Pleas help with nice family friendly suburbs to move to on Gold Coast
16 Answers
A lot of real estate agents will talk up their domains here ...
Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Burleigh now (sadly) are all no go. They have the highest incidence rates of violent assault and robbery on the GC and the GC has high crime rates to begin with. It's basically just due to the density of bars and night clubs that have taken over these areas. They all used to be fairly family friendly but are now pretty sketchy at times, full of "characters" and RAMMED with traffic not becoming of a city as small as the GC.
Best family friendly places are right down the southern tip (Currumbin and down) although you will pay so much money for a property.
Best value for money with friendliness is probably around Carrara/Bundall/Benowa/Ashmore up to Labrador now. Schools here are top notch too. Some of the best in QLD.
All in all, the GC is incredibly expensive now for what it is due to foreign investors land banking here. Entire streets are empty and abandoned because no one actually lives there, it's just an investment. A lot of very rich old people retire here too, which brings little industry other than expensive cafes/restaurants and hair salons.
The GC has massive congestion issues and a high unemployment rate which impact on jobs. Griffith university's reputation is not as good as it once was due to the degrees for fees approach taken to international students that just want to study on a beach. Bond is much, much better, but private. The GC has MASSIVE dependence on Chinese tourism. As soon as it is cut off for whatever reason (say due to a virus) then the work here just shuts down and a lot of people are suddenly unemployed and left with expensive rates/mortgages/rent.
Basically, the GC has nice beaches and is great to visit - but it is extremely unaffordable and has a lot of challenges. Many would and should argue that being in the M1 growth corridor is a much better and smarter option now due to great house prices and MUCH better working options in a range of more future proofed professional industries from engineering to IT, science and environmental work, development and planning etc
Good luck! Don't listen to the rose tinted view of agents :)
(I have lived on the GC for 50 years)
If he needs to travel to Brisbane, best to anchor yourself at the north side of the coast to avoid the morning traffic. Coomera Waters (along the IGA and tavern area, waterfront, no strata) is where we are building. The Quest Coomera Waters for big mountain views but has strata. Oxenford has big lots too. There's the top school Saint Stephen College too. Near the new Westfield Coomera, theme parks and also potentially a Costco. If you are into acreage, Maulands is great.
Saint Stephen is one of the famous award winning schools around the north side but the fees are more reasonable, around the 600-700 per month mark, many others are close to $1000. There's a new one called St Joseph's ($300ish per month) in Coomera Waters which my neighbours are strongly recommending it to me.
We just moved from BRISBANE to the Gold Coast (Helensvale) late 2019. No regrets thus far. We got a lot better value for our $ compared to the Brisbane real estate market (unless we were willing to live in the very outer burbs of Brissy).
Hubby works at Brisbane airport and it takes him 50mins on the M1, which is about the same as driving from many of the western/eastern/southern suburbs of Brisbane. In fact he has workmates who live in Brisbane who have longer commutes than him!
Lifestyle in Helensvale is fabulous- all the amenities you need - lots of shops, clubs, heaps of parks, dog parks, schools, day care etc etc and so close to lots of great beaches.
Hi Alisha, Good luck with your decision. We are also looking to move from Queenstown New Zealand to the GC. After several visits to the area feel that Helensvale, Hope Island & Coombabah are all decent areas. I met really good agent called Sally O Neil whilst we were in Helensvale, look her up she was very informative. Once lock down is up in NZ we will be moving to Helensvale.
Bundall / Sorrento to buy are around $900.000 plus for good water plus renovation money. Renovated houses are $1.3m up. As with surrounding areas as Isle Capri or Broadbech water. Mermaid waters are a little less. Dry block houses are $750 plus.Better buying for water front are Hope Island Helensvale Runaway bay. But half hour to Gold Coast central from these areas. $900000 plus buys a nice house on water. $600000 dry block..
We are moving over from Dunedin this year and also have no idea to look! Weve been to the Gold Coast several times with our kids and love the seaside neighbourhoods but they seem quite expensive to rent and buy. Very scary not not knowing a place when you are taking your kids
Will follow this thread closely and would also be cool to maybe keep in touch with some of you as a friend/support network!
Hello Im also moving from NSW Sydney to Gold Coast next year January and I have already purchased a waterfront home in Helensvale to move into. I heard that Helensvale has a lot of nice schools around (private as well as state) and it is close to M1. Also there is Helensvale westfield and other shops around! I went to like 20 open homes throughout one week of staying in Gold Coast and went to all sorts of areas because I was also unsure about where would be nice to live in. I also tried driving on M1 motorway during traffic hours. Traffic was not bad compared to Sydney even between 3~6pm and it was not hard to get to the Gold Coast beaches from Helensvale. I liked Clear Island Waters too but in the end chose Helensvale because it is closer to Brisbane, easy access to motorway, nice schools around. Hope this helped
Hi I don't know much about bundall. We are renting in helensvale at the moment and once we are close to lease running out we are buying here. It's so central to everything m1 is 2mins away, 10mins to biggera waters about 20mins to surfers. We really like it here. The schools are good so we are sticking with helensvale for now!
