Chelmer vs IndooroopillyTwo Brisbane suburbs compared for a home loan
Chelmer (QLD 4068) is approximately 10 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, on a bend of the Brisbane River. Indooroopilly (QLD 4068) is approximately 8 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, on the Brisbane River. At the 2021 Census, Chelmer had 3,325 residents with a median age of 41, and Indooroopilly had 13,622 residents with a median age of 33.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 5% of occupied dwellings in Chelmer and 45% in Indooroopilly, while 16% of Chelmer households rented compared with 45% in Indooroopilly. 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 4068 · Western Brisbane
Chelmer
Chelmer is a small riverbend suburb of large character houses where the 2021 Census recorded 94.5 per cent separate houses and no townhouses at all.
City of Brisbane. Approximately 10 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, on a bend of the Brisbane River.
Read the full Chelmer guideQLD 4068 · Western Brisbane
Indooroopilly
Indooroopilly is a western Brisbane rail and retail centre split almost evenly between houses at 46.7 per cent and apartments at 45.4 per cent.
City of Brisbane. Approximately 8 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, on the Brisbane River.
Read the full Indooroopilly guide
What buying in Chelmer and Indooroopilly 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 Chelmer and Indooroopilly.
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 Chelmer to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Indooroopilly 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.
Chelmer and Indooroopilly: 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 | Chelmer | Indooroopilly |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 3,325 | 13,622 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 41 | 33 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $3,402 | $2,078 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $490 | $440 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,000 | $2,058 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 16% | 45% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 44% | 26% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 39% | 29% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 95% | 47% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 0% | 8% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 5% | 45% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 9% | 40% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 61% | 30% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 5% | 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 Chelmer and Indooroopilly
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.
Chelmer
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- No townhouse stock exists, so there is no price step between a unit and a house.
- Only 1,038 occupied dwellings, so sales evidence is thin and valuations less predictable.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio above set property value thresholds.
- Flood exposure varies by address, so obtain a FloodWise Property Report before offering.
- Character controls may constrain demolition, so confirm the position with the council.
Indooroopilly
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Houses and apartments hold near-equal shares, so due diligence differs sharply by property type.
- Minimum internal floor area rules tighten lending on the 224 one-bedroom dwellings recorded.
- Single-development exposure limits can delay approval within a large apartment complex.
- Body corporate levies are counted in serviceability and reduce borrowing power.
- Flood exposure varies by address, so obtain a FloodWise Property Report for the property.
Housing stock in Chelmer and Indooroopilly compared
Chelmer
- Large detached character houses
- Separate houses numbered 981 at the 2021 Census, 94.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four and five bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 388 dwellings had four bedrooms and 247 had five or more.
- No townhouses at all
- The 2021 Census recorded no semi-detached or townhouse dwellings and only 56 apartments.
Indooroopilly
- Separate houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,406 at the 2021 Census, 46.7 per cent of occupied homes.
- Apartments
- Flats and apartments numbered 2,337, or 45.4 per cent of occupied homes, against 14.2 per cent nationally.
- Two bedroom dwellings
- At 1,815 dwellings, the most common size recorded at the 2021 Census, ahead of 1,549 with three bedrooms.
Official sale price and rent figures for Chelmer and Indooroopilly
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.
Chelmer
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Chelmer, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Indooroopilly
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Indooroopilly, 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 Chelmer and Indooroopilly
Chelmer
Transport
- Chelmer Station (train)
- Walter Taylor Bridge (road)
- Jack Pesch Bridge (road)
- Brisbane buses (bus)
Amenities
- Laurel Avenue heritage streetscape
- Brisbane River parkland
- Indooroopilly Shopping Centre
- Sherwood Arboretum
Indooroopilly
Transport
- Indooroopilly Station (train)
- Walter Taylor Bridge (road)
- Moggill Road (road)
- Indooroopilly bus interchange (bus)
- Jack Pesch Bridge (road)
Schools and campuses
- Indooroopilly State School (primary, government)
- Indooroopilly State High School (secondary, government)
- St Peters Lutheran College (combined, independent)
Amenities
- Indooroopilly Shopping Centre
- Indooroopilly Golf Club
- Brisbane River parkland
- Indooroopilly State High School
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: Chelmer or Indooroopilly
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Chelmer and Indooroopilly, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.