26 posts tagged “skyline”

Photos of the Admiralty apartment precinct, on the Brisbane River.  From left to right, the apartment buildings are Admiralty Towers Two, Admiralty One, Admiralty Quays and River Place.  Note that Skyline and Macrossan are not river front building.  Skyline is the gray building behind Admiralty One.  Macrossan is still under construction behind Skyline and cannot be seen.

• Breeze at Indooroopilly,41/8 Belgrave Road:  3 bed, highest bid at auction was $400,000, auctioneers bid of $780,000, passed in, now listed for $900,000
• Admiralty Quays, 144/32 Macrossan Street, Brisbane, 3 bed, sold for $1,885,000
• Skyline, 62/30 Macrossan Street, 2 bed, passed in at $563,000, now listed at $600,000
  
• Dockside Hotel, 601/44 Ferry St, Kangaroo Point, 2 bed, no bid
• Dockside Hotel, 510/44 Ferry St, Kangaroo Point, 2 bed, no bid
• MacArthur Chambers, 104/229 Queen Street, 2 bed, 2 cars, passed in at $720,000, now listed at $790,000
• 95/260 Vulture Street, South Brisbane, 2 bed, passed in at $645,000, now listed at $675,000
• Aurora, 117/420 Queen Street, 2 bed 1 bath, sold for $395,000
• 7/146 Macquarie Street, St Lucia, 2 bed 1 bath, sold for $500,000
  

Most of the above were auctioned at the Ray White Sunday Auction

Skyline - Apartment 344 - Level 34 - Two bedrooms - $600,000
Aurora - Apartment 439 - Level 43 - Two bedrooms - $460,000
Club Lodge - Apartment 51 - Two beds, two cars - $440,000
Vue - Apartment 2409 - Two beds - $445,000
River City - Apartment 3802 - Two beds - $403,220
Flow West End - Apartment 80 - Four beds - failed to sell at auction

I have never been a fan of Skyline apartments in Brisbane. They were marketed as river front, when they are not. The apartments are generally small. The quality of the fitout was average. The Courier Mail reports on Saturday that there was a major water leak in the building, impacting a number of apartments, and doing a huge amount of damage.  "Apparently about 48 units in the Watpac-built complex were affected, with the builder blaming the subcontractor and so forth..."  One resident on level 23 reports more than $100,000 of damage to her apartment. Does not bode well for this building. 

Skyline is selling new 3 bedroom apartments for $650,000. This is less than some of the two bedroom prices in Skyline. These apartments were recently marketed for $720,000 plus. They are nice city apartments, but will be crowded out by Meriton's Soleil and Macrossan towers.

Meriton's Soleil, its first building in Brisbane, launches this weekend.  (Completion of the building is planned for 2011 or 2012.)

It will be 74 levels, and 234 metres high, located at the end of Adelaide Street, behind Skyline and next door to Macrossan (which is under construction).

Floors 31 to 64 contain the apartments that Meriton will sell.  Floors 65 to 74, comprising 42 apartments, are not for sale.  Floors 30 and below will probably be 175 serviced apartments, owned and managed by Meriton.  A total of 188 apartments will go on sale this weekend.  They are 1 to 3 bedroom apartments.  The 2 and 3 bed apartments have 2 bathrooms, and an underground carpark (up to 10 levels below Adelaide Street level).

On the higher floors (above level 41), there are five apartments per floor.  There are 3 elevators for about 220 apartments, which is not a great ratio.  (Admiralty Two, just nearby, has 191 apartments and six elevators.)

None of the apartments have balconies.  Airconditioned, full length windows, and floor to ceiling tiles in the bathroom.  Indoor pool and gym.

Here are some example two bed, two bath apartments:

Apartment 6001, level 60, views south down the Brisbane River over the top of Skyline, 79 sqm and 1 car park.  Listed for sale at $823,000, which is about $10,400 a sqm.

Apartment 4205, level 42, limited views between Admiralty Quays and River Place, but good views over All Hallows, 83 sqm and 1 car park.  Listed for sale at $672,000, which is just over $8,000 per sqm.

Apartment 5204, level 52, views over Admiralty Quays, 78 sqm and 1 carpark.  Listed for sale at $688,000, which is just over $8,800 a sqm.

Compare existing, older stock of 2 and 3 bedroom apartments nearby:

• Admiralty Two, Level 4, direct riverfront, 103 sqm (including balconey), listed at $720,000 
• Skyline, Level 27, river views, 102 sqm (including balconey), fully furnished, listed at $720,000
• Admiralty One, Level 18, direct riverfront, 3 bedrooms, 2 carparks, 150 sqm, listed at $880,000.
• Quay West, Level 16, river and park views, 120 sqm, listed at $850,000
• River Place, Level 13, direct riverfront, 116 sqm listed at $675,000 or $675,000

From what I can tell, the current actual sales price for direct riverfront apartments in the city is between $6000 and $7000 a sqm.

Overall, Soleil is in a great location, the floor plans seem to be well designed, and Meriton will deliver.  Care should be taken when selecting, as some apartments will not have great views due to neighbouring buildings -- but some apartments should have great views (if you like heights!).  The apartments are a little small for my liking, and I am not sure about lack of balconey.

See Courier Mail blog

• Felix:  342/26 Felix St, 2 bed, 2 bath, sold for $495,000.
• Festival Towers, 1901/108 Albert St, passed in $450,000
• Festival Towers, 3508/108 Albert St sold prior to auction, reported at $555,000 or $445,000??
  
