Ipswich real estate: The best investor suburbs and where property values have grown the most in Ipswich, Lockyer Valley

The fastest growing city in the state is expected to more than double its population over the next 20 years. Here are the suburbs where property values have increased the most and where investors are getting the most joy.

Ipswich has emerged as Queensland’s real estate dark horse with properties less than half an hour west of Brisbane providing serious bang for investors’ buck.

It is the fastest growing city in the state with its population of 240,000 expected to more than double to 558,000 in the next 20 years.

Much of that growth will be seen in the booming corridor between Ipswich Central and Springfield, including the expanding Ripley Valley.

The Wilson family, with Brookwater Residential agent Irena Marasea, has lived in the area since 2007.

The glitzy suburb of Brookwater has seen a wave of six-figure sales this year so far but it’s in the city’s traditional suburbs where the best value for investors can be found.

Several suburbs across Queensland’s oldest provincial city have seen property values balloon over the past 20 years, with one area experiencing an increase of almost 200 per cent.

That is according to data from real estate digital advertising company REA, which operates Australia’s leading property websites.

Over the past 20 years, property values have risen by 59.1 per cent in Bellbird Park, 55.7 per cent in Tivoli, 51.5 per cent in Leichhardt, 86.1 per cent in Silkstone, 84.8 per cent in Springfield and an incredible 196.3 per cent in Yamanto.

Lowood (6.4 per cent), Riverview (6.2 per cent), Tivoli (6.1 per cent), Leichhardt (6 per cent), North Booval (6 per cent), Goodna (5.8 per cent) and One Mile (5.8 per cent) are among some of the top suburbs in the southeast for rental yields over the past year.

Further west, Laidley (6.5 per cent), Toogoolawah (6.1 per cent), Regency Downs (5.9 per cent) and Plainland (5.8 per cent) were also top returns.

The average monthly rent pocketed, minus mortgage payments, was $544 in Laidley, $512 in Lowood, $452 in Riverview, $572 in Leichhardt, $410 in North Booval, $506 in Goodna and $512 in One Mile over the last 12 months.

Property values have jumped 84.6 per cent in Laidley and 87.9 per cent in Toogoolawah since 2001.

Demand for rentals in the 12 months up to June has risen most in Newtown, Collingwood Park, Flinders View, Ripley and Yamanto, which were among the most in-demand in Queensland.

Ray White Ipswich business development manager Taylah Sherrin said traditional suburbs such as Riverview, Tivoli, Leichhardt, North Booval and Goodna were very attractive to investors.

Traditional Ipswich suburbs such as Riverview, Tivoli, Leichhardt, North Booval and Goodna are attractive to investors.

“The houses are priced slightly lower in these suburbs than others in Ipswich,” she said.

“That’s what investors look for, they can see the purchase price is down but they can still achieve a good rent.”

Ms Sherrin said rental prices had gone up across the city since Covid-19, and there weren’t enough properties available for the huge demand.

She said investors had returned to the local market in the past four months after disappearing at the height of the pandemic.

“Before Covid we’d try and do (a rent) increase every now and then of $5 or $10,” she said.

“Since Covid it’s been a sure thing. It’s maybe been a five to 10 per cent increase everywhere.

“A lot of investors are buying in South Ripley. House prices out there are a lot higher. The Providence estate has been completed to a high standard. There’s a lot of demand with the schools out there too which I think has driven a lot of the demand over there.

“12 months ago a four bedroom, two bathroom house you were paying $400 max (a week) for that. Now they don’t rent any less than $450 at a minimum.”

The top selling suburbs this year in Ipswich so far are Bellbird Park with 123, Silkstone with 120 and Springfield with 119 and all three areas fell within the top 30 performers for Greater Brisbane in 2021.

Action Realty Ipswich sales consultant Helene Shephard said people had realised how attractive Ipswich was to raise a family with its proximity to Brisbane, top schools and lifestyle outside the capital.

Her phone has been running hot.

“I get 80 to 100 calls a day,” she said.

“We are hot property. We have a high amount of vacant land for estates. We have a high amount of vacant land for future commercial. We have award-winning hospitals. Mainly its our education facilities that bring people to our city.

“We have less than a one per cent vacancy rate at the moment. We have more people applying for properties than we have been able to provide them a home.

“I find our investors are buying here simply for our land size and the serviceability of the properties. We have instant tenants to fill them. Most of my investors are from Sydney. Lockdown has generated a record number of calls from the Sydney region.”

Ipswich Real Estate principal Dylan Ansems said rental prices across the city had been steady over the past decade but Covid-19 had forced a sharp rise in recent months.

“The rent has typically jumped by $20 or $30 to take a $280 property to $310. The $350 is now $380,” he said.

“There’s definitely a lot of pressure in that sub-$400 (a week) range.

“We’re still getting hundreds of inquiries (for each property) and 30 to 50 applications per property.

“There’s still buying opportunities. It’s not going to slow down in a hurry now we’ve got the Olympics.”

Half an hour west in the Lockyer Valley, Gatton was one of the top 30 regional locations in Queensland for sales this year with 156, compared to the 119 sold in 2011 when the region was devastated by floods.

Property values in the rural town have grown 70.6 per cent since 2001.

All Property Real Estate Gatton sales professional Emily Hallas said she had seen a spike in people moving from the city into the country’s salad bowl over the past 18 months.

“We’ve seen massive improvement in our market conditions, we’ve always remained in a steady market,” she said.

“Prices have increased everywhere on every kind of property.

“We’re seeing a few local buyers, a few interstate buyers and people from Brisbane coming out this way. A good mix of buyers and investors.

“The market is quite strong in both rentals and sales. We’re appraising properties and (owners) don’t know how well it’s doing.”

Ray Bachmann Real Estate Laidley sales agent Nicole Jeeves said “things are crazy” in her patch and highlighted the development in Plainland, which included expanding housing developments, a new Bunnings and an Aldi supermarket under construction, as a sign of the times.

“I’m finding a lot of people are moving out here for cheaper homes and willing to move out here for work,” she said.

“People are willing to jump on the highway to commute for work rather than being stuck in an accident in the city.

“There aren’t really any rentals available. I used to have two sheets of rentals to apply for and go through. Now I’m getting two or three a month and getting 20 applicants on every home.

“The area is booming around here. It’s only a hop, skip and a jump to Ipswich and it’s close to Rosewood if you want to catch a train.”

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.