THEIR home has started rising at Bridgewater’s new residential estate.
Indi Abbott and Nathan Murphy hope to be living at the Loddon Shire’s first major residential development, Bridgewater Rise, within months.
The concrete slab of the new home was poured this week and the couple plan their move with eight-month-old daughter Isla from Kangaroo Flat to Bridgewater.
“We had been looking around Bendigo and then last April made the decision to buy in Bridgewater,” said Nathan who spent some of his childhood in Boort and now works as a warehouse team leader for Hazeldenes in Lockwood.
Housing affordability and being closer to family prompted the move out of Bendigo.
Indi’s grandmother Barbara Williams lives in the town and has purchased a block in the 34-lot residential development released in stages one, two and three.
Indi said brother Billy and wife Gabby had also bought in the new estate.
“Builders make a start on their home in a few weeks so it will be a bit of a competition to see whose is finished first,” said Indi, a psychiatric nurse in Bendigo.
The young family at the weekend inspected preparations for pouring of the slab on their new four-bedroom home.
“The frame will start going up in a fortnight and we expect to be moving in by mid-year,” said Nathan. Indi and Nathan said they had been attracted to the Bridgewater lifestyle by a strong spirit of community.
And while Nathan is a bricklayer by trade, he will be leaving construction to the builders. “Well,  apart from the letterbox ... I have to do that,” he said.
The first 15 lots in stage one of Bridgewater Rise were sold in just over 12 months of their release. Developer Josh Cummins released stages two and three  through McKean McGregor during the Loddon Housing and Living Showcase last October with two lots snapped up that weekend. Agent Drew Stratton has said Bridgewater Rise is attracting interest from young families.