From The United Arab Emirates To A New Home In Chesterfield

After renting in the Middle East, a couple have relocated to a brand new property at Harron Homes' Chesterfield development, Thorpe Meadows.

James and Gladys Thomas spent 12 years in the Middle East renting various locations in multiple cities, including in Abu Dhabi, where they worked as head of brand operations and marketing executive respectively.

James says: “We loved the Middle East, but after 12 years abroad, we wanted to move back to the UK. My mother and siblings live in Chesterfield, and I'm from the area myself, so the Thorpe Meadows development was perfect. As much as I loved the UAE, this part of England has always been home to me. Yes, we loved the heat and the glamour of the UAE, but honestly we'd really started to crave that English rural feel. When we first went to look at Thorpe Meadows, we knew we'd found our dream home.”

Gladys, who's from the Philippines, hasn't previously lived in the UK, but as a keen nature enthusiast, she's fallen in love with the diversity of the seasons and the quaint woodland walks surrounding the development.

She says: “It's wonderful to see the variety of colours and weather patterns through-out the year. I know people aren't always keen on the colder weather, but I'd never even seen snow in real life until I came here, so for me, it's all magical!”

A qualified master scuba diver, shark conservationist and all-round outdoor enthusiast, the variety of outdoor activities available in the wider area drew James in: “Right on our doorstep there are brilliant spots for climbing, hiking, swimming, biking – you name it. At the same time, the development is close to the M1, which makes it ideal for getting out and about to the surrounding cities. We can visit our family without having to catch a flight! After years abroad, that's really something special.”

Looking for a smooth, stress-free moving process, the couple were delighted with Harron's range of newly built homes.

Gladys continues: “We wanted rural surroundings, but we also wanted the comforts of modern living, particularly because the ongoing maintenance costs are lower in new houses. There's better sound insulation and they're more economical to heat. More than that, we didn't want to have to do all the DIY: with Harron Homes, we could move straight in. After 12 years of renting apartments in Abu Dhabi, there's something wonderful about coming home to something your own. There's a sense of fulfilment and purpose to it, not to mention a feeling of comfort and satisfaction in having things arranged the way you want them.”

James adds: “We're well settled in now, and we couldn't be happier. We've got everything we want here, and it's wonderful to be back home again.”

Thorpe Meadows is a development consisting of three- and four-bedroom homes in Holmewood, Chesterfield. Prices at the development start from £199,995.

View more developments currently available from Harron Homes

Find new homes in Derbyshire
Find new Shared Ownership homes in Derbyshire
Find retirement homes in Derbyshire