Case Study
Finding a New Lease of Life and a New Home at 79
Wadhurst was recently named the best place to live in the UK. Within its postcode falls the beautiful village of Ticehurst, a small countryside neighbourhood in East Sussex with a close community. For Roni Greenwell (79), who was born, raised and enjoyed the majority of her life in and around Ticehurst, remaining here was her main ambition. When the time came for her to downsize, Roni was desperate to find a welcoming home which would require low maintenance and be close to all the incredible local amenities. Hillbury Fields, provided exactly that, and Roni has now found her perfect home in the place she loves.
Ticehurst is a wonderfully rural yet well-connected location set within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. For Roni, it has everything she needs, as she comments: “I absolutely love this area. Here, you are part of a wonderful community where everyone looks out for one another. For me, all my friends and family are here or close by, so it was important to stay in Ticehurst.”
Roni has a fascinating home-buying story as she explains: “I married my husband in 1963 and we bought our first home, a new build, in 1964 in Ticehurst which we lived in for 20 years. When my husband sadly passed away, I purchased a smaller home in Ticehurst, eventually deciding I needed to downsize again – there were many reasons for this relating to my age, including the fact it’s my 80th birthday celebrations this year! I knew a smaller home with minimal maintenance required would be best for me.”
As Roni was so firm on staying in Ticehurst, her property search was relatively limited due to it being a very competitive area. She comments: “I knew that Fernham Homes were building in Ticehurst and I was determined to buy one of these homes. I visited Fernham’s other development in Matfield, Rosewood Place, to get a feel for the type of homes they offered. I was so impressed with the presentation and overall feel of the development; as soon as I could, I put my name down for Hillbury Fields.”
Roni purchased a three-bedroom home at Hillbury Fields, downsizing from a five-bedroom property. Roni comments: “I’m so happy to have found this home. I wanted somewhere spacious enough for family to stay and the three-bedroom house ticked all my boxes. I have a wonderful kitchen/diner, a large lounge and a raised patio which has extraordinary views looking out across East Sussex and the ancient woodland. I think it’s harder for people in my generation to accept downsizing as we have so many keepsakes and it’s difficult to let these go, but I’m enjoying settling in and adapting well.”
As she is very familiar with the local area, Roni is delighted to still be living in Ticehurst. She comments: “We are in such a privileged location being south of the M25, where we can enjoy countryside comfort but also have good access to London, the Channel and the coastline. Ticehurst has a chemist, florist, cafés, art galleries, hairdressers, church, The Bell pub and hotel, and local medical facilities. There are also lots of fantastic National Trust places nearby, including Scotney Castle, which offers activities for all age groups.”
Roni was the first resident at Hillbury Fields and was quickly joined by a young family a few doors down. She comments: “I believe there is quite a cross section of interest in the homes here, which will make a wonderfully mixed community. I’m really looking forward to being part of a new and diverse community.”
Roni continues: “One of the things that I have found most impressive is the detail, care and financial investment that has been given to the landscaping. This gives a very open-space feeling to the whole development.”
Since moving into her new home, Roni has been enjoying the benefits of buying a new Fernham home. She comments: “My experience in my new home has been fantastic. With the clean, sleek design of the home and the wonderful integrated appliances, I have a much more care-free future. I know little to no maintenance or improvements will be required, I can live independently and the move has been financially beneficial for me. Meeting my new neighbours has brought a new lease of life as I feel an active part of this community – I would recommend Fernham Homes and new build houses to anyone, old or young!”
Roni concludes: “The sales team at Fernham Homes were incredibly helpful. My previous house sold so quickly, and the team at Fernham Homes worked hard to get me into my new home in the agreed time frames. They are still building here, and the team continue to be onsite, always ask if I need any help with anything and are polite and pleasant which is lovely.”
Prices at Hillbury Fields start from £350,000 for a one-bedroom home. For more information, visit Hillbury Fields.
