A couple have followed their son’s example and bought a new home right on their doorstep in Whitchurch!
Robert and Jane Granata have just moved into a home on Bewley Homes’ stunning Watership Place development in the town, only a few hundred yards from where they had previously lived for 25 years.
The Granatas first started to get interested in Bewley’s Watership Place after their son, Andrew, moved to phase 1 with his fiancée and baby son, Angus. They wanted to remain close to the area and after looking at options, overwhelmingly decided to buy a four bedroom detached house with a utility room and garage on the same development.
The couple, who have been happily married for 46 years, share a long history with the pretty Hampshire market town which is situated close to the River Test. Jane 65, can trace her family’s connections back to 1901 and Robert 67, attended the local secondary school.
Although downsizing, the couple did not want to feel that they were compromising on space, particularly the bedrooms. They weren’t disappointed. The layout of their new home provided them with a very spacious and practical layout.
They now have four bedrooms to accommodate grandchildren and guests, with the versatility of using one of the bedrooms an office for Robert, who works from home as a management consultant. Jane, a homemaker and busy grandmother, is delighted with the open plan kitchen/diner which she always imagined having. Along with the equally large sitting room, it provides ample space for entertaining at home and for her young grandchildren to play.
Robert said: “Having lived in Whitchurch for 25 years, it was always going to be sad if we had to leave to make our next move. But we feel so fortunate that we found exactly the right new build property on our doorstep in a place we love and community we know so well.”
Jane added: “Robert and I had always been impressed with the quality and finish of our son’s house. We had a very positive feel about the Bewley development, which opened our minds to the possibility of downsizing to a new build and being able to stay within the local community near family and friends.”
Robert commented: “The entire design of this development and the way Bewley has interspersed different styles of properties to create an individual characterful look is really skilful. They have thought about the place-making so that areas of green open space integrate with the building in a natural organic way.”
Jane explained: “We took the view that this was a new chapter in our lives, one that we wanted to be as worry free as possible. So choosing a property that would suit our lifestyle in the future was a priority.”
The couple cannot praise the service they received from the sales team at Bewley and the personal care and attention from Emma. Jane said: “We had quite a big chain with five buyers below us, so it could have collapsed along the way, but Emma kept everything together, always communicating with the solicitors and liaising with other parties to make sure everything went to plan and we completed on time.”
For Jane and Robert, the excitement and pleasure of being able to handpick and choose their own fixtures, fittings and carpets was a real bonus; from the quartz worktops in the kitchen to the style of cupboards, handles and carpets.
Jane explained: “It made a real difference because we’ve created an interior that we love. After living in an older house for so long, you tend to replace things in a piecemeal way. This time we’ve enjoyed starting from scratch – new curtains, blinds, colour schemes and furniture to give a really harmonious feel to the place.”
Robert was keen to point out that the Bewley Bond was a positive incentive. He said: “As part of the Bewley Bond, one of many bonuses was that they gave us £500 of John Lewis vouchers, which we used to buy a brand new television. It’s the little extra thought that makes a big difference when you are moving home and creates a feel-good factor.”
Elaine Stratford, sales and marketing director at Bewley Homes, commented: “This is a lovely story of a family able to stay in the town they want to live and being able to buy exactly what home they want.
“Watership Place is proving hugely popular for buyers across all generations looking for a quality lifestyle in a thriving community. The fact that you can live in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty whilst still remaining so well connected via road and rail to London and other key towns across Hampshire and Berkshire and the South coast, is one of the many advantages of living here.