I'm not a fan of south of the river but there are a number on here who are so expect fireworks) and then explore to see which suburbs take your fancy. Who knows, North Lakes may be right for you in terms of your budget, career and lifestyle.

[Marisawright]

@Waldo, check the suburb reviews on Homely.com.au:

https://www.homely.com.au/north-lakes-pine-rivers-brisbane-queensland

North Lakes is not really a town, it's a big housing estate, packed full of cookie-cutter houses all jammed in together.  It has a big shopping centre but it may not have much in the way of pubs or restaurants etc.  

Get on Google maps and try checking the driving time from North Lakes to Brisbane, since your best chance of work is probably in Brisbane itself.  Try putting in "arriving at" times to suit what your work would probably be.  I think it's about an hour's commute. 

However, as Loopylu says, don't get too set on anything yet.  Real estate agents won't give you a lease while you're overseas, so you're going to have to book four weeks in a holiday let or AirBnB, which gives you time to drive around and check out the various suburbs. 

[ramot]

5 hours ago, Loopylu said:

North Lakes is a relatively new area in the Moreton Bay Region and therefore not in Brisbane.  It has a large shopping centre and business district, IKEA and a Costco.  The landscape is flat.

As with all newer areas, the housing is close together to maximise profits for property developers. As housing has all been built around the same time, it is a confusing place to drive around as everywhere looks the same. There are no real landmarks. It reminds me of new towns in the UK like Milton Keynes, Redditch and Telford. 

It has recently benefitted from a new rail line making commuting into the Brisbane CBD easier. I have heard that driving to and from North Lakes to the CBD at peak hour is not fun.  The main road from Brisbane (Bruce Highway) is always busy these days and when we head north we often use other roads heading north some of the way to avoid the congestion around North Lakes. A lot of new arrivals from the UK set up home in North Lakes and so it is often referred to as Little Britain. As far as jobs are concerned, you have as much chance of finding the work you have mentioned as anywhere in South East Queensland.

Personally, I would not choose to live in North Lakes due to the style of housing, lack of mature trees and the demographic who live there because they generally can't afford to live closer in to Brisbane.  We live in an older suburb in Moreton Bay, Eatons Hill, which has a mixture of acreage and housing on larger blocks (typically 800 to 1000m2).It has more of a sense of community as people have lived here for a few generations. In North Lakes your average block is 400m2. 

I would recommend that you find a short term rental on the northside of Brisbane (I'm not a fan of south of the river but there are a number on here who are so expect fireworks) and then explore to see which suburbs take your fancy. Who knows, North Lakes may be right for you in terms of your budget, career and lifestyle.

My son is in Eatons hill, it’s an established area, with reasonable sized blocks, reasonable shopping options and the houses  aren’t not crammed together like North Lakes. No idea how housing costs compare.

Loopylu hope you are ok with the outbreak there. My son and wife are casual contacts  and been tested today, have my fingers and toes crossed they are clear.

 

[Wanderer Returns]

On 29/09/2021 at 13:16, Loopylu said:

North Lakes is a relatively new area in the Moreton Bay Region and therefore not in Brisbane.  It has a large shopping centre and business district, IKEA and a Costco.  The landscape is flat.

As with all newer areas, the housing is close together to maximise profits for property developers. As housing has all been built around the same time, it is a confusing place to drive around as everywhere looks the same. There are no real landmarks. It reminds me of new towns in the UK like Milton Keynes, Redditch and Telford. 

It has recently benefitted from a new rail line making commuting into the Brisbane CBD easier. I have heard that driving to and from North Lakes to the CBD at peak hour is not fun.  The main road from Brisbane (Bruce Highway) is always busy these days and when we head north we often use other roads heading north some of the way to avoid the congestion around North Lakes. A lot of new arrivals from the UK set up home in North Lakes and so it is often referred to as Little Britain. As far as jobs are concerned, you have as much chance of finding the work you have mentioned as anywhere in South East Queensland.

Personally, I would not choose to live in North Lakes due to the style of housing, lack of mature trees and the demographic who live there because they generally can't afford to live closer in to Brisbane.  We live in an older suburb in Moreton Bay, Eatons Hill, which has a mixture of acreage and housing on larger blocks (typically 800 to 1000m2).It has more of a sense of community as people have lived here for a few generations. In North Lakes your average block is 400m2. 

I would recommend that you find a short term rental on the northside of Brisbane (I'm not a fan of south of the river but there are a number on here who are so expect fireworks) and then explore to see which suburbs take your fancy. Who knows, North Lakes may be right for you in terms of your budget, career and lifestyle.

