RENTERS ROAD-TEST RIVERLIGHT ’S CHARMS.

HAMILTON REACH

HOMEOWNERS TRY BEFORE THEY BUY ACROSS HAMILTON REACH’S APARTMENT PROJECTS.

Try before you buy.

Whether it’s snacking on a free sample at the supermarket, hiring a major appliance before committing the cash or testdriving a new car, these four little words instantly ensure peace of mind.

While trying before buying is a common consumer tool across the retail sector, Frasers Property Australia has noticed a growing trend towards homeowners road-testing their dream home by renting first.

At Hamilton Reach, more than 20 percent of December quarter sales across the Riverlight apartment project were made to new homeowners who rented within the $700M master-planned waterfront community.

Arlene Bennett is one such new Riverlight resident.

The Brisbane Airport worker returned to Brisbane after a stint in Sydney and rented an apartment in Hamilton Reach’s Atria for two years before buying her two-bedroom, two-bathroom garden apartment in Riverlight.

Arlene spent months scouring the surrounding suburbs for her ideal property before realising her dream apartment was closer to home than she realised.

“I spent about six months looking around Hamilton and Ascot – particularly Racecourse Road – because, to be honest, I thought Riverlight was out of my league,” Arlene said.

“So I was thrilled when the sales team walked me through my options and I realised I was able to buy a brand-new apartment, larger than what I was renting, and was able to stay within the Hamilton Reach precinct I’d grown so fond of.

“One of the big appeals for me with Hamilton Reach has been the abundance of people in their 40s or older who either don’t have kids or have older, more mature children and are very like-minded and respectful of each other.

“It creates a shared understanding and sense of community and adds to the overall tranquillity of the area.

“I moved into my apartment in December and I couldn’t be happier!”

Equally thrilled with their new home are Arlene’s neighbours Gabriel and Thaisa Villarreal who rented a Riverlight apartment for 12 months before deciding to purchase in the same building.

“Hamilton Reach is handy to our work and we’ve enjoyed the lifestyle here,” Gabriel said.

“We’re very active and like to kayak on the river, use the pool for swimming laps and we ride our bikes around Northshore and into the city.

Gabriel and Thaisa Villareal

“We’ve also made lots of friends in the area, mainly through the events organised regularly for the community.”

Frasers Property Australia’s General Manager Residential Queensland Scott Ullman said the lifestyle appeal of Hamilton Reach and the undeniable value of Riverlight apartments made it a popular choice among both renters and first home buyers.

“Of the 14 sales made at Riverlight in the December quarter, three were to people who had previously rented either in Riverlight or within Hamilton Reach,” Mr Ullman said.

“Our new Riverlight buyers feel at home within the community and want to secure the lifestyle they’ve enjoyed and we find they value the quality, pricing and ease of the sales process we offer.”

Mr Ullman said Riverlight East was in highest demand with December quarter sales revealing the apartment project as the highest seller within Brisbane's inner-north and the second-highest seller across inner-Brisbane.

Six Riverlight East homes were sold in January alone, leaving only a handful of its 155 apartments still on the market.

Visit the Hamilton Reach Sales & Display Centre, 310 MacArthur Avenue, Hamilton Reach. Open daily 10am to 5pm. Call Frasers Property on 13 38 38 or visit hamiltonreach.com.au for more information.