A medieval-style house on a Queensland island is for sale, and comes with own secret door, nautical touches and chandeliers ...

The dream of beachside living on a budget remains a reality in only a handful of South East Queensland suburbs, with prices surging more than 100 per cent in just 12 months in some hotspots.

To renovate or detonate is the question being asked of potential buyers for a home in Brisbane's north-western suburbs listed for almost $700,000.

This appetite for big-ticket real estate has seen Palmer sink hundreds of millions of dollars into beachfront blocks.

Surfers Paradise is around an hour’s drive from Brisbane, so a rental car is handy if you want to explore once you’re there.