Brilliant description of North Lakes by @Loopylu - that's pretty much everything in a nutshell. I'd have been less complimentary, but then I'm one of the people who get stuck on the highway on my way into Brissie! You need to get through by 6.30am to avoid a long delay. The shopping centre there is impressive - I'll say that - and then there's Costco of course.

If you say what your property budget is, that would be helpful on advising you where to live  

[Waldo]

4 minutes ago, Wanderer Returns said:

Brilliant description of North Lakes by @Loopylu - that's pretty much everything in a nutshell. I'd have been less complimentary, but then I'm one of the people who get stuck on the highway on my way into Brissie! You need to get through by 6.30am to avoid a long delay. The shopping centre there is impressive - I'll say that - and then there's Costco of course.

If you say what your property budget is, that would be helpful on advising you where to live  

Not sure how it works as far as knowing your property budget, Will that not depend on your job and your income once you get there? is it different the mortgage system in Australia or same as in uk?

sorry for all the questions  

[Wanderer Returns]

2 minutes ago, Waldo said:

Not sure how it works as far as knowing your property budget, Will that not depend on your job and your income once you get there? is it different the mortgage system in Australia or same as in uk?

sorry for all the questions  

No worries - that's what the forum is here for. After you've sold your UK home, what deposit will you have to put down on a property here?

Yes, it's different - at the at the moment you can borrow a lot more money at lower interest rates than in the UK, which you may (or may not) want to take advantage of.

[Waldo]

$40,000/$50,000 AUD for a deposit i would think

Thanks 

[ramot]

1 hour ago, Wanderer Returns said:

No worries - that's what the forum is here for. After you've sold your UK home, what deposit will you have to put down on a property here?

Yes, it's different - at the at the moment you can borrow a lot more money at lower interest rates than in the UK, which you may (or may not) want to take advantage of.

There is no house buying chain here, and depending on everyone exchanging at the same time, , Buying a house here is a very different system, It’s ages since we bought ours, I think Wanderer bought a house recently so might give you some advice. You can also google the Australian system. 

Its difficult to give advice about where to buy, as we all want different things, Renting in an area before buying is recommended by many. Some people moving to a new country feel reassured living near other immigrants from their country. The most important thing to find out if there is a general feeling that a certain area has a bad reputation, or lower social demographic. Often there is a reason if an area has cheaper house prices.

Good luck with your move. 

[Wanderer Returns]

12 hours ago, Waldo said:

$40,000/$50,000 AUD for a deposit i would think

Thanks 

I should've said congratulations on getting your partner visa. The wife and I have been through this process, and it's a big deal to get it 

Now the not-so-good-news...

You'll be a temporary resident for two years, and I believe there are restrictions on buying property that means you'll incur a lot of additional costs. I will stop there because I don't want to give you any misinformation, and there are others on the forum more informed on this matter.

$50,000 is a pretty small deposit. Even with a 90% mortgage, which you'll need to pay LMI on (lenders mortgage insurance on loans greater than 80% is a requirement here), you'd be looking at a $450,000 property. That will just about buy you an apartment in Brisbane's inner suburbs, a townhouse in the outer suburbs, or a new-build if you're prepared to live a long way out from the city - like the Moreton Bay regions (North or South). Being polite, some of these areas aren't that great, even though they make the houses look amazing in the advertising material.

A lot depends on where you end up working. If you are limited to finding work in S E Queensland then I'd suggest you rent until you can save up a big enough deposit to buy in the area you want. By then you will also have a much clearer idea of where you want to live too. If you are flexible and are happy to live in a regional Queensland town (personally I quite like Bundaberg and Maryborough), then you will still be able to afford a property with $50,000 deposit, at the moment. A lot depends on how much you want/need to live in/near Brisbane, to be honest.

[Wanderer Returns]

11 hours ago, ramot said:

There is no house buying chain here, and depending on everyone exchanging at the same time, , Buying a house here is a very different system, It’s ages since we bought ours, I think Wanderer bought a house recently so might give you some advice. You can also google the Australian system. 

Its difficult to give advice about where to buy, as we all want different things, Renting in an area before buying is recommended by many. Some people moving to a new country feel reassured living near other immigrants from their country. The most important thing to find out if there is a general feeling that a certain area has a bad reputation, or lower social demographic. Often there is a reason if an area has cheaper house prices.

Good luck with your move. 

Yes, we bought a place in Caloundra back in June. We put down a $250k deposit and have a $450 loan, and our home is still pretty modest by Australian standards  

[Loopylu]

3 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

You'll be a temporary resident for two years, and I believe there are restrictions on buying property that means you'll incur a lot of additional costs. I will stop there because I don't want to give you any misinformation, and there are others on the forum more informed on this matter.

