Tips for Buying, Building and Renovating in Brisbane
Brisbane is the third-largest city in Australia, home to more than 2 million people. The city has always been a hub of commerce and industry, but now it’s also one of the most popular places to live. As an up-and-coming employment centre, Brisbane offers many opportunities for people living there and those interested in investing in the property market.
Many people find Brisbane an excellent place to live because of its affordability, lifestyle, and continually improving infrastructure. These benefits will continue to improve right through to 2032 when Brisbane hosts the Olympic Games. People also love Brisbane because it’s where you can still experience a lifestyle on a quarter acre block and be so close to the city. It’s almost unheard of in other capital cities, which is why demand is growing and building inspection in Brisbane more important than ever.
Our Services in Brisbane
The Brisbane Real Estate Market
The real estate market in Brisbane is booming, with both the residential and commercial sectors seeing an increase in demand. In 2021, Brisbane saw a 23.3% growth in home prices, much more than its annual average of 4.4%. Thanks to southern migration, it’s expected to have the highest growth of all capital cities in 2022. It’s undoubtedly an exciting time for Brisbane and Greater Brisbane suburbs.
As the city grows, it also builds up its employment sector. Many companies choose Brisbane due to its thriving economy and excellent business environment. There are plenty of development opportunities here.
We do commercial & industrial inspections
Brisbane Suburbs
| Moreton Bay islands and localities: |
| Bulwer |
| Cowan Cowan |
| Green Island |
| Kooringal |
| Moreton Island |
| Mud Island |
| St Helena Island |
| Brisbane suburbs: |
| Acacia Ridge |
| Albion |
| Alderley |
| Algester |
| Annerley |
| Anstead |
| Archerfield |
| Ascot |
| Ashgrove |
| Aspley |
| Auchenflower |
| Bald Hills |
| Balmoral |
| Banks Creek |
| Banyo |
| Bardon |
| Bellbowrie |
| Belmont |
| Boondall |
| Bowen Hills |
| Bracken Ridge |
| Bridgeman Downs |
| Brighton |
| Brisbane Airport |
| Brisbane City |
| Brookfield |
| Bulimba |
| Burbank |
| Calamvale |
| Camp Hill |
| Cannon Hill |
| Carina |
| Carina Heights |
| Carindale |
| Carseldine |
| Chandler |
| Chapel Hill |
| Chelmer |
| Chermside |
| Chermside West |
| Chuwar |
| Clayfield |
| Coopers Plains |
| Coorparoo |
| Corinda |
| Darra |
| Deagon |
| Doolandella |
| Drewvale |
| Durack |
| Dutton Park |
| Eagle Farm |
| East Brisbane |
| Eight Mile Plains |
| Ellen Grove |
| England Creek |
| Enoggera |
| Enoggera Reservoir |
| Everton Park |
| Fairfield |
| Ferny Grove |
| Fig Tree Pocket |
| Fitzgibbon |
| Forest Lake |
| Fortitude Valley |
| Gaythorne |
| Geebung |
| Gordon Park |
| Graceville |
| Grange |
| Greenslopes |
| Gumdale |
| Hamilton |
| Hawthorne |
| Heathwood |
| Hemmant |
| Hendra |
| Herston |
| Highgate Hill |
| Holland Park |
| Holland Park West |
| Inala |
| Indooroopilly |
| Jamboree Heights |
| Jindalee |
| Kalinga |
| Kangaroo Point |
| Karana Downs |
| Karawatha |
| Kedron |
| Kelvin Grove |
| Kenmore |
| Kenmore Hills |
| Keperra |
| Kholo |
| Kuraby |
| Lake Manchester |
| Larapinta |
| Lota |
| Lutwyche |
| Lytton |
| Macgregor |
| Mackenzie |
| Manly |
| Manly West |
| Mansfield |
| McDowall |
| Middle Park |
| Milton |
| Mitchelton |
| Moggill |
| Moorooka |
| Morningside |
| Mt Coot-tha |
| Mt Crosby |
| Mt Gravatt |
| Mt Gravatt East |
| Mt Ommaney |
| Murarrie |
| Nathan |
| New Farm |
| Newmarket |
| Newstead |
| Norman Park |
| Northgate |
| Nudgee |
| Nudgee Beach |
| Nundah |
| Oxley |
| Paddington |
| Pallara |
| Parkinson |
| Petrie Terrace |
| Pinjarra Hills |
| Pinkenba |
| Port of Brisbane |
| Pullenvale |
| Ransome |
| Red Hill |
| Richlands |
| Riverhills |
| Robertson |
| Rochedale |
| Rocklea |
| Runcorn |
| Salisbury |
| Sandgate |
| Seven Hills |
| Seventeen Mile Rocks |
| Sherwood |
| Shorncliffe |
| Sinnamon Park |
| South Brisbane |
| Spring Hill |
| St Lucia |
| Stafford |
| Stafford Heights |
| Stones Corner |
| Stretton |
| Sumner |
| Sunnybank |
| Sunnybank Hills |
| Taigum |
| Taringa |
| Tarragindi |
| Teneriffe |
| Tennyson |
| The Gap |
| Tingalpa |
| Toowong |
| Upper Brookfield |
| Upper Kedron |
| Upper Mt Gravatt |
| Virginia |
| Wacol |
| Wakerley |
| Wavell Heights |
| West End |
| Westlake |
| Willawong |
| Wilston |
| Windsor |
| Wishart |
| Woolloongabba |
| Wooloowin |
| Wynnum |
| Wynnum West |
| Yeerongpilly |
| Yeronga |
| Zillmere |
Brisbane Housing
One thing that stands out about Brisbane is the varying suburbs within it. Some suburbs offer waterfront views, while others offer large blocks and bushland or urban living. There is a mixture of housing types, with approximately 74% separate houses. However, the suburb will often determine the house type. For example:
In the suburbs like Paddington, Red Hill, Highgate Hill and East Brisbane, many period houses date from the 1880s. Clayfield, Ascot, Hawthorne and Graceville show great examples of Federation style homes with masonry and decorative timber.
