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Why we bought in one of QLD’s most affordable regions

Date:

Samantha Healy

News Corp Australia Network

The Simms family have moved all over Australia with the RAAF so know only too well just how affordable Townsville is.

Vanessa and Peter, who have a young daughter, Savannah, 3, recently bought a four-bedroom house at Mount Louisa for $490,000.

But Mrs Simms said they felt like they had “won the lottery”, having sold an acreage at Bluewater at a time when the pandemic property boom saw buyers targeting big blocks.

“Because we have lived in so many other places, from the country and acreage to pokey city townhouses, we have done it all so we were well aware just how reasonable property prices in Townsville are,” Mrs Simms said.

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QLD Suburbs Cheaper Now Than 2012

Vanessa Simms with her 3 year old daughter Savannah Simms at their Mount Louisa home. Picture: Shae Beplate.


The family-friendly suburb is one of 70 Queensland suburbs where the median house price is lower now than it was back in 2012 – the last boom period.

The Townsville region has 18 of those 70 suburbs – from Ingham in the north to Ayr in the south, and west to Charters Towers.

The median house price in Mount Louisa was $24,000 less in December 2021 ($376,000) than it was in December 2012 ($400,000), according to data from REA Group.

But houses can also go for under $350,000, while a stunning five-bedroom modern residence on a 1215sq m block recently sold for $850,000.

Australia. Townsville, QLD

Aerial shot of Townsville


Describing their new home as a “dream”, Mrs Simms said they had enough leftover from their acreage sale to “put our own stamp” on the former rental property.

Mrs Simms added that she had also been able to grow her at-home bookkeeping and accounting business, AcquireNess, even hiring two employees – a feat she put down to housing affordability and shrinking their mortgage.

“But this location, we are 10 minutes from the city, eight minutes from Peter’s work, there are great schools, parks, and we get the best of both worlds, close to the city but far enough out to have a bit of space,” Mrs Simms said.

“We feel very safe and secure here, and it is really a 10 minute city that takes next to no time to get everywhere.”

Their new home has a pool, tropical alfresco entertaining area and plenty of yard for Savannah to run around.

Both originally from Adelaide, Mrs Simms said they had been living in Townsville for about 15 months and were “very happy here”.

She said her parents had already visited from South Australia, explaining her “bushwalking extraordinaire” mother had loved the island and landscape in the region.

“We might be here for another five years, but for at least the next two years, and we really bought this with the future in mind, whether that be a rental if we do leave or a place we come back to later on,” Mrs Simms said.

“It is really like a little oasis here.”

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