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Photos taken 08/01/16.
In a neighbourhood dotted with European cuisine and boutiques, Savoir Faire fits right in to Brisbane’s original café strip. Milton was one of the first Brisbane suburbs to undergo urban revitalisation giving birth to Park Road’s lively strip of alfresco dining.
Savoir Faire – a French phrase meaning “grace, confidence and sophistication” – sounds very exciting doesn’t it. The name was adopted from the small shopping village the apartments back onto, known for its slightly-less-than-life-size Eiffel Tower replica. Residents have exclusive access to Park Road through the back of the precinct. Only 2km from Brisbane city, this is a very convenient location.
Savoir Faire Residences I, completed in 2015, is now sold out. Savoir Faire Residences II is 75% sold.
Finding the project is easy. Once on Park Road, just look for the little Eiffel Tower and you will see the construction of the Savoir Faire second tower.
Located at 27 Manning Street, just behind the bustle of Park Road, the development is 300 metres from the Brisbane River, ferry terminal and riverside Bicentennial Bikeway. Cycling, walking or taking the CityCat ferry all make for a quick trip into the city or a relaxing afternoon activity. Milton railway station is also only a 250 metre walk and buses run frequently along Coronation Drive.
Suncorp Stadium is within walking distance of the development.
With a capacity of 52,500 people, the stadium is the venue for State of Origin rugby league matches and hosts major concerts by big names like Robbie Williams and Taylor Swift. Traffic in Milton backs up during major events as people make their way to the stadium and battle for carparks. Living here, you’re not going to have that problem.
Park Road also sees heavy traffic at peak hours as it connects Milton Road and Coronation Drive, both major roads linking the western suburbs with the city and northern suburbs.
About 2000 people live in Milton, according to the 2011 Australian Census, with an average age of 30, seven years below the Australian average. Being so close to the city, almost 40 per cent of the population are professionals and more than 55 per cent of residents have a tertiary education. Driving down Park Road, it’s not unusual to spot a flashy new sports car and the area is commonly seen as a place for well-off young professionals.
Savoir Faire is a two stage development of two 14-level towers with a total of 130 apartments. Stage one, completed in 2015, has been completely sold. Construction has commenced on stage two, Savoir Faire Residences II, and is expected to be completed by late 2016.
Savoir Faire Residences II under construction, next to the completed stage one.
Savoir Faire Residences II will have 65 x one (1) , two (2) , and two (2) bedroom plus multipurpose room apartments. Each apartment will have a single allocated space in the secure basement carpark along with a bike rack and there will also be visitor parking. A single car will be an issue if you have more than one car as there is limited street parking in the vicinity.
Residents will have access to the ground level gym, outdoor pool and barbecue area.
Some balconies, in the larger apartments, will reach an impressive 31 square metres, with views to either the city or Mt Cooth-tha. Apartments will be fitted with audio intercom systems and all living rooms and bedrooms will have connection points for pay TV, ADSL, and telephone. There will be access to high speed internet.
Real Property Consultants are the onsite managers. The company manages four other apartment buildings around Brisbane and the resident managers will be Hamish and Glenis McMaster. Hamish is pretty hands-on and you’ll see his friendly face buzzing around the building making sure everything is in order.
The developer, Kozmic Developments, has been involved in more than 30 unit developments around Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
A one (1) bedroom apartment starts from $399,000 or a two (2) bedroom with a multi-purpose room from $555,000.
Body corporate fees are around $3400 for one (1) bedroom apartments and $3800 for two (2) bedroom apartments.
If you are looking to invest, gross rental yields in Milton currently sit at 5.4% and the suburb has a 1% vacancy rate.
Walking through the one-bedroom apartments you can tell they are aimed at investors. They are fairly standard, open-plan apartments with, for the most part, boxy balconies – but the views are awesome and the location sells itself. Large cupboards with ample storage space, hidden in the apartment’s entranceway, are nice features.
Full height, sliding glass doors open onto the balcony allowing for lots of natural light, breezes and a great sense of space.
Kitchens will have stainless steel Ariston ovens, range hoods, dishwashers and gas cooktops which is standard for this price range.
Bathrooms will have floor-to-ceiling ceramic tiles and a frameless mirrored cabinet to the full height of the vanity.
The closest large supermarket is Coles, 1.3 km away at The Barracks, where you can also find boutique cafés and specialty shops. For a convenient one-stop shop your best bet is Toowong Village which is about a seven-minute drive. Here you will find a Woolworths, Coles, David Jones, and Kmart among other smaller retailers. Toowong Library is also located inside the shopping centre.
To get into the city using public transport, catch the train from Milton Station, 250 metres away.
The Ipswich train takes just five minute to get to Central station.
You can also take the bus from Milton Road opposite the train station. Bus 470 will arrive at Elizabeth Street in under 10 minutes. This will save some walking if you want to get closer to Queen Street and Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
To get to The University of Queensland in St Lucia you can walk to Coronation Drive and catch bus 412. This arrives at UQ Chancellor’s Place in 15 minutes.
For a more scenic trip into the city or to UQ, the CityCat ferry also leaves from the Milton terminal below Coronation Drive, 400 metres away. It takes five minutes on the ferry to the city’s North Quay terminal and about 20 minutes to UQ.
The Wesley Hospital is a private hospital with a 24-hour emergency centre, around 1.5km from Savoir Faire. Toowong Private hospital is 2 km away and major public hospitals, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Mater Hospital Brisbane, are both about 5 km away.
Milton and the surrounding area has many primary and secondary schools renowned for academic excellence.
Milton State School, which has 600 primary students, is a 10 minute walk away. Facilities include a heated swimming pool, tennis courts and access to Gregory Park. Brisbane Grammar School and Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School are both private, same-sex schools around a 2.5km drive away. Both schools topped the rankings for highest OP scores in Queensland, as did Brisbane State High School, public school in South Brisbane, about a 3.5km drive away.
Savoir Faire’s display suite has been demolished to make way for construction progress, but you can make an appointment to view Savoir Faire Residences I. The developer owns a couple of apartments in the completed tower and you’re able to have a look through, to get an idea of what those in the second tower will look like.
I was lucky enough to be showed up to a level 13 apartment, owned by the developer, and I got to experience the expansive views and snap some photos.
Sales agent Teresa Hall is the bubbly personality who is happy to show you about and run through everything you need to know about Savoir Faire.
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