Duane Brinkmeyer, project director at Aland Pty Ltd, sees a high likelihood for growth in Bungendore for all sectors of the property market, not just the over 55s project he is currently overseeing.

As a person who always has a keen eye on the property market, he says "don't wait until the growth happens, be part of the growth."

He notes that aside from their new Villa Estate - for which construction of Stage 2 is well underway - other developers have subdivisions for sale and more are expected to gain approval soon.

He believes the attraction to Bungendore is the community lifestyle, the country setting, while still having the benefits of city amenities nearby.

In terms of what Bungendore already has to offer its residents, Mr Brinkmeyer says the most common phrase he hears from people considering the move is "I didn't know that was here."

In addition to all the local shops, medical services, cafes, bistors and more, there's also a huge IGA and many other facilites.

The town is also a lot closer to Canberra than many people realise. By car you could be in Queanbeyan in 20 minutes, or take a direct route to Dickson and you'll easily be there in less than half an hour. There are also bus services available, and Countrylink's trains stop here at the heritage-listed station.

On that note, a quick look for news stories in The Canberra Times and other sources soon reveals that residents are very protective of their town's history and its lovely old buildings, and it's easy to understand why.

It's also one reason why developers - Aland included - are adding to the residential options around the town, not changing the town itself.

Villa Estate Bungendore - 02 6238 0111

Mr Brinkmeyer also explained a possible reason why Villa Estate is the first development of its kind in Bungendore. He says there are limitations with the criterion to meet, including being within a certain distance to a town's amenities. As such, there just aren't as many suitable sites available as there are for normal residential development, which he says, along with other factors, can be a bit of a disincentive for most developers.

However, Mr Brinkmeyer believes there's no good reason why you should have to move a great distance when you downsize. "Why should you have to move far away from family and friends just because your needs are changing?" he says.

A look through Stage 1 of Villa Estate also shows that it's not only been built to comply with the regulations, but it has also been thoughtfully designed.

There's a little extra width to the garage space for instance, to make vehicle access easier for those with mobility aids. The extra ceiling height required in the garage has been carried through into the homes to help them feel more spacious.

The garbage service will also come right to each driveway, saving everyone having to walk their bins a great distance each week. They even got approval to have individual letterboxes so the mail will come right to each home too. These are little things that matter when personal mobility has become more challenging.