Sue Norrish decided a decade ago that she would one day call Helena Valley Lifestyle Village home.

Now, the 68-year-old has finally begun her exciting new chapter – and in the process become the 250th buyer of a house in the Village.

“I saw an ad for it after my marriage ended 10 years ago and it looked nice, so I went and had a
look,” Sue recalls.

“There are lots of trees in the area and in the Village, and it just felt like home.”

Sue knew she would eventually live in the gated community but had to delay the shift while caring for her mother.

“I had mum living with me for the past five years, but then she needed more care than I could give her,” she says.

With her mum moving out of Sue’s previous four bedroom house, which was just 10 kilometres from the Village and Sue’s home for two decades, the time was right to downsize.

“The house was just too big, and I couldn’t look after it myself,” she says.

“I just wanted to be mortgage free, with all the interest rates going up, so by coming in to a one bed place here, I was able to achieve that.”

Sue’s 7-year-old Maltese Shih Tzu, Sammy, also made the fresh start with her.

“He’s so happy, he can sit in the window and look at the world go by!” she says.

While Sue was still unpacking when we chatted to her, she’s looking forward to embracing the social aspects of Village life, with its myriad activities, events and modern facilities.

“I can either sit and read or watch TV or I can go and do things,” she says.

“I’ll join the social club because when I had mum at home, I didn’t leave her much.

“I want to use the pool and when the other residents go out in the bus, I’d like to go on some of those adventures!”

Project Director John Green says the Village has bloomed into a vibrant community since Sue first laid eyes on it.

Information in this article is true and correct as of 1 May 2023.

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