Couple leave home town after 60 years and find ‘perfect’ home in Derbyshire

Sue and Andy Bower had lived in Melton Mowbray all their lives before they bought a house at Bellway’s Woodland Rise development in Hartshorne, Derbyshire.

Just a few months after moving into their new four-bedroom detached property, the couple say that Woodland Rise already feels very much like home.

And they believe that fate played a part in their move – as the Philosopher house type they fell in love with and eventually bought just so happened to be the design of the showhome at another Bellway development just round the corner from where they were previously living.

Sue, 59, and Andy, 60, decided to make the move to be closer to Sue’s children, who are Andy’s stepchildren.

Former secretary Sue, who has Multiple sclerosis (MS), said: “Andy is a steel erector and oftens works away and I wanted to feel more secure and closer to the children so if I need help and support they are not too far away.

“My son Dickie was living in Woodville, in Derbyshire, about an hour away and my daughter Kate was in Belton near Shepshed, in Leicestershire, which was a 40-minute drive from us.

“I sat down with Andy who was initially not keen about having to move and leave our hometown and his mum, who still lives in the area, but he could see how it would benefit me and the children. Once I had him on board I started to look on the internet at new houses.”

Sue saw that Bellway was building new homes at Woodland Rise, which was five minutes from Dickie and 20 minutes from Kate.

“We wanted a four-bedroom house so we could have a couple of guest bedrooms and a spare room for storage and the Philosopher caught my eye,” she said.

“We went along for a look and it was wonderful. As soon as I walked in I knew it was the house for us and even Andy was impressed. It seemed like fate was playing a part.”

Once they had decided on the Philosopher, the couple were keen to sell their house as soon as possible, so they signed up for Bellway’s Express Mover scheme.

Under the Express Mover initiative, Bellway liaises with a local estate agent to agree a price for the customer’s existing home and find a buyer quickly. Bellway pays the agent’s fees and works with them until the sale is completed.

“Julie in the sales team at Woodland Rise was incredible. She was a tower of strength for us throughout the process and made the entire house-buying journey very easy. What made it even better was that Bellway paid the estate agent’s fees, which saved us thousands of pounds which we have used to pay for furniture and upgraded fittings in the kitchen.”

Sue and Andy moved into their £363,5000 home on 3 October last year.

“I can’t get over how perfect it is, it really is the house of my dreams.” said Sue. “I just love the kitchen/dining area and spend most of my time in there. We’ve got a big TV in there, a settee, a table and chairs and it has everything that I need. When friends or family come over I can entertain them while I’m preparing a meal, a snack or a drink for us and it’s truly wonderful.

“My MS is unpredictable and sometimes I have to use a wheelchair or a walking frame to get about. At the new house, the door frames are wide enough to allow me through which is fabulous because at the old house they were too narrow for me to pass through.”

Sue said she and Andy were looking forward to exploring their new surroundings.

“We are looking at this move as kind of a fresh start and can’t wait for the better weather so we can really get out and about in the local area,” she said.

“We have already found a great local pub called the Mill Wheel where we had a fantastic family dinner. It’s a lovely part of the world here and we want to get to know it better.”

The couple said the customer service they received from Bellway was superb and they would recommend the housebuilder to family and friends.

In fact, they already have - their 37-year-old son Dickie and his husband Joe have reserved a new home at Bellway’s Springwood development just down the road in Midway.

“They have already sold their house and are staying with us until their new home is ready to move into which is lovely,” said Sue.

“It is incredible to think that this house already feels like home after 60 years in Melton Mowbray. It just goes to show that home really is where the heart is.”

There is currently a selection of three and four-bedroom homes available to reserve at Woodland Rise, with prices ranging from £279,995 to £401,500.

For more information about Woodland Rise, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/west-midlands/woodland-rise, or contact the sales team on 01283 893516.