Inside the ‘sacrifice’ renters take to afford their first home

Georgia Stubberfield and Nixon Smith knew they couldn’t stay in the rental market if they wanted to afford a home, and had to move back in with family to find a unit.

“We both are living at home with our parents,” Ms Stubberfield said. “I was living in Sydney, but the rent there was so expensive that it definitely impacted the budget.”

Ms Stubberfield lived and rented in Sydney for a year and a half, and knew continuing to rent after returning to Brisbane might have locked her out of home ownership.

Fashion designer Georgia Stubberfield and tradie Nixon Smith had to stop renting to afford their Morningside home, and lived with their parents while they saved. Picture: John Gass

Brisbane has just seen dire predictions for its own rental fees, with PropTrack research showing the average renter will pay $200 more a week by 2025.

The research has shown the average rent for a house will move from $650 to $852, and the average unit rent will jump from $640 to $839.

Across Queensland, more than 250 property markets will cost more than $1,000 a week.

This Park Ridge home currently costs $690 a week to rent – but PropTrack research has found the average house rent will jump from $650 a week to $852 in the next decade.

When she moved back to Brisbane in 2024, Ms Stubberfield knew she wanted to get a home before the government’s First Homebuyer Grant made the market even tighter.

“That was quite stressful, because we were already feeling the market as so competitive when we went to open homes, and I thought it was just going to be more competitive after,” she said. “We got very lucky; we found [our] property off-market through our real estate agent, and we just thought it was the best option from what we’d seen.”

But the Morningside unit they bought for $680,000 was described as “unlivable”. When they had the home inspected, the couple found stains, holes and used drug utensils in several of its rooms.

“[The inspector] just said, basically, everything needed to come down,” Ms Stubberfield said. “It’s kind of what you can buy at this price point in these suburbs.”

Mr Stubberfield and Mr Smith had to buy a home they needed to seriously renovate, but felt it was worth the price to get out of the rental market. Picture: John Gass

Mr Smith, who works as a tradie at Momentum Building Queensland, said the couple knew the property would need work when they first saw it.

“I’ll be able to do a lot of it myself, and it’ll save us a fair bit of cash,” he said. “You gotta sacrifice a few things to be able to do it, but we both think it’s definitely worth it. It’s exciting but scary, getting a place of your own.”

This Clagiraba home has a weekly rent of $1,500. In ten years, more than 250 neighbourhoods across the state will typically cost more than $1,000 a week to rent there.

Place Bulimba agent Shannon Harvey said renters looking to find a home with more long-term security will go a long way by having a plan in place, and developing a strong line of communication with agents.

“Sellers will often take security over price,” she said. “A buyer can be savvy by having their finances in place, so when they make an offer they … can offer something like cash unconditional.”

“A lot of people reach out to agents wanting to buy something, but they’re not really ready … if you’re serious, you’ll filter to the top.”

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