First residents of new Sutton housing development say new home was perfect for lifestyle changes

Abel and Carol Charlie, who are both aged 56, a healthcare practitioner and midwifery practitioner respectively, are reaping the rewards of buying new after they upsized at David Wilson Homes’ Sutton development, The Hawthorns.

As the first residents at the Beck Lane community, the couple were able to have their pick of the properties and made sure they found a home that gave them convenience in abundance, which helped Abel in particular, who is living with a medical condition.

He said: “Within six months of moving into our previous home, we were already house hunting.

"Carol was already saying that it didn’t feel like home, but then Covid-19 came and wreaked havoc.

"I developed mobility challenges and, as our house was on three floors, it triggered us to look for a property with less stairs.

“The open-plan concept of our new home allows me to mobilise easily, accessing all areas in the house.

"Our study also gives me a quiet room to rest when I feel tired, due to the effects of my health condition.”

The couple were living in Shirebrook before making their move to a new home and, faced with having to sell their existing property sooner than they had planned, they took advantage of David Wilson Homes’ part-exchange scheme.

Carol added: “Our first house was built in the early 1950s, so when we moved, there were loads of hidden problems that had been made good for the marketing of the property.

"It cost us a lot of money to fix them and eventually turn it into our home.

“Following that experience, when it came to moving, we decided that we needed a brand-new home, where we knew that everything was clean, in good working order and under warranty.

“Therefore, when we decided to move again, we followed the same principles with the addition of ease of access of the whole house for Abel, so we’ve got greater peace of mind.”

Equity from their previous property helped them to secure their new home, alongside their 24-year-old daughter, Lisa.

The couple also have a 31-year-old daughter, Samantha, who owns her own home in Shirebrook.

Abel continued: “Once we got to visit The Hawthorns, it turned out to be the real deal as it’s only two minutes away from our workplaces.

“In buying this property, it hopefully means we won’t have to move again as we’ve got everything we need close to home.

Carol added: “We would advise first-time buyers to start saving for their deposit as soon as they think of buying a house.

"We discovered that paying rent was like paying off someone else’s mortgage with little benefit to you in the long run.

“It’s better to get onto the property ladder as soon as possible and start paying off your own mortgage.”

There is currently a selection of three, four and five-bedroom homes available at The Hawthorns with prices starting from £299,995.

For more information about any nearby David Wilson developments, call the sales team on 0333 3558483 or visit dwh.co.uk/new-homes/east-midlands/nottinghamshire/