This property is ready to move into now! Please note this is independent editorial content written by a PropertyMash Journalist. While we try to ensure all information is as accurate as possible, please double check with the developer or real estate agent directly before making a purchasing decision. The information contained within this article may be incorrect or out of date.
UPDATE JUNE 2018: CONSTRUCTION IS NOW COMPLETE AND MUSE APARTMENTS ARE READY TO MOVE INTO. ONE AND TWO-BEDROOM APARTMENTS FROM $390,000.
Muse is a new apartment project in West End that is made up of two different buildings called Clio and Thalia. These buildings have 64 and 68 apartments in them respectively. They sit side by side on the block and are separated by a small pathway.
Muse is located on a large block that has two street frontages – Tondara Lane and Bailey Street. This is a busy area with lots of new construction. There are many new apartment buildings being built in the streets surrounding Muse. In a few years time this will be an exciting, established residential area with lots of amenity and a true inner city lifestyle.
This project would likely be suited to first home buyers who are looking to get a foothold in the property market in a quickly developing area. The entry level two (2) bedroom apartments in this building are reasonably priced and designed for shared living. A young couple could potentially rent out the second bedroom to help with mortgage repayments, whilst leveraging off the constantly growing amenity of West End. Also, the relatively low body corporate rates at this project would be attractive to first home buyers.
The Project:
Thalia is the building that is currently being marketed at Muse. This building has a total of 68 residential apartments. These are priced from $385,000 for one (1) bedroom configurations and from $550,000 for two (2) bedrooms.
Internally, the one (1) bedroom apartments at Thalia are between 51m2 and 53m2, with balconies that range from 10m2 to 14m2. The two (2) bedroom units in this building are either 76m2 with a 14m2 balcony or 80m2 with a 15m2 balcony.
The one (1) bedroom floor plans that Property Mash has seen from Thalia are quite intelligently designed. The bathroom is either separate from the bedroom or accessible from the living area and through the bedroom (through a small walk through wardrobe, no less!). On top of this they have separate laundries. These are great features that enhance the livability of small apartments like this. It is so important to have well designed apartments in inner city buildings where space is at a premium, otherwise living in them becomes close to impossible. One downside of the design of the apartments at Thalia is that the air conditioning unit is on the balcony, which is a pretty big detractor. They look bad and give off noise when in use, which makes the deck more difficult to enjoy.
Another thing to note about these apartments is that they are quite small. It is important to check with your lender about apartment sizes.
Similarly, the two (2) bedroom floor plans at Thalia seem to tick the usual boxes for livability and smart design. Both of the bedrooms are separated and the second bathroom is accessible from the living area. These features will make shared living arrangements easier. The second bathroom also has a bathtub. Although the kitchens don’t have an island, they are U-shaped which is a good alternative to the separate island.
All of the apartments in Thalia have a single car park in the secure basement.
There aren’t any extra facilities for residents at Muse. This would be a downside for people that want a pool or entertainment area, which are the norm in competitive projects in West End at the moment. However, for investors and people not wanting to pay excess body corporate fees, not having these amenities can be seen as an advantage. There will be more detail about this later in the article, however the highest body corporate rate in this complex is under $3,000 which is quite good for a building such as this in West End.
Render of pop-up retail. Supplied by developer.
The building entry has a pop-up retail space instead of the usual retail tenancy. This is a really cool concept and will work well with a new apartment building in West End.
In terms of views, residents at Muse will mostly have suburban views into the surrounding apartment buildings. They will get glimpses towards the city, Mt Cootha and some of the Brisbane River. However these will be marred by the other apartment buildings in the area.
There is no extra storage space at Muse.
Location:
The small pocket that these buildings are part of is experiencing rapid transformation. The Muse buildings are located in West End. They front two streets – Tondara Lane and Bailey Street. Tondara Lane and Bailey Street are small back streets that have several new apartment developments either recently completed or under construction. These include Manhattan Terraces, The Gardens and Soko – all of which are visible from Muse. Other developments in the immediate vicinity include Virtuoso, Ferry Rd, Breeze and RiverLe.
With the influx of new apartments to the area has come new retail. Within walking distance of the Muse buildings is an Aldi (4 minute walk) and ‘The Stores’ (5 minute walk) which is a new complex that has the London Fields Gastropub and The Source Bulk Food Store. There are also gyms and yoga studios within 5 minutes walk from this project.
