With a median house price of more than $2m, Fahad Ahmed knew his options were limited in St Lucia.
But the Brisbane father was determined to buy a home in the catchment area where he intended to send his daughter to school, so he rented in the suburb until he saved enough to afford to buy a unit.
“My whole Brisbane life is in St Lucia,” Mr Ahmed said. “And, as you know, St Lucia is very expensive. I could pay for a house if I go 25km [out], but instead of that, with my baby’s future school, I [thought] that it’s better to live in St Lucia.”
Fahad Ahmed and his wife Jannatul Ferdous fought to buy a unit they could afford in St Lucia, helping their daughter get into one of the top school brackets. Picture: Steve Pohlner
St Lucia is in three of Brisbane’s top school catchments based on research by PRD, and still has a relatively affordable median unit price of $749,000 despite its median house price being $2.05m.
For primary schools, it is part of the Ironside State School catchment, and for secondary schools, Indooroopilly State High School and the Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology.
After a month of dedicated searching, the Ahmed family managed to find a two-bedroom unit they could afford for $700,000.
“It’s stressful, because you have a budget limit,” Mr Ahmed said. “Sometimes people come and put up huge money, but finally, we got something. I am happy that at least we’ve got something to live in.”
A series of properties 107 Munro St, St Lucia. A little over a dozen houses were up for sale in St Lucia this month.
Agent Brett Andreassen from Plum Property said he was seeing St Lucia apartments that were under $1m sell after only 14 days on the market, on average.
“When the right thing comes up, they will move immediately,” he said. “A common [comment] you hear is that people say they want to buy in the Ironside catchment.”
With three popular public school catchments in the area, along with limited supply on the peninsula, Mr Andreassen said there was a high level of “exclusivity”, and not many people moving away.
“It gives them a good pathway to be there for 15 years or so,” he said. “We’re actually seeing a lower turnover, as families stay there for the duration of their kids’ education.”
St Lucia is home to three of Brisbane’s top 10 catchments for primary and secondary schools, and the family bought a unit over a house just so they could live there. Picture: Steve Pohlner
Now that the family is in the suburb, Mr Ahmed plans for his young daughter to go to Ironside State School when she’s old enough.
“We are very lucky we are living in St Lucia,” he said. “The multicultural schooling is awesome … it’s a multicultural suburb.”
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