Contributed
While the weather was not favourable, the sentiment from those who attended the first Noosa Hinterland Property Expo certainly was.
So much so that the founder of the event Sirah Robb has decided to make it an annual event.
The Block co-host Shelley Craft was among the line up of guest speakers and celebrity appearances.
“We always felt this event would be popular and we were really pleased the overwhelming response from attendees, sponsors and exhibitors on the weekend was very positive,’’ Sirah said.
“Attendees came from across the Coast and Brisbane, demonstrating the strong interest people have in our Noosa Hinterland region, our sustainable lifestyle and acreage living in general.
“The thirst for related information, resources and advice from experts was clear and many expressed that having everyone under the one roof was convenient and a fun day out.
Shelley Craft said the property expo was a great idea and she could see it going from strength to strength each year.
She spoke very highly of the region and mentioned being “a Brissy girl’’ who would come to Noosa for holidays.
Shelley did a school horse riding camp in Cooroibah, has brought her family to the Noosa hinterland for holidays a number of times, and her father is even looking at moving to somewhere in the area.
Her Q&A style talk with the audience covered many aspects of home renovating, interior design, and all things property.
This included The Block and projects she has been involved in, both on and off the TV.
Some of the many tips covered included working with a home’s character when renovating instead of trying to force it to be something it’s not.
It was important to add a 30 per cent contingency to any renovation budget and remember to budget for landscaping.
Other tips included complementing the style and character of a home when decorating rather than following trends, keeping a neutral palette and adding colour with furnishings, and styling for buyers versus yourself when preparing for sale.
And Shelley settled a debate in many homes … cushions or no cushions.
She believes we have moved on from loads of cushions and can be minimalistic with cushion use now.
The expo-style showcase included more than 20 local businesses including everything from sustainable housing to soft furnishings.
As well as founder of the expo, Sirah Robb is principal of Wythes Real Estate who were the primary event sponsor.
“As the first expo, there were many successes and we have also been able to identify opportunities to make a second event even bigger and bette,’’ Sirah said.
“So, we are now planning for a 2022 event and are looking at hosting it in the middle of the year when it is a bit cooler, drier and hopefully fewer Covid-19 restrictions will apply.”
The line-up of guest speakers and celebrities included Sea FM’s BarRat & Heidi.
At each session throughout the day there was a progressive charity auction of 14 items which was not only a lot of fun with antics onstage from Shelley Craft and MC Richard Hansen but also raised $3130 for Drought Angels.
Other highlights of the Expo included two days of presentations from experts; a Living off the Land Exhibit; and a host of free activities for the whole family including succulent planting, macramé keyring making, face painting and a photo booth.
All attendees also went in the draw to win the lucky door prize – two nights at Kingfisher Bay Resort, which was won by Beau from Wurtulla.
The event couldn’t have happened without the support from sponsors including Wythes Real Estate as the primary event sponsor and Noosa Council through the grants program.
Mower and ATV Solutions, Cub Cadet and GemLife were major sponsors and activity sponsors included Andrew Morris Legal, Prestige Home Transformations, Jim’s Building Inspections, SMS Finance, Bentleys Sunshine Coast and Hemisphere Electrical & Solar.
For more information and to register for updates or express interest in participating as an exhibitor or sponsor for next year’s event visit www.noosahinterlandpropertyexpo.com.au.
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