Courtney Horn & Raymond Jenkins bought a house in one of Queensland’s top growth suburbs six years ago for $300,000. Today, its value has nearly tripled.
The couple moved to Leichhardt in search of a cheap home near Mr Jenkins’ work, and Ms Horn said it pushed their budget to their limit.
“We only had a small bracket to work with,” she said. “When we found the home, we put in an offer as soon as we could.
Courtney Horn and Raymond Jenkins bought a house in Leichhardt six years ago for their family, and the property has nearly tripled in value. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail
“It was a little bit smaller than we wanted, but it was close to a school, close to shops. Over time we’ve slowly adjusted it to our needs, and we’ve noticed the suburb has changed over the years as well.”
Leichhardt’s median house price has increased by an incredible 227 per cent over the past decade, jumping from around $324,000 to $735,000.
The suburb ranks eighth on PropTrack’s top ten Queensland suburbs that have skyrocketed in value between 2016 and 2026, with prices increasing by up to 271 per cent.
Leichhardt is one of multiple Ipswich areas that made Queensland’s top ten suburbs that have shot up in value over the last decade. Picture: Rob Williams
Ms Horn said her home’s latest land valuation revealed the land alone was now worth more than what she had bought the whole property for in 2021.
“In our 2025-26 valuation, it went from $190,000 all the way up to $320,000,” she said. “That alone was a massive surprise.”
The couple raised three children in the four-bedroom home at 37 Kynance St, now up for sale with Ray White Ipswich.
The four-bedroom home at 37 Kynance St, Leichhardt, is now up for sale. Bought in 2021 for $300,000, the post-renovation home is now going for offers of $889,000 and up.
Last sold in 2021 for $300,000, offers are now being sought for the home at $889,000 and above.
Ms Horn said she had worked hard to renovate the space into a liveable family home, doing some of the labour herself to save on costs.
“We’ve grown accustomed to the house with the changes we’ve made,” she said. “I was up all hours putting in the splashback in the kitchen … it’s something that I’m proud of for a first home renovator.”
The family were sad to be leaving the suburb, which they had grown attached to as a quiet family neighbourhood. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail
As the family transformed the property into its current condition, Ms Horn said she grew to love the suburb for what it offered her children.
“We can take the kids everywhere, which is good, so we take them for walks to the park,” she said.
“It makes me upset to move from a place that was more family-oriented than we expected.”
Ray White Ipswich agent Jackson Wales said affordable suburbs such as Leichhardt would continue to do well no matter the state of the housing market.
Ray White Ipswich agent Jackson Wales said he was not surprised that Leichhardt had become so successful as a growing suburb.
“I’ve seen a massive change from it being a predominant rental area to [attracting] a lot of homeowners, especially first home buyers,” he said.
“When interest rates went up the first time, most suburbs went sideways with their median price point, whereas Leichhardt continued to rise aggressively … it’s an affordable suburb, [so] when there’s uncertainty, it will still sell.”
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