suem34
Reviews
"Dangerous, winding road with many fatalities"
Beechmont Road has many fatal accidents because it is steep, narrow and winding. It is also very noisy particularly over weekends where groups of motorbikes ride early in the morning which destroys the peace of the countryside. Fires have recently destroyed homes in the Beechmont area. There are many serious landslips which means the road has constant repairs and delays in traffic. The eleven minutes (according to google maps) it’s supposed to take from lower Beechmont to Nerang seldom is achieved because there are few passing lanes, the ongoing road repairs and the steepness of the road with many accidents delaying traffic. When there are torrential rains, waterfalls cascade along the steep sides causing landslips and heavy branches to fall across the road. There is no road side lighting which makes it dangerous to drive particularly at night. There have been many head on motor vehicle crashes because the road is too narrow. We don’t miss travelling this dangerous, mountain Road!
I would say she stayed for 10 years because Beechmont and lower is Absolutely beautiful ,yeah the road has its dramas but what mountain road doesn't ,it's all part of living on a mountain that is still close to the city..
"Dangerous road with noisy motorbike gangs and small minded community"
Beechmont is a rural area with only one road which accesses the area. Constantly this road has landslips because it is very steep in parts and the rainfall can be torrential at times. Long waiting times for traffic up and down the mountain when it is being constantly repaired. Also noisy motorbike gangs ride in groups early morning over weekends which destroys the peace and quiet of the area.
There are a group of people who report their neighbours constantly to the city council. Unfortunately this has happened to many people so the area is not good for owners, investors or renters. Also value of land and housing doesn’t increase much. Renters don’t stay here for long because of the lack of shops, bus service, tradespeople and no nearby high school. The 3 cafes on the mountain close very early and the road is too difficult to traverse at night so most people stay at home in the evenings.
There is one real estate agency and many renters and sellers complain about their service. Houses are often priced too high and remain on the market for months, even years. Sellers eventually get so desperate that they sell below the rate they bought their property for given the many improvements made. Be warned that there is no town water connected so most people have to spend money to buy extra rain water tanks. Also no sewage connected so costly septic tanks which need to be cleaned out sometimes or replaced which can cost tens of thousands.
Also the army has large tracts of land which you can sometimes hear shots being fired.
The only primary school although good, struggles with its rolls so there is always the threat that it will close down one day. There is no high school on the mountain. A school bus travels to Nerang high school.
Being a small community, people can be very judgemental and small minded. Try to invest in the area and start a successful business. Before long you too may be reported to the local council as some past and present businesses have found.
So while Beechmont appears very beautiful, it has so many challenges that people need to be warned about.
Good luck!
Terrible fires burning large areas of Beechmont and some houses lost as well as the historic Binna Burra lodge. The fires still continue a week later!
Suem34 I would love to know what set off your scathing attack of Beechmont and Lower Beechmont. I'm not from the area but am looking for a country escape but still within stricking distance of services and at an affordable price. All of the reviews are 5 stars apart from yours and you appear to have an axe to grind against someone or something. I realise the 5 stars may be a bit wax lyrical but your 1 star and comments are polar opposite to everyone else. Do you, or have you, lived in this area and are you, or have you, moved on to pastures new? If so, is it any better? I am genuinely curious and interested to know.
Speaking the truth is hardly a scathing attack and I have lived in the area for over a decade. Most people are too scared to speak the truth as it is a small community. Do take a drive along Beechmont Road and see for yourself!
The roads are awesome to drive (unless you don't know how to drive properly) and there are two ways up the mountain, I mostly travel the back way down the mountain as it only takes me 12 minutes to get to the main road and head towards oxenford. Sounds like someone pissed you off as your picture you have painted of the area is definitely blinded by hate. It's the most beautiful place in the hinterland. Rain water and septic tanks are nothing new, many suburbs use them not just Beechmont. For us it was great value for money and wouldn't trade our peaceful lifestyle for anything else.
Oh and the fires were pretty far from us, we live in an area that was ex dairy farm land so not alot of bush like the sides of the mountain which were affected, just rolling hills and endless views.
I will not be making personal comments as you have done. My review is not just for estate agents who are trying to get people to buy a property or the gardeners who love the volcanic soil. Rather I write to include all aspects of living in Beechmont in an unbiased way. A week ago the power lines were down due to flooding on Beechmont Road and often there are motorcycle and car accidents due to its precarious nature.
