While our economy has certainly expanded well and truly beyond the traditional tourism hub
While our economy has certainly expanded well and truly beyond the traditional tourism hub of yesteryear, Cairns remains very much a brand for Far North Queensland and beyond, and media coverage good or bad, affects not just our tourists, but our investors too.
This week the impact of the rain (and especially how this was shown across the media) was in full show, as we saw enquiries and inspection numbers ebb and flow with flood waters. Sunny (or at least not ominously grey) skies? Calls and messages are back on. Stormy skies? Inspections fall away quickly. Now this is absolutely fair in some areas, and for example I had some briefer than usual viewings at Yorkeys Knob in order to beat the high tide, but unfortunately some will take a far broader view of our region.
Over 12 months on, I am still regularly fielding questions about how a given property fared in December 2023 and the flooding post-Jasper. While this was obviously a major event affecting our northern suburbs in particular, we see plenty of those from out of area asking about every suburb under the sun, and even elevated areas (which, if flood affected, would bode particularly poorly for the rest of us).
Unfortunately we can’t do much about the weather, but it does mean that when the water recedes we need to go above and beyond to highlight the resilience we have here in Cairns, or in the cases where damage is longer lasting, providing context for the frequency of events.
While there are streets that will get wet most years, there are certainly plenty of others untouched by weather (or maybe just every century or so).
Given there are still plenty of people looking to sell this time of year, what can you do? Well first off, do your best to be flexible with photography. Sunny days will be POPULAR, so make sure your agent has options to get a camera out while the sun shines. Keep gutters and drains clear so water leaves quickly and you aren’t explaining wet patches on your ceiling or carpets either…
To cover those overly cautious buyers, find out for yourself your flood zoning, and if you are in a worrying area, talk to your agent about your experiences. Given so much of our CBD is below the Q100 level, very few homes have actually seen water inside, and sharing history can help take a lot of the scary out of a purchase.