Easy access to parks and walking paths suits the active lifestyle of Emily and Nick, who built their first home in the picturesque Elara community two years ago.
Emily enjoys walking through the community’s extensive network of walkways every day while her husband is a keen cricketer, and hones his skills at nearby playing fields in the community several afternoons a week.
“I like to walk every day, and living here is great for that.’’
And now that they have a young son, Jorge, the supportive, family-friendly atmosphere is a real bonus. Although they know their immediate neighbours, they are appreciative of Stockland’s emphasis on bringing residents together through free events such as movie nights and free fun days.
For the Dellis family, the events add to the sense of “belonging’’ at Elara.
“People take pride in their community here and seem to keep a watch out for one another. Everyone seems to be keen to be involved,’’ Mrs Dellis said.
“The community has a Facebook page, which I often log into. It keeps everyone informed of things that are going on.’’
While looking for a home in Sydney, the couple discovered that they could afford to buy new in Elara and still be close to their workplaces, about 30 minutes away in peak hour.
When Mr Dellis is required to work in the city, he sometimes takes catches a train from Schofields Station, with services to Sydney’s CBD taking under one hour.
Now that they are part of the community fabric of Elara, Mrs Dellis said they could not see themselves moving at any time soon.
Affordability played a significant role in their decision to move to Elara, and they found the process of building a home a positive experience.
They used their own builder to construct a single-level four-bedroom home to suit the 300 square metre lot they had selected.
“We found it a very smooth process and were able to use the time it took for the land to register to save some more. It worked out well,’’ Mrs Dellis said.
