Brisbane- full brick/brick veneer or Queenslander?

Discussion in 'What to buy' started by Jamesaurus, 28th Mar, 2018.

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  1. Jamesaurus

    Jamesaurus Well-Known Member

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    Q for the QLD crowd:
    Im looking within an area of Brisbane that has not been affected by floods this last century- is there any reason I should avoid a full brick?

    I have always preferred a sturdy construction and one less vulnerable to termites and pests. I appreciate the brick house may be the minority on the street.

    Any other factors I should take into account?
     
  2. HUGH72

    HUGH72 Well-Known Member

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    Nothing wrong with brick but a lowset brick place can be vulnerable to termites just as other styles can be.
    I would buy a style which is compatible/similar to other properties within the suburb.
     
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  3. Eric Wu

    Eric Wu Well-Known Member Business Member

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    ppl say, in Brisbane, ppl prefer Queenlanders, because they are high off the ground, good for air circulation, :)
     
  4. vbplease

    vbplease Well-Known Member

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    All constructions have their pros and cons, and all things considered I believe there isn’t one construction far superior to the other.

    I love a timber qlder, but the whole ‘raise off the ground to be cool’ isn’t true.. they’re incredibly hot in summer and a fridge in winter. They can be hard to insulate (other than the roof with sarking and ceiling insulation). So adding solar panels and a/c is necessary, but you’ll do this with any house in qld.

    Some cultural backgrounds don’t like timber houses as they’re viewed as peasant houses..

    Ground movement from reactive clay foundations is a way of life in qld, which can be problematic with double brick/brick veneer construction - expensive to remediate. I can’t stand the hard/cold feeling of tiles in slab on ground brick veneer construction, but easily fixed with a good pair of uggs.

    Despite the cons with a pre-war qlder, particularly maintenance and poor thermal properties, I value them a lot more for their character.. they can also be very easy to work with and add value.
     
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  5. RPI

    RPI SDA Provider, Town Planner, Former Property Lawyer

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    If in an area of Queenslanders then the brick house is likely to be land value only. Large proportion of buyers would knock it down and build something else.
     
  6. hammer

    hammer Well-Known Member

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    Worth mentioning maintenance with Queenslanders. They are often beautiful but can be a real PITA.....
     
  7. jchan86

    jchan86 Well-Known Member

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    Agreed with this point re: maintenance of Queenslanders is a PITA
     
  8. Tom Rivera

    Tom Rivera Property Manager Business Member

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    OP, are you talking brick veneer or double brick? There are very very very very very few double brick houses in QLD, and Brick Veneer is if anything less 'sturdy' (see point above RE: ground movement) and more vulnerable to pests than anything on stumps.
     
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  9. Sackie

    Sackie Well-Known Member

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    +1
     
  10. Jamesaurus

    Jamesaurus Well-Known Member

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    Cheers I've started to see how rare it is in trying to search for double. But thats quite interesting re sturdiness
     
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  11. ZeeZeeTops

    ZeeZeeTops Member

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    Sorry guys, have been trying to work out what PITA stands for... please help :)
     
  12. hammer

    hammer Well-Known Member

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    Pain in the er... "Abdomen"...;)
     
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  13. Thedoc

    Thedoc Well-Known Member

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    you sure about this?
     
  14. Propin

    Propin Well-Known Member

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    I recall a few in Cooparoo that were the cheapest house on the street
     
  15. JDM

    JDM Well-Known Member

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    It really depends on the area. If you're talking about an older area full of Queenslanders, I would definitely lean towards a Queenslander. In a newer suburb, everything else is brick so go your hardest.
     
  16. RPI

    RPI SDA Provider, Town Planner, Former Property Lawyer

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    There a few people doing them up, rendering and trying to make modern. But so many where they were bought and then had a 20t excavator crunch them. The problem with these compared with a timber post war is that there is so much extra weight so dumping fees are higher.
     
  17. Cookie15

    Cookie15 Active Member

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    Queenslanders can be very popular given their character. There are many styles from different eras that have different qualities and drawbacks. Eg some tend to be high set so are easier to lift and build under to double living space and add value (but expensive to do nicely). Some aren't. Some are very solid construction and still in great condition nearly 100 years later. Some are full of asbestos and dodgy renovations.

    Look at other areas the same distance from the city and you'll likely find similar styles from the same era to compare.

    There can be a lot of maintenance but if the house is in good condition and has been looked after you might be lucky and not have too many problems.

    Definitely check for a Demolition Control Precinct (character control) in areas with Queenslanders and factor that in any intentions to renovate (restriction and process) but it intends to avoid some ugly out of place monstrosity being built next door.
     
  18. TapTap

    TapTap Well-Known Member

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    Surely this conversation is as old as 'shares vs property'. Is there not a pros/cons link floating around on the forum?

    Coming from Sydney I had a natural bias towards brick and tile. Last year I carried out a structural renovation on a Qlder up in Redcliffe. Knocked out 3 walls and added a bedroom all within 7 days. Dare say it would have taken longer if it was a brick and tile construction.

    I would have been sold on Qlders if I couldn't hear everything that was going on in the neighbours house each night. :eek:
    lots of them build with fibro walls and zero insulation - at least I can be sure the population is on the rise up there.
     
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