Holiday house exchange spurs French resident to buy in Brisbane

An holiday home exchange in Brisbane went so well that a French resident decided to move to Australia permanently and buy a house in the area she visited.

At 57 years of age, Ingrid Fabian has lived in many places across the world – but after buying a property in Hawthorne, she’s ready to call Australia home.

Born in South Africa, Ms Fabian migrated to Sydney when she was 27. She later moved to France to raise her children, where she ran a gîte: a form of holiday accommodation in the country.

Once her children had grown up, she found herself wanting to return down under, and organised a home exchange with someone living in Brisbane - a suburb which is now considered one of the most undervalued in Brisbane with more prices rises to come.

After falling in love with Brisbane, Ingrid Fabian was quick to grab a Hawthorne home. Picture: Liam Kidston

She then lived in Balmoral, only a few minutes away from her new Hawthorne house.

“France has been where my kids grew up, but now they’ve gone. They spread their wings at University,” she said. “This was sort of a homecoming for me.”

“I just loved the area … I found it a great, really pleasant place to spend some time – and that’s why I gravitated back.”

Ms Fabian has recently bought two properties: one in Hawthorne and one in Port Macquarie, NSW. She’s planning to use one as an investment property, while she considers living in the other.

She said she found the greater Hawthorne area a convenient place to live: quiet, close to the city and a short trip from some of her family nearby.

“I found it a really refreshing way to live in a city and be close to everything,” she said. “I love going to the ballet. I love to see concerts. I love art galleries. All of that is really accessible.”

Ms Fabian imagines bringing her kids in Europe down to spend time in the new house. Picture: Liam Kidston

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While considering her long-term plans, Ms Fabian said she imagines living near her kids in the Hawthorne home, while she finds hobbies to do under the Australian sun.

“I do quite a lot of sport, so I guess I would like to join a running club,” she said. “What I’d really like to do is get my kids out here … I would love to get them working in Brisbane.”

“I envisage spending more time in Australia than in France,” she said. “Australia is my home! But I go back to Europe in the Australian summer, because I find the summers here a bit hot.”

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Originally published as Holiday house exchange spurs French resident to buy in Brisbane