Well worth the wait for MBE retiree at Lewis Court

You find your dream home, put yours up for sale and wait eagerly for exchange day - what should have been a straight forward process turned in to a nightmare for Mr Lyons MBE. Nothing could have prepared him for his setback when the sale of his house fell through on exchange day, shattering his hopes of moving in to McCarthy & Stone's Lewis Court Retirement Living development in time for the summer.

Mr Lyons explains: "As soon as I saw the Lewis Court show apartment, I fell in love with it; it was everything I wanted and more. I wasted no time and put my house on the market and hoped for a quick sale. When it fell through I was totally heartbroken and started thinking my move to Lewis Court would not happen.

"It is only because of the invaluable support and guidance I received from McCarthy & Stone that I am now a proud owner of a beautiful apartment at Lewis Court. The sales consultant was in regular contact with me throughout the entire process, liaised with the estate agents for me and I was also invited to all the open days at the development so that I could get to know the residents."

Ideally situated on Linkfield Lane, Lewis Court is less than half a mile from Redhill's bustling town centre, and offers 33 stylish one and two bedroom retirement apartments, each benefiting from a well-thought out design to help residents maintain independence in later life.

Just 250 yards away is a parade of local amenities, including a post office, newsagent, pharmacy, hairdresser, doctor's surgery and dentist. For those residents who like to stay active, a leisure centre, with swimming pool, gym and bowls club, is located opposite the development.

"I've lived in Redhill for a long time and know the area well, hence why I chose the Lewis Court development - I'm still very much in my comfort zone but my new home offers me more. My apartment is a lot more spacious and gives me real peace of mind with onsite security features and 24-hour emergency call points," added Mr Lyons.

Designed especially for retirement living, special care and attention has been paid to every apartment to incorporate features such as 24 hour emergency call points, electrical sockets at a raised height to reduce bending, illuminated light switches, a camera entry system, easy grip lever taps in the bathroom and kitchen and energy efficient heating.

Residents at Lewis Court can also enjoy a landscaped garden, socialise and relax in the communal lounge and invite family and friends to stay in the development's guest suite. "I'm particularly impressed with the guest suite and have already invited a friend from Ireland to stay over at the development. I'm also taking advantage of the communal lounge to socialise with other residents, the general atmosphere here is great and it's been well worth the wait, living here has exceeded my expectations," said Mr Lyons.

In 2001 Mr Lyons was made MBE in recognition for his charity work for Crisis At Christmas. For 10 years over the Christmas period he volunteered himself to help the homeless get through the festive season by offering vital companionship, hot meals, warmth and a wide range of essential services that homeless people often miss out on during Christmas.

"I was very honoured when I received my MBE, I've been involved in charity work for a long time. After retiring, I even went to Romania for six months to undertake charity work. Now I'm only involved in local charity work but it does keep me busy," said Mr Lyons.

For further information on the properties and lifestyle available at Lewis Court, visit the show complex open Tuesday to Saturday from 10.30am to 5.00pm.

See Also: Property News (6701), McCarthy & Stone (408), Lewis Court (7), Redhill (8)