Hello, Ive been to Sorrento open homes too which is like right next to Bundall and I liked there. Also Sorrento is closer to the centre of Gold Coast so I thought it might (just guessing) be better to invest there for a property. But in the end I chose Helensvale because I liked how the area was newer and had easier access to M1 as I might find a job in Brisbane. I think everyone have a different taste so you should find time to go over, rent a car and drive around like crazy which is what I did. I got there on a Tuesday and went to as many open homes as I can on Wednesday, went to cafes and shopping districts on the days with no open homes to get a feel of the atmosphere in different areas, went to some more open homes on Sat & Sun, back to Sydney on Monday. Just hoping that I won't regret moving out of Sydney at the moment!
Hi, great move - I lived in the UK for 7 years and moved back home to the GC 3 years ago. You will LOVE it here! I am more from the Southern end of the coast but some family used to live in Oxenford. If your partner will be working in Brisbane its a great idea to live up the northern end around Helensvale. You are best off contacting some agents around that area to best advise you. Feel free to contact me for anything else regarding Gold Coast living. Cheers - Ronnie x
Hi there! Just found this thread- We are moving to the Gold Coast from the London, UK in July and will be working in Upper Coomera. We have 2 small kids aged 9 and 5 and are looking to rent initially. We are thinking of private schools (possibly A.B. Paterson) but would still look into good state schools. I would be grateful for advice on good, safe, friendly places/suburbs to live with good rental properties but yet no too far from the beaches, parks and good schools. I have been reading about Helensvale since finding this thread and it does sound good. I look forward to hearing back, as its a little daunting trying to find a good place where our children will be happy and safe and relocating. Thanks in advance. X
Hi Alisha. I am originally from Northern NSW however I spent most of my childhood life in between the Gold Coast and NSW. I am actually a real estate agent on the Gold Coast now for a few years and I love it here!! Family friendly and being a great lifestyle location and close to the M1; I would recommend Burleigh, Burleigh Waters, Reedy Creek, Mudgeeraba, Worongary & Robina/Varsity areas. They are the more southern areas which is where I cover and am most at home with. On the northern end if you want to be closer to Brisbane I would suggest Paradise Point, Coombabah, Biggera Waters & on the west of the highway you could check out Oxenford. It obviously all depends on if you want to be close to the beach, which schools you are looking at, whether you want to be on the northern or southern end of the GC etc. Good luck!! The Gold Coast is a fabulous place to live and I am sure in time your kids will love it also! Feel free to get in touch with me if you ever require any further assistance :-)
Hi Ronnie, my family and I are moving up from Melbourne to the Gold Coast in January and have already enrolled my daughter in to a school at Reedy Creek (they also have a Pimpama campus) but it is so hard to know which area is good for active families? I like Reedy Creek but but was wondering which suburbs would be closer to the beach and good for families? should i call your office perhaps? :) i would love to get some ideas! and narrow down some areas? we will be renting for 6-12 months to make sure the move is right for us :)
Hi Jennifer, Reedy Creek is a great area and is close to Burleigh, Robina and is very central really to everything on the Gold Coast. I will be more than happy to help you get some idea's and understand the area's that will be best suited to you and your families lifestyle. Feel free to look up my details and give me a call and we can have a good chat about your move. How exciting!! The gold Coast is a fabulous place to live. I look forward to speaking with you soon. Regards - Ronnie
Hi Ronnie, we are considering the move to GC from the central coast of Nsw. Tugun and Kirra are a fave of husband and myself. Could you give your opinion on those suburbs? We have 2 young boys (aged 4 and 10 months) and we are a very beachy type family. My husband is a building designer so will hopefully get work on the GC, if not, Brisbane. Also, what is the public housing situation like on the GC? Thank you!
Kirra & Tugun are up and coming suburbs on the coast with a very nice beachy family community vibe (and not too busy). I think its a great place to live with your family. The commute to Brisbane will be a bit of a drag especially from the Southern end as the traffic on the M1 is pretty bad these days however infrastructure will improve in time. There is a lot of building work on the coast at the moment and hopefully that will continue. I cant advise re public housing as I don't have any experience of it. I am also not near Tugun or Kirra so I cannot provide very in depth info for that area. I am based from Southport down to Palm Beach. I hope that helps! Ronnie
Hi Jennifer- Ive just found this thread and hope you dont mind if I ask about your experience if your daughters school? Im looking at Kings Christian college for my 9 yr old son and 5 year old daughter and they have 2 campuses as you mentioned. Is this the school you mentioned? If so Id be grateful for your advice. We will be working in Upper Coomera and are probably going to rent in northern GC so the Pimpama campus would suit better. Are you happy with the school? We are not of Christian faith but I gather this is not an issue. Many thanks.