 

I arrived in Australia on a 457 temporary work visa in 2008 but my husband was Australian.  When we bought our house in 2009 we had no issues with FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) because so long as one of the purchasers was Australian the extra costs didn't apply.  Also, as my husband had never purchased a property in Australia before (only in the UK), he qualified for the first home buyer's allowance of $15,000 (not sure if this is still available).  I haven't heard that the FIRB rules have changed but who knows?  Australian Governments seem to like imposing extra taxes and removing benefits from those who are not Australian citizens.  

[Waldo]

Thanks guys great help for all your reply’s 

it does say on my visa that I am a permanent resident. They have awarded both pets of the visa 309/100 together 

will this help us buy if I’m a PR right away

Think we will rent for first 12 months until we settle so time to save A good deposit

and I suppose you won’t settle until you get a settled job

 

[Wanderer Returns]

3 hours ago, Loopylu said:

I arrived in Australia on a 457 temporary work visa in 2008 but my husband was Australian.  When we bought our house in 2009 we had no issues with FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) because so long as one of the purchasers was Australian the extra costs didn't apply.  Also, as my husband had never purchased a property in Australia before (only in the UK), he qualified for the first home buyer's allowance of $15,000 (not sure if this is still available).  I haven't heard that the FIRB rules have changed but who knows?  Australian Governments seem to like imposing extra taxes and removing benefits from those who are not Australian citizens.  

 

32 minutes ago, Waldo said:

Thanks guys great help for all your reply’s 

it does say on my visa that I am a permanent resident. They have awarded both pets of the visa 309/100 together 

will this help us buy if I’m a PR right away

Think we will rent for first 12 months until we settle so time to save A good deposit

and I suppose you won’t settle until you get a settled job

Oh that's good - it'd seem likely you won't have any issues with FIRB then  

Having recently purchased a property here, I'm reasonably informed on available concessions. The $15,000 Queensland First Home Owners’ Grant is still available, but you only get it if you are buying or building a new house, unit or townhouse, valued at less than $750,000. This also includes homes you can buy 'off the plan'.

If you are a first-time buyer you can get a transfer duty exemption (same as UK stamp duty) called a First Home Concession on property up to the value of $500,000, and then there's a sliding scale of exemption up to $550,000 (if the property costs any more than that, you don't get the concession). This may well apply to you given your likely budget. There is also a general Home Concession on transfer duty which almost everyone is entitled to at the moment, if they live in their property for a year, and they don't rent it out during that time. These concessions aren't guaranteed, and can of course be removed by the government at any time in the future.

Here are some links to the Queensland government website, which should prove helpful...

https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/financial-help-concessions/qld-first-home-grant

https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/advice-buying-home/transfer-duty/how-much-you-will-pay/concessions-on-transfer-duty/concessions-for-homes/first-home-concession

https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/advice-buying-home/transfer-duty/how-much-you-will-pay/concessions-on-transfer-duty/concessions-for-homes/home-concession

[Waldo]

12 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

 

Oh that's good - it'd seem likely you won't have any issues with FIRB then  

Having recently purchased a property here, I'm reasonably informed on available concessions. The $15,000 Queensland First Home Owners’ Grant is still available, but you only get it if you are buying or building a new house, unit or townhouse, valued at less than $750,000. This also includes homes you can buy 'off the plan'.

If you are a first-time buyer you can get a transfer duty exemption (same as UK stamp duty) called a First Home Concession on property up to the value of $500,000, and then there's a sliding scale of exemption up to $550,000 (if the property costs any more than that, you don't get the concession). This may well apply to you given your likely budget. There is also a general Home Concession on transfer duty which almost everyone is entitled to at the moment, if they live in their property for a year, and they don't rent it out during that time. These concessions aren't guaranteed, and can of course be removed by the government at any time in the future.

Here are some links to the Queensland government website, which should prove helpful...

https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/financial-help-concessions/qld-first-home-grant

https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/advice-buying-home/transfer-duty/how-much-you-will-pay/concessions-on-transfer-duty/concessions-for-homes/first-home-concession

https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/advice-buying-home/transfer-duty/how-much-you-will-pay/concessions-on-transfer-duty/concessions-for-homes/home-concession

Thanks for this 

really helpful info we really appreciate it

Waldo

[WayneM]

Moved over 2 years ago and lived in a suburb neighbouring North Lakes. Recently bought so happy to offer advice on any questions.

