Gary and Lucy Beikoff with daughters Sasha, 15, and Pippa, 12 are selling their Ascot home. Picture: Adam Head
Gary and Lucy Beikoff bought into Ascot during the early stages of the pandemic, after years of wanting to return to the suburb and create a long-term family base.
Mr Beikoff said he had a long connection with the area, having bought his first Ascot home in 2000.
“We had always wanted to be back in Ascot,” said Mr Beikoff, who has been retired for nine years.
“It has that established family feel, but you are still so close to the city and everything you need.”
32 Ormond Street, Ascot is for sale
32 Ormond Street, Ascot.
It comes as exclusive house and unit data from realestate.com.au revealed Ascot was one of only two Brisbane suburbs to post an increase in median house value, up $16,047 (1 per cent) to $2,749,275 over the September quarter.
“I think what Brisbane is experiencing is a bit of a blip,” Mr Beikoff said.
“Migration is not stopping into Brisbane, and the Olympics are going forward, so there is a lot of positive news for Brisbane as we head towards 2032.
“People also forget that money is still relatively cheap.
“One of my first home loans was 17.5 per cent, and when Lucy and I bought our first house together about 15 years ago, we were paying eight or nine per cent.”
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32 Ormond Street, Ascot.
Gary and Lucy Beikoff with daughters Sasha, 15, and Pippa, 12. Picture: Adam Head
Mr and Mrs Beikoff have two daughters, Sasha, 15, and Pippa, 12, and have typically moved every three to five years as they looked for their next property project.
The couple spent time dabbling in property development and have lived in most of the homes they had renovated or built.
“We’ve moved a lot over the years, but Ascot is where we want to stay,” he said.
“We’re looking for the next opportunity, but the intention is to remain in Ascot.
“It’s the suburb we keep coming back to.”
32 Ormond Street, Ascot.
32 Ormond Street, Ascot.
The family is selling their home at 32 Ormond St, and say it was designed to feel private, calm and connected to the outdoors.
“The thing we love most is the privacy we’ve created,” he said.
“We tried to build a bit of an oasis, particularly with the living at the back.
“Pretty much the whole back wall is glass and folds into the pockets of the wall, so it has a very strong indoor-outdoor feel.
“We have hedges across the back and up the side, so you walk in, open the doors, look out the back and think, I’m home. I’m safe. It’s our haven.”
32 Ormond Street, Ascot.
He said Ascot’s appeal came down to its village feel, established homes, schools and proximity to the city.
“If you’re walking down Racecourse Road, you could almost feel like you’re 20 kilometres out of town,” he said.
“It has that family suburb feel, unlike many other inner-city suburbs, while still being close to everything.
“With the girls at St Margaret’s just a short walk away, it has been incredibly easy for family life.
“That convenience is one of the things we’ve really valued.”
32 Ormond Street, Ascot.
32 Ormond Street, Ascot.
Place Ascot director and selling agent Drew Davies said Ascot remained one of Brisbane’s most tightly held blue-chip suburbs.
“Ascot is one of Brisbane’s premier suburbs for families who want established homes, good land, strong schools, lifestyle and access to the city,” Mr Davies said.
“The challenge is getting in.
“These are beautiful family homes and people tend to stay in them for a long time, so supply is always limited.
“When you have a suburb where owners are reluctant to leave and buyers are actively trying to get in, that creates a level of resilience you don’t see everywhere.”
32 Ormond Street, Ascot.
32 Ormond Street, Ascot.
Mr Davies said the wider Brisbane market was moving through a more normal cycle after several years of exceptional growth.
“Markets go in cycles, and after the level of growth Brisbane has seen over the past five years, it is natural to see conditions normalise,” he said.
“But what we are still seeing is that quality family homes in the right locations are attracting competition and selling well.”
Mr Davies said that scarcity was continuing to support values.
“Ascot has not behaved like a suburb that buyers are willing to wait on,” Mr Davies said.
“Even when the wider market pauses, the best Ascot homes still attract strong interest because there are only so many of them, and buyers know they may not get another chance for some time.”
