When Barbara (74) and Albert Marlow (77) decided to relocate from their family home in Lichfield to a bungalow in the seaside town of Worthing to be closer to their two daughters and son-in-law, they never dreamt that within six years they would be upping sticks again and moving to a retirement development just six miles down the road in East Preston.
Mrs. Marlow explains: “We wanted to make the most of our retirement years and being close to our two girls, and our son-in-law, was really important to us. They both were living in Hove and we decided the time was right for us to move away from the Midlands.
“We found a property in a beautiful spot in Worthing and decided to take the plunge. We moved in, and while the location was very pleasant in a pretty cul-de-sac, it was just so quiet! Although we’re retired, we didn’t want our life to stop! We talked about moving but were concerned about the cost involved, especially as we’d not long moved.
“However, we saw an advert in the local paper for a McCarthy & Stone development in East Preston and really liked the concept of living around like-minded people so decided to pop in just to have a look around.”
Mr. and Mrs. Marlow visited Milliers Court that week and met with sales consultant Karen Lewer who showed them around the available apartments and communal facilities.
Mrs. Marlow continues: “We really liked what we saw, especially the main lounge where we could see many residents socialising – so different from where we were in Worthing! However, we expressed our concerns to Karen about the cost of moving again and she suggested we might like to consider McCarthy & Stone’s ‘Move and Live Free for a Year’ scheme.”
Through ‘Move and Live Free for a Year’, McCarthy & Stone pays the purchaser’s estate agent fees, solicitors fees and arranges the Home Information Pack. They also offer a de-clutter and removals service, where a trusted team packs up the purchaser’s existing home and takes away any unwanted items before transporting their belongings to their new apartment.
Once settled into their new home, the residents can enjoy the fact that their living expenses, including council tax, TV licence, contents insurance, electricity bills, water rates, telephone lines and calls, services charges and ground rent are fully paid for 12 months.
Mrs. Marlow comments: “We couldn’t believe it when Karen told us that not only would McCarthy & Stone pay our moving expenses and help us move, our living expenses would be covered for the first year as well. It was like winning the lottery … almost!
“The ‘Move and Live Free for a Year’ scheme was a dream come true and has really helped remove the financial strain and enable us to move again. In fact, it’s the easiest move we’ve ever made!”
Mr. and Mrs. Marlow moved in to Milliers Court at the beginning of November and are delighted with their new apartment. Mrs. Marlow comments: “We moved in on Albert’s 77th birthday so it was a lovely birthday present for him! We have finished the unpacking and are settling in well in our new home. We have already met some lovely people in the residents’ lounge and are looking forward to making some firm friends.
“Another benefit is that we’ve got everything we need right on the doorstep, including a supermarket, post office and a newsagent, and there is also a bus stop directly opposite the development.”
Milliers Court is a development of 67 retirement apartments, designed exclusively for the over 60s, located in the picturesque village of East Preston on the West Sussex coast. The development is well positioned for everyday amenities and transport links.
See Also: Property News (6699), McCarthy & Stone (407), Lichfield (3), East Preston (1), Milliers Court (1)
Date Published: 02 December 2009
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