Mark and Kara Ellings are putting their Bardon home on the market after 30 years of ownership. Photo: Steve Pohlner
Kara and Mark Ellings bought their Bardon home for $212,000 in 1995 and three decades on they are about to put it back onto the market.
The couple purchased the property at 83 Bowman Pde in 1995, after some drawn out haggling with the previous owners.
“We went in at $210,000 and the owners at the time wanted $215,000,” Mrs Ellings said.
“It’s funny to think now, but we were going back and forth, back and forth over $5000.
“Eventually we agreed to come up $2000 and they agreed to come down $3000.”
Mrs Ellings said it was incredible how much property prices had grown since then.
“Our kids can’t believe we paid only that much for a house,” she said.
New PropTrack analysis revealed Bardon property prices had increased more than 10 fold in the 30 years since the Ellings’ bought their house, with the median home price now at $1.892m.
While that’s good news for Mr and Mrs Ellings with their Bardon home due to hit the market next week, there is a downside.
“I am concerned for my children,” Mrs Ellings said.
“It’s tough getting into the market, and if they don’t get in soon it’s going to be out of reach.”
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Savva Koulouris of Place Estate Agents Woolloongabba. Photo: Supplied
Place Woolloongabba lead agent Savva Koulouris, who will be marketing the Bowman Pde home said while he encountered quite a few empty nesters selling after owning for decades, that may not be the case in the future.
“My parent’s generation, they bought a house because that’s all that was available in the 80s and 90s and they’ve held onto it,” he said.
“The younger generations aren’t holding onto property as long and that comes down to affordability.
“When they start looking for their first home, they’re perhaps looking at apartments and then upgrading to a townhouse and then to a house.”
Mrs Ellings said she and her husband chose their Bowman Pde home as the place they would raise their family, with the couple welcoming a daughter and then twin sons not long after buying.
“Mark and I travelled through Europe in 1994 and when we came back we were living in Keperra and wanted to be much closer to the city,” she said.
“We fell in love with the old buildings in Italy and London, so we wanted (a Queenslander).”
The couple couldn’t go pass the Bardon house with its big back deck, a floor plan with good flow and plenty of character features including timber floors, VJ walls and fretwork.
Over the years they added a pool, a carport, a roof on the back deck and eventually a new master suite – just in time for their children to leave home.
“We finally had extra room and they all decided to move out,” Mrs Ellings said.
Mark and Kara Ellings inside the much-loved family home in Bardon. Photo: Steve Pohlner
It took some time, but the couple finally decided to downsize this year.
“We didn’t want to leave, we knew our house was increasing in value every day, but the time is right,” Mrs Ellings said.
“I will be so thrilled to hand over our beautiful home to a family or a young couple and happy for them to create memories like we have.
“But there will be some tears shed.”
Mrs Ellings said the home was filled with good memories and had been a great place to entertain.
“The deck has hosted everything from baby showers to first birthdays, 18th and 21st parties, and I even had my 50th there,” she said.
“This weekend our daughter is having her 30th birthday party here.
“That will be our last bash in our house.”
Mrs Ellings said she would miss the Bardon community, the neighbours that had become friends and all their local haunts.
“You’re not in the hustle and bustle, but you’re just a five-minute Uber trip a choice of restaurants and wine bars,” she said.
“Just down the road is the Bardon Bowls Club where every Saturday and Sunday afternoon it’s filled of families, younger teenagers and groups in their 20s laughing, having a drink, playing bowls and enjoying the food trucks.”
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