Hi Ronnie, we also thinking to move to GC early next year, we have 3 boys, age 7, 5 and 1. We are thinking about to move to Bundall. Not sure if Bundall is a nice area to live for young family? We are thinking about SP state school, is this a good school? My husband will probably working in Brisbane, hopefully the traffic is good too. thank you very much!
Have you considered Broadbeach Waters?
www.homely.com.au/broadbeach-waters-gold-coast-gold-coast-queensland
This is what a user has said previously:
"Broadbeach Waters is a wonderful suburb with an exceptional lifestyle and also a solid investment for your families future .It has predominately waterfront homes with a few pockets of Dry homes throughout. Its canals are clean and thriving with fish and mud crabs, and approximately 15 minutes by boat to the the Gold Coast Broadwater and seaway.The suburb has ample parks for the kids, and of course they will have their own private beach in front of your house. No traffic issues as there are several street exiting the area , so traffic jams are a thing of the past. With the Gold Coast getting bigger and bigger , Broadbeach waters situated where it is , is a great place to live and a very smart investment. It is also within a 15 minute drive to all of the Gold Coasts Private and Public Schools. I personally have lived in Sorrento and Isle of Capri , great suburbs , but the traffic come 3 pm makes it a nightmare to get in and out until about 6 pm.Now im in Broadbeach Waters im not going anywhere , im not the only one with these thought either .. Its a mixture of old and new homes , and many under construction sales vary from 500k for original dry homes to 9 Million for Palatial Riverfront homes, the average price for a tidy waterfront seems to be around the 1 mill mark.Lastly it is situated just across the road from the Gold Coasts Tourist Hub , Broadbeach. With it golden beaches , trendy cafes and countless array of shops and of course Pacific Fair shopping center, One of the the largest shopping centers in the southern hemisphere. Great Suburb, Great Location, Great Lifestyle."
We Have lived in Labrador 21yrs...4 separate rentals in that Time ..Not One incident of Crime...Great place to Live close to schools shops Beach a few minutes away ...
Definitely Parkwood as your husband can take the tram to Helensvale Train Station and catch the train to Brisbane... .
Also great public schools like Ashmore and Arundle state schools close by, or AB Patterson if you want private. Lots of activities for the kids walking distance too like indoor trampoline, swimming lessons and Put putt also Parkwood scouts and Sharks sport complex.
Its confusing and a hard decision, my family too is moving to the GC and finding the right area is the hardest part. I have family who work at Palm Beach Secondary and think its a great school with lots to offer. My bestie lives in Mudgeeraba and its a wonderful quiet area but still only 15-20 mins to Broadbeach/ surfers. Robina has a lot to offer. And Helensvale seems to have good reviews. I love Broadbeach but cant afford that. I have a 14 yr old daughter so I want a great school preferably public with great history for no bullying and being a bnuturing school. My boys are older and will be going to tafe or getting apprenticeships. Low crime and schooling are my biggest wants. I have friends in Coomera and Ormeau and they like their areas too ? I really didnt like Beenleigh, saw more burnouts and hoons in 15 minutes than I do all week and I live near Frankston in Victoria 😝. Im following all this eagerly !
Thank you so much for your help. What do you think about helensvale or pacific pines, what are those areas like? I'm in nsw and don't want to move up there rent and then buy in a different area, I don't want to change schools more than once so I really want to try and get it right the first time. Thanks again for your help.
From what I can tell Pacific Pines is a good up and coming area for young families. It's close to good schools (Gaven State School and Pacific Pines Priamary). Pretty affordable too if you're thinking of buying down the track with a median house price (MHP) of about $490k (Helensvale is more expensive with a MHP of $564,121). It's also really close to Gold Coast's theme parks, which the kids will love!
Hi AlishaB, have you considered Bethania it's close to the M1/ and a lot closer to Brisbane than Gold Coast suburbs http://www.homely.com.au/bethania-gold-coast-gold-coast-queensland.
I also hear really good things about both Labrador and Tallia for families, each has easy access to the M1 http://www.homely.com.au/labrador-gold-coast-gold-coast-queensland http://www.homely.com.au/tallai-gold-coast-gold-coast-queensland
All the best with the move!
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Thanks so much for this info, we now thinking of helensvale or brissy to live? again dont want to listen to a realestate agent, what do you think of brisbane?