This is a busy area that has a reasonable amount of noise – from roads, residents and the construction that is currently underway.
The local area is undergoing a transformation. Photo taken 27/07/2016.
Residents will also be very close to the many kilometres of riverside walkways and bike paths that West End has to offer.
It is important to talk briefly about the Kurilpa Riverfront Renewal that is currently underway. This precinct is just over 1km to the north of Muse, towards the CBD. It is a large renewal project that covers a total area of 25ha. This plan is quite complex and covers a lot of details. It will completely regenerate that area, effectively extending Brisbane’s CBD across the river. It is envisioned that Kurilpa will be home to a new cultural facility, a new City Cat terminal, more public transport, high density developments, new commercial space and more riverfront parkland. Residents of Muse will be able to enjoy the extra amenity that this precinct brings to the area.
West End is seamlessly linked to the CBD by the Go Between, Goodwill, Victoria and Kurilpa bridges. The Eleanor Schonell Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge connects the suburb to the University of Queensland from Dutton Park, and the Goodwill Bridge allows pedestrian access to QUT from South Brisbane.
Public Transport is readily available. There are two train stations at South Brisbane and South Bank that allow direct access to the CBD, Roma Street Transit Centre and beyond. There is a City Cat stop just 750m from Muse that provides regular services along the Brisbane River – to the CBD and UQ. Bus stops are littered throughout the region at regular intervals. There is also the major bus interchange at South Bank Cultural Centre that serves as an integral hub within the Brisbane Bus Network and provides access to wider Brisbane.
West End is a small suburb in Brisbane’s Inner South. Over the past 12 months, the median apartment price in West End has softened by 2% to settle at $565,000. The median rent is $495 per week. West End has one of the fastest growing populations of any suburb in Brisbane. This is due to the construction of high density residential in the area, as well as the availability of transport and employment nearby. Over the five years between the 2006 Census and the 2011 Census, the population of West end increased by 30% to register a total of 8,068 residents.
Quality and Finishes:
There is no display unit yet for this development, so it is a little more difficult to ascertain the exact level of finishes. As the apartments at Thalia are predominantly targeted at investors, there are no extra luxuries or special touches. They are, however, intended to be affordable, quality and modern.
Scheme A kitchen. Supplied by developer.
The aesthetic of this project is quite nice. It is a clean and modern design. There are two design schemes – Scheme A and Scheme B. Scheme A is light, with white cabinetry and tiles, whilst Scheme B is darker. It would be incorrect to call Scheme B a ‘dark’ scheme, however. Apartments with Scheme B have timber-look panelling in the kitchen and a slightly darker timber-look flooring than the Scheme A apartments.
Render of the deck looking into the bedroom and living area in a one bedroom unit. Supplied by developer.
These apartments come with all of the usual inclusions such as ceasarstone bench tops and wool carpet in the bedrooms.
Render of living area out onto deck. Supplied by developer.
The kitchen appliances have all been supplied by Bosch, so they are definitely a step above what is provided in some other ‘investment grade’ apartment buildings.
The estimated weekly rental return for a one (1) bedroom apartment in Thalia at Muse is between $420 and $450. For a two (2) bedroom unit, this value is $520 – $550 per week.
On average, the body corporate rates for units in Thalia at Muse is $2,700 for one (1) bedroom configurations and $2,980 for two (2) bedroom configurations, which as we pointed out above, is very low for comparative buildings in West End and surrounding suburbs of South Brisbane, South Bank and the CBD.
On-site management will be organised by the developer as well.
West End is a hive of activity at the moment. There are several new apartment buildings being constructed on almost every block, so there is plenty of local competition which is good news for buyers. Other large developments that are in a similar space to Muse include Brisbane 1, Spice, Light + Co. and Citro.
The developer for this project is Stockwell. They are a large private property developer with a 60 year history. Other projects that they are currently working on include Virtuoso, Ferry Rd and Habitat – all of which are in West End.
There is no sales display for these units. Glenn, the sales manager, works from an office near the site and can take people for a tour or show them finishes at his office.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this project.
Have you visited this project recently, or perhaps you live nearby or bought in a neighbouring building? Tell us what you love about this project, or perhaps what you don't.