Olley, his wife Amelia and their three daughters, Taila (12), Ana (10) and Penni (6), have made Luggate their home and have no regrets.
"We absolutely love it here and I kind of liken it to coming into Central Otago and seeing the wide, open landscape; that’s what moving to Luggate did for our lives."
The affordability of building a home in Luggate meant he was able to make a career out of selling his artwork.
Even in the short time they had lived in the township, he had noticed how much it had grown, but saw it as something positive.
"You don’t want to be someone who moves somewhere and then doesn’t want anyone else moving beside you.
"There will always be changes, but it’s got a lot of room to grow and I think it benefits from the diversity the new people bring. Communities benefit from young families moving in."
Part of the attraction of living in Luggate was the sense of community you felt in the town, he said.
"It’s definitely got that old New Zealand kind of feel. Everyone sort of knows each other and people in the community are always willing to help out if you need a hand," he said.
He was glad they moved to Luggate before demand increased and the price of building a home went up, he said.
"We were lucky — we were right on the cusp — buying the section and building the house before it got a bit too high for us.
"It’s still affordable for some families, which is great, but just like everywhere else in the area, prices have increased, which is a bit of a shame."
