London retirees swap city living for the Sunderland life

Big life changes provide a welcome opportunity to reflect on your circumstances and, inevitably your home life. For Ken and Wendy, retirement from their careers as a painter and decorator and senior executive assistant sparked a desire for a fresh start and got them considering a moving to a home that would better suit their new lifestyle. 

Despite having lived and worked in London for 30 years, Wendy and Ken were keen to enjoy more space from their next home and settle in the North of England. And so their property search began. 

Buying from a distance with confidence

Ken and Wendy’s search for a new home initially began online, due to the distance between their current home and the area they were looking at.  

“In the past we had always bought a ‘do-er upper’ but this time wanted the simplicity of choosing a brand-new home that was ready to move into,” said Wendy. 

After a weekend of research, the couple had a list of places they were keen to view.

“During our search Miller Homes’ reputation for their customer service was apparent, and as this was the first time we had bought new, and with the distance, we wanted to know that we would be well cared for and supported during the purchase,” Wendy added.

Support through the process

One of the homes on Ken and Wendy shortlist was a four-bedroom Seegar style of home. The home ended up ticking all their boxes and they decided to make the move. 

Having not bought a new home before, the couple weren’t sure of what to expect through the process. Thankfully, the development’s Sales Managers walked them through the process, supporting them from their initial viewing to completion. 

“Margaret, one of the development’s Sales Managers, took care of us at the beginning of the process and was infinitely patient and helpful when we were choosing our plot and our internal choices such as tiles and flooring,” said Wendy.

“As we neared completion, challenges with our buyers meant we had to delay moving in, and Joanne, another of the Sales Managers, supported us as we resolved the situation.”

Upsizing for retirement in a new home

Although the default thought may be to downsize for retirement, Ken and Wendy are prime examples of an increasing trend to upsize for retirement, choosing a bigger, low-maintenance new build home instead of downsizing. 

Having bought a bigger new build home, the couple gained the spare room they dreamed of that can double up as an office and hobby room, and have plenty of space to accommodate visitors. 

“Our new home has given us everything we wanted – a home that is low maintenance, in a superb location close to the coast and all at such an amazing price when compared with similar homes in the South,” Wendy added. 

Take a look at homes available from Miller Homes near you.