In Ashgrove and surrounding suburbs, you will find porch-and-gable and multi-gable bungalows, typically of timber and tin design.
Californian bungalows, Old English, Functionalist and Art Deco style houses and units can be found in New Farm, Coorparoo and Chelmer.
Image by Atilla Siha on Flickr Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)
The Rise of the Post War Home in Brisbane
The 1940s and 1950s saw the rise of the post-war home. They were basic builds with fibro sheeting and simple layouts, thanks to the housing shortage after the war. The post-war home needed to be simple to allow for mass-production to match the demand and available labour and materials. Post-war homes were limited to 80 to 120 square meters and were more about convenience than attractiveness.
But these days, post-war homes can be great little fixer-uppers. Just make sure you inspect the home’s integrity because post-war homes are known for defects, given their construction was speedy and straightforward. You will see post-war housing in many suburbs skirting the city, including Stafford, Camp Hill, Everton Park, Wavell Heights. They are also in the suburbs like Coopers Plains and Wynnum.
Practical and Well Built Highsets
Homes with concrete slabs came about in the 1960s. Brick-veneer project houses or chamferboard, usually high-set and rectangular in shape, were practical and well-built. This design moved into the 1970s but in an L-Shape to accommodate the new fad of linen cupboards. The issue with these homes is that they have been designed to have the garage and laundry underneath, not a living area. This means that the majority have not been built to the legal height to create a two-storey house. You won’t be able to drive through most Brisbane suburbs without seeing one of these houses. However, a few typical suburbs are Carina, Carindale, Mansfield, and Indooroopilly.
As you can see, the wide range of options makes it easy for prospective homebuyers looking for something new to find their perfect match!
It’s an impressive list of suburbs. So how do we keep track of the different locations? We group Brisbane into the following areas:
Building and Pest Inspection North Brisbane
Building and Pest Inspection South Brisbane
Building and Pest Inspection East Brisbane
Building and Pest Inspections Brisbane West
The Best Suburbs in Brisbane
Where to live in Brisbane is very much a personal preference. There are favourite suburbs for liveability, work and play. But in terms of growth suburbs, New Farm/Teneriffe, Ascot and Highgate Hill are the top three front runners, according to a January 2022 report published on propertyupdate.com.au.
New Farm/Teneriffe’s median house price is $2.24M with a high demand market a fraction above the Queensland average. This area is popular with singles and couples under 35 to 54, likely due to lifestyle and proximity to the CBD.
Ascot’s median house price is $1.94M with a high demand market, also a fraction above the Queensland average. It’s also popular with singles and couples under 35 and up to 54; it’s very accessible to the airport and the CBD. It has a strong café culture and good access to transport. Although not the primary demographic in Ascot, it is still a family-friendly suburb with access to a strong school catchment.
Highgate Hill has a median house price of $1.51M with a demand equal to Queensland’s average. Although popular with singles and couples, Highgate Hill is a suburb for everyone. It is close to the popular West End and Southbank and close to the CBD. Some of the best schools in Brisbane are in Highgate Hill’s catchment area. There are plenty of upcoming opportunities with infrastructure set for development.
Little Mecca
Brisbane is its own little mecca but low key enough for those who enjoy living close to a big city without the craziness. Brisbane has loads of choices. Even if you choose to live in the Greater Brisbane area, you still have the best of both worlds; close to the CBD (compared to Sydney and Melbourne), yet you can feel so far away.
Whether you opt for new or old, urban, greenery, a big back yard or apartment living, Brisbane has got it all. But don’t let the façade of your perfect property fool you. You want to enjoy life in Brisbane, right? Or maybe even reap the rewards of Brisbane’s growth? Then you’ll want to make sure the property isn’t a money pit by having a building and pest inspection.
Common Property Defects Found During Brisbane Building Inspections
It would be concerning if someone told us a pre-purchase building inspection in Brisbane didn’t uncover any defects. Every house has them; you just need someone that knows what to look for. It’s common to fin cracked roof tiles, gutters and downpipes with rust and corrosion. Some homes, particularly the post-war, still have their original roof tiles. The problem with this is that they lead to roof leaks, rising damp, mould, and the extra moisture around the home is the perfect environment for termites.
Older homes often have the original electrical wiring that will not be up to code and pose a considerable safety risk. Also not up to code are the low ceilings in the ground levels of 1960/1970s high set homes, as discussed earlier. Asbestos is also common in older homes, as well as structural defects.
We find water leaks due to damaged plumbing, cracked and rotten stumps, and stumps damaged by concrete cancer. Worst of all, we see many quick DIY fixes made to support these damaged stumps.
Brisbane Building Inspections
Building inspection in Brisbane has been a big part of our business since we started; we believe it’s a cracking region with plenty of potential. Our local knowledge is to your benefit, helping you purchase with certainty and enthusiasm! We are covered by public liability and professional indemnity insurance for peace of mind. We provide your final report within 24 hours because there’s no need for you to wait any longer before taking the next step.
Whichever property type you’re looking to buy or build in Brisbane, (or Ipswich, Logan and the Gold Coast) we can inspect it, so you have the information you need. Not sure what to ask your building inspector? Read our blog ’10 Critical Questions To Ask Your Building Inspector’ for tips.
Our inspections include:
