Rural life in high demand as subdivisions skyrocket

PALMWOODS Real Estate owner Byron Miller makes his living off selling property, but even he has "mixed feelings” about the growing list of new subdivisions.

CHANGING: Residential subdivisions are transforming the town of Palmwoods. Picture: John McCutcheon

PALMWOODS Real Estate owner Byron Miller makes his living off selling property, but even he has "mixed feelings" about the growing list of new subdivisions in the area.

Mr Miller said the idea of a rural lifestyle drew him and his family to Palmwoods.

"We lived in Buderim for 10 years, but we came out here about four years ago, mostly to get more space for our kids," he said.

"It's a little bit quieter, a little bit slower paced.

"You can live on a residential property but still have a rural outlook."

He said Sunshine Coast Council's move to rezone former farmland had allowed owners to subdivide their properties, and Mr Miller said he'd noticed owners had started making applications over the last year.

"The new subdivisions that are coming on now is really something that's just been really recent," Mr Miller said.

Late last month a development application was approved for a 117-lot subdivision on Abbotts Rd, while a 71-lot subdivision on Teske Dr is awaiting approval.

"We're in the real estate industry, and we've got mixed feelings about it as well, because we moved here to get more land and to come to a town that's a little bit slower," Mr Miller said.

"The changes with the smaller blocks is bringing in more people, which means more business for everybody, and also these new subdivisions are helping stimulate the real estate market and pushing prices up."

He believes the trend will continue, and that in 10 years Palmwoods would resemble the Buderim of today.

"Buderim way back was a mixture of acreage and residential blocks," he said.

"Those acreage blocks are practically all gone now, and it's mostly residential."

Increasing interest in Palmwoods meant plenty of buyers were eager to snap up the increased supply.

"What's interesting is we're meeting a lot of people who already live on the Coast and saying the Coast's becoming too busy," he said.

He said others wanted to move to the Sunshine Coast, but found most properties closer to the coastline were too expensive.

"We're 20 minutes to Maroochydore, we're 30 minutes to Caloundra, we're 40 minutes to Noosa, so it's a really central location," Mr Miller said.

Originally published as Rural life in high demand as subdivisions skyrocket