From 250-Year-Old Cottage To New Build House In Leeds
Home for Paul Crossley used to be a 250-year-old cottage in Arthington, located in the middle of the rolling Yorkshire Dales and the Emmerdale TV series set.
And while he says living in Creskeld Manor for four years until he retired was idyllic, and entertaining – it’s used for exterior scenes of the Tates’ Home Farm – he’s now harvesting the benefits of a nearby new build, having bought a three-bedroom detached ‘Warwick’ home at Redrow’s Whitehall Grange development in Leeds.
“I love it. It is a massive contrast to the cottage. When the wind blew there, you knew it,” said Paul. “This is a beautiful home that if I travel away from, I’ll look forward to getting back to. It ticks every box for me. It’s not too big and it’s perfect for me and my son. It has a 10-year NHBC guarantee, and any glitches are dealt with, so it’s hassle-free and there’s huge peace of mind in that.”
Having worked with housebuilders for 25 years through his manufacturing business which supplied bathroom products, he believed it had to be Redrow: “They are the best,” he said, finding himself moving out of retirement and getting back into business again. “The build quality, the materials they use, the products they source, the after-care service … they are renowned in the industry for being the best. So, when I saw Redrow were building at Whitehall Grange, I wanted to move there. It’s a fairly small development, it’s only 10 minutes away from my 19-year-old son, who lives with both me and my ex-wife, and so it was ideal.”
With a desire to move quickly – from reservation to moving in it was just six weeks – cash-buyer Paul wanted a home that would be ready to move into as soon as possible. The three-bedroom ‘Warwick’ fitted the bill, and he was able to get the keys in December last year.
“The way it is set out is just fantastic,” he continued. “It has an easy layout and a great flow and I especially like the kitchen and dining room that spreads the full width at the back of the house. There’s great attention to detail in everything.”
A host of upgrades in his new home
Impressed with the design, Paul wanted to create the best home he could and while he was restricted because of its advanced build stage, he still took advantage of a host of Redrow upgrades so that the interior was spot on to match the build.
“I chose a kitchen island and the Amtico parquet flooring to make the most of the kitchen and dining area, and I upgraded to fitted wardrobes in my bedroom,” said Paul. “I went for Indigo wood-effect doors, which are very on-trend at the moment, and my son wanted sliding mirrored doors in his room – but I’ve told him he can polish them! I wanted to enhance the house and make it look really special and nice, and I’ve done that.”
“Whitehall Grange is a really pleasant place to live and, so far, there are six of us here and I’ve got lovely neighbours. I am very happy.”
Whitehall Grange, off Whitehall Road, will eventually feature 96 private sale homes and 18 affordable homes, with a collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom semi-detached and detached houses currently starting from £272,950.
Located five miles outside Leeds along the A58, the development is ideal for anyone wanting the best of both worlds, being close to the city centre and all that has to offer but having green space and woodland right on the doorstep. The ‘Warwick’ and ‘Cambridge’ show homes are now open and available to view daily between 10am and 5.30pm. Find out more at www.redrow.co.uk.
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