Brassall vs BrookwaterTwo Ipswich suburbs compared for a home loan
Brassall (QLD 4305) is approximately 7 km north-west of the Ipswich CBD and 45 km west of the Brisbane CBD. Brookwater (QLD 4300) is approximately 23 km south-east of the Ipswich CBD and 33 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD. At the 2021 Census, Brassall had 12,115 residents with a median age of 34, and Brookwater had 2,902 residents with a median age of 38.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 1% of occupied dwellings in Brassall and 0% in Brookwater, while 47% of Brassall households rented compared with 15% in Brookwater. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
QLD 4305 · Ipswich
Brassall
Brassall is an Ipswich house suburb where 47.3 per cent of households rented at the 2021 Census, against 30.6 per cent across Australia.
City of Ipswich. Approximately 7 km north-west of the Ipswich CBD and 45 km west of the Brisbane CBD.
Read the full Brassall guideQLD 4300 · Greater Springfield
Brookwater
Brookwater is a golf course estate suburb where 65.8 per cent of households held a mortgage at the 2021 Census, against 35.0 per cent nationally.
City of Ipswich. Approximately 23 km south-east of the Ipswich CBD and 33 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD.
Read the full Brookwater guide
What buying in Brassall and Brookwater would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Brassall and Brookwater.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Brassall to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Brookwater to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Brassall and Brookwater: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Brassall | Brookwater |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 12,115 | 2,902 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 34 | 38 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 3.2 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,408 | $3,637 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $310 | $565 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,500 | $2,615 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 47% | 15% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 28% | 66% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 24% | 20% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 80% | 96% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 19% | 4% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 1% | 0% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 18% | 0% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 43% | 84% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 6% | 8% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Brassall and Brookwater
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Brassall
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Median household income of $1,408 against the national $1,746 makes assessed serviceability the binding constraint.
- A lender assesses only the applicants named on the loan, and dependants raise the household expenditure measure applied.
- Body corporate levies on the 865 townhouse dwellings count as a committed expense and reduce borrowing capacity.
- Single-development exposure limits can restrict lending in larger townhouse complexes regardless of the borrower.
- Mihi Creek and Bremer catchment exposure should be checked address by address on Ipswich City Council flood mapping.
Brookwater
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Estate design covenants run with the land and bind later buyers, not only the original purchaser.
- Construction loans draw down in stages against an as-if-complete valuation, and post-approval variations can leave a funding gap.
- Lower loan-to-value caps commonly apply above certain loan or property value thresholds at this end of the market.
- Individually designed houses on sloping sites give valuers few directly comparable sales, so a deposit buffer helps.
- A mortgage share of 65.8 per cent makes the suburb sensitive to changes in the cost of borrowing.
Housing stock in Brassall and Brookwater compared
Brassall
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 3,618 at the 2021 Census, 80.1 per cent of occupied homes, above the national 72.3 per cent.
- Townhouses
- Townhouse and semi-detached dwellings numbered 865, or 19.1 per cent, half again the national 12.6 per cent.
- Four-bedroom family homes
- Four-bedroom dwellings numbered 1,736, the largest single size group, ahead of 1,669 with three bedrooms.
Brookwater
- Detached estate houses
- Separate houses numbered 852 at the 2021 Census, 95.6 per cent of occupied homes, on lots following the golf course.
- Four and five bedroom homes
- The Census recorded 543 dwellings with four bedrooms and 204 with five or more, and none with fewer than three.
- Limited attached housing
- Townhouse and semi-detached dwellings numbered 39, or 4.4 per cent, and no apartments were recorded.
Official sale price and rent figures for Brassall and Brookwater
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Brassall
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Brassall, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Brookwater
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Brookwater, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Brassall and Brookwater
Brassall
Transport
- Ipswich station (train)
- Brassall bus services (bus)
- Warrego Highway connection (road)
- Ipswich Motorway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Brassall State School (primary, government)
- Ipswich State High School (secondary, government)
- Ipswich Adventist School (primary, independent)
Amenities
- Brassall Shopping Centre
- Brassall Bikepath
- Klondyke Coke Ovens
- Mihi Creek Complex
Brookwater
Transport
- Springfield Central station (train)
- Greater Springfield bus services (bus)
- Centenary Highway (road)
- Logan Motorway (road)
Amenities
- Brookwater Golf and Country Club
- Brookwater Village Shopping Centre
- Mater Health Centre Brookwater
- Opossum Creek Parklands
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Queensland education department.
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Request a free assessment: Brassall or Brookwater
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