One thing to bear in mind, people on this post and in general complain about new areas like this being on small blocks too close to the neighbours.
This is true. However, as a recent immigrant, I really don't notice it that much, because everywhere I lived in England was the same if not worse. That said, you might notice it a bit more here as the houses aren't built with thick walls and insulation and you might even use the garden for more than 6 weeks of the year, as may the neighbours.

Depending on your eventual earning potential, other areas do grant potential that is extremely rare in the UK in terms of size of land. And houses seem bigger, in that a double garage and laundry room (similar to UK 'utility room') seem to come pretty much as standard whereas in the UK they are sought after features.

[Loopylu]

On 26/10/2021 at 19:37, WayneM said:

Moved over 2 years ago and lived in a suburb neighbouring North Lakes. Recently bought so happy to offer advice on any questions.

One thing to bear in mind, people on this post and in general complain about new areas like this being on small blocks too close to the neighbours.
This is true. However, as a recent immigrant, I really don't notice it that much, because everywhere I lived in England was the same if not worse. That said, you might notice it a bit more here as the houses aren't built with thick walls and insulation and you might even use the garden for more than 6 weeks of the year, as may the neighbours.

Depending on your eventual earning potential, other areas do grant potential that is extremely rare in the UK in terms of size of land. And houses seem bigger, in that a double garage and laundry room (similar to UK 'utility room') seem to come pretty much as standard whereas in the UK they are sought after features.

I thought that was one of the big pulls for most people moving to Australia is to have more land/house for your money and not living cheek by jowl with the neighbours.

In my personal experience, it is better living closer to Midlanders than Queenslanders as people from the Midlands are more community minded and considerate of neighbours in terms of noise levels etc. I am married to an Aussie and have found that the local Qld born neighbours are not friendly and often can't be bothered to say G'day in passing.  They also don't care about noise levels and think nothing of lighting a bonfire when you have washing out.  If you say anything about this anti-social behaviour you risk verbal abuse at best or violence at worst.... and we live in a good area on 888m2.

[Johndoe]

On 28/10/2021 at 15:48, Loopylu said:

I thought that was one of the big pulls for most people moving to Australia is to have more land/house for your money and not living cheek by jowl with the neighbours.

In my personal experience, it is better living closer to Midlanders than Queenslanders as people from the Midlands are more community minded and considerate of neighbours in terms of noise levels etc. I am married to an Aussie and have found that the local Qld born neighbours are not friendly and often can't be bothered to say G'day in passing.  They also don't care about noise levels and think nothing of lighting a bonfire when you have washing out.  If you say anything about this anti-social behaviour you risk verbal abuse at best or violence at worst.... and we live in a good area on 888m2.

How many properties have you lived in that have Queenslanders as neighbours and how did you know they were such? I've lived in 6 properties in Brisbane and never had a problem with neighbours. Also, until recently backyard fires were illegal in Brizzy and even now only allowed if they aren't a nuisance or a current fire ban is in place.

[ramot]

On 28/10/2021 at 15:48, Loopylu said:

I thought that was one of the big pulls for most people moving to Australia is to have more land/house for your money and not living cheek by jowl with the neighbours.

In my personal experience, it is better living closer to Midlanders than Queenslanders as people from the Midlands are more community minded and considerate of neighbours in terms of noise levels etc. I am married to an Aussie and have found that the local Qld born neighbours are not friendly and often can't be bothered to say G'day in passing.  They also don't care about noise levels and think nothing of lighting a bonfire when you have washing out.  If you say anything about this anti-social behaviour you risk verbal abuse at best or violence at worst.... and we live in a good area on 888m2.

I seem to remember you live in Eatons Hill? My son has lived there,  for at least 6 years, has all Australian neighbours and has no problems with his neighbours They live in a cul de sac get together for a street party at Christmas, like many of us do, and the occasional chat over a beer.

The same for us after 18 years here in the same house. We don’t socialise, apart from Christmas and Christmas in July, but we do the normal neighbourly things, chat when we are outside,  we look out for each other, take in the post for each other if away and keep an eye on the house. Our Australian neighbour even watered the garden unasked while we were away as it was so hot.

there are good neighbours and bad neighbours everywhere, certainly not Australian specific, I’ve never forgotten some neighbours when we were in RAF quarters, who thought it was fine that they climbed the small fence between our gardens and walked straight through our garden, because it was quicker than walking round the street to get to see a friend!!!! 
 

