First published 30 Oct 2026, 12:55pm
For many Australians, the search for a new home now extends well beyond the house itself.
Increasingly, the appeal lies in what surrounds it: places to exercise, spend time outdoors, meet neighbours and take care of everyday needs close to home.
In Melbourne’s north west, Redstone in Sunbury is building that idea into the fabric of a new community. Villawood Properties’ 2500-homesite master-planned development brings together land, house-and-land packages and townhomes with parklands, childcare, future schools and a residents-only club.
Redstone offers buyers a community-focused, amenity-rich neighbourhood in Melbourne's north west.
The development takes advantage of Sunbury’s established township, open surrounds and connectivity with Melbourne Airport about 15 minutes away and the CBD about 40 minutes by car.
The local market has momentum too, with the median house price rising 8.5% over the past year to $737,750 in September 2026, according to realestate.com.au data.
That combination is drawing buyers at different stages of life.
Senior Development Manager James Small says first-home buyers make up a significant part of the mix, alongside downsizers moving from larger blocks, while some of the earliest interest came from people already connected to the area.
“We had a really strong pull from existing Sunbury residents, people who grew up around the area and saw Redstone as really good value, with all the amenity and future amenity that was going to be provided,” he says.
With Sunbury already an established suburb, Redstone is attracting locals looking to stay in the area.
At the heart of Redstone is the newly opened Club Redstone, an exclusive residents’ hub for fitness, recreation and connection.
“We wanted something that was right in the centre of the community,” Mr Small says.
Designed by ClarkeHopkinsClarke, the club brings together spaces for wellness, play and gathering, including an undercover 25-metre lap pool, leisure pool and splash pad, gym, two infrared saunas, multi-sports court, parents’ lounge, function room, barbecue area and outdoor play space.
The idea is not simply to put a collection of facilities in one place, but to create somewhere residents return to for different moments in their day, with more opportunities for neighbours to cross paths.
The social side extends to The Hills cafe, an independent business run by Redstone residents Alex and Christina, who spent the past year operating Cafe on the Hill, a shipping-container cafe elsewhere in the development.
“The community loves them, so we’ve got them moving into Club Redstone,” Mr Small says.
An independently operated Aspire Early Education childcare centre is also part of the club, bringing another piece of daily family routine under the same roof.
Mr Small says the idea is that residents might use several of those spaces on any given day without having to make a special occasion of it.
“You could drop the kids at childcare, head to the gym, have a sauna, and then come out for a coffee,” he says.
For someone else, it might mean an early swim before work, an afternoon at the splash pad with the kids or a birthday celebrated in the function room. For downsizers, the same spaces offer room to exercise, entertain and socialise without taking on the upkeep of a larger home.
Club Redstone is designed to be the hub of the community, combining fitness and wellness with childcare and spaces for residents to connect.
That focus on life close to home reflects a broader shift in what new-home buyers value.
Realestate.com.au’s 2026 New Homes research found house-and-land buyers were prepared to look further afield, planning to buy an average 32km from their current or previous home, up from 26km in 2024.
But that hasn’t diminished the importance of what is close by: interest in ‘20-minute neighbourhoods’ rose from 38% to 43%, with grocery stores, medical facilities, parks, cafes and restaurants, and retail all ranking highly.
At Redstone, that balance plays out in both everyday convenience and the wider landscape. Outlooks stretch towards Mount Macedon and the Melbourne skyline, while the Jacksons Creek corridor, parklands and open space create a distinct sense of place – and plenty of reasons to get outdoors.
Northvale Park is already established, while opposite Club Redstone, the future Sunbury South town centre is planned to bring a full-line supermarket and specialty retail within easy reach, reducing the need to travel for everyday errands.
And importantly, while much of Redstone is still taking shape with around 700 of its 2500 lots settled so far, one of its key gathering points is already here, giving it time to become part of the way residents live and connect.
Mr Small says delivering Club Redstone early was an important part of the plan.
“Club Redstone is a major asset for residents now, and it will continue to serve the community as Redstone grows,” he says.
Redstone offers an elevated lifestyle where nature, convenience and community come together seamlessly. Set across gently undulating land, it allows more residents than anywhere else to enjoy truly 360-degree enviable outlooks, from Mount Macedon to the Melbourne city skyline. With kilometres of Jacksons Creek frontage and an abundance of parks and open space, Redstone is designed to connect people with the outdoors. Everyday ease is built in, with a future major town centre on your doorstep and the charm of Sunbury just minutes away. At its heart, the exclusive Redstone Residents’ Club will bring people together—fostering a vibrant, close-knit community and creating a place residents are proud to call home
