John Constable and his wife Chelsea knew their Dickson townhouse was becoming too small after the birth of their son.
They searched for places in Canberra, but felt a pull to move further afield.
Now, the young couple, with 19-month-old Freddie in tow, are hoping to be among hundreds of families buying residential land in Yass.
"We are looking for something family-friendly," Mr Constable said.
"Somewhere that Freddie can actually run around."
This was important to Mr Constable, who grew up in a small town on the NSW South Coast.
"Yass has all the essentials you need but still has community aspects," he said.
"There is a degree of separation from the city."
The couple are looking at land in Yarrah Living estate, which includes more than 700 lots on a bend near the Yass River.
The land belonged to the Walker family, a farming dynasty in the area.
Released in 2023, the first and second stages of this build now have seven land packages left for sale.
Several house and land packages are also available, and construction on many blocks has already begun.
Selling agent Troy Thompson of LJ Hooker will be responsible for selling stages three and four later in the year, which will start at $321,000.
Mr Thompson said the estate had been popular with "young couples and downsizers" hoping for a country change at a cheaper price point than Canberra.
Many are from northern areas on Canberra, particularly Gungahlin.
This is consistent with a huge surge of millennials to rural NSW in the last few years.
Data released from the Regional Australia Institute in 2023 confirmed what the institute deemed a "regional renaissance".
More than 54,000 millennials headed to the regions in the last census period than the one prior.
"It is just a good [lifestyle]," Mr Constable said.
"The schools and community look good."
If they buy in Yass, the Constables hope to become part of the growing number of commuters from the Yass Valley to Canberra on a near-daily basis.
Mr Thompson said once the Barton Highway upgrades were complete and the 60km drive to the territory becomes faster, he expected a further uptick in sales.
"There is a lot of infrastructure that way and it is an [area] that is only going to get bigger," Mr Thompson said.
The entire Yarrah development is expected to be finished by 2030 and will have about 1900 residents.
Blocks vary in size but are roughly between 550-850sqm.