PS we moved from Nottingham, definitely the Midlands, some good neighbours, some not so good, same as here

Edited October 30, 2021 by ramot

[Loopylu]

6 hours ago, Johndoe said:

How many properties have you lived in that have Queenslanders as neighbours and how did you know they were such? I've lived in 6 properties in Brisbane and never had a problem with neighbours. Also, until recently backyard fires were illegal in Brizzy and even now only allowed if they aren't a nuisance or a current fire ban is in place.

We don't live in Brisbane so your comment about backyard fires is irrelevant. We had to involve the council in respect of the constant fires in a brazier as the Bogans renting over the back were not approachable. 

We have lived in 3 properties in 13 years in the Brisbane area and generally found that Australians are not very neighbourly. As I try to be friendly and helpful to neighbours, I always introduce myself and make conversation.  This is how I found out the neigbours were Qlders. I think the main issue is that they are Gen Y Qlders and therefore do what they want, when they want with no regard to others.  We used to have older Qlder neighbours who were lovely and the rest of the cul-de-sac was British, NZ, South African.  They were all lovely but now most have moved on and have been replaced by very unfriendly Aussies.  We used to have street functions but now the Gen Y only socialise with each other and the two older families (Boomer/Gen X) are excluded but have to put up with the noise and Gen Y's ill-disciplined, high pitched squealing kids.  

[Blue Flu]

On 26/10/2021 at 17:37, WayneM said:

Moved over 2 years ago and lived in a suburb neighbouring North Lakes. Recently bought so happy to offer advice on any questions.

One thing to bear in mind, people on this post and in general complain about new areas like this being on small blocks too close to the neighbours.
This is true. However, as a recent immigrant, I really don't notice it that much, because everywhere I lived in England was the same if not worse. That said, you might notice it a bit more here as the houses aren't built with thick walls and insulation and you might even use the garden for more than 6 weeks of the year, as may the neighbours.

Depending on your eventual earning potential, other areas do grant potential that is extremely rare in the UK in terms of size of land. And houses seem bigger, in that a double garage and laundry room (similar to UK 'utility room') seem to come pretty much as standard whereas in the UK they are sought after features.

Poorer insulation though can pose issues with noise and difficult neighbours if blocks are close. I would never live in joint driveway or shared wall again for example.

[Marisawright]

27 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

3 years in the Brisbane area and generally found that Australians are not very neighbourly.

If you've only lived in Queensland then the only comment you can make is whether Queenslanders are friendly or not.   You cannot pass judgment on a whole country based on one area.   Australia is no different to the UK in that different parts of the country differ.   For instance, I found Hampshire very unfriendly, and have since been told, by someone who was born there, that he wasn't surprised.  Whereas there are other parts of the UK that are friendly and welcoming.  

Edited October 31, 2021 by Marisawright

[Blue Flu]

21 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

We don't live in Brisbane so your comment about backyard fires is irrelevant. We had to involve the council in respect of the constant fires in a brazier as the Bogans renting over the back were not approachable. 

We have lived in 3 properties in 13 years in the Brisbane area and generally found that Australians are not very neighbourly. As I try to be friendly and helpful to neighbours, I always introduce myself and make conversation.  This is how I found out the neigbours were Qlders. I think the main issue is that they are Gen Y Qlders and therefore do what they want, when they want with no regard to others.  We used to have older Qlder neighbours who were lovely and the rest of the cul-de-sac was British, NZ, South African.  They were all lovely but now most have moved on and have been replaced by very unfriendly Aussies.  We used to have street functions but now the Gen Y only socialise with each other and the two older families (Boomer/Gen X) are excluded but have to put up with the noise and Gen Y's ill-disciplined, high pitched squealing kids.  

Similar experience with neighbours. Best to maintain distance IMO until /if found to be not adverse to minimal contact. Lots of reasons for that. Australians not really used to close contact living with the quarter acre block being so dominant until fairly recently.  

[Blue Flu]

Just now, Marisawright said:

If you've only lived in Brisbane then the only comment you can make is whether Brisbane people, or at a stretch Queenslanders, are friendly or not.   You cannot pass judgment on a whole country based on one city.   Australia is no different to the UK in that different parts of the country differ.   For instance, I found Southampton very unfriendly, for instance, and have since been told, by someone who was born there, that he wasn't surprised - they don't like incomers.  Whereas there are other parts of the UK that are friendly and welcoming.  

Not sure Australians are so different though than Brit's. I certainly do not find Perth friendly , I guess along the lines of Brisbane. A friend that is Aussie but lived in UK found Adelaide much the same. The larger more multi cultural cities of Melbourne and Sydney may differ. Or it may be more diverse areas that differentiate those cities. 

[Marisawright]

10 minutes ago, Blue Flu said:

Not sure Australians are so different though than Brit's. 

That's what I said.