Danny and Amy Neilsen arrived in Mudgeeraba only two months before it was named Queensland’s best lifestyle suburb for homeowners.
With a two-year-old and a four-week old baby, the couple searched up and down the Gold Coast to find the right home for their growing family.
“We were probably looking for a good 8 months,” Mr Neilsen said.
“Which was pretty difficult — going through those processes and the weekend open homes while juggling a toddler, because they usually coincide with naptime.”
Danny and Amy Neilsen just moved to Mudgeeraba with their two children – months before it was revealed as one of Queensland’s new top lifestyle suburbs. Picture: Adam Head
When the pair found a home they could afford, they didn’t yet realise the benefits of the suburb.
A new report form the MCG Quantity Surveyors found the Mudgeeraba-Bonogin area to be the best property market in Southeast Queensland for lifestyle and growth.
Using info from SuburbTrends, the suburbs were ranked by a mix of beach access, natural environment, urban amenities and family-friendliness.
Mudgeeraba-Bonogin was one of four Gold Coast suburbs in the top ten list, along with five Sunshine Coast suburbs and just one Brisbane suburb.
The couple searched up and down the Gold Coast, which had four suburbs hit Queensland’s top 10 on the lifestyle scale.
“We had no idea it was so beautiful and friendly out here, but now that we do know we kind of want to spread the word a bit,” Ms Neilsen said.
“The moment we moved in, all our neighbours knocked on our door and said ‘anything you need, let us know’ – which we’ve never really had before.”
The couple bought a three-bedroom home in the area for a little over $1m, with homes typically selling for around $1.295 million.
23 Stockman Cres, a Mudgeeraba home for sale. The suburb was ranked top of Queensland’s list with Bonogin, thanks to beach access, natural environment, urban amenities and family-friendliness.
Ms Neilsen said many of the homes they had seen were heritage and helped give the area a modern village feel.
“People have been here for 45 years in our street,” she said.
“You feel like you’re secluded from all the business of some of the more dense suburbs,” Mr Neilsen said.
“[But] we have accessibility to the beach [and] work in 15 minutes.”
The Neilsens said they were surprised at how open and friendly the area was, with local amenities and activities just a short walk away. Picture: Adam Head
Raine & Horne agent Jasmin Turpin, who grew up in the area, said the suburb was becoming “highly desirable” for new families, as older residents moved out into smaller homes.
“I think it’s picked up in most recent years as a hidden area,” she said. “It’s getting a bit older now so there are a lot of homes that need renovating, but it enables those first home buyers to get in there [and] do it up how they feel.”
Ray White Broadbeach agent Lisa Bourne said the area’s “unique lifestyle blend” was why prices were beginning to quickly rise in the area as it was being discovered.
“As a local agent and Bonogin acreage owner, I have seen Bonogin and Mudgeeraba go from ‘Where’s that?’ to ‘I’ve got to live here!’”, she said.
72 Wallaby Dr, another Mudgeeraba home on the market. Many of the homes in the area are in an older heritage style, meaning renovations are popular.
Now, the Neilsens are just a short walk away from the town and its events, like the Mudgeeraba Show and the Gold Coast Car Show.
“We pack the pram and go into town on a Saturday morning and enjoy a good breakfast,” Mr Neilsen said. “It was definitely a challenge, and it’s taken us a few years to save up for what we needed to get in, but we did feel we locked out with this one.”
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