Luke and Tarn Chilcott and their two boys recently sold their Belle Avenue home after the deaths of their neighbours, Ora Holt and Greg Floyd, inside the house on Anzac Day last year.

Despite having many good memories at the property, Mr Chilcott said it had been too traumatic to continue living there.

“It’s like any traumatic event – it’s not something that leaves you any time soon,” he said.

“We spent a lot time renovating the property and we had no intention of doing anything but living in it as our family home.

“The Anzac Day incident was too traumatic for us to live in it any more.”

The family moved out of the property after the deaths.

They had briefly returned to the property but only lasted two days before again leaving.

“We went back to a hotel for a few months while we found somewhere to live,” Mr Chilcott said.

“It would be comparable to someone working in a service station and being held up at gunpoint – you’re not going to go back to work any time soon.

“Obviously the outcome was far worse than that.”

Mr Chilcott spoke to Mr Floyd before the murder-suicide and tried to get him to put the rifle down.

The incident left Mr Floyd and Ms Holt's four children orphaned.

Wangaratta residents have rallied behind the late couple's children and a fundraiser launched  last month is now supporting the Chilcotts as they try to rebuild their own lives.

Close to $5000 has been raised for the family through GoFundMe.

While the Belle Avenue home was sold last month, the family is still renting while they try to fix up their new home.

“We’ve bought a house and the financial impact has been pretty reasonable,” Mr Chilcott said.

“We have a bit of work to do on the new dwelling before we can get the kids into it.

“We hope to get them in over the next two months and be able to move on.

“It will be a huge relief. It will be a new place to get settled and make our own again.”

The matter is still being investigated for the coroner. 

Border Mail