ONE of the beautiful things about the Sunshine Coast is the diversity of lifestyles available. Residents and property buyers can choose between coastal or hinterland homes, from the more remote to suburban or close to the action in tourism or business hubs.

The Sunshine Coast covers around 60 kilometres of land along the coast and in the hinterland from Pelican Waters north to Tewantin, with rivers and national parks.

There is a vast range of dwellings throughout the area, from units and townhouses to beach shacks, houses, mansions, and sprawling acreage properties. Some are in pristine condition, while others need renovation. It all depends on what each buyer is after and how they want to live, as to what they choose.

While I’m seeing many people buy investments or second properties, we also see a dramatic increase in interstate relocations to the Sunshine Coast in recent times.

While coastal areas have traditionally been widespread, demand for a more rural lifestyle is growing, so I have seen an equal interest in both in recent years.

A new commercial centre

While there are homes catering to all budgets on the Sunshine Coast, overall, the region has seen enormous growth in property values over the past few years, with more people moving to the area.

According to CoreLogic, the Sunshine Coast recorded the third-highest annual growth of Australia’s regional areas over the 12 months to January 2022 at 35.4 per cent. The Sunshine Coast unit market came in second at 31.1 per cent.

Demand in the region to strengthen now that borders have reopened. Sunshine Coast airport takes international and domestic flights. Incidentally, Bonza airlines will launch in a couple of months and base itself on the coast.

Aside from benefitting from the broader move to regional areas during the pandemic, The Sunshine Coast has drawn people in due to its significant infrastructure improvements. One such project is the creation of a new CBD, which will be a transformative project for the region.

Most jobs on the coast are concentrated between Maroochydore and Caloundra. Hence, Maroochydore is where the new commercial centre will be. SunCentral Maroochydore oversees the design and delivery of the new city centre located on a 53-hectare greenfield site, which will offer a mix of uses, activities and development opportunities.

It will have new roads and streets, waterways, 7.95 hectares of parkland, 2.62 hectares of plaza/Corso and 22.75ha of development land. The CBD will have 65,000sqm of retail gross floor area (GFA), 124,500sq m of commercial GFA, 25,500sq m of entertainment and convention GFA, and 4000 residential apartments, with a total of 2000 car spaces.

Some people desire a lifestyle close to the city centre, while others choose to live further afield. However, because Maroochydore is in the centre of the Sunshine Coast, surrounding areas on the coast and in the hinterland can easily access the CBD.

A coastal lifestyle

Coastal cities and towns on the Sunshine Coast include Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, Marcoola, Coolum, Sunshine Beach, Noosa Heads and Rainbow Beach. The coast is lined with beaches and consequently, tourism is mainly located in these coastal regions up to Noosa.

The lifestyle on offer in the coastal areas is laid back and fun, with residents able to enjoy the beach – whether it’s for a surf, swim, fishing, kite surfing or a walk – and the amenity on offer include cafes, restaurants and shops.

Coastal areas are popular for obvious reasons. Strong demand has seen prices rise significantly. The median house price in Sunshine Beach – the most expensive suburb in the region – sits at $3.1 million. However, there are more affordable coastal areas with plenty of growth left to come, including Currimundi, which has a median house price of $896,845 and neighbouring

Wurtulla ($1,044,692) and Birtinya ($952,670), while Pacific Paradise has a median house price of $765,265.

A hinterland home

Hinterland locations on the Sunshine Coast include Gympie, Eumundi, Yandina, Cooroy, Nambour, Mapleton, Montville and Maleny. The Mary Valley also runs from Dagun in the north to Conondale in the south. It includes Amamoor, Kandanga, Imbil, Brooloo and Kenilworth. Generally, these picturesque areas offer a quieter lifestyle than the coastal areas where all the activity is. However, with ongoing improvements to infrastructure and a growing population, these areas have plenty of amenities. In addition, they are close enough to town centres with primary services, so residents don’t feel isolated.

As a result, there is increasing demand for hinterland homes on the Sunshine Coast, particularly from people down south, including Brisbane or interstaters from Melbourne and Sydney.

They’re looking for a couple of acres somewhere like Maleny, Montville and even Buderim or Cooroy to live, have a hobby farm or holiday home, or even rent out as an investment.

Many are looking for a quiet place with a slower lifestyle where they can work from home remotely. Hinterland homes are great value for money, particularly those from the

southern capitals. In Cooroy, the median house price is $892,976, while in Eumundi it’s $1,155,734, in Yandina it’s $845,769, in Nambour it’s $639,397, in Mapleton it’s $882,903, in Montville it’s $1,047,522 and in Maleny it’s $980,953.

While prices are generally lower in hinterland locations than in coastal areas, the growing demand for hinterland property will see prices only keep rising. 

With so much on offer on the Sunshine Coast, it can be helpful to have someone on the ground to guide you in determining where and what you should buy.

For a free consultation from The Edge Property Buyers, HERE