“We’d been looking at similar properties,” Ms Smith said.
“We liked the land/lease model but were having to look further away in Victoria and up into New South Wales.”
The couple was not happy with the idea of leaving Benalla but felt there was no other choice.
“Our block was too big. Our house was too big,” she said.
“We’d been mulling it over during lockdown and hadn’t made a decision.
“Then one day, we saw something about Emblem in The Ensign and thought, wow.
“We don’t have to lose friends. We don’t have to change dentists and doctors. I won’t have to change my hairdresser.
“For us, we found exactly what we needed within one kilometre of our home.”
Mr Collinson said the issues with their current property were not only that the house was bigger than they needed, but maintenance of a large block was getting increasingly difficult.
“We’ve got an English garden, and the work on it is constant,” he said.
“We’re always out there weeding and watering, and we’re not gardeners.”
Ms Smith said having the gardens maintained by staff at the development was one aspect they found attractive.
Another was security.
“To be able to go away and know there are people keeping an eye on the house was important to us.
“And the social element of a development like this as well.
“As you get older, it’s nice to have people around you of a similar age.”
While keeping close to existing friends helped inform their idea to move to the Emblem development, the couple was also looking forward to making new friends.
“If you feel like company, you can wander down to the clubhouse,” Ms Smith said.
On top of all that, the location also has its benefits.
“Steve’s a golfer,” Ms Smith said.
“So having such a nice golf course next door is great.”
Emblem Group director Rowan Pollard said the feedback he had received so far had been overwhelming.
“It’s great for us to know that what we’ve designed, and what our vision was, has actually come to fruition, and people have embraced it,” he said.
“I think that comes down to three things. The security and the social side of it, and enjoying gardens that you don’t have to maintain yourself.”
Locally, Ray White Benalla is looking after enquiries and sales.
Principal, director and manager Peter Symes said this type of development was something Benalla had needed for years.
“What I’m excited about is that the vision is clear. We want to bring something that the town needs, and Rowan wants to do it properly.”
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