Support And Community Is Ideal Setting For Retiree
The retired headteacher, 80, moved to the Jones Home development, an exclusive gated community for the over-55s.
Annette and her husband David had lived in a two-bedroom cottage in Handforth for more than 20 years, but when David passed away Annette decided she needed a place that would give her extra support and security, as well as allowing her to maintain her independence. She found exactly that at Sanctuary Wilmslow, a development of cottages and apartments for mature active adults off Coppice Way in Handforth.
Annette, who moved into her new two-bedroom cottage at Sanctuary Wilmslow in March last year, says: “I started looking around 18 months after my husband passed. I was already aware that Jones Homes were building at Sanctuary Wilmslow, so I came here with my daughter on an open day to have a look around. On this first visit, I saw they provided lots of support. From house maintenance, gardeners and a reception, it was a very secure and supportive area which was exactly what I was after. When I first got the keys, I knew I would have to manage a lot by myself, sorting out finances, changing addresses and organising my new home. There was a lot for me to do at first but everything is easy to run at my new home and I do enjoy being kept busy.”
Since moving in, Annette has been hugely impressed by the attentiveness and responsiveness of the on-site staff. She continues: “They will help to solve any issues no matter how big or small. From the moment you move in, they are seeing if there is anything you need doing and checking you are getting settled in. They are very willing and answer all phone calls with a can-do attitude. There is a 24-hour line available to call for any issues or emergencies which is very reassuring. Having house maintenance was one of the main things I was looking for when moving, and if I have any issues they send someone out straight away.”
Annette also values the strong sense of community within the development, which has The Clubhouse, a facility including a gym, spa, sauna, residents’ lounge and function room, at its heart.
She says: “It is a very social community. The Clubhouse is a few steps from my front door so easy to get to and a good place to meet new neighbours. As I know the area I am happy to show them some of the best local walking routes.”
Annette also has a very active lifestyle away from Sanctuary Wilmslow. She goes to church in nearby Cheadle every Sunday, and enjoys meeting up with friends in the local cafes and garden centres. She says: “Still being able to drive allows me to be social and get to places easily. However, if I do get to a point where I no longer drive there are local bus routes and a nearby railway station.”
Annette’s two-bedroom cottage, built in The Osborne style, features a spacious layout on the ground floor with a lounge and open-plan kitchen-dining area. Upstairs are two large bedrooms, both with en-suites, and a patio door leading onto a private balcony. Annette says one of her favourite features of her new home is the garden, which is smaller and much easier to maintain than the one in her old house: “At Sanctuary Wilmslow, I have a small garden that I really like. It is south facing and my balcony windows upstairs overlook it. There are on-site gardeners that come and maintain it for me. It makes it much easier for me to look after as it was already planted with evergreens to which I have added roses, an azalea and summer bedding plants.”
When buying her new home, Annette chose to use Jones Homes’ Agency Assist scheme to help make moving as smooth as possible. Under the scheme, Jones Homes instructs a local estate agent to market a customer’s existing home on their behalf and pays up to £3,000 towards their estate agent fees.
Annette’s old house sold within three days and within just six weeks she had moved into her new home at Sanctuary Wilmslow. She concludes: “Agency Assist took a lot of the stress away from me as I am having to do some things by myself for the first time. The support I received during the process really helped me. The sales advisor I had was very communicative and assuring throughout the whole process, keeping me updated with each step of moving.”
A selection of two-bedroom apartments and two- and three-bedroom cottages are currently available at Sanctuary Wilmslow, with prices starting from £389,950.
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