Before retiring to Linden Homes’ Graylingwell Park in Chichester, Sandie, 62, and Barry Jenner, 69, had been living in a larger house in Milton Keynes, which Barry actually designed himself. It had been perfect for raising their two children and had a large garden, but fast-forward 35 years and their family home had become less of a pleasure and more of a chore to maintain, so they decided they needed to move.
The couple were drawn to Chichester because Barry had fond childhood memories of growing up there and their children also knew the area well because of frequent visits to their grandparents. They were also keen to find a property that had some eco-friendly credentials, so they could save on energy bills during their retirement.
Barry comments: “Having worked for many years as an architect, I’m obviously a bit fussier than your average home buyer so when we started looking for a new home there were certain standards I expected it to meet. I was thoroughly impressed with the design, specification and build quality of the homes at Graylingwell Park, so much so, that we purchased a three-storey, three-bedroom house for £400,000 back in May last year.
“The upkeep of our new home is much more manageable than our old home; it’s given us more free time to get out and about! We now regularly visit Chichester city centre to go shopping or to have some lunch as it’s just a short walk or even quicker bus ride away.
“We also spend a lot of time at West Wittering – it’s only miles six away and we love the fresh sea air and walks along the coast; our grandson loves seeing all the boats docked in the harbour. We’re also enjoying going for long walks in the countryside, it’s so good that the beautiful South Downs are so close – it’s such a great location to live in.
“Even though we’ve moved further south, our daughter who lives in Brussels and works for the EU finds the area well-connected to London and often travels via the Eurostar to visit which we of course love.”
Back in Milton Keynes, Sandie used to lead an active and sociable lifestyle so it was really important for her to find not just a new home, but a community in which she could ‘get involved’.
Sandie says: “Since moving to Graylingwell Park, I’ve already joined the Residents’ Association and have become a committee member on the board. I’ve also joined the local Women’s Institute, which is based just a mile away; it’s a very vibrant group – there’s always so much going on. We’re very happy here.”
Set in 85 acres of beautiful parkland, Graylingwell Park is the imaginative regeneration of the former Graylingwell Hospital and one of the largest carbon neutral developments in the UK. A partnership between Linden Homes, Affinity Sutton and the Homes and Communities Agency, it offers high quality, energy-efficient homes, with striking architectural design and contemporary interiors, all set in stunning landscaped surroundings.
Prices at Graylingwell Park start from £280,000 for a refurbished two-bedroom apartment set within the original hospital buildings. For a newly-built home, prices start from £409,950 for a four-bedroom house. For either new or refurbished, Help to Buy is available on a selection of homes. For more information or to arrange a visit to the show homes, open daily from 10 am to 5 pm contact Linden Homes on 01243 781494.
