BROOKWATER renters are among a new wave of city slickers swapping the big smoke for regional suburbs.
They spend the same amount on rent as they would in inner-city suburbs but get a lot more house and lifestyle bang for their buck.
The trend has contributed to the growing gap in median weekly rent prices in Ipswich suburbs as renters in the wealthiest suburbs pay more than double than those who live in the poorest suburbs.
Sirle Adamson is one of them and she’s happy to pay top dollar in Ipswich for a much better quality of life for the same cash in Paddington.
She pays $550 a week for a four-bed, three-bath home with two living rooms and plenty of space for her 14- and 21-year-old daughters and pet dog.
It’s the same price Ms Adamson was paying for a three-bed, two-bath home at Paddington with enough space between homes to shake hands with the neighbour through the window.
“I’ve been renting in Brookwater for the past six years and, for me, I moved here for work because I lived in Paddington and the commute was crazy,” she said.
“I was thinking about moving back to the city but then we had the new railway coming up and this was way to convenient for me to move back to the city because I can’t have any of that there.”
A four-bed and two-bath home at Brookwater rents for up to $700 a week while a large family home 25km away at Moores Pocket is on the market for just over $250 a week.
The homes are a sample of the new census data released last week which reveals the highest and lowest ends of the Ipswich rental market.
The median weekly rent in Brookwater is $508 a week while in Moores Pocket it is $213 a week.
Rent prices in Moores Pocket increased 6% in the five years to 2016 while it grew 10% in Brookwater in the same period.
Ms Adamson said the community perks of Brookwater, like Sunday sessions by the pool, a walk to the pub and plenty of services, were non-existent in inner-city suburbs and meant families were heading west for lifestyle. For me, it’s definitely lifestyle and while I’m here and while I’m ready to pay that higher price, I can get all this,” she said.
“We have room for this and… I’m ready to pay $100 extra for all of this to have this convenience here.
“Everyone is downsizing and moving into a more minimalist mindset – the lots get smaller but the houses stay the same size, so people from Paddington, with the same price, move into a house here and have three times more room.
“So they’re ready to have the little bit more inconvenience to have to catch the train back to the city to work to really actually have that lifestyle and that’s what I see here, why they’re moving out of the city.
“They quite like having that peace and quietness because work is so busy in the city, it’s crazy there. When I go to the city for my meetings, I can’t wait to get home, because I can’t wait to leave that hustle and bustle.”
Among the most expensive suburbs for median weekly rent in Ipswich were Augustine Heights at $400 a week, $393 in Pine Mountain and $390 a week at Springfield Lakes. On the other end of the scale, the median weekly rent in Willowbank is $220 and $250 at Riverview, Ironbark and Peak Crossing.
Landlords cashing in on Ipswich’s most expensive rent abroad
REAPING the rewards of Ipswich’s most expensive rental market while living in France, Peter Pullinger and Anita Stubbs have turned their home into a successful investment.
The couple (pictured) lived in their Botanic Ct home for a year before they packed their bags and headed abroad to make the most of the high rental return.
They share in a slice of Ipswich’s most expensive rental homes at a median price of $508 a week – a 10% increase in the past five years.
Mr Pullinger said demand from the growing Springfield population meant there was a demand for larger executive residences.
“With the development of a university and hospital complex many businessmen are attracted to the golf course at hand. It has meant that prospective tenants are prepared to pay higher rentals to enjoy the quality lifestyle that Brookwater offers,” he said.
“The prices of homes in the Brookwater area cover such a wide range from as low as mid to high 500s while others are well over the million dollar mark, so the average quoted is lower than I may expect but reflective that very few more expensive properties are available for rent with people choosing to buy instead.
McGrath property management head Claire Wells said Brookwater was the most sought after suburb in Ipswich, both for rentals and home buyers.
She said it was not uncommon for properties to rent for $700 a week and many were snapped up within days of going on the market.
“We have seen a big shift in the past few years, there is much healthier demand,” she said.
Originally Published: https://www.qt.com.au/