• Charlotte Towers, 1502/128 Charlotte St, 2 bed 2 bath, passed in on vendor’s bid of $420,000
• River Place River Terrace House:  1/82 Boundary St was passed in at $1.35 million, now listed at $1.5M
• Skyline, 12/30 Macrossan St, three bedroom unit passed in at $900,000, now listed at $1,240,000
  
• Aurora Tower Penthouse:  651 and 656/420 Queen St passed in at $2.4 million, now listed at $2.6M
  
• Soho, 416/8 Cordelia St, 1 bed, South Brisbane was passed in at $280,000
• SoHo, 615/8 Cordelia St was passed in for $465,000, looking for offers above $500,000
  
• SoHo, 108/8 Cordelia St passed in at $505,000
• Euro, 1308-2-6 Manning St, South Brisbane, 2 bed 2 bath, passed in at $400,000
• Trilogy, 336/51 Hope Street, Spring Hill, 2 bed, 2 bath passed in at $540,000, sold after for $550,000 (vendor was off the plan owner who had paid $595,000)
  
• Stradbroke Tower, 74/2 Goodwin St, Kangaroo Point passed in at $875,000
• 1/24 Brisbane Street, St Lucia, sold for $414,000
• 6/211 Baroona Rd Paddington, 2 bed, 1 bath, sold for $431,000
• LeftBank, 64/35 Buchanan St, West End, passed in at $1.15 million

"Hundreds turned out to the convention centre on Sunday to see 80 properties offered for sale as part of the Ray White Property Auction Spectacular.  There was a wide range of units and houses was on offer but properties sold under the hammer for prices well below what would have been expected six months ago.
Chief auctioneer Philip Parker said he pleased with the lacklustre clearance rate of almost 30 percent but said those who sold at auction realised they were not going to get what they thought their property was worth before the economic downturn.  He said while no-one was happy with the current economic climate, sellers realised if they wanted to move a property they had to meet the market.
``Out of those that sold today, only one buyer didn’t go down on their original (minimum) price,’’ Mr Parker said.
He said the vendors who didn’t budge, didn’t get a sale.  Negotiations are continuing on several properties offered for sale."  http://blogs.news.com.au/couriermail/publicproperty/index.php

There is likely to be a shortage of apartments in Brisbane in the near future.  (This statement assumes that that is not massive unemployment in Brisbane.)  There are few developments under construction, and so very little new stock will come onto the market in the next three years.  What new stock remains unsold is either overpriced or poor quality.

Downtown Apartments

• M on Mary - completed - mostly poor quality 1 bedroom apartments, mostly unsold.  Developer has ceased sales campaign and is running this building as short term accommodation
• Evolution - completed - about 20 apartments unsold - small and overpriced
• Skyline - completed - about 20 apartments unsold - building surrounded by other buildings, and generally overpriced
• Aurora - completed
  
• Empire Square - cancelled
• Trilogy Tower - status uncertain - in presales, with planned completion in 2012 - both hotel rooms and expensive apartments
• Vision - status uncertain - in presales, with completion not before 2012
  
• Soleil Tower - soon to start presales - 403 apartments, with completion about 2011
• French Quarter - early days, no planning approval
  

Inner City

• Flow (West End) - completed - about 5 remain unsold, will negotiate on price to sell
  
• Koko (West End) - completed - about 5 remain unsold, will negotiate on price to sell
• Tempo (West End) - completed - about 5 remain unsold, will negotiate on price to sell
• IceWorks (Paddington) - almost complete - about 6 apartments remain unsold
  
• SL8 (West End) - under construction, with completion expected in April 2009, poor location
• Waters Edge (West End) - off-the-plan selling, overpriced and selling poorly, completion in 2010
• Ciana (Indooroopilly) - almost complete - about 25 out of 130 apartments remain unsold - good value
  
• Tennyson Reach - 2 buildings nearing completion, 1 building not far behind, 3 more buildings planned
• Newstead Waterfront - 2 buildings selling well off-the-plan
• The Mill at Albion - almost sold out, relatively expensive
• El Dorado Village - to be launched to the marketing in October 2008, completion likely in 2011
• Milton Union - received planning approval

Felix

• Apt 294 - highest bidder = $395,000
• Apt 256, listed at $549,000, sold for $522,000
  

Skyline

• Apt 254 - passed in
• Apt 422 - passed in
  

Riverplace

• Apt 32 - highest bid - $640,000
• Apt 304 - passed in

Aurora

• Apt 583 - highest bid $900,000
• Apt 584 - highest bid $900,000

Casino Towers

• Apt 3104 - sold for $316,000

River City

• Apt 2105 - sold for $375,000

Festival Towers

• Apt 2502, listed at $470,000, sold for $450,000
  

Soleil is taking expressions of interest and they have started advertising.

"At Meriton we never compromise on quality with any of our apartments. You will always get the very best of everything at an affordable price.  Meriton the country's only major developer that is 100% Australian owned and managed will be building a 74-level tower situated on Adelaide St within Brisbane's CBD called Soleil.

Soleil will be the most impressive building in Brisbane, with superb, affordable luxury apartments starting from the 31st floor, maximizing the outstanding views at every turn. This development will also include 30 commercial offices, 3 retail shops and 175 serviced apartments.

As with many Meriton developments, Soleil will have access to resort style facilities: an indoor heated lap pool, gymnasium, spa, sauna and theatrette."

As you can see from the image below, it blocks out Skyline completely.