Siarn and Sam Kennedy managed to afford their first home in 2022 – but a shocking fire forced their family to go right back to the pricey rental market.
The couple was raising two twin boys when they found their Morayfield home that November, having bought it for $550,000.
“When we bought this house, it was just the best thing in the world,” Ms Kennedy said.
“We’re originally from Cairns, and we moved to Brisbane. We worked our bonds off to be able to afford a deposit; it’s something that took us many many years to do.”
Samuel and Siarn Kennedy bought their Morayfield home in 2022 to house their growing family, until a fire pushed them back into the expensive rental market they’d tried to escape. Picture: Steve Pohlner
But just three months after they moved in, the family had to leave after an electrical fire in the shed.
“It was devastating,” Ms Kennedy said. “At the end of the day, we were all safe; thankfully we were all able to afford a rental, but it took a very long time because of the rental crisis that’s going on right now.”
The family had to spend the next six months dealing with the rental market they had just left, while their house underwent a complete refurbishment.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever dealt with insurance, but it’s not fun,” she said. “We had to replace everything we just bought for this house, including the kids’ stuff.”
Queensland’s rental crisis has only grown worse since the family went through their ordeal in 2023, and housing prices have spiked to match.
“At the end of the day, we were all safe … [but] we had to replace everything we just bought for this house.” Picture: Steve Pohlner
But despite the trials the family went through, Ms Kennedy said she was still grateful they entered the housing market when they did.
Brisbane’s first homebuyer market is now tougher than it is in Sydney, according to research from data firm Foundit.
Throughout all of Greater Brisbane, only 3.2 per cent of homes were priced below $500,000 over the past 12 months; even smaller than the 4 per cent figure found in Australia’s priciest city.
The Kennedy’s home was priced at $550,000 in November 2022. In 2025, only 3.2 per cent of homes are priced below $500,000, such as this Woodridge home at 1/12 Arac St.
More than 37 per cent of the greater city area’s homes now sell for more than $1 million, with the median sale price currently at $980,000.
“Even a basic house under a million is really hard to find these days,” Ms Kennedy said.
Thanks to a good relationship with their insurers and builders, the Kennedys were able to move back into their new home just before Christmas.
“By the time we moved back in, the house was just immaculate and in perfect condition,” she said. “Even though it was just a horrible situation, in a positive sense it was like moving into a brand new house.”
The Kenendys were able to push through their rental nightmare, returning to a home that was even better than when they had bought it. Picture: Steve Pohlner
The family spent the next two years in the four-bedroom home at 152 Graham Rd, but recently decided to seek a larger home in the area.
“We have two sets of twins: our eldest of four and a half, and our youngest of nine months,” Ms Kennedy said.
“We just need to find somewhere bigger that’s closest to family … when we bought this house we only had a family of two kids. Now we have four, and they’re all boys, so you can imagine how that is.”
The family is selling their home with Melissa Brooker of Place Caboolture.
A previous listing photo 152 Graham Rd, Morayfield, with updated images to come at the launch of the campaign.
Similar homes in the Morayfield area have sold for around $900,000, and the suburb itself has Brisbane’s second-largest share of stock in the $750,000 to $1m range.
Ms Brooker said homes in this range would often see at least 15 to 20 groups at open homes: thanks to their appeal to downsizers, upsizers and investors alike.
“I think to be competitive, the offers need to be very clean,” she said of hopeful future buyers. “So minimal conditions, and having their pre-approval in place with their broker or financial organisation before they put their offer in.
“A nice thing a few buyers have been doing lately is write a little letter about who they are and what their families are about.
“Not all of my sellers want to sell to investors … they might say ‘That offer’s $10,000 less, but we would like it to go to a family rather than an investor’.”
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