Publication Date: 04-10-2024 09:00
Downsizing into a new-build home at Corallian Heights in Sturminster Newton is the right move for Trish
Choosing a new modern home in town has been a ‘great success’ for 70-year-old Trish Bright who has moved into a two-bedroom house at homebuilder Bellway’s Corallian Heights development in Sturminster Newton, in Dorset.
Trish’s husband Richard passed away last year and as winter approached, she began to think about moving out of their former farm labourer’s cottage in the village of Fifehead Magdalen.
Their home was a three-bedroom semi-detached house with a view “to die for” said Trish, but it had a very large garden and with the house having been built around the 1940s, she was concerned that looking after it all might get too much. It was also rather remote from the shops and amenities of town living.
Then last November she learned that Bellway was building new properties around six miles away in Sturminster Newton which was her nearest town and a place where she has many friends.
“I couldn’t believe it when I discovered they were building there. I’ve always fancied living in Sturminster. I know it really well.”
And there was another attraction. “I had always hankered after a new-build,” she said, having never moved into a brand new house before.
“Because I’m on my own now I wanted something easy to maintain and keep warm. I set my heart on one of these houses.”
Trish called in at the sales office and visited a showhome in Bellway’s Cooper house style. It immediately appealed to her and that is the house type she chose.
She put her house on the market and began the process of downsizing, becoming a regular visitor to the charity shops to drop off items she would no longer need.
She reserved her home at an early enough stage that she was able to select all the fixtures and fittings for the kitchen and bathroom just as she wanted them. She said: “It was fun choosing everything. It was amazing, and I got everything I wanted.”
By March her old house was sold for £324,000 and at the start of August, with the help of family and friends, she moved into her new place along with her dog, a springer spaniel/labrador cross called Bootsie.
Trish said: “The relief was amazing when I got the keys. And I got there in a year from when my husband died. He would have liked the house.
“It’s worked out really well and I know my family are proud of me and I’ve had a lot of support from them.”
Now she is enjoying the modern layout and style of her new place. The living room has French doors leading out to a lawned garden and she loves the view out there, which she says is ‘like a picture’.
“The house is lovely, and it doesn’t take long to get used to it all being so modern and new,” she said. “The bedrooms are amazing. It’s the biggest bedroom I’ve ever had, and I like having the en suite.”
She can walk into the town centre in 15 minutes and there are pleasant walks nearby for her and Bootsie to go on, especially out towards the nearby village of Hinton St Mary.
She does miss the fantastic view from her old house and being near friends who live in the village, but she is not too far away and is still part of the book club there, so often goes back to visit.
She said: “Moving here has been a great success. All my friends think it’s a lovely house and it’s practical and easy to look after.”
There are two, three, and four-bedroom houses for sale at Corallian Heights. Prices start from £254,995 for a two-bedroom house in the Cooper house style.
To find out more visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/wessex/corallian-heights or call the sales team on 01258 650604.
