Chelmer vs SherwoodTwo 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. Sherwood (QLD 4075) is approximately 12 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, between the Brisbane River and Oxley Creek. At the 2021 Census, Chelmer had 3,325 residents with a median age of 41, and Sherwood had 6,082 residents with a median age of 38.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 5% of occupied dwellings in Chelmer and 32% in Sherwood, while 16% of Chelmer households rented compared with 37% in Sherwood. 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 4075 · Western Brisbane
Sherwood
Sherwood is the most mixed suburb in this group, with houses at 51.5 per cent, apartments at 31.8 per cent and townhouses at 16.1 per cent.
City of Brisbane. Approximately 12 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, between the Brisbane River and Oxley Creek.
Read the full Sherwood guide
What buying in Chelmer and Sherwood 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 Sherwood.
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 Sherwood 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 Sherwood: 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 | Sherwood |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 3,325 | 6,082 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 41 | 38 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.3 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $3,402 | $2,034 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $490 | $390 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,000 | $2,197 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 16% | 37% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 44% | 33% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 39% | 29% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 95% | 51% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 0% | 16% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 5% | 32% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 9% | 39% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 61% | 31% |
| 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 Sherwood
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.
Sherwood
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- Three dwelling types exist in quantity, so lending and due diligence differ by property.
- Body corporate levies are counted in serviceability and reduce borrowing power.
- Minimum internal floor area rules tighten lending on the 184 one-bedroom dwellings.
- Single-development exposure limits can delay approval in a larger complex.
- Flood exposure varies by address, so obtain a FloodWise Property Report before offering.
Housing stock in Chelmer and Sherwood 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.
Sherwood
- Separate houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,292 at the 2021 Census, 51.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- Apartments
- Flats and apartments numbered 799, or 31.8 per cent of occupied homes, well above the national 14.2 per cent.
- Townhouses
- The 404 townhouse dwellings recorded were 16.1 per cent of occupied homes, above the national 12.6 per cent.
Official sale price and rent figures for Chelmer and Sherwood
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.
Sherwood
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Sherwood, 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 Sherwood
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
Sherwood
Transport
- Sherwood Station (train)
- Oxley Road (road)
- Sherwood Road (road)
- Brisbane buses (bus)
Amenities
- Sherwood Arboretum
- St Matthew's Anglican Church
- Sherwood local shops
- Brisbane River parkland
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.
Compare Chelmer or Sherwood with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Chelmer or Sherwood
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Chelmer and Sherwood, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.