There was no need for “all that space” as three of their four offspring had left home and the fourth was planning to.
“Ours is like any suburban home with lawns to mow and gardens to maintain,” says David. “A two-storey house is not easy to maintain in a bushy area – the gutters need regular clearing.”
The Archers started looking at existing villa-units and townhouses because they would “never dream of buying something off-the-plan”. That is, until one of their sons bought a new apartment off-the-plan in Rozelle, an inner suburb of Sydney. “We were impressed with the quality and size,” says David, “it showed us what was possible”.
Their initial search was disappointing. They weren’t too impressed with most of the projects they came across, until Barbara saw an advertisement for a new luxury development, Palisade Miranda. “This one caught my eye,” she says, “so we went and looked at the display suite and I liked it as soon as I stepped inside.”
![David and Barbara Archer](http://web.archive.org./web/20160729010538im_/http://sponsor.domain.com.au/sponsor-prod/uploads/2016/07/25041024/David_Barbara_Archer.jpg)
“We felt this was more like what we were looking for, it had a lot going for it,” says David. They liked the quality of the fixtures, the generous size of the rooms, having their own garage with space for two cars, and the resort-style facilities such as the outdoor swimming pool, gym and clubroom.
Most of all they liked the position and location. “There is a primary school next door and a high school over the road, so we will be looking out over school grounds with lots of trees and our views will never be obscured by another building. And, as our apartment faces east, we will have distant views of Botany Bay,” says David.
They also liked the central location; it is only 200 metres from Westfield Miranda – the shopping centre was re-opened late in 2014 following a $435 million redevelopment – and within a seven-minute walk of Miranda Station.
“We can live there for the next 20 years or so and it’s big enough to host our large family including 10 grandchildren,” says David.
![Palisade Miranda swimming pool](http://web.archive.org./web/20160729010538im_/http://sponsor.domain.com.au/sponsor-prod/uploads/2016/07/25022252/Palisade_Pool.jpg)
CBRE chairman of residential projects Justin Brown says Palisade Miranda is attracting buyers because of its “above-market” offerings. “There hasn’t been a new development of this scale in and around the Miranda area for virtually a decade. Most of the developments have been on small in-fill sites so they haven’t been able to provide the resort-style facilities,” he says.
“The developer, Galileo Group, has a strong history of producing above-market projects in terms of quality and they’ve also gone to that extra level by creating a display suite that shows exactly what the apartment will look like. That’s really resonated with downsizers.
“Buyers want to be confident the developer is solid, will deliver the apartment to the quality they’ve been shown and has the capacity to actually complete the development. Palisade Miranda has been fully approved. That might sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many developers start marketing a project before it has been approved by the local council.”
![Palisade Miranda day bed](http://web.archive.org./web/20160729010538im_/http://sponsor.domain.com.au/sponsor-prod/uploads/2016/07/25231733/Palisade_DayBed.jpg)
Development director for Galileo Group Paul Marshall says Palisade Miranda satisfies a strong demand for high-end apartments from the downsizers’ market. “We are observing a trend towards downsizing broadly across the major metropolitan markets. However, it seems particularly prevalent in the Sutherland Shire.
“Downsizers are very discerning buyers. Whilst they are driven by a desire to simplify their lifestyle, they don’t want to compromise. They want an element of luxury in their apartments with generous living spaces and large balconies that allow for family visits and entertaining friends,” he says. “They focus a lot on quality of design, finishes and of course amenities such as landscaped gardens, fitness facilities and swimming pools. Generous parking and storage facilities are also attractive to downsizers.
“The other important consideration for downsizers is the peace of mind in knowing that they are dealing with a well credentialed developer with a strong track record of project delivery. Off-plan buying is often new territory for them and the process can be daunting. Galileo has a strong record in delivering some of Sydney’s most successful and iconic developments including The Metro Residences in Chatswood and The Residence in Hyde Park.”
For more details, go to palisademiranda.com.au.