For years, the Australian dream was often associated with living close to the city. Being near major workplaces, shopping precincts, restaurants and entertainment made urban living an obvious choice for many families and professionals.
But priorities are changing.
Today, more Australians are looking beyond the busy streets and crowded suburbs and considering what life could look like with more space, a stronger sense of community and a slower pace. For many, country living is no longer about moving away from everything. It is about choosing a different way to live — one that offers room to breathe while still keeping essential services and regional centres within reach.
This shift is part of a broader pattern in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has identified housing suitability and affordability among the common reasons people relocate within Australia, particularly as household needs change.
For those considering a move, regional communities such as Merrigum in Victoria's Goulburn Valley are showing why country living continues to appeal to families, first-home buyers and those simply looking for something different.
More Space to Live the Way You Want
One of the biggest attractions of country living is simple: space.
In many metropolitan areas, finding a home with a generous backyard, room for entertaining and enough space for the whole family can come with a significant price tag. Regional living can provide an opportunity to think differently about what your home needs to offer.
A larger block can give you room for a garden, outdoor entertaining, a play area for children, space for pets or simply somewhere to enjoy a quiet morning coffee.
It also gives you something that can be difficult to find in a busy suburb — flexibility.
Instead of choosing a home based purely on what is already there, buying land gives you the opportunity to think about how you want your future home and outdoor spaces to work together.
At Merrigum Green Estate, for example, multiple residential lots are being offered in different sizes, including blocks of approximately 618m², 743m² and 1,003m². This gives buyers the flexibility to consider a block that suits their home design, lifestyle and budget.
A Slower Pace Doesn't Mean Being Disconnected
Country living is sometimes associated with being far away from everything.
But modern regional living can offer a different balance.
Merrigum is an established township in Victoria's Goulburn Valley, located approximately 30 kilometres from Shepparton and around 14 kilometres from Kyabram. These nearby regional centres provide access to broader retail, healthcare, employment and community services.
That balance can be appealing.
You can enjoy the quieter atmosphere of a smaller community while still having larger regional centres within driving distance when you need them.
For some families, this means having the best of both worlds: a home away from the congestion of metropolitan areas without feeling completely removed from everyday conveniences.
Community Still Matters
Perhaps one of the most underrated benefits of country living is community.
In a smaller town, local connections can play a much bigger role in everyday life. Sporting clubs, community groups, local businesses, schools and events can become part of the rhythm of living.
Merrigum's own community planning has highlighted the town's friendliness, strong community spirit and peaceful atmosphere as important qualities valued by residents. The community has also expressed support for moderate growth and welcoming more families into the town.
That sense of belonging can be particularly meaningful for families.
It is not just about where you live. It is about knowing your surroundings, becoming familiar with local faces and having opportunities to participate in the community around you.
For people moving from larger cities, this can be one of the most noticeable differences.
A Home That Starts With Your Lifestyle
Another reason people are considering regional land estates is the opportunity to build rather than simply buy what already exists.
When purchasing an established home, buyers often have to compromise. Perhaps the backyard is too small, the floor plan isn't quite right, or there isn't enough room for the lifestyle they want in the future.
Buying land can provide a different starting point.
Instead of asking, “Can we make this house work?”, you can begin with a more important question: “What do we want our home to look like?”
- How many bedrooms will you need?
- Do you want an open-plan kitchen and living area?
- Would you prefer a large alfresco?
- Do you need space for a home office?
- Would a bigger backyard make family life easier?
Thinking about these questions before building allows your home to be shaped around your lifestyle rather than the other way around.
Merrigum Green Estate offers house-and-land packages alongside individual residential lots, giving prospective buyers another pathway to consider when planning their future home.
More Room for the Things That Matter
Country living isn't necessarily about having a bigger house.
Sometimes, it is about having more room around it.
A larger backyard can become a place where children play, pets have space to explore, friends gather on weekends and families spend time together outdoors.
It can mean having space for a vegetable garden, a fire pit, a shed or simply a patch of lawn that isn't fighting for space with the driveway.
These may sound like small things, but they can have a big influence on how a home feels.
When people talk about wanting “more space”, they are often talking about more than square metres. They are talking about having room for life to happen.
Affordability Can Change the Conversation
For many Australians, the decision to move regionally also comes down to what their budget can realistically achieve.
Land prices vary significantly between locations, but regional areas can provide opportunities that may be difficult to find in established metropolitan markets.
Merrigum Green Estate is currently marketing lots from around $220,000, with different block sizes available.
For someone exploring their first home or looking to create more space for their family, that can make regional land worth considering.
Of course, buying land and building a home involves more than the land price alone. Buyers should consider construction costs, site requirements, finance, government charges and other associated expenses before making a decision.
But looking beyond the major metropolitan markets can open up a wider range of possibilities.
A Different Kind of Weekend
There is also something intangible about country living.
Weekends can feel different when you're not surrounded by traffic, crowded shopping centres and the constant pace of city life.
A morning walk can feel quieter.
A backyard gathering can feel more relaxed.
A trip into town can become part of the routine rather than another chore squeezed between commitments.
Merrigum sits within the Goulburn Valley, an established regional area with strong connections to surrounding towns and agricultural communities. The town itself has a long local history and continues to retain the character and community atmosphere associated with regional living.
For people seeking a lifestyle change, these everyday differences can be just as important as the house itself.
Country Living for the Next Generation
Choosing where to live is ultimately about thinking beyond today.
For families, that can mean considering where children will grow up, what kind of community they will experience and how much freedom they will have outdoors.
For first-home buyers, it can mean creating a home that has room to evolve as life changes.
For downsizers, it can mean leaving behind the demands of a large metropolitan property without giving up the benefits of having your own space.
And for others, it can simply mean wanting a quieter environment and a stronger connection to the outdoors.
There isn't one definition of country living.
It can mean different things to different people.
But the common thread is the desire to create a lifestyle that feels more considered.
Could Country Living Be Right for You?
The decision to move away from a major city is a personal one.
It means considering your work, family, finances, lifestyle and long-term plans.
But it is also worth asking whether the traditional idea of where you “should” live still fits the life you want.
If your priorities have shifted towards space, community, flexibility and a quieter pace, regional Victoria may be worth exploring.
And if you're looking for a place where you can start with a block of land and create a home around your future, Merrigum offers an opportunity to consider.
Merrigum Green Estate is a new residential land release within an established township, offering multiple block sizes and house-and-land opportunities. With Merrigum's peaceful setting and access to nearby regional centres such as Kyabram and Shepparton, it presents a different way to think about building a future home.
Because sometimes, choosing your next home isn't just about choosing a house.
It's about choosing how you want to live.
And for more Australians, that answer is increasingly pointing towards more space, a stronger sense of community and a little more country.
