Swapping The Canary Islands For Luxury Bungalow Retirement In Dorset

Sue, 62, and Paul, 63, moved to Arico in Tenerife in 2016, choosing, at the time, to follow their dream of living in sunnier climes.

It was a health scare, however, that led the duo to revisit their priorities, and after deciding to move back to the UK, and to the beautiful RoyaleLife location of Silver Mists in St Leonards, they have never looked back.

Sue says: “We moved to the Canaries to follow our dream, but when Paul was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, it really made us take stock of things.

“Fortunately, he has the all-clear now following a year of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. It was that scare, as well as missing our family over the pandemic, which meant a move back to the UK was the right choice for us.”

Once the decision to move back was made, it was time to search for their ideal property. It was then when a home at Silver Mists, a picturesque bungalow development from RoyaleLife, the UK’s leading bungalow provider for the over 45s, came up.

Paul says: “We were looking at options, but everything seemed to be a lot of money. But when we came across Silver Mists, prices seemed affordable, and the bungalows looked lovely.

With Sue and Paul over 2,000 miles away in Tenerife, they took a virtual viewing of the development, led by sales advisor Michael who gave an all-round view of the development and their chosen property – a spacious two-bedroom bungalow.

Sue adds: “Michael offered to hold our chosen property for a small deposit until we could make it over to England to view it in person, ensuring that nobody snapped it up while we were planning our visit. This proved to be an excellent decision as we fell in love with it.”

Following the virtual tour, Sue returned to England at the beginning of September to visit Silver Mists. By 22 September, the purchase was complete, and Sue had fully moved in, swiftly followed by Paul who joined her – along with their two dogs – two days later.

Paul adds: “This really is our forever home. We are living with people in the same position as us, in a glorious location and close to our family. And, if anything happens to any of us in the future, we know the other will be looked after and will never be on their own. This is where we were meant to be.”

Robert Bull, CEO of RoyaleLife says: “For many residents, making the decision to leave their “dream” life abroad and return back home to the UK can be intimidating. Not only because of finding a suitable home, but also conducting the moving process from another country.

“However, we are delighted that RoyaleLife has the measures in place to help expats return home quickly, while being safe in the knowledge that they are buying somewhere that they love with a company they trust.

“We are thrilled to hear that Sue and Paul have settled in so well and hope they have many happy years at Silver Mists.”

Silver Mists is showcasing its latest bungalows for sale at an open weekend on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 February. 

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