Your comments do not reflect the views of people that live there. You are talking as if Beechmont rd was the only road affected during the big storms and rain last week.... Pretty sure the whole gold coast was affected (even the M1 was shut) and again you do know there is another way up the mountain which is down the back towards the army barracks (that's the road we use every day). In the time we have lived there we have never heard noises from the barracks. We haven't paid for water for nearly 3 years as we get plenty of rain here. Property prices have gone up 18.75%
in the last year and there is a zero rental vacancy at the moment so seems as though Beechmont is doing pretty well. You can check for yourself.
My views are not linked to any real estate agents and are the views that many residents are too scared to say in case they will be shot down. Diversity is not well tolerated in this community. Renters (and buyers) are attracted to the prices of homes but there is a high turnover of renters leaving after a short time when they find out all the problems mentioned above. Unfortunately too many homeowners are stuck on the mountain because they cant sell their properties. There is very little infrastructure and residents have to travel a fair distance to shops or to a high school. Beechmont Road is one road (not two roads) and the only way up or down. Insurance premiums are higher because of the postcode.
Just checked the figures on Domain. Beechmont had a total of 10 sales in the last year and no price growth recorded. (Statistically insignificant sales) and Lower Beechmont recorded -1.5 % growth. (Domain.com.au) 12 sales for the year.
And as someone who actually lives here I can vouch for the price growth as seen in my own street.
Yes Beechmont rd is one road but it gives us two ways in. The back way and the "tourist route" down the front. When people move here they are after a peaceful laid back lifestyle, not one with a lot of infastructure. That's the whole point of living on the mountain to get away from all that. I feel you have had a bad experience with someone up here but that does not represent the rest of the people up here. I am always taken by surprise by the friendliness of the locals and the close knit community which is so different after living in Brisbane for so long. It has the true country spirit. For myself, I don't find it difficult to drive down to the coast as I travel for work everyday to Yatala, so I still don't feel like I am missing out on anything, just have the pleasure of coming home to our dream acreage.
We are all entitled to our own opinions and our 10 years of living in Beechmont and listening to residents concerns provides the views already mentioned by my review. Protesting about how wonderful it is living here cannot change what it is really like. Your intrusive comments on my review further show what some residents In Beechmont are like.
No what it proves is you moved to Beechmont wanting a "city life" and for some reason didn't know that you were moving into a country lifestyle, it is wonderful living here as long as that is what you are after, the rest of the reviews prove my point. I am just stating facts.
This is MY review. Notice I have not commented on your review as it is your views which I am not interested in. You know nothing about our us and our life. If you MUST have the last word go for it.
"Beautiful on the outside, ugly underbelly"
On the rental side most tenants only stay for a short time as the only road through is constantly being repaired and is dangerous to drive. Landslips occur often and roadworks go on for a long time. So this is not a good place to buy for investors hoping to rent out their properties.
For sellers, the property market is very slow and takes an average of many months to sell a property. Also property prices are very slow in increasing.
The nearest high school is 30 minutes drive away as are any major shops. There are 2-3 cafes which are mostly closed at night because most locals stay at home due to the nature of negotiating the difficult road. So hard to invest in a business up there as the local population is small and access is difficult.
During the day particularly over weekends noisy motorbikes ride in large groups so some of the country feel is lost.
There are also a few locals who seem to enjoy reporting their neighbours to the local council as some seem to have nothing better to do.
If you are considering renting or buying make sure you have decent size water tanks because there is no town water connected.
Also the local council in certain streets is making owners pay for new septic tanks which can run into the tens of thousands.
There is a shortage of tradespeople and sometimes it can take weeks to get someone up for repairs.
The soil is great for growing but it does mean that everything grows very quickly in the summers so if you enjoy working hard in the garden and lawn mowing, this is your ideal place.
There is large areas of army land and sometimes one can hear shots being fired.
Apparently the local primary school is good but they have difficulty in keeping their rolls up so hopefully it will stay open in the future.
There is no regular bus service in the area apart from the school bus.
Cold in winter and can rain for days at a time.
Beechmont or Lower Beechmont ??? 15 minutes apart. Primary School best in SE Queensland 2 years back.???.
It takes nine minutes to drive to my sons private school silkwood , its primary and high and 15 minutes to Drive to the public schools or grocery shops. The local cafe/restaurant is open late most nights. Do you mean Lower Beechmont or beechmont??
See the comments above. Terrible fires in Beechmont with loss of houses as well as the Binna Burra lodge which employs so many people from the area. Fires also approaching areas of Lower Beechmont. Thank goodness we dont live there any more!
If I buy there Can I get Insurance pl
Ive been trying to sell a WA house with beautiful river 50 metres- no flood- for 12 years. Many months selling would be a dream! Wake up, the GC is boom town!
Something left a sour taste in your mouth. You keep refreshing your comments so obviously still some attachment up there for you.
Don't understand why you stayed 10 years.?