City move leads to full bang for the buck

When Candice Silver and Tom Price decided to move from Sydney to Brisbane, house values were nothing like they are today.

The couple first moved to Hawthorne before buying their current home in Grange in 2019.

But since the start of the unprecedented pandemic property boom, the median house value has soared 68.1 per cent in the coveted suburb. And that doesn’t take into account the extensive renovations that the couple have undertaken on their home at 113 Evelyn St.

“We knew house values had gone up (in Grange) but I didn’t expect they had gone up by that much,” Candice said.

“But I am not surprised. Grange was kind of that suburb that flew under the radar before Covid.”

Their sprawling resortstyle Queenslander residence has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and sits on a 810sq m block.

Fusing Byron Bay-inspired coastal touches with bestpractice environmental design, the couple engaged a building designer and consulted with an interior designer to create an oasis in one of Brisbane’s most sought-after suburbs.

It is listed with Tyson Clarke of Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty.

The couple, who have two sons, Asher, 10, and Levi, 7, said they would be staying in the suburb they love.

“We have found our little place in the world,” Candice said. “We love the school, the walkability of the suburb, its proximity to the city, its sports clubs.

“There is just so much here for families.”

Candice said there was nothing that would entice the family to move back to Sydney, adding that you could get a lot more bang for your buck in Brisbane.

“It’s not that we saved much buying here after selling in Sydney, but rather what we could get for our money,” she said.

“For a house like this in Sydney, so close to the city, you would be looking at probably $8 million or more.”